Smattering of trade interest around NFL to kick off Week 8 Sunday
NFL rumors are starting to gain speed with the NFL trading deadline arriving on Tuesday afternoon.
To kick football day off, Dianna Russini reports a litany of items:
So, for any available running backs, look for the Ravens and Dolphins to be involved. The wide receiver market is one of the markets highest-occupied by buyers, and the Browns are jumping in. The Bills want a cornerback.
NFC East looks like it will be busy ahead of Oct. 31 NFL trade deadline
Small bits have leaked out of seemingly every corner of the league, but cumulatively, very little can be predicted confidently as the final day to make deals draws near.
Looking at the bits and pieces from the landscape, though, one area that looks like it's a sure thing is some sort of dealing from at least one, and probably more, NFC East teams.
The Washington Commanders have become one of the larger characters of the deadline narratives, with Chase Young and Montrez Sweat fielding interest from various teams. Much of their willingness to make a deal comes down to whether or not they win on Sunday in Week 8 against the Eagles, according to Adam Schefter. A win against a strong division opponent would surely spark confidence in a second-half push. A loss would make hopes flicker even more.
In addition to the Commanders likely being sellers, the Eagles figure to be buyers, even after making one of the earliest deals of trade season. Dianna Russini reports that Howie Roseman is active on phones and specifically looking for a linebacker.
Roseman has been a savvy negotiator in recent years, picking up C.J. Gardner-Johnson before the start of 2022, a move that fortified the Eagles' secondary and pushed them to a higher level. The aggressive nature of Roseman's work has kept Philadelphia competitive and is a big part of why they won the NFC Championship last season.
Chiefs have made up their minds on 2023 NFL trade deadline
The Kansas City Chiefs traded for Mecole Hardman, reuniting with the receiver who played his first five years in Kansas City before signing as a free agent with the New York Jets this offseason. It sounds like, barring major changes, that will be the only move the Chiefs make this season.
Dianna Russini reported that the Chiefs, among several other teams, appear to be standing pat at the deadline this year.
That means the Chiefs are content with their receiving weapons for Patrick Mahomes, despite the lack of an emergence of a clear top-tier wide receiver threat. Tight end Travis Kelce has been the most-used target in terms of total throws and yards for Mahomes. The players occupying actual receiving spots on the field have largely provided a by-committee approach with various receivers stepping up for big weeks here and there as needed and based on matchups.
While that might give Kansas City fans some anxiety, the lack of a clear No. 1 receiver perhaps gives Kansas City an advantage. They can game plan more specifically for their opponent and feature whichever receiver provides the best schematic matchup week-in and week-out, without fear of needing to get a clear WR1 involved just for the sake of targets.
Right now, the Chiefs offense is very low-ego, essentially.
Would this work with any quarterback/coach other than Patrick Mahomes/Andy Reid? I have my doubts. But so far, it's not proving to be a big problem for Kansas City who sits 6-1 on the season.
Jim Harbaugh NFL return to skirt college suspension is unlikely
It's the same thing every year. No matter the circumstances, Jim Harbaugh always seems to come to mind as a coach to go from college to the NFL. Harbaugh coached the San Francisco 49ers from 2011-2014 and took over as University of Michigan head coach in 2015, where he has been since.
Harbaugh, who was already suspended for three games to start the 2023 season for recruiting violations, faces more possible punishment with the Michigan football program under investigation for sign-stealing, a controversial development that has divided the CFB world entirely.
The easiest route for Harbaugh, at this point, would be to just jump back into the NFL, right? Not so easy. Here is what Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported on Sunday morning in regards to a possible Harbaugh return to avoid NCAA suspension:
"The NFL is unlikely to make itself a safe harbor for Harbaugh to escape what could be substantial NCAA discipline, league sources say, raising the strong possibility Harbaugh would need to serve some or all of any possible suspension he could face in college if he returns to the pros."
The reasoning is less reporting from Rapoport and Pelissero, though, and more of an informed conclusion based on past precedent. A situation involving Jim Tressel -- who was suspended as Buckeyes head coach and later resigned -- and his eligibility at the pro level on a coaching staff since he resigned before officially serving the suspension.
The Colts hired Tressel but kept him away from the team for the duration of what would have been his suspension at the college level.
From Rap and Pelissero:
"It wasn't officially announced as a suspension, but in consultation with the NFL, the effect was the same. And the point was made: No one should escape discipline by leaving college for the pros."
So, if Harbaugh is to look to the NFL to return back to coaching in the midst of a suspension for what may have gone down at Michigan, any team that looks to hire him may need to be prepared for him to be unavailable for a number of weeks before officially taking over as head coach.
It's hard to see any teams taking a gamble on a new head coach to start a new season knowing he may need to be unofficially suspended and thus unavailable to set the tone to start a new year.
A possible workaround? Harbaugh could, much like Tressel did with the Colts, join a team as a consultant and serve his suspension in that capacity, throwing his hat in the ring for head coaching jobs the next cycle.
At this point, though, it's all speculative.
