Tag: NFL Trade Rumors

Cowboys control league’s biggest QB mystery in Trey Lance

Only the Cowboys know what Trey Lance looked like last season so there’s no choice but to trust them to do the right thing (develop or trade) this offseason. | From @ReidDHanson

Cowboys QB talk has made its way back into the news. Instead of being about Dak Prescott and his upcoming contract negotiation, this time it’s about developmental prospect, Trey Lance.

Lance, acquired in a 2023 midseason trade with San Francisco, has reportedly sparked the interest of at least one QB-needy team this offseason. Under contract for the 2024 season, the Cowboys have the option of either exploring trade offers or staying the course by continuing to develop the 23-year-old signal caller.

As an undeveloped prospect, Lance has it all. He’s a highly-athletic dual threat who can create plays with his legs or with his arm. His plus traits keep his ceiling high even if his limited experience keeps his floor fairly low. Herein lies the trust.

Only two teams have truly seen what Lance has to offer as a QB prospect: the Cowboys and the 49ers. One of those teams traded him away for a fourth-round pick after just two seasons and the other team kept him buried as QB3 refusing to show their hand to anyone outside the organization.

With just 102 professional passing attempts, Lance is the NFL equivalent of Skinner’s box.

No one truly knows if he’s a good or bad prospect because there hasn’t been enough evidence available to back up either conclusion. For the Cowboys this means his value on the trade market is less than it would be if he had a few impressive games on his resume, but more than it would be if he had a few recent poor outings on his resume.

If the Cowboys thought they could have boosted Lance’s value by slipping him into some blowout situations last season, they probably would have. Keeping him sidelined kept the mystery alive. That could be in an effort to quietly groom him into the player they hoped he could be, or it could be to hide his shortfalls from would-be buyers this offseason. Only the Cowboys really know.

With just 420 passing attempts since high school, Lance remains one of the most unproven fourth-year prospects in the NFL. The former No. 3 overall pick of the 2021 NFL draft is packed with potential but at this point potential is all he offers.

The Cowboys got a free peak at Lance last season. They know his value more than anyone — save for San Francisco — so if they decide to keep him it’s for good reason. Just like if they decide to trade him, it’s also probably for good reason. There’s really no choice but to trust the Cowboys on this one.

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Bengals were unwilling to talk Tee Higgins trade with Panthers

The Panthers called the Bengals about Tee Higgins at the NFL trade deadline.

The Cincinnati Bengals shot down the Carolina Panthers about a Tee Higgins trade at the NFL trade deadline.

So says a new writeup from David Newton of ESPN, who noted Higgins was one of two star wideouts the struggling Panthers attempted to go get:

The Panthers understand that. They went after the Bengals’ Higgins and elite receiver Davante Adams of the Las Vegas Raiders before the trade deadline, according to an NFL front office source with knowledge of discussions, but neither team was willing to deal.

Higgins has never been a real trade option for other teams, which a report on deadline day confirmed yet again.

While he’s playing on the final year of his rookie deal, the Bengals have never been truly open to moving Higgins and the plan remains to attempt to keep him long term alongside Ja’Marr Chase for Joe Burrow.

We’ll see if that happens. For now, Higgins is out in Week 10 with a hamstring injury, yet another detour on his struggle-filled contract season that also includes a fractured rib. The Panthers, perhaps, will get a shot at Higgins on the open market next summer.

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The College Football Playoff rankings are officially here so it’s time to get serious now

The race to the finish of the college football season is going to be spectacular

This is For The Win’s daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Did a friend recommend or forward this to you? If so, subscribe here. Have feedback? Leave your questions, comments and concerns through this brief reader survey! Now, here’s Mike Sykes.

Good morning, Winners. Welcome back to the Morning Win. Thanks so much for rocking with us today.

It’s Week 10 in the college football world, so you know what that means. Our very first official College Football Playoff rankings are here. This is arguably the most important moment of the college football season every year — it’s what everyone is playing for.

RELATED: A look at the full College Football Playoff rankings

Cory Woodroof has our five biggest takeaways from the first ranking of the year and the fact that Georgia isn’t No. 1 is a shocker to me. Here’s Woodroof with more on that.

“ESPN’s Rece Davis astutely pointed out that Ohio State’s wins over teams like Notre Dame and Penn State might sway the committee a bit more than Georgia’s group of wins right now.

That doesn’t mean that this is set in stone, far from it. The committee just seemingly prefers the Buckeyes’ victories over the Bulldogs’ at the moment.

However, Ohio State’s annual rivalry game against Michigan will ultimately determine how long the Buckeyes hold onto first place.”

The drama is palpable, folks. We’ve got a team with a chance to go back-to-back-to-back at No. 2 in the rankings. We’ve got a matchup between Michigan and Ohio State that is going to almost certainly knock one of those two teams down a few spots. And Florida State is just lurking in the background waiting to leap up again.

It’s been fun following the storylines of the CFB season so far this year. Between Deion Sanders and Colorado’s hype machine and the Pac-12’s untimely demise, the drama has been at its peak most of this year.

