Player trades in the NFL have become more common in recent years, and one NFL insider believes the trend will continue this offseason.
On a recent episode of “The Adam Schefter Podcast,” the ESPN NFL reporter said it may be tougher for teams to get impact players this season through traditional means, meaning teams will likely be involved in more trades.
“When we talk about the draft, and we’ll see how it shakes out over time, people aren’t all that excited about the draft,” Schefter said. “We got a free-agent class that’s not really deep. We’ve got a draft that is not considered really deep. You know what that tells me? More trades. That’s what it tells me. It tells me we may get more wheeling and dealing in trades than we’ve had in other years.”
Schefter added that although he has not heard any specific trades that are brewing, he sees the activity around the Nov. 4 trade deadline as an indication of teams willing to make more deals to fix their rosters.
The trade market could be utilized by teams to acquire quarterbacks. This year’s quarterback draft class is not projected to be as strong as recent years, with Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza expected to go as the first overall pick and Alabama’s Ty Simpson appearing to be the only other quarterback projected as a first-round selection.
Kyler Murray (Arizona Cardinals) and Mac Jones (San Francisco 49ers) are expected to be the top targets on the trade market, with Raiders quarterback Geno Smith also expected to garner interest.
On the defensive side, Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby could be another player moved, although it has been previously reported that a deal for him could come after he finishes recovering from a knee injury he suffered late last season.