NFL Trade Rumors: Deadline Approaching, Latest On 49ers’ Torrey Smith And Bears’ Alshon Jeffery

The latest NFL trade rumors continue to persist with under a week until the speculation will result in a trade, or all the talk was for nothing. The teams that have continued to see their names mentioned for trade speculation include the Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns, and San Francisco 49ers. As many fans know, at this point in the season, these three teams look to be nowhere near playoff contenders. With that in mind, rumors swirling over potential moves they might make seem to make the most sense.

The official NFL trade deadline for the current season arrives on Tuesday, November 1. As of 4 p.m. Eastern Time on that day, no more deals will be made until the next time when trades are eligible to take place. As mentioned, several big names and teams have found themselves still in the rumor mill, but so far, nothing has come to fruition.

A report from ESPN analysts Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen discusses the top players and teams involved in all the speculation. Among those players being speculated about have been two wide receivers that could help out many teams right now. The San Francisco 49ers’ Torrey Smith and Chicago Bears’ Alshon Jeffery have been mentioned but will they actually head to new teams before next Tuesday’s deadline? As Schefter mentions in the article, one of these players could really stir things up if a move is made to send him elsewhere.

“There’s a new breed of NFL general managers who are young, aggressive and daring. The hope would be that they will stimulate the usually dormant trade market. But the chances are, beyond a potential trade of Smith, it won’t. There usually is more talk than action.”

The 6-foot tall Torrey Smith is now in his sixth season out of Maryland. He’s racked up over 4,000 yards receiving and 36 touchdowns on 259 career catches. Smith spent his first four seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, but then found his way to the 49ers for the 2015-16 and current NFL seasons. However, he’s been unable to find his groove in San Francisco due to their lack of a quarterback capable of getting him the ball on his receiving routes.

Many teams might be interested in bringing this wide receiver to their organization, including the Philadelphia Eagles. In the NFL trade rumors, Philly has continually been mentioned as the top team in discussions with San Francisco for Smith, so if any move gets done, this could be the big one. However, keep in mind that Smith would have to learn a completely new playbook midseason, but a move is still possible right now.

What about a team getting receiver Alshon Jeffery? A previous article from the Inquisitr discussed the trade rumors for Jeffery, who was one of two Chicago Bears mentioned. The other one is Jay Cutler, who still appears to be the top option for the Bears at quarterback right now due to Brian Hoyer getting hurt. Jeffery was said to be a consideration for the Philadelphia Eagles, a team that came out of the gates hot but has dropped a few games recently. The talented receiver would make a nice option for rookie QB Carson Wentz, but it seems these rumors are the least likely to happen.

In fact, an NFL.com story from Wednesday explains why dealing Jeffery is a move that wouldn’t make sense at this point. As NFL Network Insider Ian Rapport points out, it would be “essentially unprecedented” for the Bears to trade away a franchise player like Jeffery. The reason is that Jeffery’s new team wouldn’t be able to sign the star ahead of free agency. So Chicago wouldn’t get a whole lot by sending Jeffery away, except, perhaps, a mid-round draft pick. If Jeffrey chooses a different squad when free agency rolls around, then the Bears will get a mid-round pick anyways.

A few other players that continue to find their names in the rumor mill are Cleveland Browns’ cornerbacks Joe Haden and Tramon Williams, as well as 49ers’ offensive tackle Joe Staley. There’s even been some speculation the New England Patriots were interested in Staley. However, of the teams mentioned with players who might be on the trading block, it just makes more sense to hold their players until the season ends and then try to make a better move. At least, that will give the team the use of that player for the ongoing season, rather than rent them out to another playoff-bound squad for next-to-nothing.

So, for now, the biggest name in terms of players who could make a move looks to be Smith, but to see Jeffery’s name in headlines for a deal by Tuesday would certainly be a surprise.

[Featured Image by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images]