One player from each team who could be moved before 2022 NFL trade deadline
The NFL trade deadline used to be just another uneventful day on the league’s calendar.
Lately, however, it’s been the backdrop for a little more roster-building action.
While pro football’s wheeling and dealing cutoff still can’t match the excitement of the NBA or MLB, we’ve seen more notable players change teams in October and early November in recent years than ever before. In 2021, Von Miller and Melvin Ingram were both dealt before the deadline while Zach Ertz and Stephon Gilmore made in-season moves weeks earlier. 2020 saw Kwon Alexander, Everson Griffen and Carlos Dunlap all change teams.
The 2022 season has already continued that trend after Christian McCaffrey’s blockbuster trade to the San Francisco 49ers. He won’t be the only player to change teams. The contenders in the beefed-up AFC need talent capable of knocking the Buffalo Bills down from their Super Bowl favorite status. A wide-open NFC suggests even teams sitting under .500 have a legitimate shot at a playoff run.
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Who could be moved? Here’s a look at the likely candidates from each team — even the ones unlikely to ship away veteran players this fall.
Josh Jones, OL, Arizona Cardinals
Jones isn’t an exciting name, but the other expendable veterans on a struggling Cardinals team are players like Maxx Williams and Nick Vigil. Jones is only in his third year and was a 12-game starter last fall, but has since fallen to the back of the team’s OL rotation. If Arizona is selling, NFC contenders like Tampa Bay and Los Angeles could both be interested in a deal for a flawed young blocker who still has room to grow.
Casey Hayward, CB, Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons shouldn’t move Hayward if they believe they can still contend for a playoff spot. But the 33-year-old cornerback is putting together a characteristically solid campaign across from AJ Terrell thanks to a 76.2 passer rating allowed.
He’s still playing at a high level and could be the balm to a burned contender’s secondary woes thanks to his ability to blanket receivers in the slot. He’s also signed for a reasonable $7 million in 2023 but can be released with just $2 million remaining in dead cap if his new team thinks a regression is coming.
Nick Boyle, TE, Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens need wide receiver and secondary help, so the odds they’d be selling at the trade deadline are pretty low. Boyle is a local favorite thanks to his ability to do the dirty work and absolutely crush linebackers with blocks downfield.
He’s also behind Mark Andrews, Josh Oliver and Isaiah Likely when it comes to snap counts at tight end. Teams in need of a steady veteran presence who adds value in the run game and can make the occasional clutch catch could be interested.
Zack Moss, RB, Buffalo Bills
Moss was a third-round draft pick in 2020 but has seen his playing time dwindle in each of the last two seasons. He’s only played about 20% of his team’s offensive snaps and while he’s averaging a career-best 5.4 yards per carry he’s also averaging a career-worst 1.3 yards after contact. If Buffalo has its sights set on a running back upgrade, Moss could be trade bait going in the other direction.
Cory Littleton, LB, Carolina Panthers
Christian McCaffrey is already gone. DJ Moore remains and is, arguably, the better value — he has more than 1,100 receiving yards in each of his last three seasons despite playing with some truly horrible quarterbacks. Moore just signed a reasonable three-year extension and is likely viewed as a major component of the team’s rebuild — he’s gotta pump up whomever Carolina drafts at QB next year.
Littleton is a lesser name but a former All-Pro linebacker who has recently moved into the starting lineup in what could be an audition for other teams. It’s not exciting, but any team looking for steady tackling in the middle of the field could give the 29-year-old a shot knowing he’s only under contract through the end of the season.
Robert Quinn, EDGE, Chicago Bears
Roquan Smith wants a trade, but Chicago would be smart to do everything in its power to keep its 25-year-old, multiple-time All-Pro happy. Quinn, on the other hand, is 32 years old. While he’s signed through 2024 is likely not a major piece of the team’s latest rebuild.
He’s been quiet in 2022, but had 18.5 sacks last season and could be revitalized by a change of scenery. The Bears may have to eat more of his salary than they’d like in order to secure the draft picks they’re looking for, but Quinn is likely the most available name among a solid defense.
