- 2 days ago
Kevin Sheehan breaks down an ESPN trade deadline piece by Jeremy Fowler and Matt Bowen outlining the top 25 NFL trade candidates. With the November 10 trade deadline looming, Washington is named as a top landing spot for seven different targets such as Jonathan Taylor, setting up a franchise-altering matchup in week 8 against the Philadelphia Eagles that will determine whether general manager Adam Peters acts as a buyer or an aggressive seller.
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00:00Trade deadline less than two weeks away.
00:02Early this morning I open up ESPN.com
00:05and Matt Bowen and Jeremy Fowler have put together
00:09a list of 25 players.
00:12They ranked them, top 25 candidates to move
00:16prior to or right at the trade deadline.
00:20The Indianapolis Colts appear to be in sell mode.
00:24They traded, while we were on the air yesterday,
00:27Quentin Nelson, to the Seahawks.
00:30And then they traded DeForest Buckner
00:32back to the team that drafted him, the 49ers.
00:35So it's going to be very interesting to watch that team
00:38in particular because they have other candidates.
00:41They've got Jonathan Taylor, who's still got two years
00:43left on his contract.
00:45They've got Josh Downs, a receiver that can play a little bit.
00:48They've got some assets and they are bailing.
00:51I'll remind everybody just how completely unpredictable
00:56the NFL is, even for the teams that are involved.
00:59One year ago to the day, the Indianapolis Colts traded
01:04for Sauce Gardner and gave up a boatload
01:07because one year ago today, they thought they were
01:09Super Bowl contenders.
01:11One year later, they're in fire sale mode
01:14because they've got to tear it down and build it back up.
01:17Now, yes, it was an injury or more than one
01:21that really derailed their 2025 season.
01:24The big injury being to Daniel Jones,
01:26who was playing very well at quarterback.
01:28But there you go.
01:30I mean, Colts fans probably not thrilled
01:33with the Sauce Gardner trade.
01:36They gave up plenty of picks, including their 2026,
01:40I'm sorry, their 2027 first rounder to the Jets.
01:44And now that pick likely to be a pretty high pick
01:47for the Jets.
01:49But in this story, written by Jeremy Fowler and Matt Bowen,
01:53ranking the top 25 trade candidates,
01:56they list the teams that best fit the candidate.
02:01And of the 25, seven of the 25,
02:07the commanders, Washington, our team,
02:11was one of the best fits for said player to be traded to.
02:16I'll go through the list in a moment.
02:17But I want you to start, like,
02:19I'm sure you've already been thinking about it.
02:21I've hesitated getting to the trade deadline stuff
02:24because we are more than a week away.
02:26And there is a rather large game Sunday night
02:29that will be a bit of a turning point one way or the other.
02:34If they lose, they should be in total sell mode.
02:38And who does that mean?
02:40It means Daron Payne.
02:41It means Andrew Wiley, if you can pick up a, you know,
02:45a seventh rounder or a sixth rounder for him.
02:49Maybe a guy like Stefan Diggs, you know,
02:53for a team that's looking for a veteran receiver.
02:56But at 1-5-1, it's over.
03:00So it's not over mathematically,
03:03but tone-wise and feel-wise, it's over.
03:07At that point, Dan Quinn becomes not just a, you know,
03:13potential or quasi, but an actual lame duck coach.
03:17And so the season will probably plummet from there.
03:20I have no doubt he'll keep everybody together,
03:23playing hard,
03:24but they're not going to be able to win enough games.
03:26If they can't beat the Eagles on Sunday night, it's over.
03:30This season is over before Thanksgiving
03:32and just barely after Halloween,
03:35which would suck, really,
03:37considering how much time we put into this thing
03:40in the offseason for it to essentially have lasted
03:43about, you know, eight weeks, seven games.
03:46But it's possible Sunday night.
03:48Washington, by the way,
03:49now growing to a 5.5, six-point favorite.
