NFL Trades That Didn't Happen Speaks About Teams That Were Involved; And What's Next
We learned Sunday morning some of the NFL trades that were attempted at the trade deadline but were ultimately not consummated.
And we can now see what those suggest about the teams involved.
The Dallas Cowboys tried to trade for Brandin Cooks, which was reported by OutKick last week. The club also made a run at Denver Broncos receiver Jerry Jeudy.
The Los Angeles Rams were active in their failure to add any help for their struggling team which plays at Tampa Bay Sunday.
The Rams were looking to NFL trades last week to help Aaron Donald get back to the Super Bowl. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)
NFL Trades Missed At The Deadline
The Rams, which do not have a first-round pick in the 2023 draft, tried to add both wide receiver and pass rush help. The team tried to trade for Carolina's D.J. Moore, Carolina pass rusher Brian Burns and had discussions with the Texans about Cooks, which were not serious enough that they led to a deadline day decision.
The Green Bay Packers tried to trade for Moore, Raiders tight end Darren Waller, Broncos receiver Jerry Jeudy, and Steelers receiver Chase Claypool, which OutKick reported days ago.
Some of these almost-trades were reported by OutKick last week, and ESPN's Adam Schefter and NFL Network's Ian Rapoport on Sunday morning.
But what does it all mean?
This:
The reason Cooks, who was the object of affection by at least three teams, was not traded is tied to his $18 million guaranteed base salary in 2023 that puts his salary cap number at a whopping $24.6 million.
The Texans were willing to trade Cooks for a second-round pick but not willing to pay a portion of that guaranteed money that they bargained for earlier this year when they signed him to an extension. And no team was willing to pay that freight, either.
NFL teams checked in with the Carolina Panthers for receiver DJ Moore but were rebuffed.
NFL Teams Interested In Carolina Talent
Las Vegas is a bitter disappointment this season with a 2-5 record. But the Raiders signed Waller, 30, to a three-year extension earlier this year at a seemingly reasonable $17 million per year average.
The Raiders believes Waller is a weapon even through he has been injured much of this season. Plus, if that changes, the Raiders can always deal him next year perhaps for a low first- or high second-round pick -- which they were not getting at the trade deadline.
D.J. Moore? The trade vultures were circling the Panthers because they've traded Robbie Anderson and Christian McCaffrey and fired coach Matt Rhule.
So, yeah, they have the look of a team in full rebuild mode and a trade deadline seller.
But the Panthers simply didn't wish to part with Moore because they see him as a cornerstone talent. When and if (big if given the Panthers' history) this franchise finds an elite quarterback, Moore is likely to make that passer way, way better.
The Broncos interestingly traded away perhaps their best defensive players in Bradley Chubb and they, like the Raiders, are disappointing so far this season.
But it's a mistake to equate Chubb's departure with a desire for a mass selloff of talent.
The Broncos did not deal Jeudy because he's a good receiver and they're looking to build, not demolish, the offense around quarterback Russell Wilson. The Broncos will be spending a lot of time adding offensive talent next offseason and trading Jeudy would have added to that task.
Moreover, the Broncos traded Chubb because he was a looming 2023 free agent and they didn't want to lose him for nothing. The Broncos also weren't comfortable paying Chubb a huge guarantee. Chubb has missed 24 games in the past three seasons and has played a full season only once (2018) in his career.
The Miami Dolphins obviously had a different mindset:
Odell Beckham Becomes Big Prize
Now that the trade deadline passed, the biggest jewel in the talent treasure chest is free agent receiver Odell Beckham Jr.
A pretty great website reported last month that would be the case and, voila, here we are.
So the Chiefs, Bills, Buccaneers, Rams, and Cowboys all have had Beckham on their board as a possible addition.
And all of this is based on what happens next.
The Chiefs traded for Kadarius Toney prior to the trade deadline to add a playmaker for quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Toney will debut Sunday night against the Titans.
If Toney shows promise, the Chiefs might feel comfortable backing away from Beckham. They certainly wouldn't overpay or get into a bidding war. But if Toney is a flop, they'll stay in the picture.
The Rams and Buccaneers seem both headed in the wrong direction and need a lift. One of those teams is going to continue to lose on Sunday afternoon when the two play. And that may mean a change in desire to add Beckham.
The Bills and the Cowboys are quite serious about Beckham. They believe themselves Super Bowl contenders -- which they are at this point. So those two will likely remain in the Beckham derby over the next couple of weeks.
The New York Giants, of course, have been flirting with Beckham. The right circumstance might interest general manager Joe Schoen. That feels more like misdirection than legit interest.
But one thing we've learned so far from the 2022 Giants is they have the ability to surprise.
Beckham should be ready to play by sometime in late November or early December.