The NFL’s trade deadline hits at 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday. In the days leading up to the deadline, speculation about what the Detroit Lions will do is hitting a fever pitch.
There are dreams of landing a major name, of being splashy buyers at the deadline. Other lower-level players have also been the object of desire and the occasional rumor. But are any of those potential targets actually available for Lions GM Brad Holmes even if he wanted to pull off a deal?
The latest insider updates on some of the more popular names are a good reference for viable availability on the trade market. How much credibility you wish to place in the various sources culled here is up to you.
Patrick Surtain, CB, Broncos
Several sources have indicated Surtain is absolutely not available for trade:
What you need to know before the NFL Trade Deadline:
1) The Broncos are not open to trading cornerback Patrick Surtain II, in fact, one team source described him as “the best and smartest player on the Broncos roster.”
2) https://t.co/BYDYFv9omq pic.twitter.com/DwxQYlGrJq— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) October 28, 2023
Oh there's a ton of "interest" every team.wpuld want to add Pat Surtain.
Just not any interest at what it would it would actually take….which would be more than the Jalen Ramsey package.
People are just out here looking for clicks. https://t.co/BUjOF2v6sv
— Benjamin Allbright (@AllbrightNFL) October 28, 2023
Unless it's an insane return, at least 2 first rd picks, trading a top 3 CB in the NFL is not a way to "rebuild." He was never on the market. #Broncos https://t.co/H9dcCj0KoJ
— David Todd (@DavidMTodd) October 28, 2023
Charles Robinson of Yahoo had this to say,
That doesn’t mean a team like the Detroit Lions couldn’t get aggressive and take a stab, but Surtain is the one guy the Broncos view as essentially an automatic “no.”
Broncos WRs Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton
One or both of the Broncos wideouts may be available, per several sources, including Albert Breer. From his recent trade deadline rumor piece at SI.com,
The price to start a conversation on Jeudy was a first-round pick, and on Sutton it was a second-round selection in April before the draft. If they could get that return for either now, I think they’d listen.
This video clip from Matt Harmon of Yahoo is worth watching, too:
If the Broncos trade someone, will it be Jerry Jeudy or Courtland Sutton? pic.twitter.com/Dm57MQB30E
— Matt Harmon (@MattHarmon_BYB) October 28, 2023
Brian Burns, EDGE, Panthers
Burns is perhaps the player most often aspirationally linked to Detroit but does not appear to be realistically available. The Panthers rejected an offer of two first-round picks and a third-round pick from the Rams at this point last year.
Here’s what Dan Graziano of ESPN said about Burns late this week,
The big name in Carolina is edge rusher Brian Burns, but teams are being told he’s not available.
Breer added this,
“Carolina has the franchise tag in its back pocket, so it doesn’t have to move Burns now. And it’s not actively shopping him. But if someone blows them away? Maybe.”
Joseph Person of The Athletic, their beat reporter with the Panthers, offered this assessment,
The sense across the league is that the Panthers will hold on to Pro Bowl edge rusher Brian Burns, who drew a massive offer from the Rams (two future first-round picks and a third) at last year’s deadline. But the Panthers need to restock their draft capital so perhaps their stance would change if someone blows them away with a trade package for Burns.
Titans RB Derrick Henry
According to Adam Schefter, the Titans have received inquiries about Henry but aren’t trading him,
The Tennessee Titans informed Derrick Henry this week that they don’t plan to trade him despite receiving inquiries about the Pro Bowl running back, per sources.
More: https://t.co/Smz6COSe9s
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 28, 2023
Several other sources have indicated the same, even in the aftermath of Tennessee trading away S Kevin Byard.
Chase Young and Montez Sweat, EDGE, Commanders
ESPN’s Graziano believes one of the former first-round pass rushers will be available. In his words,
Young is a hot name right now, and teams have absolutely been calling the Commanders to see what they want to do with him. In Young and Montez Sweat, Washington has two edge rushers slated to be unrestricted free agents at the end of the year, and the presumption around the league is that the team can’t or won’t be able to keep and pay them both. (You can only franchise one player per year.) But under new ownership and with uncertainty surrounding head coach and chief organizational decision-maker Ron Rivera, the Commanders might not be in position to have decided what to do with Young yet. Heck, it’s not out of the question they could trade Sweat instead, if the offers are better.
Russini had this report in The Athletic,
“The Washington Commanders are listening to offers on Chase Young and Montez Sweat. They want a second-rounder but have only received offers in the third-round range.”
And from Commanders Wire,
“Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post reported on Wednesday that there is an offer on the table for Sweat but not for Young.”
Panthers CB Donte Jackson
Jackson is the player I’ve stated is the most likely trade target for the Lions.
Here’s what Person said about Jackson,
The 27-year-old Jackson plays a premium position and could catch the eye of a contending team in need of secondary help. But given Jackson’s injury history in recent seasons, it’s hard to imagine the Panthers getting anything better than a Day 3 pick for the 5-10 corner.
