Who’ll be moved before trade deadline day?
Whether they like it or not, more players might find themselves suddenly looking for new housing before the NFL trade deadline passes.
The NFL trade deadline of Oct. 30th is looming closer each day, and plenty of closed-door meetings will continue to take place as it pertains to moving players. Said players could be guys who are simply eating up too much salary cap. In other cases, some franchises are trying to rebuild around a younger group of players.
Aside from this, other teams may be looking to part ways with guys who are tired of dealing with their own franchises.
Here are 10 players who could be moved.
LeSean McCoy, running back, Buffalo Bills
Rumors involving a possible trade of McCoy back to his former team heated up after Philly placed running back Jay Ajayi on IR. Though, these talks have since died down. Instead it was reported that the Eagles believed a second-round pick in exchange for McCoy was too high of an asking price. Aside from the Eagles, other teams that are short-handed at the running back position could still potentially reach out to Buffalo. When healthy, McCoy is a solid contributor. He is currently signed through the 2019 season.
Patrick Peterson, cornerback, Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals have had a terrible season so far under their new rookie head coach, Steve Wilks. And with veteran players extremely frustrated, it was recently reported that cornerback Patrick Peterson asked to be traded. Though, about as quickly as that report came out, Wilks addressed the press and said trading Peterson is not an option. To further add to the story, Peterson released a statement on Wednesday admitting to his frustrations. But he also pledged his commitment to the Cardinals organization. Though, none of this takes away from the fact that other NFL teams interested in the All-Pro corner may choose to reach out.
Derek Carr, quarterback, Oakland Raiders
The Raiders trading away Carr is a wild thought. But it seems nobody’s job is 100 percent safe in Oakland. Head coach Jon Gruden recently endorsed Carr, but the alleged disconnect between the quarterback and his team keeps the trade rumors buzzing. Perhaps in the attempt to set his situation straight, Carr tweeted that he is “a Raider” despite it not being a “popular thing.” The tweet would suggest that Carr is committed to his franchise, and he supports his teammates. That however, has not stopped speculation that other struggling teams would benefit by trading for Carr.
Le’Veon Bell, running back, Pittsburgh Steelers
Bell has been a wild card to ponder about all season. He threatened to hold out several months ago, and has stayed true to this course. A report earlier in the season suggested he might join his team after its Week 7 bye. But, Week 8 is here, and Bell his not. The All-Pro running back is certainly considered a major trade chip that the Steelers could use to make a big deal. Somewhere out there a team with excess cap space could approach the Steelers about a trade. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh has been in capable hands with second-year back James Conner running the ball. The ongoing issue between Bell and the Steelers is by far the biggest stalemate of the season.
Pierre Garcon, wide receiver, San Francisco 49ers
Signed through the 2022 season, Garcon’s relevance as a 49er seems to be quickly fading. The 32-year-old receiver was targeted just once in his last game and has not managed to find the end zone all season. It is not necessarily due to a lack of talent, but more for lack of opportunity that Garcon’s numbers are on the decline.
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Garcon continually competes for targets among a slew of young pass-catchers who look to be around for the foreseeable future. Trading Garcon, perhaps to his former Redskins team with an upgrade for him at quarterback, makes for an interesting thought.
Landon Collins, safety, New York Giants
Amid promises that the Giants claim they are not trying to tank, the team has been quite busy cleaning house. Quickly sweeping players out the door, the Giants could look to move Collins as well. Collins is playing out the final year of his rookie contract and will be in line for a huge bump in salary next year. Even though he has not been producing quite to the level of his breakout 2016 campaign, Collins would still net the Giants a decent bounty. Stay tuned as rebuild mode continues among the land of the G-Men.
Nick Foles, quarterback, Philadelphia Eagles
Foles’ current cap number is $13.6 million, which represents the highest of any Eagles player. So, the team is paying their backup quarterback quite handsomely to sit on a bench. Foles is definitely trade-worthy considering the dire quarterback situations plaguing other franchises. At the beginning of the season, the Eagles sat pat on not moving Foles. And, that was wise considering it took Carson Wentz extra time to gain clearance to play. But, perhaps another team offers the Eagles something in exchange for Foles that is just too tempting to turn down.
Kelechi Osemele, left guard, Oakland Raiders
It would appear that everyone who is currently a Raider is expendable. This is especially the case when it comes to vets such as Osemele, who is 29. He currently ties Gabe Jackson (also expendable) with the team’s second-highest salary cap hit of $10.5 million. With all the turbulence surrounding Oakland and its last place finish in the AFC West being further cemented, the Raiders would be doing Osemele a huge favor by trading him. This team is a sinking ship, and one that could use to free up some cap space by getting rid of the old and bringing in some cheaper replacements.
Odell Beckham Jr., wide receiver, New York Giants
The likelihood the Giants just hand over Beckham on a silver platter to another team, after making him the highest-paid receiver in the league, is slim. But nothing is ever 100 percent certain when it comes to what surprises can pop up in the NFL. OBJ can be extremely high maintenance and he is not happy with the team’s 1-6 record. He even went as far to shade his own team owner on Instagram. Personality clashes alone could prompt the Giants — whose season is already looking like toast — to gain some golden first-round draft picks in exchange.
Demaryius Thomas, wide receiver, Denver Broncos
Rumors are starting to bubble about the possibility of the Broncos putting Thomas on the block. Thomas’ production has declined and he is currently on pace to finish 2018 with a mere 850 yards and six touchdowns. This doesn’t match up to his lofty $12 million cap hit, which makes for the second-highest dent on the team. Plus, the Broncos planned for their future after selecting second-rounder Courtland Sutton in this year’s draft. If Thomas makes it past Oct. 30th without being traded, this will likely be his final season playing for Denver.