Insider notes on NFL Trade Deadline: Chargers willing to move WR, Broncos open to offers, Panthers' Diontae Johnson on the move
With the trade deadline just a week away, the rumors are starting to heat up. And with one star at the receiver position already traded, more could be on the way.
Davante Adams was the first domino to fall, being traded from the Las Vegas Raiders to the New York Jets, and more players at the position are expected to be dealt. I am told the Pittsburgh Steelers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Los Angeles Chargers will be in the market and hope to acquire a receiver by the end of the trading deadline.
As I first reported, the Steelers attempted to trade for Adams but fell short as the All-Pro wanted to be reunited with his former quarterback from the Packers, Aaron Rodgers; and the Jets ponied up what the Raiders wanted in return for the wideout.
Tampa Bay, currently a game behind the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC South, has been hit with a spat of injuries to their prime targets. Pro Bowler Mike Evans, who signed a two-year deal in the offseason, is expected to miss at least two more weeks after suffering a hamstring injury during the team’s Week 7 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Compounding the situation was the loss of Chris Godwin during that same game, as the eight-year veteran dislocated his ankle against Baltimore and could miss the remainder of the season.
Los Angeles Chargers' NFL Trade Deadline plans
The third team I’m told is in the market for a receiver is the Los Angeles Chargers, currently 4-3 after their victory over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. The Chargers are looking to replace Joshua Palmer, who is not in the team’s long-term plans despite two-and-a-half solid seasons. There is a chance the Chargers attempt to trade Palmer, who is in the final year of his deal.
Which other receivers could be dealt?
Denver Broncos' NFL Trade Deadline plans
Sources close to the situation believe there’s a 50/50 chance the Denver Broncos move Courtland Sutton. The 2018 second-round pick whose name always comes up as trade bait, has been a favorite target of Bo Nix this season, as the team is a surprising 5-3 at the midway point. Sutton is likely to renegotiate his contract after the season, as he has a base salary of $13.5 million and a cap hit of $20.1 million in the final year of his deal in 2025.
While teams have been calling about Sutton, the Broncos are in no rush to give him away and won’t deal the wideout unless the offer is right and they feel they can improve their team moving forward.
Carolina Panthers' NFL Trade Deadline plans
The Carolina Panthers will look to move Diontae Johnson, another wideout in the final year of his deal. Some have predicted it’s a foregone conclusion the team moves Johnson, who they acquired from the Pittsburgh Steelers in the offseason. I’ve been told the Panthers are not happy with Johnson, and no one I’ve spoken with believes he’ll be traded back to Pittsburgh.
Finally, I’m told Darius Slayton of the Giants could be moved. The Giants will be looking to build for the future, and Slayton was never able to build upon his outstanding initial two seasons with the club after producing immediately as a fifth-round pick in 2019.
UPDATE: Diontae Johnson has been traded to the Baltimore Ravens. The Panthers will swap picks with Baltimore, getting a fifth-round pick in exchange for Johnson and a sixth-rounder.