By Brandon Simmons
Trade Season Updates
The NFL trade deadline is November 1st and its already off to a hot start. Here are a few notable items:
- The Carolina Panthers traded away running back Christian McCaffrey to the San Francisco 49ers and wide receiver Robbie Anderson to the Arizona Cardinals. They decided to keep defensive end Brian Burns for the moment.
- The Jacksonville Jaguars have traded running back James Robinson to the New York Jets, who lost rookie running back Breece Hall for the season to an ACL injury.
- Wide receivers have been a hot commodity as it is rumored Houston Texans wide receiver Brandin Cooks, Denver Broncos wide receiver Jerry Jeudy, Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Chase Claypool and Jets wide receiver Eljah Moore have all been rumored to be oved by their team.
There could be more names that pop up in this list, but these are the only ones making their rounds right now. The Texans and the Steelers certainly could be movers either before or at the deadline. Texans wide receiver Brandin Cooks is due for $18.5 million next season but he still can lift a team in a playoff run. Same thing can be said for Steelers wide receiver Chase Claypool. He’s having a down year but recently put up a stat line of 7 catches, 96 yards and a touchdown. As far as Jaguars and Jets, that seems to work out for both sides. Travis Etienne seems to be taking over for the Jaguars and the Jets are going to be without Hall for the season, so New York pairing Robinson with Michael should sustain them from here on out.
Can Tua get back on track?
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagavoiloa made his return to game action Sunday after a lengthy stay on concussion protocol. The QB finished the game throwing 21/35 for 261 yards a touchdown and no interceptions, beating the Pittsburgh Steelers. This was a promising start for a player who was encouraged to retire after he took a brutal sack in a Thursday Night Football game against the Cincinnati Bengals. This is just his first game, but it was a good first game back. The offensive line kept a clean pocket for him to get the ball down the field. The real test is going to be when the hits start coming. How will Tua react/bounce back when the protection isn’t as solid and he gets popped a few times? After taking the hit he took, and for it to turn into a whole debacle that could have ended his career, it could be a mental obstacle. But if he can overcome that, then Tua and the Dolphins will be back where they left off.
Will the Colts finally go after a franchise QB?
It looks like it’s time for the Indianapolis Colts to finally go after a franchise quarterback. Monday, the team announced that quarterback Matt Ryan would miss their Week 8 matchup against the Washington Commanders, due to a shoulder injury, but also named his replacement, QB Sam Ehlinger, as his replacement for the rest of the year.
This is a bold move for the Colts to make at this time of the year. Yes, the team has had some tough losses but still remain 3-3-1 in a winnable division. This is happening even with injuries from key players such as running back Jonathan Taylor and linebacker Shaquille Leonard. QB Matt Ryan is not making the splash that they hoped for but it’s still his first year in a new system. However, 9 touchdowns and 9 interceptions is somehow not sitting right with the team and feel they need to make some sort of change.
On the flip side of this, the Colts could be ready to go after a franchise quarterback to call their own. Since Andrew Luck retired unexpectedly in 2019, Indy has gone after QB’s who were either past their prime or have quickly fallen from grace earlier in their careers. It’s time that they do their homework and draft someone they can develop. That’s not to say Ehlinger isn’t that guy now, but he’s been with the team for a while now and this is his first shot he’s getting at the starting job. If he does indeed keep this job when Ryan is healed, Ehlinger would be playing for his career or playing for Indy’s spot in the draft. Considering the circumstances, either of those scenarios would be ideal for the Colts to go through in finding their next franchise QB.
Shoutouts/Shutouts
Shout out to the New Orleans Saints and Arizona Cardinals for turning on the scoreboard on a Thursday Night Football game. In the previous weeks, the Thursday Night games have low scoring duds but these 2 teams really got after it in a 42-34 Cardinals win. The game wasn’t as close as the score, but it definitely wasn’t a dud either.
Shut out to the New England Patriots and their quarterback situation. In Monday’s loss to the Chicago Bears, Patriots QB Mac Jones was replaced by rookie QB Bailey Zappe. Zappe took over for the injured Jones in Week 4, in which they lost to the Green Bay Packers, but he went 2-0 in his next 2 starts. During that time fans have been enamored with his play and even suggested he take the reigns. Didn’t help Jones’ case when he was benched in the first half for his poor performance. Bottom line is, Jones has had a rough start to the season but it seems a little too premature to replace him altogether. Yes, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick operates on his own terms, but this might be a little over the top.
Week 8 will start off with a bang! Thursday Night Football will feature the Tampa Bay Buccaneers hosting the Baltimore Ravens. The Bucs have not been playing their bestin these past couple of games, but a high-powered opponent such as the Ravens should bring them back to life. Certainly should be an exciting game between these 2 teams. Another team that has been off lately is the Green Bay Packers, who will be visiting the Buffalo Bills. Bills are coming off their bye week but should be prepared for a Packers team a frustrating loss to the Washington Commanders. So both teams will be riled up come Sunday Night but until then…I’ll holla.