It’s time to get serious now, though. The race to the end of the CFB season is going to be filled with a lot of quality football coming to us.

I cannot wait to watch it all.

READ MORE: Woodroof on the 5 biggest takeaways of the CFB season

The Cowboys are set, for better or worse

(AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

The Dallas Cowboys must be completely OK with the way the team looks right now. The team didn’t make a single move at the NFL’s trade deadline on Tuesday.

And, look, Dallas is good. The team is already 6-2 through eight weeks and has plenty of talent on both sides of the ball. But essentially every contender the Cowboys are going up against in the NFC made some sort of move on or leading up to the trade deadline.

— The Eagles traded for Kevin Byard 

— The Seahawks traded for Leonard Williams

— The 49ers traded for Chase Young

— The Lions traded for Donovan Peoples-Jones

This isn’t necessarily a situation where Dallas had to do something. Again, the team is already talented. And we’ve known that Dallas likely wouldn’t make a deal for a while — Jones said he saw his team standing pat at the deadline last week.

But still, the top of the conference has improved in so many meaningful ways. You’ve got to wonder if Dallas might regret this. We’ll find out one way or another.

REQUIRED READING: The biggest winners and losers of the NFL trade deadline

How did the Spurs do this?!?

(Photo by Mike Christy/Getty Images)

Just one look at the NBA Lead Tracker for the Spurs-Suns game on Tuesday night will let you know how ridiculous this game was. The Spurs didn’t grab the lead until *checks notes* 1.2 seconds were left in the game. San Antonio was down by 20 (!!!!) at one point.

Y’all. Look at this.

This game was so fun. Victor Wembanyama vs. Kevin Durant was incredible. Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell balled out. Johnson and Tre Jones made the play on Durant late to get a steal and take the lead after a putback from Wemby.

If you didn’t have a league pass team before, you do now. Watch these Spurs, folks. It’s going to be a fun year.

Quick hits: The Michigan sign-stealing conspiracies, explained … Players who should’ve been traded … and more

— Charles Curtis explains the Michigan sign-stealing conspiracies, including the one that Connor Stalions was on the CMU sidelines. There’s wild stuff going on in Ann Arbor, man.

— Speaking of Michigan stealing signs, the College Football Playoff chair says that’s not a CFP issue…somehow? Michelle Martinelli has more.

— Cory Woodroof takes a look at the NFL’s five players who should’ve been traded at the trade deadline. Sorry, Devante Adams.

— Here’s everything we know about the Colorado jewelry stealing scandal. This isn’t a good look.

— James Harden has officially been traded to the Clippers, so what should Daryl Morey do with the Harden portrait in his home? Bryan Kalbrosky and Blake Schuster have more. Yes, this is real. Yes, this is weird.

— This Toledo dunk tank in the snow is absolutely brutal. Cory has more for you here.

That’s all, folks. Thanks so much for reading TMW today. We appreciate you. Have a fantastic Wednesday.

Let’s chat again tomorrow. Until then, peace.

-Sykes ✌️

NFL trade rumors roundup: All the 2023 chatter and reports before the Oct. 31 deadline

A look at all the NFL trade rumors as we get set for the 2023 trade deadline on Oct. 31.

We’ve already seen some deals before the NFL’s Oct. 31 trade deadline, including names like Kevin Byard and Van Jefferson.

But given the recent history of NFL wheeling and dealing before the deadline, there might be some notable trades coming on Tuesday that could change the landscape of the league.

So with one day to go before the 4 p.m. ET deadline, let’s look at the latest trade rumors and scuttlebutt as we get ready for a fun Halloween day filled with speculation, news and a constant refreshing of X whether your team is a buyer or if your bad squad is selling.

Prioritizing 49ers needs at NFL trade deadline

A priority list for the #49ers at the trade deadline:

The NFL trade deadline is set for Tuesday at 1:00pm Pacific Time. It would make a lot of sense if the 49ers were active in trying to improve a club that’s now lost three games in a row.

Their addition of pass rusher Randy Gregory looked like it might be the perfect on-the-margins move that could put an uber-talented 49ers club over the top. Since acquiring him in a trade with the Broncos though, San Francisco is 0-3 and its defense hasn’t been able to come up with key stops.

Unfortunately for the 49ers there isn’t one obvious fix. They’re a mess at several spots. It’s unlikely they’re going to wheel and deal to address all of their deficiencies, so they’ll need to prioritize at the deadline. Here’s how we’d lay out those trade market priorities as they enter their Week 9 bye:

NFL trade deadline: 6 players 49ers should look to acquire

6 players the #49ers should kick tires on at the trade deadline:

A team as loaded as the 49ers might be all done dealing ahead of the NFL trade deadline. They added defensive end Randy Gregory from the Broncos and look mostly set up and down the roster.

Typically a team like that would be a prime candidate to lay low at the deadline, especially considering how expensive the roster already is. With a league-high $39,962,048 in cap space and an abundance of draft capital though, San Francisco could be players for virtually any player that hits the trade market.

We ran through some of the players that may potentially be available and picked out six that the 49ers should at the very least kick tires on before the October 31 deadline:

Here’s day and time for 2023 NFL trade deadline

The NFL trade deadline is coming up quick.

