Nov 4 Trade Deadline, and NFC is still wide open

[4XPIPS]

This is an interesting part of the year, as some valuable veterans on crappy teams can help teams win now. With the Bucs the only one loss team in in the NFC, and Baker playing like an MVP I think it's goes with out saying they are the best team in the NFC at this time as they have beaten solid teams, even without their starting tailback and wide receiver. After that you have the Packers with the one loss and tie, and then 8 teams with two losses.

It's pretty evident the NFC West is going to come down to the Hawks and Rams, as we can safely assume the 49ers have too many key injuries to overcome. The 49ers are well-coached and can hang in games, but losing Fred Warner for the rest of the season has ended their chances of being a contender, already missing Bosa, Kittle, Purdy, Aiyuk, and others.

I can't say for sure we are better than the Rams at this point, but I think we have the team to beat them. If Puka's injury is more serious, then I know for sure they are in trouble.

Well with the trade deadline coming up, are we buyers at this point? Just for reference, Schneider isn't shy about pulling the trigger midseason on veterans to bolster his team, Leonard Williams, Duane Brown, Ernest Jones, Carlow Dunlap.

So here are some names that are thrown around, and nothing is confirmed.

Maxx Crosby Edge Raiders
L'Jarius Sneed Corner Titans
Alontae Taylor Corner Saints
Minka Fitzpatrick Safety Miami


I haven't read much about IOL, but I think an upgrade at right guard would prove to be helpful. The Maxx Crosby seems to get the most buzz. If we did pull off a Maxx Crosby trade, I wouldn't be upset because having more edge rushers who can beat double teams is a win IMO.

[Aseahawkfan]

I'd rather stay patient and keep the draft capital myself. Trading high draft capital in some desperate attempt to make a Super Bowl run because you're deluded that you have a real shot is a path to mediocrity and non-contention. You should confidently and patiently build a strong team through the draft and free agency as trading midseason puts you in a bad situation where the player has all the leverage as you traded valuable draft capital for them and then have to retain them or look like a fool. If this team isn't ready to contend right now, one player isn't going to put them over the top. I don't think the GM should act like that is the case. We did that for years with Pete. The fans were fooled by weak showings early by usually good teams only to hit the playoffs, find out that losing some regular season games to some bad teams doesn't change who the strong contenders are once the playoffs hit, and get one and done in a wildcard game isn't the best long-term strategy to a great team.

I say unless something comes your way real cheap, I'd be keeping our draft capital. I'd also look to make some opportunistic trades to acquire more if someone was looking. Maybe offload one of our RBs for some draft picks to a team hurting at RB.

[4XPIPS]

I'd rather stay patient and keep the draft capital myself. Trading high draft capital in some desperate attempt to make a Super Bowl run because you're deluded that you have a real shot is a path to mediocrity and non-contention. You should confidently and patiently build a strong team through the draft and free agency as trading midseason puts you in a bad situation where the player has all the leverage as you traded valuable draft capital for them and then have to retain them or look like a fool. If this team isn't ready to contend right now, one player isn't going to put them over the top. I don't think the GM should act like that is the case. We did that for years with Pete. The fans were fooled by weak showings early by usually good teams only to hit the playoffs, find out that losing some regular season games to some bad teams doesn't change who the strong contenders are once the playoffs hit, and get one and done in a wildcard game isn't the best long-term strategy to a great team.

I say unless something comes your way real cheap, I'd be keeping our draft capital. I'd also look to make some opportunistic trades to acquire more if someone was looking. Maybe offload one of our RBs for some draft picks to a team hurting at RB.

This is where I disagree with you. You're acting like the season is lost, so let's part ways with K9 or Zach to build for the future, while we sit tied for the NFC West division. I know you are waiting for Darnold to fail in the postseason so you can prove your point. When we signed Darnold, I was like most who felt he was just another Geno on our team, but younger. I admit I was wrong. Darnold's ceiling is far higher than Geno can ever be. However, he has played at a high level. Now, the real test will come when we play the Rams. We play them twice within a 3-week period. Those games will determine, at least to me, that he can be our franchise QB for the future. I agree that we don't want to mortgage our future on some potentially high-costing free agents and blow some 1st round picks. However, this team of the year, most crappy teams are in a position to offload aging talent, or players they don't want to re-up, which would be mid-round picks. If we can get a player like Maxx Crosby, who can help our team now... why wouldn't we be buyers? We are 1.5 games out of the top for NFC, and it's so wide open. I truly believe that with a healthy secondary, we can beat any team in the league. We just saw the Bills go down to the Falcons, the Eagles get romped on TNF, the Cowgirls losing to the Panthers, and the Packers didn't dominate a dysfunctional Bengals team. Like you said before, week 10 or 11 will tell it all, but I'm optimistic we have just as much of a shot for the NFC title as the Bucs, Rams, Eagles, Lions, Packers.