Tre Flowers, CB, Cincinnati Bengals
Flowers isn’t going anywhere; this is more a reflection that the Bengals don’t have many realistic trade candidates. The players they don’t need are likely ones other teams wouldn’t want — Jackson Carman, for one — and the veterans they have on expiring contracts are all useful pieces of their offense and defense.
Flowers was released by the Seahawks last season and has rebuilt his value in Cincinnati, making him a sell-high candidate should the wheels come off in southwestern Ohio. That’s very unlikely.
Kareem Hunt, RB, Cleveland Browns
Hunt requested a trade early in the preseason only to have it declined. Cleveland is now 2-4 and, with a loss against the Ravens in Week 7, likely out of the playoff race even with Deshaun Watson set to return after missing 11 games following more than 20 accusations of sexual misconduct.
Hunt is a pending free agent whose snaps could be absorbed by D’Ernest Johnson, another free agent who could use that opportunity to audition for a bigger contract with the Browns. Advanced stats love Johnson, whose 1.6 rush yards over expected (RYOE) per carry was second-best in the NFL last season.
Trysten Hill, DT, Dallas Cowboys
ESPN reported Dallas is “willing to part” with some defensive depth. That could include Hill, who hasn’t lived up to his status as a 2019 second-round pick but has been a useful part of the team’s tackle rotation in 2022.
He’s only 24 years old but playing behind guys like Neville Gallimore, Quinton Bohanna and Osa Odighizuwa up front. This could make him expendable for a Cowboys team in perpetual need of inexpensive draft assets to balance out its salary cap.
Melvin Gordon, RB, Denver Broncos
The Broncos *should* need Gordon with RB1 Javonte Williams out for the season with a torn ACL. Instead, he’s ceded playing time to Week 5 signee Latavius Murray and appears increasingly frustrated with how Nathaniel Hackett and Russell Wilson are running the Denver offense.
Gordon is 29 years old and has underwhelmed in 2022, but he was a reliable presence for a Broncos team in dire need of run support each of the past two seasons. At the same time, his declining receiving production is a concern, so … good luck, Denver.
Amani Oruwariye, CB, Detroit Lions
Detroit is loaded with recognizable veteran talent the franchise would likely trade away in return for draft considerations to keep its rebuild rolling. The question is what’s the value in guys like Mike Hughes, DeShon Elliott, Will Harris or Michael Brockers?
Oruwariye may be the most valuable piece of a grim thrift store puzzle even though he was recently benched from one of the league’s worst passing defenses. He’s only 26 years old, recorded a 74.1 passer rating against in 2021 and will be a free agent after the season if things don’t work out.
Amari Rodgers, WR/KR, Green Bay Packers
GM Brian Gutekunst is much more likely to be buying WR talent than selling it, but Rodgers’ inability to find a place with a WR-needy offense could make him the name that comes up if the Packers are trying desperately to spin young players into trade bait rather than future draft picks.
The former third-round pick had played just five offensive snaps before injuries threw him into action in Week 6 … where he had one target. He has some value as a special teams contributor but his inclusion here is more a signal Green Bay won’t be trading players away than anything else.
Jerry Hughes, EDGE, Houston Texans
The poorly-managed Texans have been giving off Pittsburgh Pirates vibes for a while now, so why not a Pittsburgh Pirates-style trade where they flip a short-term veteran rental for younger assets? Hughes has four sacks in five games — more than he had in all of 2021 — and remains a valuable veteran rotational pass rusher. He can be a boon for a needy team’s playoff push.
Dennis Kelly, OT, Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis is also more likely to be buying than selling given its recent revival after a 1-2-1 start. Kelly, a veteran swing tackle capable of starting in a pinch, could be an offering to a blocking-needy team if push came to shove.
Kelly’s first action of the season came in Week 6 in relief of Bernhard Raimann and he performed capably — earning himself the top spot on the depth chart heading into Week 7. If Raimann regains his composure (and quickly), it’s possible (but unlikely) Kelly’s understudies could be used as a selling point for a team looking for veteran edge protection.