If the 49ers are going to make another trade to try and improve their roster, it’ll need to happen quickly.

The NFL trade deadline is set for 1:00pm Pacific Time on October 31.

That means San Francisco will have its Week 7 game against the Vikings and its Week 8 game vs. the Bengals to determine whether its roster is Super Bowl-ready as is, or if it needs an upgrade somewhere.

The 49ers already made one addition when they acquired defensive end Randy Gregory and a 2024 seventh-round pick from the Broncos for a 2024 sixth-round selection.

In past years we’ve seen them have success trading for players like Jordan Willis and Charles Omenihu on the defensive line. It wouldn’t be a huge surprise if they made even a similar smaller move on the margins to improve depth along either the offensive line or in the secondary.

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Report: Jaguars have ‘all sorts of interest’ in Vikings’ Danielle Hunter

The Jaguars are reportedly keeping a close eye on Vikings pass rusher Danielle Hunter.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are keeping a close eye on Minnesota Vikings pass rusher Danielle Hunter who could be available via trade, according to a report from Darren Wolfson of KSTP in Minneapolis.

“I know this, Jacksonville has all sorts of interest in Danielle Hunter,” Wolfson said Thursday on a radio show. “What are they willing to offer? Can you complete that trade?”

The Jaguars were rumored to be interested in Hunter over the summer, but talks of a potential trade vanished when the Vikings reworked the pass rusher’s contract in July. Minnesota turned the $4.9 million base salary left on the last year of Hunter’s deal into essentially a one-year, $17 million deal with $3 million in incentives.

But with the Vikings now 1-4 and without All-Pro receiver Justin Jefferson due to an injury, it suddenly makes sense for Minnesota to sell off assets. Hunter, who is an expensive player already headed for free agency in 2024, is about as perfect a trade asset as the Vikings could hope to dangle on the market.

Hunter, 28, is a three-time Pro Bowler in his eighth season with the Vikings who has 77 career sacks. He’s currently tied with Josh Allen, among others, for the second most sacks in the 2023 season with six.

Any deal that sends Hunter elsewhere will likely come with a sizable contract extension shortly thereafter. The challenge for the Jaguars would be fitting such a deal into their future plans, which presumably include a record-breaking deal for quarterback Trevor Lawrence during the 2024 offseason.

The team’s 2022 trade for Calvin Ridley may also present challenges. The complicated structure of that deal means the Jaguars’ second-, third-, and fourth-round selections in the next NFL draft are currently tied up and any one of those picks could belong to the Atlanta Falcons.

Jacksonville is currently 26th in the NFL in sacks this season with nine. Allen has six, Travon Walker has two, and K’Lavon Chaisson has one.

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Analyzing whether Danielle Hunter trade is possible for 49ers

The Vikings have taken calls about trading DE Danielle Hunter. The 49ers should be one of the teams on the phone:

By mid-June there aren’t many moves a team can make to go “all-in” on a given year. The 49ers have already put themselves in a prime spot to contend this year while also having draft picks and some salary cap flexibility in the future. However, one potential move is left on the trade market with rumors surfacing that Vikings defensive end Danielle Hunter could be available.

Hunter, 28, is the caliber of edge defender that fits with any team. Last season he put up 10.5 sacks and logged 70 total pressures according to Pro Football Focus. Since joining the league as a third-round pick of the Vikings in 2015 he’s never had a season with fewer than 6.0 sacks, and he’s had double-digits in four of his seven seasons. In fact, the only two seasons where he has 6.0 sacks were his rookie year and the 2021 season where he only played in seven games. All of his pass rushing success is accompanied by consistently strong run defense that allows him to stay on the field for all three downs.

Edge defenders of Hunter’s caliber don’t typically come available, which is why the 49ers have to at least poke around on a possible deal. Let’s take a dive into what this might look like and some of the pros and cons of such a colossal move by San Francisco:

The Cardinals shockingly released DeAndre Hopkins and Chiefs, Bills and Ravens immediately tried to recruit him

Some contender is going to be very happy getting DeAndre Hopkins

DeAndre Hopkins is one of the most well-respected wideouts in the NFL. He’s one of the most talented players we’ve ever seen at the position.

And now he’s a free agent. The Cardinals announced that they released Hopkins on Friday.

RELATED: The Cardinals look like a team ready to tank after releasing DeAndre Hopkins

The wideout is done in Arizona after playing just 3 seasons with the Cardinals. He’d long been a trade target for teams around the NFL world this offseason as rumors circulated that Hopkins wanted to get a new deal done in Arizona despite him saying otherwise.

The Cardinals were unable to find a trade partner to take Hopkins so, instead, the team just released him.

This is shocking simply because of the fact that the Cardinals just couldn’t find a deal for arguably their best player — especially after shopping him around at the draft. Now, Arizona just loses him for nothing. That’s a disaster.

Hopkins is able to sign with whatever team he wants to in free agency. Some NFL fans were just in awe. Others? Well, they’re hoping their favorite team goes and recruits him. Looking at you, Ravens, Chiefs and Bills fans.

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