RADIO
Dom examines real-life NFL trade scenarios that could help fantasy football values if made before the 2020 trade deadline, including Cam Newton, Ryan Fitzpatrick, A.J. Green, and more.
The NFL trade deadline is next Tuesday. With COVID parameters in place this season, teams will look to make moves early to avoid having to wait even an extra week to start their new additions.
We do not usually see a lot of in-season trades in the NFL. This season could be different though. With all the injuries to star players, it is likely there will be some movement of skill players between teams.
Let us take a look at five possible trades we would like to see. Of course, most of these probably will not happen. But it is fun to think about. We are not going to consider compensation here. We are only going to look at good fits for players. And we will also not have any completely impossible trades like Deshaun Watson or Christian McCaffrey getting dealt away.
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Scenario 1 - Cam Newton to Dallas
Andy Dalton was brutally taken out of last weeks game on a cheap shot which better result in a suspension of John Bostic. This means the only QB left for Dallas is a seventh-round rookie from William and Mary named Ben DeNucci. No, this is not my Italian cousin, it just sounds like it.
This makes it imperative that the Cowboys bring in someone else to get them through the season. Cam Newton is the perfect player. He is cheap. He is on a one-year contract. With a bad offensive line in Dallas, he can move and get out of the pocket.
With the offensive skill players still elite, it would not take much for the Cowboys to get in the mix of the vaunted NFC East once again. After a game against the Eagles this week and then a bye, Dallas will still have three remaining games against this terrible division. In a season where seven wins might get you into the playoffs in the NFC East, they are not yet out of it.
As I said, I am not going to speculate on specific compensation of trade packages. Dallas though did just get a sixth-round pick for defensive lineman Everson Griffen from Detroit. They could use this and maybe another future pick to get Newton from the Patriots. It would be a perfect fit and something I hope happens.
Scenario 2 - Ryan Fitzpatrick to Denver
I could have easily sent him to Dallas instead, but I feel Denver is a better fit. Yes, Fitzpatrick is mobile as well, but I just feel like Newton being bigger will hold up to the beating behind the O-line better. This brings us to Denver.
We do not know after only a handful of games if John Elway made yet another huge blunder at the QB position. We do know if the Broncos want to be even a little competitive in the division, they need someone to get the ball out. Ryan Fitzpatrick is perfect. He has never met a pass he does not like and with Jerry Jeudy, Noah Fant and even Tim Patrick, he would have a solid group of receivers. Even better than the group he would be leaving in Miami.
He would also have a run game to work with. Miles Gaskin has done very well this season. Melvin Gordon and Phillip Lindsey are much better though. This will allow Fitzpatrick to not only make plays with his arm, but to hand the ball or dump the ball off to reliable backs when plays breakdown.
Von Miller is out for the year and Chris Harris Jr. was given his walking papers this offseason. The defense is far from a strength anymore for Denver. They need to find someone to light a fire under the offense. Fitzpatrick is the perfect guy with the perfect mentality to do it. Not to mention he is now the backup to Tua in Miami and has every reason to want out.
Scenario 3 - Stephon Gilmore to Green Bay
Why do we care about a defensive player getting traded to a team for fantasy? Because the Packers Defense needs to get better in at least one aspect. They are OK in the running game. They are terrible in the passing game. This means the passing game is easier to fix.
Defensive coordinator Mike Pettine comes from the Rex Ryan tree of defense. This means he wants two coverage corners. He already has one in Jaire Alexander, who is one of the best in the NFL. Adding the 2019 Defensive Player of the Year would allow more short drives for opposing offenses. This in turn will mean more time on the field for Aaron Rodgers and company. That is something all fantasy GMs want.
Even without Aaron Jones, the Packers put up 35 points on the Houston Texans. This was due to the incredible play of both Rodgers and favorite receiver Davante Adams who had 196 yards and two TD on the afternoon. The run game was solid despite missing Jones as well. Jamaal Williams, the clear backup, had 90 yards on 17 carries. We waited to see what if anything A.J. Dillon would do. The answer was, not a lot. Having only 11 yards on five carries, it is obvious he is the last resort in the offense when it comes to the run game.
Jones is set to return this week. He could have played last week but Green Bay felt it prudent to hold him out for a week to make sure he was healthy. With the defense getting better and hopefully getting Stephon Gilmore, this means more offensive plays and thereby opportunities for the offense to gather up a ton of points for your fantasy team. So, let us hope the Packers do the right thing and address the defense before the trade deadline.
Scenario 4 - Julian Edelman to Indianapolis
The Colts have a lot to love. They have a top offensive line in the NFL. A running back who can be good if given the chance to do so. Plus, two possible top-10 TE in Mo Alie-Cox and Jack Doyle.
Philip Rivers has been a bit up and down this season and T.Y. Hilton has been rather disappointing. This is where the team needs some help. By getting a slot receiver to play across from Hilton, the Colts' coaching staff can really open up the playbook. Michael Pittman Jr. and Parris Campbell are both injured and likely done for the season. A secondary WR is the way to get this team into the playoffs and possibly further.
Indianapolis is in a battle with Tennessee for the division. They may or may not win the battle. Either way, they will be in prime position to make the playoffs. With games left against both Jacksonville and Houston, the wins will likely be there for the taking. With an excellent defense led in part by Darius Leonard and DeForest Buckner, it will really come down to what kind of production they can get out of that receiving group from here on out.
Edelman is not a young guy. He is also coming off a game against San Francisco in which he had a total of zero points for fantasy. This is the perfect time for him to get out of New England. And the Patriots should want this as well.
The Colts are in their window to win right now. The Patriots are heading into a major rebuild. One which they will need draft picks to achieve. Getting a mid-round pick for an aging Edelman may be the right place to start. We can only hope both teams see the same and make the trade.
Scenario 5 - A.J. Green to Philadelphia
A.J. Green wants out of Cincinnati. Cincinnati wants Green out of there. He is on a one-year franchise deal meaning the Eagles, who are in salary cap hell next season, can rent him then let him go. They are also in desperate need of a WR in this offense.
Although Carson Wentz has been struggling this season, he is still the QB11 on per-game average for fantasy. This is with DeSean Jackson missing most of the season, including a new stint on IR. It has also been without Alshon Jeffrey who has yet this season to suit up. Oh, and now that his foot is healed, he has a hamstring injury. Jalen Reagor is set to come back after missing every game since Week 1.
This includes Dallas Goedert, who after a good Week1 has spent the rest of the year injured with a broken hand. An injury he could return from in Week 10 after the bye week. Star TE Zach Ertz has also been bad this season. After disappointing all season, Ertz has followed Goedert onto the injured list with a knee. One which will keep him out for a month or so. The battle of attrition in Philadelphia is real and scary. Yet still being in first place, they are in great position to still make the playoffs. Travis Fulgham has been a revelation. He is the leading receiver on the team so far, which in all honesty is more sad than impressive. It goes without saying they need more help at receiver if they want to make a playoff run.
The defense is good. The front line is deep, and the secondary has been playing extremely well so far. The offense is another story. Getting Miles Sanders back, hopefully this week takes some pressure off Wentz. If you really want to take some pressure off, get him some weapons in the pass game. Green is a great fit and he would be cheap to acquire. You might even get the Bengals to pay some of his remaining salary just to dump him. It is certainly worth exploring if you are the Eagles.
The Bengals are not going anywhere this season. Tyler Boyd and Tee Higgins are the new faces in the WR room in Cincinnati Let them get started building an even greater rapport with Joe Burrow now and hope next season they can mesh. As with any logical trade, it's a win-win for both sides.
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