The window for NFL teams to trade players will close today at 4:00 PM ET. For those hoping for a flurry of landscape shifting activity, don't hold your breath. Unlike the NBA, MLB or NHL, football rarely sees a blockbuster mid-season trade. As a result, the deadline usually comes and goes without any full-fledged front page news.
But what if that wasn't the case?
ESPN's Adam Schefter put together a list of five trades that should happen, but likely won't. On it, he had the Chicago Bears sending wide receiver Alshon Jeffery to the Atlanta Falcons. Interesting.
"With a new general manager and head coach, and a star wide receiver who is poised to leave during free agency, Chicago can recoup a second-round pick for a player it could lose," Schefter wrote. "Meanwhile, Atlanta would gain a true complement to Julio Jones and insurance in the event that his hamstring or foot gives him any more issues this season."
Since general manager Ryan Pace took over in Chicago earlier this year, he has jettisoned big contracts in Brandon Marshall, Jarred Allen and Jonathan Bostic. Willie Young may also be on his way out as well. It's clear that Pace is entering into a full-on rebuild mode. It's also true that the Bears could lose Jeffery in free agency as this is the last year of his rookie contract. If they don't believe they can re-sign him - and if they are confident that rookie Kevin White can eventually replace his production - then squeezing some compensation out of his departure would make sense.
On the other side of things, Roddy White just hasn't gotten it done as a No. 2 wide receiver for Atlanta this year. In his age 34 season, he has just 16 receptions for 210 yards and one touchdown in eight games. Though most of Atlanta's issues are on the defensive side of the ball, adding Jeffery would give the Falcons arguably the top wide receiving corps in the league.
Again, will this trade happen? Probably not. But it's an interesting scenario to think about.
