The NFL‘s Oct. 31 trade deadline is just around the corner. Teams have become far more aggressive in player acquisition in recent seasons, and the total number of pre-deadline trades has increased each year.
Which players could be on the move at the end of this month? Today, we’re examining trade candidates in the NFC West, where an expected two-team race has turned into a three-team battle.
From the current NFL standings to team depth charts to coverage of every game in the 18-week NFL schedule, we have all the news from around the league to keep you up to speed.
NFC West Trade Candidates
Arizona Cardinals | TE Zach Ertz
The Cardinals are the one NFC West team without 2023 playoff hopes. They should be expected to consider multiple trades before this year’s deadline as first-year general manager Monti Ossenfort rebuilds the roster.
Zach Ertz stands out as the most apparent Arizona trade candidate. The Cards need to develop fellow tight end Trey McBride, a second-round pick in last year’s draft, and Ertz’s role has already started to shrink.
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The veteran pass catcher’s snap rate dipped to a season-low 46% in Arizona’s Week 6 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Meanwhile, McBride set new season highs in snap rate (58%), route rate (48%), targets (five), and yards (62).
Ertz will have roughly $5.7 million remaining on his contract after Week 7, but the Cardinals could pay down some of that total to receive better draft pick compensation. The Dallas Cowboys, Cincinnati Bengals, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are among the clubs that could speculatively be interested in Ertz, who has no guaranteed money in 2024.
Los Angeles Rams | C Brian Allen
While the Rams have somewhat surprisingly stayed in contention through six weeks, they’ve still traded running back Cam Akers and wide receiver Van Jefferson and could continue to make moves.
Brian Allen was Los Angeles’ primary center from 2020-22, but Coleman Shelton has since taken over that role. Allen has appeared in one game this season, playing just five offensive snaps.
Although the Rams don’t have use for Allen right now, plenty of teams might be searching for center help. The Miami Dolphins could add depth behind Connor Williams, who’s missed time with a groin injury, while the Los Angeles Chargers could use Allen ahead of the struggling Will Clapp (already an injury replacement for starter Corey Linsley).
San Francisco 49ers | DT Javon Kinlaw
The 49ers, who look like the NFL’s best team despite their Week 7 loss to the Cleveland Browns, have already been active on the 2023 trade market. San Francisco swooped in to acquire Randy Gregory from the Denver Broncos earlier this month, completing a late-round pick swap to add the veteran pass rusher.
While the 49ers don’t have an obvious trade candidate on their roster, defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw might be the closest thing to a movable piece.
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San Francisco declined Kinlaw’s fifth-year option for 2024, which may have been a motivating tool for the former first-round pick. He’s in the midst of his best NFL campaign and has finally become a legitimate contributor to the 49ers’ outstanding front. Kinlaw has rushed opposing passers 70 fewer times than fellow SF defensive tackle Arik Armstead but has generated just one less pressure, per PFF.
Given that they’re competing for the Super Bowl, the 49ers are unlikely to give up a player like Kinlaw. But if general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan feel the club needs more help at another position like wide receiver, offensive line, or cornerback, Kinlaw would at least attract interest from other teams.
Seattle Seahawks | LB Devin Bush
Devin Bush might be closer to a release candidate than a trade candidate. The former first-round pick has been a healthy scratch twice this season and has played just 57 defensive snaps.
Maybe a team dealing with linebacker injuries, like the Green Bay Packers or the Buffalo Bills, would consider taking a chance on Bush in exchange for a late-round pick swap. But even that might be a stretch.
Seattle is gunning for the postseason — they’re more likely to acquire or trade away a player, and their roster doesn’t feature clear candidates to be dealt.
The only other player who might make sense in a trade is edge rusher Darrell Taylor, if only because he’ll be a free agent next spring, and Uchenna Nwosu and Boye Mafe are playing ahead of him. Taylor has posted just four pressures all year, but maybe the Seahawks could flip him for offensive line depth.