The Dallas Cowboys kicked off the pre-season by hanging on to defeat the Arizona Cardinals 20-18, and with that The 2017 NFL Trade Watch has begun. Although the off-season is officially over, NFL clubs and general managers will still be looking to upgrade their rosters. NFL teams have until September 3rd to trim their rosters down to 53 players. Many teams will try and sign players cut from other teams to improve their roster and add quality depth, but if a certain team really wants to bolster their roster, they’re going to have to hammer out a trade. Below you will find a list of trades that could benefit both parties.
The Likeliest Candidates to Move and There Destinations
Trevor Siemian or Jimmy Garoppolo to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Siemian has proven in Denver he can win without an offensive line, if he has solid weapons on the outside and a stout defense. The Jacksonville Jaguars just-so-happen to have both of those things. If the Denver Broncos find themselves ready to move forward with 2016 first round pick Paxton Lynch they could certainly make a profit from their 7th round investment Siemian.
Garoppolo has spent his entire career backing up one of the best ever to play the game in Tom Brady. We haven’t seen too much of Garoppolo, but we have seen enough to know he can win games. New England is asking a hefty price for the young quarterback, but it could be in the best interest of the Jaguars to pony up and pay the price. Garoppolo offers more upside than Siemian, but he would also bring a higher risk.
The Jaguars on the other hand rightfully grew concerned when quarterback Blake Bortles threw five interceptions on the first day of camp. Head Coach Doug Marrone even told the media the coaches were going to hold a meeting to discuss this problem. The Jaguars have enough talent on their roster, they don’t need a field general to compete, just a game manager who doesn’t turn the ball over would do wonders for the club.
http://gty.im/636773888
Mark Ingram to the New York Giants.
Over the off-season the New Orleans Saints signed multiple league rushing champion Adrian Peterson and drafted rookie running back Alvin Kamara. If the Saints feel confident moving forward with the new addition to their backfield they could possibly look to get some draft capitol in exchange for Ingram.
The New York Giants have been preaching for years that they want a “work horse” running back. Currently Paul Perkins is slated to play that role for the Giants, but Ingram would be an instant upgrade over Perkins (if he stays healthy).
Da’Norris Searcy to the New Orleans Saints or Dallas Cowboys.
The Tennessee Titans and New Orleans Saints were both at the bottom of the league when it came to passing defense last season. While Searcy has proven he is capable of playing at a low-end starter level, the Titans signed Johnathan Cyprien to come in and be the starter. Searcy certainly brings quality depth to the Titans safety position, but the Titans could be in favor of draft capitol over the now 2nd string safety.
The Dallas Cowboys defense could be a nice fit for Searcy as it closely resembles what the Buffalo Bills ran while Searcy was in Buffalo. The defensive secondary of the Cowboys was decimated with departures over the off-season. In the 2017 NFL draft the Cowboys tried solving this problem by drafting Chidobe Awuzie in the 2nd round and Jourdan Lewis in the 3rd round; as a veteran now Searcy could bring leadership to this young secondary.
Alfred Morris to the San Francisco 49ers.
Morris had rushed for over 1,000 yards in each of his first three seasons in the NFL; which includes a rookie season he rushed for over 1,600. Currently Morris is trapped on a depth chart behind Ezekiel Elliot and Darren McFadden. If Dallas decides to move him the 49ers could come calling.
The San Francisco 49ers currently have 2014 second round pick Carlos Hyde and seasoned veteran Tim Hightower on their roster. Hyde who was set to replace future hall of famer Frank Gore has lost first team reps to a 31-year-old Hightower, so an upgrade here maybe in order. During Alfred Morris’ rookie season where he rushed for over 1,600 yards, his offensive coordinator was none other than the 49ers new head coach Kyle Shanahan.
Sheldon Richardson to the Tennessee Titans.
If the Jets aren’t tanking, they sure have everyone fooled. Not only should the Jets be looking to go into full rebuild mode, their backs are pressing the wall for salary cap space as well. It could be a smart idea for the Jets to pick up extra draft capitol and take some money off the books by trading some of their veteran players.
While the Titans currently don’t have a need for Richardson, he would certainly give their under-rated defense a boost. Adding Richardson across from Jurrell Casey would keep offensive coordinators and quarterbacks awake at night, it would also take some of the preasure off of the Titans unproven secondary unit as it molds together.