Tre Herndon, CB, and Andrew Wingard, S, Jacksonville Jaguars
Wingard was a starter in 2021 and re-signed with the Jags this offseason but has played exactly one defensive snap in six weeks. He and Herndon currently occupy a weird middle ground where they were once counted on and are now disposable depth options for a rising Jacksonville team. Neither one would have much of a market, but they’d bring experience to a team that’s run out of options in its secondary.
Ronald Jones, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
Jones is on the roster but hasn’t played a single snap in 2022. He’s been surpassed on the depth chart by Jerick McKinnon and Isiah Pacheco behind Clyde Edwards-Helaire. The former second-round pick is an insurance policy who’d be better served somewhere else — though the opportunities that await in Kansas City should a string of injuries arise are at least slightly appealing.
Clelin Ferrell, EDGE, Las Vegas Raiders
A foundering Raiders team has several veteran pieces on expiring contracts they could trade — including 2021 Pro Bowl LB Denzel Perryman or Ferrell’s former 2019 first-round compatriots Jonathan Abram and Josh Jacobs. Ferrell, a former top-five draft pick, might be the most intriguing. While his draft status doesn’t reflect the kind of prospect he once was, he’s still a 25-year-old specimen who had 21 sacks and 38 tackles for loss in his last two seasons at Clemson.
Jerry Tillery, DT, Los Angeles Chargers
Tillery’s 42% snap share is the second-lowest mark of his career and he’ll be a free agent after 2022. With offseason signees Austin Johnson and Sebastian Joseph-Day usurping his spot on the line the Chargers could move him.
He’d ideally bring back some of the offensive line talent needed to buy Justin Herbert proper time to throw. Tillery only has seven tackles in six games but can be a disruptive, difficult-to-move presence in the trenches.
Cam Akers, RB, Los Angeles Rams
Akers has been pulled from the lineup as the Rams work out a trade for the third-year running back. He’s capable of big performances, but injury and inconsistency have limited him to just two 100-yard rushing performances in 25 games as a member of LA’s active roster.
He’s averaged fewer than three yards per carry this season and plays a position that holds limited value, further complicating the Rams’ chances of trading him and recouping some badly-needed draft assets.
Noah Igbinoghene, CB, Miami Dolphins
Igbinoghene is a former first-round pick who has only made three starts in his two-plus seasons in the league and only appeared in 10 games for the Dolphins since 2021. He’s a buy-low reclamation project who can be a physical presence in the slot or simply an ongoing bundle of unmet potential. He’s clearly not long for Miami either way.
Oli Udoh, OL, Minnesota Vikings
Udoh, a starter in 2021 has played just three snaps in 2022. The interior lineman wasn’t especially good — a 54.1 PFF grade last fall — but he’s big, fairly young and has experience. He’s only a solution for a desperate team, but the Vikings don’t have much reason to sell after staking a significant lead over the rest of the NFC North to start the season.
Kendrick Bourne, WR, New England Patriots
Bourne’s run-after-catch ability was a boon for Mac Jones in 2021. He’s barely seen the field in 2022.
His snap share has dropped to 29% percent this fall and could drop lower if rookie Tyquan Thornton can make a lasting impact in the wideout rotation. Reuniting with former Pats offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels could make sense for a Raiders team in need of receiving depth.
Marquez Callaway, WR, New Orleans Saints
Special teams standout/wideout Deonte Hardy seemed like a fit after just two targets in four games. Then the Saints restructured his contract, gave him all the wild voidable years that have defined Mickey Loomis’ tenure as GM and now seem locked onto him even if rookie Rashid Shaheed emerges as a proper replacement.
Instead, it could be Callaway who’s headed toward restricted free agency in 2023. He’s an inexpensive young player with potential who New Orleans may not be able to afford next spring. Trading him would bring back the inexpensive draft capital that makes it a little more tenable to perpetually crash up against the salary cap like Loomis’ Saints do.
