5 NFL Dead-Line Deals Worth Making

           The Seattle Seahawks and New York Jets made headlines this week when they announced the Percy Harvin trade on Thursday. It was the perfect move for both teams that are heading in two completely different directions. The Seahawks needed to rid themselves of the problem that was ‘Percy Harvin’ and the Jets needed someone on that offense who can provide a firework wrinkle. While Harvin may never catch 80+ balls in a year, he is a playmaker that many teams would love to have. But Seattle needed to get rid of him just as much as the Jets needed him.

            But there are not too many trades in the NFL, which is so unfortunate for everyone involved in the sport. While it is understandable it is difficult to acquire a player and get him ingrained in your system fast enough to provide an immediate impact, there are some trades that I feel every team should make, but do not make, because “it just doesn’t happen in the NFL”.  Last year the Colts made headlines when they acquired Trent Richardson from the Browns, and many would say Richardson, who was terrible for the Colts last season, proved the ideology true that it is just too difficult to make mid-season acquisitions. But Richardson has been better this year, and the Browns were rewarded with an good draft pick. In the end, both teams made out in the deal. While you may not see an immediate impact immediately, you can still improve your team. And isn’t that what it is all about?

            So here are five trades that would provide an impact for all teams involved.

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers trade WR Vincent Jackson to the New England Patriots for a 3^rd Round Draft Pick

            The Patriots have been scrapping together good offensive performances in the past three weeks, but there is not a single player besides Brady and Gronkowski that strike fear in opposing defenses. Julian Edelman, Brandon LaFell, and Danny Amendola are good route runners and can move the chains, but the Patriots lack that deep threat, big play receiver.

            The Buccaneers are done, and if they are going to re-build that offense, which needs to be done, they need to start stockpiling draft picks.

2. Jacksonville Jaguars trade WR Cecil Shorts to the Carolina Panthers for a 5^th Round Draft Pick

            Cam Newton proves week after week that he is actually a very good quarterback with a very bad supporting cast. The Panthers have an outstanding defense, and wide receiver Kelvim Benjamin has proven to be a great selection in last year’s draft. But how long can “Superman” keep throwing to Greg Olsen and handing off to DeAngelo Williams or Jonathan Stewart.

            The Jaguars can make Shorts expendable because he is constantly hurt, and Allen Robinson and Marqise Lee are in the furture plans of this organization. The Jags are going to continue to be bad, but Bortles needs to develop a relationship with his younger receivers. Shorts still has some big play ability in him, and Carolina would be a great destination for Shorts and a fresh start.

3. Atlanta Falcons trade S Will Moore to the Indianapolis Colts for a 4^th round Draft Pick

            After Atlanta had a complete catrsophe of a game against the Baltimore Ravens, it is time the Falcons start to look towards next year as well. Its been two straight years that the Falcons defense cannot stop anyone.

            The Colts have an outstanding front 4, and their linebackers are serviceable, but the Colts need an enforcer in that secondary. Will Moore may be the best defensive player on the Falcons, and one of the best safeties in the league. Moore could provide leadership to the young Colts secondary and he may prove to the missing piece to the Colts taking over the AFC.

            Here, Moore would have to sell that lame house we kept seeing in ‘Hardknocks’.

4. Kansas City trades RB Knile Davis to the Dallas Cowboys for WR Terrance Williams

            Now we are starting to heat things up here, as two of the youngest and brightest stars get traded at mid-season but there is a reasoning to this…For starters the Chiefs have really struck gold by selecting Knile Davis two seasons ago, and we have all watched him flourish in Kansas City. However he is due for a bigger role, and Kansas City cannot provide him one with Jamaal Charles being the every down back. Davis provides excellent insurance for the Chiefs, but Kansas City wants to throw the ball or at least be able to threaten  teams with the passing game but the combination of Dwayne Bowe, AJ Jenkins and Travis Kelce is  not exactly intimidating.

            And if you are Jerry Jones, you have finally found the formula to make the Cowboys sustain winning. The offensive line is the best in the NFL, and DeMarco Murray has emerged into a superstar. But Murray does have an injury history, and with Joseph Randle’s latest legal problems, only Lance Dunbar remains. Jones needs to add the ultimate insurance policy and while this would not be Davis’s chance to be the lead back, he would get a lot more of an opportunity in Dallas than Kansas City.

5. Chicago Bears trade RB Matt Forte to the Denver Broncos for DE Von Miller

            Now I may have gone completely off of my rocker here but I think out of all the trades I have suggested this one makes the most sense. The Denver Broncos need to win, and need to win now, as the Peyton Manning window is closing faster and faster. However as they have learned in the Super Bowl a year ago the Broncos cannot be one-dimensional. Monte Ball and Ronnie Hillman are not the answer to the Broncos running woes. And Matt Forte would prove to be the most talented running back Peyton has had since the Edgerrin James years. Forte would fit perfectly in that offense, running draws, and catching the ball out of the backfield. Like that’s all the Broncos need is another passing weapon.

            Trading Von Miller now would be a completely forward thinking move. Von Miller has been nothing but a headache since he has been in Denver, and Denver cannot just unload him for nothing, so why not trade him when his stock is high, and he has stayed relatively out of trouble this season? The Seahawks have shown that properly run organizations do not allow “Problem Childs” to stay around and poison their team. If the Broncos could unload Miller with a big-time impact player like Forte, it makes perfect sense.

            The Bears have never been this long without an impact player on defense. With Jared Allen looking at the tail end of his career, he could prove to be a great mentor to Von Miller who would instantly be the best defensive player in Chicago since Urlacher left.

            And let’s be honest, if anyone has watched the Chicago Bears in this Marc Tressman system, the running back places as much of impact on the offense as the long snapper does. Tressman wants to throw, a 100 times if possible, and its not a bad strategy when you have Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffery, and Martellus Bennett…not a great strategy when you have Jay Cutler, but Tressman seems to have put all his eggs in Cutler’s basket. But no matter how many touchdowns they throw, they cannot seem to stop the touchdowns from coming in. Von Miller would help.