[Aseahawkfan]

This is where I disagree with you. You're acting like the season is lost, so let's part ways with K9 or Zach to build for the future, while we sit tied for the NFC West division. I know you are waiting for Darnold to fail in the postseason so you can prove your point. When we signed Darnold, I was like most who felt he was just another Geno on our team, but younger. I admit I was wrong. Darnold's ceiling is far higher than Geno can ever be. However, he has played at a high level. Now, the real test will come when we play the Rams. We play them twice within a 3-week period. Those games will determine, at least to me, that he can be our franchise QB for the future. I agree that we don't want to mortgage our future on some potentially high-costing free agents and blow some 1st round picks. However, this team of the year, most crappy teams are in a position to offload aging talent, or players they don't want to re-up, which would be mid-round picks. If we can get a player like Maxx Crosby, who can help our team now... why wouldn't we be buyers? We are 1.5 games out of the top for NFC, and it's so wide open. I truly believe that with a healthy secondary, we can beat any team in the league. We just saw the Bills go down to the Falcons, the Eagles get romped on TNF, the Cowgirls losing to the Panthers, and the Packers didn't dominate a dysfunctional Bengals team. Like you said before, week 10 or 11 will tell it all, but I'm optimistic we have just as much of a shot for the NFC title as the Bucs, Rams, Eagles, Lions, Packers.

I am not interested in proving my point. You can see it in the Darnold's game. Just like last year. He's great against weak teams and against strong teams he is not. That's why Minnesota let him go even with his good stats. That's why he's in year 8 of his career and in Seattle now after other teams let him walk. Jacksonville has the 27th ranked passing defense. They weren't a great defense against passing teams.

If we are a contending team, we don't need to trade high draft capital for a player. We'll contend without the trade. If we aren't a contending team, then trading draft capital for that "one player" is the same desperate move Pete made for years due to miscalculation of how close we were to contention. I don't feel like continuing that pattern.

If Darnold succeeds, the team succeeds. That would be great. But even great QBs like Lamar Jackson or Josh Allen put up great regular season stats, but choke in the postseason. Darnold is a step or two below them and is also a postseason choker. I'd like to take a shot at a younger guy that still has a shot to prove they are a big game performer. You either need a super team like Pete built or a QB that's a big game performer if you want to win the Super Bowl. That's how I feel about it.

[River Dog]

We are a contending team. JS has to look at it that way. The entire NFC is there for the taking. I thought that the Eagles were again going to be the dominant team in the conference, but they've now lost two in a row, the last one an embarrassing loss to the hapless Giants.

I would definitely put K9 on the trading block as it's a good, long term move as he's in the final year of his contract, and I still contend that Charbs is a better fit for this offense. But I don't want to be spending high draft picks on a player like Maxx Crosby when we already have a very good pass rushing front. I'm good if JS stands pat.

[Oly]

I think we're a contender, but unless we get healthy and stay there, and have a few other dominoes fall our way, I don't think it's a legit SB team. I don't want them to get rid of a single R1-R3 pick unless it's for a stud CB, and I just don't know that any are on the market. There are good ones, but none that I think are worth a high pick. Even if the Jets were looking to hold a fire-sale, this year's version of Sauce doesn't look like a huge upgrade. He and Riq share the same problem-between-the-ears issues. Maybe a change of scenery would fix things, but I wouldn't want to invest a high pick to find out. So while I'd probably be in favor of a trade in the abstract, I don't think the right trade is there.

The best available players are DE and while Crosby would definitely make the team better, I don't think the need there is great enough to justify the high price he would command. Same with Hendrickson. I think the team will be a legit contender next year, and the extra draft capital will help. Let's say there is a R1-graded RG in the next draft. I think our current pass rush and that kind of player upgrades the team more than Crosby, just because the gap between Bradford and new-RG would be bigger than the gap between either D-Law/Nwosu and Crosby.

Earlier in the season I thought that K9 could go on the block, but Charbs has regressed and K9 is looking a bit better, so I'm backing off that idea. Given the uncertainty of who is the right fit for this offense and the injury risk at RB, I'd like to see them keep both.

[NorthHawk]

Would Hendrickson cost a lot? If you look at trades for players in their 30's on teams that aren't doing well and on the last year of their contract they don't go for much (relatively speaking). He might be had for a 3rd round pick in this years draft which according to some evaluators isn't that great. It could be that QBs aren't going to be dominating this draft so maybe that's skewing their analysis but I would seriously consider a 3rd for Hendrickson - if the Bengals would take it.
The most pressing needs are Secondary help and LB. I wouldn't expect a Guard to be available because there aren't that many real good ones in the NFL that teams can afford to give up. Maybe if we look at the Titans and Dolphins rosters there might be a player or two that catch the eye but we don't yet know who is going to replace their HC's and what players won't fit the new schemes.

