NFL trade deadline: 5 trades that should have been made to rock the league
The trade deadline has come and gone, but what if these moves happened?
Just like that, another trade deadline has come and gone. Once again, the big names that could have shocked the NFL twitterverse if traded were left on their struggling rosters for another season. Outside of those few names moved earlier in the week or late Tuesday afternoon, it was an overall quiet day.
Despite these franchises failing to pick up any momentum, it’s hard to trade away the more recognizable faces. When looking at the current contracts, teams must also be willing to take on those hefty salaries well past the 2020 season. And with so few players actually being rentals as top-tier talents, some organizations might wait until the offseason to make a major move.
Although these game-changing moves didn’t happen, imagine if they did? Who would be the favorites entering the second half of the season?
Five NFL trades that would have rocked the NFL
Julio Jones joins the Packers
It was rumored that the Green Bay Packers were interested in adding a wide receiver at the deadline, but Houston Texans target Will Fuller was the only player they were connected with. Even if they would have hauled in the speedy target, he’s a rental option that could be looking for top dollar on the open market. Why not just trade for one of the best in the game?
Jones has been a consistent 1,000-yard target since 2014. If the Falcons had fallen to the Carolina Panthers on Thursday night, would Arthur Blank have been willing to unload all that talent and begin fresh in 2021? It would cost Green Bay multiple first-rounders, but the upside would be taking pressure off of Devante Adams and build a superb offense with Aaron Rodgers calling the shots.
The Packers are without a true No. 2 weapon, and it was relevant in their loss to Minnesota last week. Adams won’t always be going up against bottom-tier secondaries, forcing Rodgers to look outside his comfort zone. If Green Bay wanted to go all-in, Jones would have given them one of the more dynamic passing attacks the NFL perhaps has ever seen.