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NFL Players who Could be Traded Before the Deadline

Now that Percy Harvin and Akeem Ayers have been traded over the course of the past week, there is a lot of talk about the NFL trade deadline set to take place at the end of this month.

While trades are few and far between around the NFL, especially during the season, we have seen some big names moved in the past. Situations arise in which certain players no longer fit what the team is planning to do moving forward. That was obviously the case when the Seahawks moved Harvin to the New York Jets for a late-round pick late last week.

Let’s check in on a few players who could be calling a new city home before the NFL trade deadline on October 28th.

Vincent Jackson, Wide Receiver, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Courtesy of CBS Sports: Jackson is the most likely vet to be moved before the deadline.

Courtesy of CBS Sports: Jackson is the most likely vet to be moved before the deadline.

Jackson’s name has come up a lot in recent days. The veteran free agent signee from San Diego back in 2012 started his Buccaneers career strong, compiling 1,384 yards and a league-leading 19.2 yards per attempt en route to a Pro Bowl appearance that season. After putting up over 1,200 yards last year, Jackson has struggled a great deal in 2014. He’s catching just 42.6 percent of the passes thrown in his direction through six games. But the ability is there for him to make his presence known, as we saw with a 144-yard performance against the New Orleans Saints back in Week 5.

The issue with finding a market for Jackson is that he’s set to count about $25 million over the cap over the next two seasons and will be 33 when his contract is over. Though, it must be noted that Jackson doesn’t have any guaranteed money remaining on his deal.

As NFL Media insider Ian Rapoport reported earlier this week, the team is fielding a ton of calls for Jackson’s services. 

They are getting a ton of calls on him,” Rapoport said. “With just one win, I’m told they are open to anything even though they love him as a player.

And while Buccaneers head coach Lovie Smith indicated on Monday that they don’t have any players on the trade block, he did stop short of saying that the team isn’t taking calls for some of their players (via PewterReport.com).

We like our football team that we’re going with and have here right now. We’re not trying to shop any players to answer any questions out there. And if people call about some of their players, we take all calls.

With one win on the season and possessing potentially valuable trade assets, it would make sense for the Buccaneers to listen on some of their veterans. The Seattle Seahawks are rumored to be a potential destination, which would make a ton of sense after sending Harvin packing. I would also throw the New England Patriots out there as a team that might have already (or will) show some interest moving forward.

Kirk Cousins, Quarterback, Washington Redskins

It’s rather obvious that Cousins doesn’t fit into the Redskins short or long-term plans. That much was made obvious when the team benched him in favor of veteran backup Colt McCoy for its upcoming game against the Dallas Cowboys. As to where Cousins has not performed up to a high level this season, he has shown some flashes of being able to handle a starting job in the NFL. For the former third-round pick, it’s all about showing consistency as it relates to decision making. The upside is definitely there for him.

While this is nothing more than conjecture on my part, I could easily see Washington looking to turn Cousins into a mid-to-late round pick next year. That could come in the form of a team like the Houston Texans or Tennessee Titans who both might need to try out a quarterback for the remainder of the season before making a decision on what to do moving forward.

Jermaine Gresham, Tight End, Cincinnati Bengals

Courtesy of USA Today: With Eifert returning, the Bengals might not have a use for Gresham.

Courtesy of USA Today: With Eifert returning, the Bengals might not have a use for Gresham.

Rapoport also suggested that Gresham could be had, especially considering that former first-round pick Tyler Eifter is set to return from injured reserved within a couple weeks. With Eifert out of action for the most part this year, Gresham has put up 24 receptions through six games. He’s also a two-time Pro Bowl performer, so there is some past success here.

Looking at it logically, a few teams could express interest in Gresham’s prior to the trade deadline. The Green Bay Packers, who seem to be missing that receiving tight end with Jermichael Finley no longer on the team, could make a ton of sense. While Andrew Quarless has played good overall football, he isn’t the same threat that Gresham would be in the passing game for Aaron Rodgers and company. Other teams in contention that might look to add a receiving threat like Gresham are the Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks.

Mike Williams, Wide Receiver, Buffalo Bills

A week after being a healthy inactive against the Detroit Lions, Williams saw limited action against the Minnesota Vikings this past weekend. He wasn’t targeted a single time in in just five snaps. Williams’ fall from grace in Buffalo can be summed up by the fact that his agent reportedly requested a trade after the team benched him back in Week 6.

Sadly, there won’t be a big market for Williams should he be traded. His off-field issues coupled with a lack of production over the past two seasons make it a near impossibility for the Bills to get anything for his services. If a receiver-needy team comes calling with a conditional late-round pick, Buffalo would have to pull the trigger.

Doug Martin, Running Back, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Courtesy of the Score: After a breakout 2012 campaign, Martin's production has dropped a great deal.

Courtesy of the Score: After a breakout 2012 campaign, Martin’s production has dropped a great deal.

If the Buccaneers do decide to move a couple players, Martin might be one of them. As we indicated in an article on Tuesday, Martin has been a huge disappointment recently. Overall, Martin is averaging just over 70 total yards per game since the start of the 2013 campaign after finishing with nearly 2,000 total yards as a rookie in 2012. He’s also averaging less than three yards per attempt this year.

With Bobby Rainey playing much better football right now and seemingly a better fit in the Buccaneers offense, Martin could potentially be had. And in reality, there would be a ton of teams interested in the services of this talented young running back. One of the biggest reasons Martin’s market would be so big is the fact that it wouldn’t be limited to just contending teams. The former first-round pick has two more years remaining on his rookie deal at a relatively cheap total cap hit of about $5 million during that span.

Pure conjecture here, but the Oakland Raiders could be a solid fit. They boast two washed-up running backs in the form of Darren McFadden and Maurice Jones-Drew. Together, those two lead the league’s 32nd-ranked rushing attack. While general manager Reggie McKenzie has been against sending draft picks for veterans, a change of scenery could be all that Martin needs right now.

Photo: NFL.com

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