Three NFL trades were completed this week, titled Browns I am sending Joe Flacco to the opponent BengalThe move is expected to be a sign of things to come before the league’s Nov. 4 trade deadline.
In a copycat league where teams are constantly attempting to improve, general managers have already begun exploring additional trades, and based on recent years, at least a dozen more trades could be coming, league sources told ESPN.
Over the past six years, leading up to the trade deadline in the month of October, there have been 88 trades in the NFL – an average of less than 15 per year.
Executives and coaches believe a list of trade candidates could become available in the next few weeks, which includes several high-profile players cancer cousin, Russell Wilson, trey hendrickson, mark andrews, bradley chubb, Alvin Kamara, Chris Olave, Breece Hall, cameron jordan And rick woolenThese players’ respective teams have not necessarily made them available via trade, but sources believe they could eventually become available.
18 trades were completed both last year and in 2022. This increased number of deals is in sharp contrast to the nine trades made in the month leading up to the 2018 deadline, the eight made in 2017, the five made in 2016 and the four made in 2015.
The NFL trade deadline has become just as busy as the NBA and Major League Baseball deadlines. In the opinion of multiple sources in the league, the uptick in trade activity is due to a number of factors.
One reason for this is the younger and more aggressive GMs in the NFL. Many GMs of the previous generation did not believe in trading players in the middle of the season and bringing in new players to learn their system.
But recently teams have had success trading players before the deadline, and they seem to be enjoying success. in 2021 rams Second and third round draft picks traded broncos For von millerWho helped Los Angeles win Super Bowl LVI.
After one season, Chiefs Traded third and sixth round picks veteran for wide receiver kadarius toneyWho helped Kansas City win the Super Bowl with a 65-yard punt return and a walk-in touchdown.
Teams have taken notice of the juice that midseason acquisitions can provide, and others have tried to mimic the success of the Rams and Chiefs.
Just last week, three of the four AFC North teams – Baltimore, Cincinnati and Cleveland – traded turnovers on Tuesday. The only AFC North team that did not complete a deal was first place. steelersWho are expected to explore the possibility of upgrading their roster in the weeks before the deadline.
Teams that are winning want to strengthen their roster – and strengthen their chances of making the expanded playoffs. Teams that aren’t winning are willing to start looking forward to next season and stockpiling draft-pick compensation to help replenish their roster.
Perhaps it’s fitting that, after a week of trading and with expectations ahead, it celebrates its 36th anniversary on Sunday. Cowboy Business hershel walker till vikings For a package of players and selections that Dallas used to build its dynasty in the 1990s. This trade involved 12 draft picks and 18 players, and is one of the largest and most complex not only in NFL history, but in sports history.
It’s hard to imagine that any NFL team could make such a significant trade before the deadline. But GMs are already lighting up the phone lines, searching for available players and waiting for their next move.
