When it comes to the trade deadline, good general managers are now like the eBay consumer who selects the “buy it now” option instead of waiting for the final moments of the auction. The old adage that deadlines spur action really applies only to contracts in the NFL now (because owners are some combination of stingy, distant and performative). The trade deadline, as it stands, has all but fizzled out.
Robert Quinn (Eagles), James Robinson (Jets), Christian McCaffrey (49ers), Johnathan Hankins (Cowboys) and Robbie Anderson (Cardinals) have already found new homes. If a team really wanted someone, they’ve gone out and acquired them, instead of waiting for an arbitrary time and date (in this case, 4 p.m. ET Tuesday) to tell them when they should.
But that doesn’t mean we can’t still have fun (or that you shouldn’t still try a few eBay auctions, because sniping someone with the suggested bid increase at the final second for that Bailey Zappe rookie card is incredibly satisfying). While another blockbuster may shake the league’s very foundation, it’s up to us to come up with the best trades that should have happened. Or still might! Teams can’t believe this, but the advice we offer here is completely and totally free.
