NFL Trade Rumors and Trade Matches
Not known for a flurry of activity at the trade deadline, like we see in Major League Baseball and the NBA, this year might be different for the NFL. The deadline is 4 pm ET on November 1, so the clock is ticking.
The NFL is top-heavy, and then right below that tier is a wide range of mediocre teams. That means there will be more teams in the playoff hunt in December, and a greater incentive to pull the trigger on a move that could make the difference.
Kendrick Bourne – Wide Receiver
The Patriots don’t seem to be sellers on the trade market. They are playing well of late in a competitive AFC East, and they were in the playoffs just last season. But wide receiver Kendrick Bourne is getting used less and less, and reports are the Patriots are receiving calls from multiple teams.
The Packers would be a good fit for Bourne. Aaron Rodgers has publicly called for his front office to make moves, and we know when he says that, he means wide receivers. The team just lost Randall Cobb for up to a month, so there is an opening. And Cold, Hard Football Facts, which uses a team approach to gather passing stats, has the Packers ranked just 18th Real Quarterback Rating. That number is reflective of Rodgers, but also the Packers current wide receiver corps.
Robert Quinn – Defensive End
The Bears don’t have a postseason run in their future, and if they really are going to build a good team around Justin Fields, it’s time to move on from their older and most valuable veterans. One such player in pass rusher Robert Quinn, who had 18.5 sacks last season
Quinn is now 32, and not in the future plans of Chicago, but a team like the Chiefs would be a really good fit for Quinn. Bears general manager Ryan Poles was with the Chiefs the last 13 years, so he knows the front office well. And Kansas City is having a very hard time generating a pass rush. They are just 14th in the NFL with 14 team sacks, and only five of those sacks have come from their defensive ends.
The Chiefs also just restructured the contract of Travis Kelce, giving them flexibility in taking on another contract.
Christian McCaffrey – Carolina Panthers
The Panthers are open for business, beginning this week by trading away wide receiver Robbie Anderson. The most attractive of the Panthers is running back Christian McCaffrey, and they are openly shopping him.
The 49ers are without Elijah Mitchell until November, and they can never have too many good running backs. Plus they rank just 21st in Cold, Hard Football Facts’ Offensive Rusher Rating, and no doubt Kyle Shanahan sees McCaffrey as a big boost to that rating, and to the 49ers offense.
