Two big-name wide receivers and a running back have already been traded as the NFL’s have and have not become clearer six weeks into the season.
There are still a few weeks until the Nov. 5 trade deadline. That hasn’t stopped teams from making moves this week and it will likely continue right up until the deadline.
Wide receiver Davante Adams went from the Las Vegas Raiders to the New York Jets to be reunited with quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Amari Cooper hit the proverbial lottery going from the one-win Cleveland Browns to the AFC East-leading Buffalo Bills and quarterback Josh Allen.
Those were the two marquee moves this week. Running back Cam Akers went from one first-place team to another when he was shipped from Houston to Minnesota.
Who could be next?
After talking to some people around the league, here are some ideas.
Evan Engram, TE, Jacksonville — The Jaguars (1-5) are a major disappointment and a house cleaning from the front office to the coaching staff could be on the way. Engram, 30, is one of the bright spots who could garner some important draft capital. He missed time earlier this year, but came back last week to catch 10 passes for 114 yards in a loss to Chicago. Last year he caught 114 passes. He’s a bargain this year with a $2 million base salary, but that jumps to $14 million next year.
Budda Baker, S, Arizona — It seems like his name comes up every year because he’s a good player on a bad team. That hasn’t changed. What has is that this is the final year of his contract. The struggling Cardinals (2-4) may want to get something for the Pro Bowl safety instead of losing him for nothing but a possible compensatory pick as a free agent.
Jonathan Jones, CB, New England — The undersized (5-foot-9), but tough corner has been with the Patriots his entire nine-year career and has started the past three years. The 31-year-old will also be a free agent at the end of the season and a lot of teams could use a veteran cornerback. The Pats (1-5) could use more draft picks.
Za’Darius Smith, Edge; Dalvin Tomlinson, DT; Jordan Hicks, LB, Cleveland — The Browns (1-5) got decent value for Cooper with a third-round pick coming back from the Bills. Why stop there? Smith, 32, at this point is just a third-down pass rusher but they have value and his total salary is just $3.5 million next year.
Tomlinson, 30, is another veteran who has always been a big-time run stopper. A contending team with a hole in the middle of its front might part with a pick for him. And Hicks, 32, is a solid middle linebacker and a good leader in the locker room.
Matthew Stafford, QB, Los Angeles — This would depend on a lot happening. One is Stafford wanting to go somewhere else to end his career. Presumably it would be to a team with a chance to go far in the playoffs.
The next is a team with a chance to go far needing a quarterback. Which means a contending team would likely have to incur an injury.
But hey, strange things happen all the time in the NFL.