03:53I mentioned that yesterday,
03:54that that line's going to continue to go up.
03:56Philadelphia is a banged-up football team.
03:58They appear to be a team that might be in sell mode themselves.
04:01We'll see.
04:03But yes, this is a game,
04:05very few NFL games are should-win games.
04:08And I don't even think that you can really categorize
04:12this as a should-win game
04:13because Philadelphia still has talent
04:15on the defensive side of the ball.
04:17And if Devontae Smith is back,
04:19and if Saquon Barkley plays,
04:21I can't imagine he's going to play,
04:24then they are capable.
04:25But this is one team desperate
04:30versus another team that appears to be on the verge
04:34of saying see ya to the season.
04:37Back to this top 25 candidate list for trades.
04:42Seven players listed as fits for Washington.
04:47Starting with the number one trade deadline player,
04:52Jonathan Taylor.
04:55Now they have the predicted chance of getting traded.
04:59He's got two years left on his contract.
05:02I would think that Jonathan Taylor for the Indianapolis Colts,
05:05because again,
05:07do you really think in terms of three, four, five-year rebuilds?
05:13Nobody thinks that way in the NFL anymore.
05:16They may think about, you know,
05:18accumulating as many picks as they can
05:20for next year's draft and the draft after.
05:23But you can turn it around in one season in the NFL.
05:27And he is just 27 years old.
05:30And he's an elite level running back.
05:33But number one trade deadline player
05:37is Jonathan Taylor.
05:39And the teams that he would fit well with,
05:42according to Matt Bowen and Jeremy Fowler,
05:45are Seattle, New Orleans, Denver, Minnesota, and Washington.
05:55I'm not going to lie to you.
05:57The idea of number 28,
06:01he wouldn't be able to wear 28,
06:02because Daryl Green's jersey is retired.
06:04So he'd have to come up with a different number.
06:06But to see Jonathan Taylor in our backfield,
06:10and yes, this team is 32nd in the league
06:14in run-block win rate.
06:167th in the league in pass-block win rate.
06:1932nd in run-block win rate.
06:23But there is a guard that they've been attached to,
06:26so we'll get to him in a moment.
06:28But the idea of Jonathan Taylor in the backfield
06:33is there is some allure to that.
06:36There is.
06:36What would you have to give up?
06:39Too much.
06:41Too much for Jonathan Taylor.
06:43I would imagine it is a first-round pick.
06:47Number two on this list,
06:49Brian Thomas Jr.,
06:51not attached to Washington.
06:53But we move down then
06:55to the number five trade deadline target in the NFL,
07:00wide receiver Cleveland Browns Jerry Judy.
07:03The teams that best fit with Judy
07:07are Kansas City,
07:08Vegas, as in the Raiders,
07:10and Washington.
07:12He's the fifth on the list.
07:15By the way, number six on the list
07:17is Deron Payne.
07:18They put the chance of Deron getting traded
07:21at 25%,
07:22and they see the best fits
07:24as Jacksonville,
07:26Giants,
07:26and Tampa.
07:29Then we go to the next player
07:31on this list
07:32that has been
07:33matched to potentially Washington.
07:36Real quick, Kip,
07:37can we talk about an omission
07:39at number two on this list?
07:41Sure.
07:42Brian Thomas Jr.'s number two on this list,
07:43the Commanders do not hit the team fits.
07:46Yeah,
07:47I said that,
07:48that Brian Thomas was number two.
07:50Very interesting that they,
07:52there's been a lot of rumors,
07:53I mean,
07:54Jaden was a college quarterback,
07:55it's been talked about,
07:56at least on Twitter a lot
07:58these past couple weeks
07:59about potentially acquiring
08:00Brian Thomas Jr.,
08:01especially after Terry McLaurin's injury.
08:03I just find it very weird
08:04that he's not
08:05falling under the team fits
08:06for us here.
