10 NFL players who could be traded this season, including Davante Adams

The Cleveland Browns are a complete disaster and it’s only going to get worse from here. Stuck with the Deshaun Watson contract and plummeting down the NFL standings, the Browns’ only option at this point is flipping a few veterans for draft picks. Amari Cooper certainly doesn’t seem to be playing his best football this season, whether that’s a reflection of effort or the environment around him, his time in Cleveland is likely drawing to a close. It’s even more likely he is among the NFL players traded within the next month because he’s on an expiring contract, which carries just an $8.744 million cap hit. Keep an eye on teams like the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills and Washington Commanders as potential landing spots.

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A month ago, the idea of the Cincinnati Bengals trading anyone away would’ve seemed foolish. However, the team enters Week 6 with a 1-4 record and the schedule isn’t exactly forgiving the rest of the season. Trey Hendrickson also requested a trade before the season, unsatisfied with his contract, and is only under team control through 2025. With the Bengals’ defense falling into rapid decline and potentially far too much for Joe Burrow to overcome, Cincinnati could decide to flip Hendrickson at the NFL trade deadline. If he’s made available, teams like the New York Jets, Atlanta Falcons and Detroit Lions could use a Pro Bowl edge rusher for a potential playoff push.

It’s a matter of when, not if, Davante Adams is traded. After insisting on being moved to the Las Vegas Raiders a few years ago, the All-Pro wideout now wants out. Complicating matters is the fact that the Raiders don’t want to take on any of his salary and need at least a second-round pick back. The asking price will likely come down, opening the door for a team like the Buffalo Bills to provide some more competition for the New York Jets. In the end, Adams is likely wearing another uniform well before the end of October.

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If contracts were taken out of the equation, there’s likely no chance the Arizona Cardinals even consider moving Budda Baker at the NFL trade deadline. However, the standout safety is in the final year of his deal and these sides have never come close to a long-term extension in the past two seasons. With Arizona unlikely to contend and plenty of NFL teams weak at safety, Baker could be a phenomenal addition to a Super Bowl-caliber defense and the Cardinals could recoup some draft capital to start putting more depth on Jonathan Gannon’s defense.

Amari Cooper and Davante Adams are the marquee players being floated ahead of the NFL trade deadline but don’t rule out Christian Kirk. The Jacksonville Jaguars are a mess right now and Kirk could offer more value to teams than Cooper or Adams when factoring in longevity and cost. As a slot receiver who can make plays at every level of the field, he makes sense as an option for clubs like the Kansas City Chiefs, Pittsburgh Steelers and even the New England Patriots. Plus, the Jaguars have Brian Thomas Jr. ready to be the team’s No. 1 receiver moving forward.

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The fact that Haason Reddick’s agents fired him should tell you everything about this situation. The New York Jets acquired him this offseason and seemed to believe they were close to a deal that would make everyone happy. Instead, Reddick continues to sit out the regular season and racking up millions of dollars in fines. Realistically, the probable outcome here is New York flipping him to a team that needs an edge rusher (Atlanta Falcons) and then both teams send draft picks to the Las Vegas Raiders with Davante Adams joining the Jets.

George Pickens is already unhappy with his role in the Steelers’ offense and the number of issues he’s caused for Pittsburgh seems to grow by the week. The issues will only get worse if the Steelers are successfully able to land a proven No. 1 receiver. In that event, it makes a lot of sense for Pittsburgh to flip its ‘problem to recoup some draft picks, possibly to a team willing to roll the dice such as the Kansas City Chiefs or perhaps the New England Patriots. Pickens certainly isn’t the likeliest of NFL players who could be moved this season, but it wouldn’t be shocking in light of recent events.

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By the time Tua Tagovailoa returns to the field, it’s possible the Miami Dolphins are in enough of a hole in the AFC where they decide to move a player or two. It’s even more likely for someone like Emmanuel Ogbah, who could be expendable with Chop Robinson coming along. Ogbah, who turns 30 a day after the NFL trade deadline, could provide a nice pass-rushing boost as a No. 2 or No.3 edge rusher and he should be relatively affordable.

It could be a great NFL trade deadline for receiver-needy teams. Thanks to quarterback Will Levis, the Tennessee Titans’ hopes for a surprise playoff pursuit were dashed quickly. At this point, the club’s best option is to put itself in a great position to draft a quarterback and that makes DeAndre Hopkins expendable. As a 50-50 guy who doesn’t do a great job creating separation, he’s not a good option for the Kansas City Chiefs. However, Hopkins could have an appeal to teams like the Los Angeles Chargers, Baltimore Ravens and Buffalo Bills.

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