5 surprise players who could be dealt at NFL trade deadline

The 2022 NFL Trade Deadline is on Nov. 1. There have already been a couple of moves and here are five potential surprise trade pieces

Nov. 1 could be an interesting day in the football world as the NFL trade deadline arrives at 4:00 pm EST on that Tuesday. In recent years, teams have actually been making trades as those who have lost hope look for future assets while contenders aim to correct whatever weaknesses they have.

Here, we look ahead to that day and try to identify a few players that could be traded — which might come as a bit of a surprise.

5 surprise players who could be dealt at the NFL trade deadline

5. Johnathan Abram, S, Las Vegas Raiders

There was a time when it seemed a split between Johnathan Abram and the Las Vegas Raiders was inevitable. The former first-round pick from Mississippi State was never a favorite of Jon Gruden’s but when the embattled coach stepped away, the rumors of Abram being on the block went with him.

However, there’s still a shot Abram could be part of a trade as the Raiders are an abysmal 2-4 and could be looking for future assets — throw in the fact that this new regime isn’t shy about moving on from players and a move is even more likely.

Abram makes sense as a trade piece since he’s in the final year of his deal and while he’s been a serviceable starter, he’s not someone who is key to a defensive rebuild. Instead, he could be a hard-hitter that gives a little boost to a team in the race that needs an enforcer. Even if that’s as a 9-to-10 game rental.

4. Michael Thomas, WR, New Orleans Saints

Another player who has seen his name on the rumor mill in regard to trades quite often is Michael Thomas. The New Orleans Saints wideout was once considered among the top players at his position and even earned a five-year, $100 million extension with New Orleans back in 2019.

He then went out and had the best season of his career, hauling in 149 receptions for 1,725 yards, and nine touchdowns. Unfortunately, he’s not even come close to those numbers since then. In fact, his totals over the past two-plus years haven’t even equated to half the production he had in 2019. And injuries are the main reason for that.

Thomas managed to play in just seven games in 2020 and had 40 receptions for 438 yards but was held without a touchdown. He then missed the entire 2021 campaign before starting out strong with 16 catches for 171 yards and three touchdowns in the first three weeks of the 2022 campaign.

Sadly, injuries struck again as he hasn’t suited up since Week 3. New Orleans has recently fallen to 2-5 and while the NFC South is awful, they’re likely to still be willing to listen to offers. And if Thomas can get healthy enough to pass a physical, he would make a lot of sense as a trade piece.

It would be risky for any team to bring him in but his upside could be enough to convince one that feels like they’re a pass-catcher away from winning it all to roll the dice. Of course, the injury concerns still loom large which is why this one would be a surprise.

3. Jack Conklin, OT, Cleveland Browns

It’s no secret that the Cleveland Browns are looking to be sellers at the NFL trade deadline and they’ve already made it clear that both Kareem Hunt and Greedy Williams are available. Hunt and Williams have a couple of things in common that make them expendable for the Browns.

First, they’re in the final year of their deal. And second, they each have the ability to start, which means Cleveland could try and milk some future assets for them now rather than losing them in free agency for nothing.

Another player in a similar boat is Jack Conklin, their starting right tackle. Unlike Williams and Hunt, Conklin is a regular member of the starting unit but he is in the final year of his deal like the two players on the block. Still, he could be replaced since they have James Hudson as the reserve and he did play well while Conklin was out earlier this season.

Right now, the Browns are in solid shape with the salary cap but that’s going to change in 2023 when Deshaun Watson’s deal starts to take off. That’s why it’s highly unlikely they extend Conklin, meaning he should be someone they field calls for.

Any team that’s in the race for a playoff spot right now but dealing with an injury — or subpar play — on the offensive line should see if they can bring Conklin in. He’s a capable starter who doesn’t make many mistakes. On top of that, it might not cost much more than a mid-round pick to make this happen.

2. Chase Claypool, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers

Maybe this one would have been more of a surprise a couple of weeks ago, but it seems clear that the Pittsburgh Steelers and Chase Claypool might be headed for a divorce sooner rather than later. Claypool has never been shy about speaking up and made waves following a loss to the Browns in the playoffs when he said it didn’t matter because the team they just lost to wasn’t going to win against the Chiefs.

Now this season, he’s started to say things to the media about his own team. Claypool has questioned the aggressiveness of his offense, citing the lack of long balls as a problem. He’s also said it’s tough when “everything has to go right” in order to score.

Pittsburgh is currently sitting at 2-5 and they don’t look ready to turn things around. They could decide it’s time to make some moves, which could include sending Claypool elsewhere.

Not only would he be an enticing player due to his size and ability to win contested passes but Claypool also remains under contract for the 2023 season, so he would be more than a mere rental. For the Steelers, it also wouldn’t hurt their chances too much as they would just lean more on George Pickens who has been impressive as a rookie.

1. Cameron Jordan, DE, New Orleans Saints

Again with the New Orleans Saints.

As good as this team was during the Sean Payton and Drew Brees era, it’s clear they now need to start thinking about adding draft picks for an infusion of youth. They still have a lot of talent, so a full-on rebuild isn’t needed, but they have to get a few key positions figured out.

The best way to do this will be to send veteran players to contending teams and stockpile picks. That was the plan with the aforementioned Michael Thomas and they should do the same with defensive end Cameron Jordan.

A 12-year veteran, Jordan is still playing at a high level despite being 33 years old. He had 12.5 sacks and 59 tackles in 2021 and is already up to 32 tackles with 4.5 sacks this season. He’s a savvy veteran with some impressive rushing moves but can also simply overpower players on his way to the quarterback.

A long-time leader on the New Orleans defense, it would be hard to say goodbye to Jordan but there’s a chance they could get some decent draft capital in return — look at what the Broncos got for Von Miller as a rental player.

Pass rushing is always needed in the NFL and Jordan can still bring it, which would make him an ideal trade target. But it would still be a bit of a surprise to see him sent elsewhere since he’s been such a central figure in New Orleans since 2011.