Tag: nfl trade deadline

Colts listed as ‘logical landing spot’ for WR John Ross

Would John Ross be a good fit?

As the Indianapolis Colts work through the bye week, the trade deadline for the NFL will be coming up in a few weeks as teams look to make a playoff push.

Though the Colts typically aren’t active during the trade deadline, it’s always wise to be prepared for a potential move. With some help needed at wide receiver, the Colts were listed as a “logical landing spot” for Bengals wideout John Ross, who recently requested a trade.

Here’s what Bryan DeArdo of CBS Sports said about the pairing:

Indianapolis is in need of another receiver to help open things up for T.Y. Hilton, who has yet to find the end zone through six games. Nevertheless, Hilton still leads the Colts with 20 receptions, while Zach Pascal is currently second on the team with 16 catches. Pascal’s two touchdown catches is tied with tight end Mo Alie-Cox for the team lead. Rookie Michael Pittman and second-year wideout Parris Campbell have caught a combined 15 passes so far, and while both players may turn out to be good pros, the Colts could use an instant upgrade at receiver in order to stay in the thick of things in the AFC playoff race.

Ross’ speed is certainly intriguing, especially for a Colts offense that doesn’t seem to have too much of it. But since entering the league as the No. 9 overall pick in the 2017 draft, Ross hasn’t done much to prove he’s a starter in the NFL.

Whether it was dealing with injuries his rookie season or simply failing to get on the field as he has in 2020, Ross hasn’t lived up to the billing of a first-round pick.

The Colts certainly do need some help at wide receiver. Rookie Michael Pittman Jr. should be coming back after the bye week from a leg injury while Parris Campbell is on the injured reserve potentially for the rest of the season.

While Marcus Johnson has made a strong impact over the last few weeks, the Colts could make a move. It is unlikely, but nothing should be thrown out completely.

Ross’ speed would blend well with what the Colts want to do but trading for the 25-year-old won’t make the offense an elite unit. It would have to be a low-risk, high-reward deal to see if the TCU product can find a resurgence.

It’s unlikely to happen but as the trade deadline approaches, there is always the chance for some type of move.

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Jets trying to trade disgruntled RB Le’Veon Bell

Le’Veon Bell is sure to like recent tweets that reported the Jets are trying to trade him.

Le’Veon Bell is sure to like recent tweets that reported the Jets are trying to trade him.

New York is shopping the disgruntled running back, according to the New York Daily News and ESPN. The reports follow Bell’s approval of tweets suggesting the Jets should trade him over the weekend.

Bell, one of the league’s more skilled receiving backs, was unhappy after he saw just one target in New York’s 30-10 loss to the Cardinals on Sunday. He also liked tweets that highlighted his lack of looks and criticized Adam Gase.

Trading Bell will be no easy task given his lack of production the last two years, his recent injury history and his lofty salary. Bell’s appearance Sunday was his first back from a hamstring injury that forced him to miss three games. He has about $6 million still guaranteed on his 2020 salary. If the Jets do find a deal, it will almost certainly involve them eating some of Bell’s salary or throwing in some other sort of sweetener considering he’s averaged just 3.3 yards per carry in 17 games with New York.

If the Jets could get anything in return for a player they would otherwise surely part with this offseason, however, Joe Douglas should pull the trigger. Bell was never properly utilized in Gase’s offense, and it’s clear he won’t be part of the team’s future. Trading Bell now would make Frank Gore the No. 1 back and create more opportunities for rookie La’Mical Perine, who also doesn’t appear thrilled with his role in the offense.

The Jets tried trading Bell prior to last year’s deadline but couldn’t find any buyers. This year they have until Nov. 3 to try and find a taker for the 28-year-old.

Browns hot start could change approach to the trade deadline

GM Andrew Berry and the Browns could be buyers this year

The Cleveland Browns surprised many around the NFL with an important win over the Dallas Cowboys 49-38 on Sunday. The win makes three in a row for the Browns and marks the first time they have started a season 3-1  since 2001.

The Browns were thought by many to have a good amount of talent on their roster. However, talent alone is not enough to win in the NFL. It takes a combination of talent that fits the team’s identity, coaching that knows how to use that talent effectively, team chemistry, culture, mindset, scheme and still it’s often not enough. So when an organization has the opportunity to compete at the highest level of professional football, it should not be taken lightly.

It is common practice in the NFL for teams to self-scout their own team in search of areas they can improve as the season progresses. One of the best ways teams can improve mid-season is at the trade deadline. This year’s trade deadline is on October 29th, 2020 at 4:00 PM EST.

When looking at what teams will be “sellers” around the deadline, we would look to teams that are out of contention and have salary cap situations.

Things can often get precarious for teams looking to “buy” in these scenarios. Hard internal questions will have to be answered. How long is our winning window? Are we really legitimate Super Bowl contenders? Are we ready to sacrifice our future for a piece needed to win right now?

The Browns aren’t in a one-year window, so they have to engage the deadline with some distinction. They have the most cap space of any team in the NFL with over $32 Million according to Overthecap.com. However, much of that is probably earmarked for extensions needed to keep their core players in Cleveland.

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GM Andrew Berry will need to try and improve his team in the secondary and potentially at linebacker. The key will be acquiring players that can not only help in 2020 but also be a part of the solution moving forward. They are not in position to acquire one-year rentals unless they come across a bargain of sorts.

It’s possible that teams on the decline will be looking to move on from younger players approaching the end of their contract and don’t intend to offer an extension. This could present the Browns with an opportunity to bring in a young cornerback or safety that could help now, be worth looking at as part of their future and wouldn’t tie up any future cap space if they decided against investing in said player.

This will be the first chance we get to see how GM Andrew Berry chooses to handle this scenario, so it’s hard to know to what extent he will be willing to go out and help this year’s team. Certainly, the Browns can apply some pressure by continuing to stack up victories.