Kadarius Toney, WR, New York Giants
Toney was a 2021 first-round pick who should be having a major impact on this offense with Kenny Golladay MIA (and with his massive contract, basically untradeable) and Sterling Shepard injured. Instead, he’s only played in two games due to nagging injuries and has just three targets in them.
His role as the team’s up-and-coming playmaker may be usurped by Wan’Dale Robinson. Trading away a first-round pick after fewer than two seasons with the team would be a bad look, but Toney is a remnant of the Dave Gettleman/Joe Judge regime and if he doesn’t have a place in Brian Daboll’s offense his value will only decrease over time.
Denzel Mims, WR, New York Jets
Mims is the obvious answer here, as the former second-round pick was a cutdown date candidate but made the Jets roster anyway. He hasn’t built any connection with quarterback Zach Wilson and has just eight receptions since 2021.
He’s got 4.3-second 40-speed and is capable of being a deep threat somewhere. The onus will be on him to prove he can be more than that wherever he ends up.
K'Von Wallace, S, Philadelphia Eagles
Wallace was an occasional fill-in starter his first two seasons in the league after being selected in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft. His usage is currently at a career-low thanks to the emergence of CJ Johnson-Gardner and Marcus Epps as a potent combination at safety. His best fit is in Philly, but without many other trade candidates, he gets the nod here.
Chase Claypool, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
Claypool was a do-it-all dynamo befitting his “Mapletron” nickname as a rookie. However, he’d slipped out of the Steelers’ pass-catching rotation early in the season and rumors grew about his possible availability. His recent resurgence — 12 catches, 146 yards and a touchdown in the past two weeks — complicates things.
Is his role in the Pittsburgh offense secure? Have these two games merely raised his asking price? Is there room in the offense for him, Diontae Johnson and George Pickens to all thrive? If he is available, expect the Steelers to hold out for a hefty ransom.
Kerry Hyder, DE, San Francisco 49ers
Hyder had 8.5 sacks two seasons ago, but he’s shrunk back to a rotational role thanks to the Niners' stacked platoon of pass rushers. He has just one sack and one quarterback hit this season but is approaching free agency. He could be a useful veteran rental assuming San Francisco isn’t interested in dealing away players like Charles Omenihu or Samson Ebukam.
Sidney Jones IV, CB, Seattle Seahawks
Jones started 11 games for the Seahawks in 2021 after being traded by the Jaguars. He re-signed with Seattle only to have his role usurped in a depleted secondary. He’s been a healthy scratch twice, making him a superfluous piece of a team that’s kinda/sorta rebuilding and could use all the draft assets it can get.
Sean Murphy-Bunting, CB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers once considered Murphy-Bunting a key component of a rising young secondary. Instead, he’s fallen out of the starting lineup and played only 42 defensive snaps this season.
Any team wanting to give him a few reps before potentially signing him to a bargain prove-it deal could likely do so by sending a late draft pick Tampa’s way — especially if it happens early enough the Bucs could flip that selection for some blocking help up front.
Austin Hooper, TE, Tennessee Titans
Hooper is a former multiple-time Pro Bowler who hasn’t found much purchase in the Titans’ depleted passing offense. He had only four targets between Weeks 3 and 5, which is surprising given a) his impressive usage from 2018-19 with the Atlanta Falcons and b) the relative anonymity of the Tennessee receiving/tight end corps after Robert Woods and injured rookie Treylon Burks.
Hooper’s about to turn 28, so there’s still gas left in his tank. Would a change of scenery away from a team that only targeted its tight ends 12% of the time in 2021 provide a boost?
William Jackson III, CB, Washington Commanders
Jackson was occasionally great as a Bengal but mostly terrible as a Commander. Now he wants a trade.
Jackson allowed just a 51 percent completion rate in his final year with Cincinnati, but like everything Washington touches has come apart in two subpar years with the Commanders. Getting him the hell away from Dan Snyder could only help.