08:07Well,
08:08I'll tell you what's really weird
08:09about the fits
08:10for Brian Thomas Jr.
08:11The Chiefs and the Steelers
08:13are one and two.
08:14Why would Jacksonville
08:15trade
08:17Brian Thomas Jr.
08:18to another AFC contender?
08:20Right.
08:21And if you were the team
08:22trading for Brian Thomas Jr.,
08:24and a team
08:25that is also a contender,
08:27contending with your team,
08:29wouldn't that be a bit
08:30of a red flag?
08:31Yeah,
08:31we don't mind it.
08:32You take,
08:32you take him.
08:33Yeah.
08:34This has been a guy
08:35that basically has been a,
08:37somebody,
08:39Jacksonville doesn't want
08:40any part of him.
08:40Going back to last year,
08:42and they talked him up
08:43during the offseason,
08:44and how much he had matured,
08:46and how much he had improved
08:48from a hand standpoint,
08:50et cetera,
08:51but this guy's been
08:52on the trade market
08:53almost since the day
08:54that year,
08:56that last year started,
08:57his second season
08:58in the league,
08:59for some reason.
09:00But you're right,
09:01he's not attached
09:02to Washington,
09:03and I'm looking
09:04at the three teams,
09:06and those are the three teams
09:07that are contenders
09:08that need receivers
09:10the most.
09:11Washington's not a contender
09:13in the eyes of,
09:14you know,
09:16Jeremy Fowler
09:16and Matt Bowen.
09:17And that may be the reason
09:18they're not attached
09:19to Brian Thomas Jr.
09:20But then again,
09:21why would they be attached
09:22to Jonathan Taylor?
09:23Right.
09:24Very weird.
09:25Okay, so,
09:27Jerry Judy
09:29was five.
09:30He's,
09:32Washington's listed
09:33as a team fit for him.
09:34Dron Payne,
09:35six I just mentioned.
09:36Then you go
09:37all the way down
09:38to,
09:40where is it?
09:42Number 17
09:43on the list.
09:44Chris Godwin Jr.
09:46receiver Tampa Bay.
09:47Two teams listed
09:49as a fit for him.
09:51Kansas City
09:51and Washington.
09:53You know what?
09:54I'm going to just
09:55make a guess right now
09:56that Chris Godwin
09:57isn't going anywhere.
09:59And why would I say that?
10:01Because Tampa
10:01is still very much
10:03in the thick of things
10:04in the NFC South.
10:05And they actually
10:06might be healthy
10:07the best team.
10:09Then,
10:10the 18th player
10:11on the list,
10:12Rashad Bateman,
10:13wide receiver Ravens.
10:14Two teams listed.
10:16Kansas City
10:17and Washington.
10:18Bit of a theme here.
10:19Kansas City
10:20and Washington
10:20both need receivers.
10:22Badly.
10:23So does Pittsburgh.
10:24But we're not done yet.
10:26The list also includes
10:28Cesar Ruiz,
10:31guard New Orleans.
10:32A 25% chance
10:34of being dealt.
10:35And the two teams
10:37being mentioned
10:38are Detroit
10:39and Washington.
10:40We're still not done yet.
10:42The number 24 player
10:44as in a potential
10:46trade deadline player.
10:48Running back,
10:49Tennessee,
10:51Tony Pollard.
10:52The two teams,
10:53Washington
10:54and Minnesota.
10:56So seven players
10:58listed
10:59as fits for Washington.
11:02Jonathan Taylor,
11:03Jerry Judy,
11:05Chris Godwin,
11:05Rashad Bateman,
11:06Cesar Ruiz,
11:07and Tony Pollard.
11:08If you're wondering
11:09how many Washington
11:10players are listed,
11:11just Deron Payne
11:13in the top 25
11:14at number six overall.
11:16But honorable mentions,
11:18Andrew Wiley
11:19and Stefan Diggs.