That echoes what Ian Rapoport of NFL.com wrote about Jackson and Panthers WR Terrace Marshall,
The same goes for the Panthers, who likely won’t trade any key building blocks for their future, but do appear open to dealing players such as WR Terrace Marshall and CB Donte Jackson and may have traded Jeremy Chinn before he got injured.
Danielle Hunter, EDGE, Vikings
Another player commonly discussed in relation to the Lions, though nobody in Detroit has ever confirmed any Lions interest on the record, is Hunter. The two teams made a trade deadline deal a year ago with T.J. Hockenson.
Here’s what Breer said of Hunter’s potential availability,
So there won’t be any fire sale here. But there are names to watch, and the name that continues to be at the top of the list is Danielle Hunter, who’s due the prorated portion of his $10 million base for the rest of the year ($5.56 million after this week). Hunter turns 29 on Sunday, is still hyperproductive—he has a league-leading nine sacks through seven games—and would be a nice piece for someone such as Detroit that’s looking for a missing piece.
From Jeremy Fowler at ESPN,
With Hunter, there’s a history of trade dialogue from the offseason, so interested teams can pick up where they left off, even though it’s important to remember Minnesota hasn’t been shopping him lately. It would probably take a sizable offer for the team to consider. But enough teams love his game that I could see an aggressive push.
And from Vikings Wire’s Tyler Forness,
“The growing sense is that the Vikings won’t make the move to trade Hunter, as it would decimate their pass rush and in turn, their potential playoff spot.”
Bills CB Kaiir Elam
Elam was a 2022 first-round pick out of Florida who has quickly fallen out of favor — and also the active lineup — in Buffalo.
Kaiir Elam has been a healthy inactive for 5 of #Bills 8 games this season.
One game he started he was replaced by practice squad call-up Ja’Marcus Ingram.
I thought Elam should have been traded before roster cuts bc value would only drop as he didn’t play.
What’s it now? https://t.co/Kns6Vij03W
— Jon Scott (@JonScottTV) October 28, 2023
Not exactly trade-related other than to validate the notion that Elam is available, but this is a good breakdown of why he’s potentially on the way out already via Buffalo Rumblings,
Patriots EDGE Josh Uche
Uche won’t play in Week 8 after being ruled out with an ankle/toe injury, though not everyone buys that the 2020 2nd-round pick from Michigan is truly that injured.
He was Patriot Wire’s Jordy McLeroy’s choice for the Patriots player most likely to be dealt,
“Josh Uche has otherworldly potential as a pass-rusher, but his ceiling is capped by his struggles on early downs against the run. That has led to a decrease in snaps this season, which is never a good sign for a player in a contract year. The Patriots already have a suitable replacement on the roster with linebacker Anfernee Jennings. Rebuilding a team takes draft picks, and New England should get what they can for Uche, who is one of the few good bargaining chips on their roster.”
That is similar to the report from Breer at SI,
“And Uche, who’s more of a designated pass rusher in the Patriots’ defense, is the guy most likely to be moved, because he’ll probably be the most difficult of the group to re-sign. He also has, as an edge rusher, a premium skill that could bring New England a decent return.
Fowler included Uche in his post on X (formerly Twitter), too:
Two AFC East names worth watching at trade deadline: #Bills corner Kaiir Elam and #Patriots pass rusher Josh Uche. Both players have garnered trade interest, per sources.
Elam, a former first-round pick, was inactive Thursday, while Uche is in the final year of his rookie deal. pic.twitter.com/Ew9wTlawiI
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) October 28, 2023
Raiders WRs Davante Adams and Hunter Renfrow
No one in the national media or on the Raiders beat believes Maxx Crosby or Davante Adams are available, but Renfrow’s name comes up quite a bit. Robinson from Yahoo succinctly put it like this on Adams,
As for Davante Adams, unless he drops a hammer and says he needs to be traded, I don’t see the appetite. The Raiders have a solid start in hand and know that they’ll need him if they’re going to scrape out a playoff run. Dealing him made sense only if the team was entirely in the tank at this point, and they simply are not.
Robinson did indicate Renfrow, a veteran slot receiver, is open for business.
The Raiders have a receiver available … it’s just not the one everyone assumed might be on the block.
It’s Hunter Renfrow, who no longer appears to fit and would likely be traded for almost anything at this stage. I’ve seen some people suggesting odd compensation for Renfrow, but this is not going to be a player who draws a second- or third-round pick from someone, unless a team loses its mind. Two receiver-needy teams told Yahoo Sports that he’s billed as a single late-round pick trade
From Marcus Mosher of Raiders Wire, accurately summarizing on Renfrow,
At this point, it would almost be a shock if Renfrow wasn’t traded. After a Pro Bowl season in 2021, Renfrow has completely disappeared from the offense.
