Someone, Maybe A Lot Of Guys, Are Getting Traded

The NFL trade deadline, which is October 30 this year, is typically pretty uneventful. It’s nothing like baseball, where you’ve got big names changing teams on a regular basis. There’s usually some pointless speculation and then a whole lot of nothing happening in the NFL.

This year could be different, though.

Not only do there appear to be motivated sellers, some big names have asked their teams to move them.

The latest name on that list is Arizona Cardinals All Pro cornerback Patrick Peterson.

Cardinals’ All Pro CB Patrick Peterson has asked Arizona to deal him by the Oct. 30 trade deadline, per league sources. Peterson feels as if the situation is deteriorating and continues to reaffirm to others that he “desperately” wants out, per source.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 22, 2018

Not a huge surprise there. The Cardinals are a damn train wreck. They have just one win on the season. Their offense has been a disaster and coach Steve Wilks looks like a total dud hire.

Dolphins receiver Devante Parker also wants to be moved. Parker had 670 receiving yards in 2017. He has just 40 this year and was a healthy scratch this past week. Parker has appeared in just two games for the Dolphins because of a broken finger and a quad injury. He says he’s fully healthy and wants to play now. Yet, the Dolphins are sitting him. Parker’s agent called Miami coach Adam Gase incompetent on Sunday. So that should expedite this situation.

The Oakland Raiders, as we detailed on Sunday, are ready to have a fire sale. They’ve already traded Khalil Mack and are apparently pushing to trade receiver Amari Cooper, safety Karl Joseph and cornerback Gareon Conley. All three are former first-round picks. Conley was a first-round pick just last season, so that tells you where this clown show is going.

And hell, it is now said the entire Raiders roster is available.

Note: while writing this, the Raiders sent Cooper to the Dallas Cowboys for a first-round pick.

At 3-4, the Denver Broncos aren’t going anywhere. The ham-fisted manner in which Horseface… I mean, John Elway, has managed this team in recent years has become obvious. The greatest Horseface… I mean, quarterback, in franchise history can’t find a damn quarterback. Thus, the Horsefaces are ready to move receiver Demaryius Thomas. He has 372 yards and three touchdowns on the season. Surely, they will find a buyer.

None of these guys mentioned are really targets for the Green Bay Packers. I’m sure no one would mind if the Packers dealt for Peterson, but they don’t need Peterson. The Packers have plenty of depth at cornerback. They’re not in the receiver market either.

The Packers’ needs are simple: free safety, outside linebacker and possibly some defensive line depth.

The Packers don’t have a true free safety and Kentrell Brice has proven to be the weakest link on their defense. Meanwhile, their edge rushers are doing jack shit. Both Clay Matthews and Nick Perry have just 1.5 sacks on the season. Backup Reggie Gilbert has the same number. Kyler Fackrell has three sacks, but those all came in one game. During garbage time in the blowout win against the Bills. As we’ve noted, that game inflated stats for the entire team.

As for the defensive line, the Packers have seemingly been looking for an addition there since Muhammad Wilkerson broke his ankle.

If I were betting, I wouldn’t bet on the Packers making a trade. That’s just based on history, though. As mentioned, not a lot of trades are made in the NFL. Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst has surprised before, however.

In fact, he made two trades during the preseason. Neither involved a marquee name, but it is known the Gutekunst at least inquired about a trade for Mack.

Even if the Packers aren’t involved, it would be surprising if there weren’t a number of trades in the NFL this year. It doesn’t seem like there’s ever been a year like this one. There are a number of teams in the tank. They know it and so do we. There are a number of players asking for an out. And who the hell wants to deal with a malcontent when you know your team is going to suck?

Should make for an interesting week.