Davante Adams and Amari Cooper found new homes -- more impact receivers should be on the move as well
The wide receiver market saw a flurry of activity this week, and there's more to come as the Nov. 5 trade deadline gets closer.
The Jets officially got their man in Davante Adams early Tuesday morning, and the Bills locked in a trade for Amari Cooper shortly thereafter. Sources believe the Kansas City Chiefs and Pittsburgh Steelers will be most aggressive in adding another receiver before the deadline gets here.
The Steelers were hopeful for Brandon Aiyuk back in August before he signed an extension with the 49ers. And Pittsburgh tried to get in the mix with Adams, who ultimately never took his sights off the Jets and Aaron Rodgers.
Pittsburgh believes Russell Wilson has returned to form from a few years ago, and the hope is he can operate Arthur Smith's offense more efficiently while opening up the vertical passing game. Coupling an improved offense with a stingy defense, Pittsburgh believes it is a contender in the AFC this year.
In Kansas City, the Chiefs are hopeful Travis Kelce and JuJu Smith-Schuster can continue performing like they have in recent weeks. But with Hollywood Brown and Rashee Rice out for the rest of the regular season at least, and with little improvement from 2022 second-round pick Skyy Moore, Kansas City has a glaring lack of depth at wideout.
If the Chiefs wanted Marquez Valdes-Scantling, they could have had him at any point this past week since the Bills released him. At this point, it doesn't seem like there's interest in Kansas City in acquiring the familiar face.
Sources say the team is "week to week" in its evaluation of receivers. The two-time defending champions believe the price to acquire a receiver is higher for them than other teams as the rest of the league hopes to prevent the first three-peat in NFL history.
But beyond that, this offense doesn't lend itself to a receiver walking in and being effective immediately. The volume of plays is so great in Andy Reid's offense, and the foundation for the complicated passing offense is laid early in the offseason. Additionally, Patrick Mahomes "is a big guy on trust," and that will take weeks to develop with someone unfamiliar with the group and offense.
An Adams-to-Jets trade would always make Mike Williams expendable, and that's exactly what happened before Rodgers told the world Williams ran the wrong route on his game-sealing interception Monday night. The Adams deal was essentially done before kickoff of that game -- something Rodgers knew -- so exposing a short-timer like Williams after the game was a choice.
Williams signed a one-year, $10 million deal with the Jets in the offseason as he recovered from ACL surgery. The Jets have already paid most of his contract, so a team trading for Williams would need less than $1 million in cap space to fit him in midseason. Sources believe Williams could only draw a Day 3 pick for the Jets.
The communication between the Carolina Panthers and receiver Diontae Johnson has gotten better as the season has gone along, but the Panthers still have just one win this year and he's a potential trade candidate. The Steelers, who as noted need a receiver, dealt Johnson to Carolina in the offseason in exchange for cornerback Donte Jackson, and Johnson is in the final year of his deal.
Johnson is the leading receiver for the Panthers this year with 29 catches for 340 yards and three touchdowns. His biggest performance this season came in Andy Dalton's first game as a starter, when he hauled in eight passes for 122 yards and a score against the Raiders in Week 3.
And while Carolina hasn't been shopping the 28-year-old receiver, it's widely believed he could be acquired at the right price. Veteran Adam Thielen, when healthy, could also help a contending team, sources say.
The Browns dealt Cooper to the Bills for a third-rounder and may still not be done. Sources say Cleveland, sitting at 1-5 and last in the AFC North, isn't going to have a fire sale, but a player like Elijah Moore could be traded for.
The Titans have not been shopping veteran receiver DeAndre Hopkins, sources say. That's not to say Hopkins couldn't land on another team before next month's deadline, but Tennessee does have a strong interest in keeping as many tools as possible around Will Levis to properly assess his growth in Year 2.
A failed season in Jacksonville could result in the team trading off assets ahead of the deadline. Tight end Evan Engram and receiver Christian Kirk would be at the top of the list there. The Jaguars are 1-5 heading into a consequential London game against the 1-5 Patriots.
The Saints had hoped to get in on Adams with his connections to Derek Carr and receivers coach Keith Williams. But after he went to the Jets, and after New Orleans suffered its fifth straight loss Thursday night, it's difficult to imagine the Saints being buyers ahead of the deadline.
Patriots receiver Tyquan Thornton has been on the trading block for weeks, and Kendrick Bourne has been part of rumored deals dating to before his ACL injury in Week 8 last season. And sources around the league believe the Giants could part with Darius Slayton as the deadline nears.
One team that could be buyers by the deadline: The Washington Commanders. Sources say they've quietly been doing their due diligence around the league on potential additions.
