The trade winds are blowing as we approach the Oct. 31 trade deadline.
We’ve already seen a few deals drop this season. Cam Akers was sent from the Rams to Minnesota, the Chargers sent J.C. Jackson back to Foxborough, Randy Gregory went from Denver to San Francisco, Chase Claypool was sent to Miami and the Rams sent Van Jefferson to Atlanta this week. The action may heat up as we approach the Halloween deadline.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at the players who should be traded in the coming weeks. We emphasize this starting point: should. I don’t foresee all of them being traded, I’m just highlighting the players that make sense to move.
The NFL trade deadline is a notoriously fickle beast, with few blockbusters happening during the season. But that doesn’t mean we can’t speculate and assume the best candidates.
There are a few issues with sending Cousins early, starting with the QB’s no-trade clause. The last time he hit the open market, he got a huge contract. Would he lose the chance to do it again? Even if he was offered another extension by the team that traded him, would it be as much as he could get on the open market? Then there is the destination. Who will part with Cousins assets now if the team’s top player suffers a catastrophic injury in the next few weeks? How would the team fit under the contract under the salary cap? How much would the Vikings demand in return?
There are no easy answers to the questions. In the long run, the Vikings would be better off finding a way to trade Cousins. GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, who currently has the top five picks in the 2024 NFL Draft, could develop a dynamic long-term solution under center. Even without Jefferson, Cousins is good enough to get at least a few wins over the next 12 weeks, pushing the Vikings down the draft board. If you put backups Jaren Hall or Nick Mullens under center, the high draft odds go up.
It’s easy to justify the Vikings switching cousins. In fact, it would be much more difficult to remove it.
Perhaps the more likely move for Adofo-Mensah as the season goes sideways is to trade Danielle Hunter.
After the two sides failed to agree on a long-term deal that offseason, they agreed to a one-year, restructured deal that included a no-tag clause, making Hunter a free agent at the end of the season.
Hunter was a beast on the sideline early in the season with six sacks (tied for second most in NFL) and nine tackles for loss (tied for most). Hunter has looked healthy for over a year and is the type of player a contending club could add to increase their playoff scoring. Brian Burns
Brian Burns
Carolina Panthers · OLB
Carolina was confident that the team would make a quick turnaround after hiring Frank Reich. Wideout Adam Thielen even talked about the Panthers contending for a championship before the season. After an 0-5 start, optimism took a huge hit.
Instead of cosmetic updates, this Carolina home is in need of a major renovation. The pipes leak, the roof needs replacing and the electricity is constantly shorted out. It’s a mess now.
To make matters worse, the Panthers don’t have a first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft after trading their top pick to go No. 1 overall in this year’s draft.
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reports that the Panthers are looking to trade the starting wide receiver. By what means?
Parting ways with Burns may be the best way to regain some cap space and/or find a receiver to help rookie quarterback Bryce Young. The Los Angeles Rams reportedly made Carolina a strong offer for Burns at the trade deadline last season, but the Panthers passed. In retrospect, GM Scott Fitterer can do that.
Playing with a five-year option, Burns said he and the Panthers entered contract negotiations at the start of the season. Carolina could use the franchise tag this offseason, but the cost of a long-term deal is likely to only increase for the club’s leading tackler.
Carolina could also send players who hit free agency in 2024, like linebacker Frankie Luvu or safety Jeremy Chinn, but they won’t produce the kind of performance that Burns has. If the Panthers want to add to their coffers, parting ways with a star like Burns is the way to go.
Sean Payton’s reign got off to an inauspicious start. The Broncos have teeth, and a furious comeback against the Chicago Bears is all that saved Denver from an 0-5 start. As inventory fills up, it’s Broncos time to SELL! FOR SALE! FOR SALE! Payton should buy a dozen of those popular dancing inflatable pipers to highlight the sale – then let the pipes protect, because they would probably do just as well as D.
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