Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans (13) after a catch against the Philadelphia Eagles during the first half of an NFL wild-card football game Sunday, Jan. 16, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Mark LoMoglio)
The NFL trade deadline has never been a huge event. For other leagues like the NBA and MLB, the trade deadline often involves massive moves that change the landscape of the league. Championships are won and lost based on moves that are made midseason. Last season, there was a little movement with Christian McCaffrey and TJ Hockenson getting traded but overall, the excitement isn’t there. That has the potential to change this year.
Why Isn’t The NFL Trade Deadline A Big Thing?
Football is very different from basketball or baseball. It isn’t hard to integrate a new first baseman into a lineup. Trying to teach a player a whole new playbook is very challenging. If a trade happens, there is no guarantee that the player will make an immediate impact. Take Chase Claypool as an example. The Chicago Bears traded premium draft capital for him and he really did not do much. Some of this was the limitations of the offense but some of it was likely due to Claypool having to learn a whole new offense. However, we did see two players that found success.
Success Stories
McCaffrey played the final 11 games of the season with the 49ers after the trade from the Panthers. He racked up 746 rushing yards, 464 receiving yards, and 10 total touchdowns. He was a huge part of the offense. Hockenson played the final 10 games for the Vikings and quickly became a favorite target of Kirk Cousins. He had 519 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns. These success stories should give teams more confidence to pull the trigger at the deadline. It isn’t just about more trades for the sake of trades. 2023 has a lot of big-name players on bad teams that could absolutely help contenders.
The Buccaneers And The Rams
Tampa Bay and Los Angeles are suffering from a post-Super Bowl roster. Both teams went all-in, got the ring, and are now paying the price. However, there are still a lot of quality players on the roster. Mike Evans is a name that has been thrown around already and Chris Godwin would be a great pickup as well. On defense, Devin White is an obvious trade candidate as well along with many other players. For the Rams, the trade piece is Aaron Donald. Donald is in the twilight of his career and the Rams are likely to get a top-five pick. While some years there are not a lot of great options, 2023 has real options that teams can trade for.
The Responsible Thing To Do
If the Bucs and Rams keep their players I believe it is malpractice. Both of these teams are rebuilding. Why not ship off these players, get some premium draft capital, and lean into the rebuild? Evans has little to no value this late in his career on a team that is, best case scenario, three years away from competing. The Rams especially need to recoup draft capital they have given up in trades over the past half-decade. What better way than to give up a generational talent in the twilight of his career? Both teams got their rings. There is no shame in moving on from those players to make the next decade more successful.
Needy And Desperate Teams At The NFL Trade Deadline
Having players to trade is one thing but this NFL trade deadline could see some fireworks because there are obvious buyers as well. The Bills are in desperate need of a wide receiver if Gabe Davis doesn’t pan out. Giving up a second-round pick for Mike Evans seems like a no-brainer. I would do that in a heartbeat. The Chiefs are also lurking. If the pass-catching group suffers, especially with the Travis Kelce injury, they could look to upgrade the position. On defense, the Bills again might look to upgrade their pass rush especially if Von Miller doesn’t look the same coming off the ACL injury.
The Bills are the obvious team because I sense desperation for a Super Bowl. Other teams are lurking as well. The Chargers could become desperate to try and make a splash and grab a wide receiver to help newly-signed Justin Herbert. The New York Giants could also take advantage of a weak NFC and look to upgrade the roster. Any of the fringe playoff teams could look to upgrade the roster in order to go up a tier.
The NFL trade deadline hasn’t really been something to watch for a while but I think that could change this year. The perfect storm of the right players and desperate teams is brewing. We just get to sit back and watch the fun.
