NFL: Five Trades that Should have Happened before the Deadline

The NFL trade deadline is one of the more uneventful occasions of the sport. This year was no exception as only a few trades happened. The most noteworthy trade happened a few weeks before the deadline when the Ravens traded for pass-rusher Yannick Ngakoue. All salary cap and COVID considerations aside below are five trades that should have been made during the deadline:

1. Amari Cooper of the Cowboys to the Packers for a second-round pick.

The emergence of Michael Gallup and rookie CeeDee Lamb has created a surplus at the receiver position for the Cowboys. Being as the team is 2-6 and in third place, in a historically terrible position, Dallas should cut losses with Cooper after they spent a 1^st rounder and signed him to a monster contract last year to acquire him. Green Bay obtains a receiver to play opposite of Devante Adams. Looking ahead to the playoffs the Packers will have to outscore the Bucs and the Seahawks to reach the Super Bowl. Cooper does just that

2. Romeo Okwara of the Lions to the Colts for a fourth-round pick

Okwara is one of the more underrated pass rushers in the league with five sacks with the Lions and would make a nice addition to a Colts defense that is middle of the league in sacks. To reach the Super Bowl the Colts will have to beat either the Steelers or Chiefs. Both teams have weapons galore and can put up points in a hurry through the passing game. On the flip side, the Lions are the worst type of team. A veteran team going nowhere. This is an opportunity for the Lions to add to their draft capital and plan for the future.

3. Leonard Williams of the Giants to the Bills for a fourth-round pick

The Buffalo Bills have played the Titans and Chiefs already and both teams run the ball at will on the once-vaunted Bill defense. Derrick Henry even “memed” corner Josh Norman when they played a few weeks ago. Buffalo is allowing the fifth-most yards on the ground in the NFL and could use a big body upfront to stop the run. The Giants are going nowhere this season and is in running for Trevor Lawrence in the upcoming draft. A run-stuffing defensive tackle is a bonus for a team that will undoubtedly pick in the top five in next year’s draft.

4. Kendal Fuller from the Washington Football team to the Seahawks for a third-round pick.

Seattle has already made trades for defensive help with moves for safety Jamal Adams and Defensive lineman Carlos Dunlap. In this hypnotical scenario, the Hawks make one more. According to Pro football reference, Fuller is the 10^th rated corner in the league and would certainly improve one of the worst pass defenses in the league. Seattle and Buccaneers are both fighting for that precious number one seed (only seed that gets a bye) a need another player to match up against the Bucs plethora of receivers.

5. Sam Darnold from the Jets to the 49ers for a third-round pick

This trade is more about the Jets than the 49ers. The Jets are a complete dumpster fire and I’m convinced that head coach Adam Gase only has a job because he is losing. It is highly probable that New York will earn the right to draft Trever Lawrence making incumbent quarterback Sam Darnold expendable.

On the other side, the 49ers have had the worst luck for injuries this year starting three different quarterbacks, having five players carry the ball at least twenty times this year and have a revolving door of receivers. Defensively, pass rushers Nick Bosa and Dee ford have missed a significant amount of games, their backups Solomon Thomas and Ezekiel Ansah have also missed time. The point being the 49ers are out of the playoff race. Head coach Kyle Shanahan has been magic with all three quarterbacks (Garoppolo, Mullens and Beathard). Darnold would be an upgrade over Mullens and Beathard and possibly over Garoppolo. The 49ers have the rest of the season to see what Darnold can do then make a decision next season on Garoppolo.

ATTN Dynasty Commissioners: Do you want to do something cool for your league? How about a 1-hour live show dedicated to YOUR league? Team-by-team breakdowns, rankings, and more. For details and to book a show, visit: GoingFor2.com/plp.