As the trade deadline approaches there will be some players traded who are on the last year of their contracts. Good ones will have teams competing for them. I can see SF after losing Bosa going after Hendrickson even if he's a little banged up at the moment and maybe we should consider him to stave off the 9ers from getting him. For them, they won't get Bosa or Warner back this year but Purdy and Kittle are close and Aiyuk is expected to return at some point so if they can manage to get through the next couple of weeks without more key injuries they could be getting healthy near the end of the year. Keeping Hendrickson out of their lineup and adding to ours might be good on both fronts for us.

Lots of things for Management to consider.

[River Dog]

I think we're a contender, but unless we get healthy and stay there, and have a few other dominoes fall our way, I don't think it's a legit SB team. I don't want them to get rid of a single R1-R3 pick unless it's for a stud CB, and I just don't know that any are on the market. There are good ones, but none that I think are worth a high pick. Even if the Jets were looking to hold a fire-sale, this year's version of Sauce doesn't look like a huge upgrade. He and Riq share the same problem-between-the-ears issues. Maybe a change of scenery would fix things, but I wouldn't want to invest a high pick to find out. So while I'd probably be in favor of a trade in the abstract, I don't think the right trade is there.

The best available players are DE and while Crosby would definitely make the team better, I don't think the need there is great enough to justify the high price he would command. Same with Hendrickson. I think the team will be a legit contender next year, and the extra draft capital will help. Let's say there is a R1-graded RG in the next draft. I think our current pass rush and that kind of player upgrades the team more than Crosby, just because the gap between Bradford and new-RG would be bigger than the gap between either D-Law/Nwosu and Crosby.

Earlier in the season I thought that K9 could go on the block, but Charbs has regressed and K9 is looking a bit better, so I'm backing off that idea. Given the uncertainty of who is the right fit for this offense and the injury risk at RB, I'd like to see them keep both.

If you were to look at our team in a vacuum, then I agree, we're not a legitimate SB team. But when you look around the conference, who is a legitimate SB team?

But with the exception of Walker, of whom I wouldn't trade for anything less than a 2nd rounder or some sort of player/draft pick combo, I agree that I wouldn't actively seek a significant trade.

[Aseahawkfan]

I don't think we're a contender. I think injuries are causing a lot of the better teams to look worse than they are. I think come playoff time that you're going to see the expected contenders perform well in the playoffs. During the regular season you get these weird wins and losses that create false hope. During the playoffs, teams that are good with experience suddenly hyper focus on ending the bad teams. We got a lot of weaknesses to exploit.

I expect the GM to properly assess where we are in the process and ensure they do not spend draft capital to give leverage to a player in contract negotiations that we trade too much for. I want that whole pattern to end with Pete.

No one we have played looks good to me. Not the Bucs, not the Jags, not the Cards. The 49ers were hurt and are hurt.

The Eagles are missing Jalen Carter and their run defense looks suspect. Maybe they aren't able to adjust and Carter misses a lot of the season, but if they get their defense back on track they're still the favorite.

I think the next two games should be interesting. Houston is off-track after C.J. Stroud's great rookie season. The Commanders I don't know about. Real up and down.

The next tough game we should have is the Rams. We're playing a real creampuff schedule with a new offense and QB. The better teams I'm betting will be able to shut it down in games that matter just like happened with Darnold in MN last year.

We're about a third of the season done and we're in the playoff mix, but so are 7 teams in each conference. I don't consider being in the playoffs a contender when 40 percent or more of the teams in a conference are in the playoffs. They been stuffing the playoffs in every league to boost the league's money. I understand it, but I'm not a big believer in one off lucky runs. I'd rather build a contender like we had during Pete's glory years: a consistent playoff performer that can go deep in the playoffs competing for a Super Bowl. That's a contender. This punching a playoff ticket and acting as a jobber for a stronger team losing the wildcard or division game doesn't appeal to me.

[Oly]

I don't think we're a contender. I think injuries are causing a lot of the better teams to look worse than they are. I think come playoff time that you're going to see the expected contenders perform well in the playoffs. During the regular season you get these weird wins and losses that create false hope. During the playoffs, teams that are good with experience suddenly hyper focus on ending the bad teams. We got a lot of weaknesses to exploit.

This is exactly where I am. Maybe, maybe we could actually compete this year because of how banged up the NFC is. But the probability this team gets a ring even if they make a splash trade still seems super low, and I definitely don't want them to mortgage any bit of future potential to make a run this year. If I had more faith that Sauce was going to return to form, I could see the argument for trading a R1 pick because he'd be both the future and present. I just don't have that faith.

[Aseahawkfan]

Sauce is on the Jets. He's probably taking antidepressants and seeing a therapist asking the therapist, "I'm never gonna see a ring. I try and I try, no matter how good I play nothing is going to change. I don't know how long I can keep trying just for the money knowing I'll never win anything in my entire career. It all seems pointless and hopeless."