11:23So,
11:25buyers or sellers?
11:27I can't answer that
11:29right now.
11:30Like,
11:30I'm fine taking calls
11:32on this at
11:32301-230-0980.
11:34But I'm not going
11:36to answer this
11:37until after Sunday night.
11:39Sunday night's
11:41the season.
11:42If they win
11:43on Sunday night,
11:44there's still enough
11:45about this team
11:46that to me
11:48is not,
11:50it's not,
11:51there aren't
11:52indications
11:52of a good team
11:54or a great team,
11:55but there are
11:56indications
11:57of a team
11:58that could
11:58potentially make
12:00enough of a run
12:01to be
12:02in competition
12:04late in the season
12:05for the division.
12:07If they lose
12:08Sunday night,
12:09that's not going
12:10to happen.
12:10But if they win
12:12on Sunday night,
12:14and let's just
12:15say earlier
12:16in the day,
12:17I mean,
12:17the Cowboys
12:18seem to lose
12:19every game
12:19you think
12:20that they should win.
12:21The Cardinals
12:21are a capable team.
12:23What if Arizona
12:23goes into Dallas
12:24and wins early,
12:25and then we win
12:27on Sunday night,
12:28and at that point,
12:30we're in second place.
12:33exactly two games
12:34back of a team
12:35that we still
12:36get to face
12:37in a few weeks
12:38on Thursday night.
12:40So,
12:41I would not,
12:43here's the thing,
12:45there's an
12:46absolute
12:47common sense
12:48response
12:48that says,
12:49unless you're
12:50a legitimate
12:51deep into the
12:52postseason contender,
12:54like you have a chance
12:55to win
12:56playoff games,
12:57plural,
12:59that you should
13:01always look
13:01to unload players,
13:03especially players
13:05that might become
13:06free agents
13:07and leave you
13:08anyway
13:08in the offseason,
13:10and Deron Payne
13:11would certainly
13:12fit that category.
13:13Deron's played
13:14well this year.
13:15It's a contract year.
13:16We've seen,
13:17you know,
13:18more consistency
13:18from Deron
13:19in the first six games
13:21than we have
13:21in the last couple
13:22of years since 2022
13:23when he played
13:24so great
13:25and got the contract
13:26that he's on currently.
13:27So I understand
13:29moving Deron Payne,
13:31and by the way,
13:32moving Deron Payne
13:33at that particular
13:34position
13:35wouldn't necessarily,
13:38I wouldn't exclude
13:39it as a possibility
13:41if they beat
13:41Philadelphia
13:42on Sunday night.
13:44Like,
13:44if somebody's
13:45willing to give,
13:46you know,
13:47a night two
13:48or an early
13:49day three pick
13:50for Deron Payne,
13:52then you consider it.
13:53If it's anything
13:54after that,
13:55you'll get it back
13:55in a compensatory.
13:57If he,
13:57if he leaves
13:58via free agency
13:59and he's played
14:00too well,
14:01but you do have
14:03some depth
14:05there.
14:05You know,
14:06you've got
14:06Ken Law Settle,
14:08you got
14:08a shy Tuttle
14:10who's played well.
14:11You've got a many
14:11Hugh who's coming
14:12back this week.
14:13So you do have,
14:15you know,
14:15you've got a guy
14:15like Dietrich Wise.
14:16you do have some
14:18rotational depth
14:20there.
14:20I'm not sure
14:20you have
14:21Deron Payne there
14:22or the capability
14:24of Deron Payne.
14:26But even if they
14:27beat Philly
14:28on Sunday night
14:29and they dealt
14:30Deron Payne,
14:31I wouldn't be upset.
14:32I want to know
14:33what they would get.
14:34To me,
14:34you've got to get
14:36back no less
14:37than a fourth rounder.
14:40Like,
14:40a fourth rounder
14:41for Deron
14:42is the minimum.
14:43If not,
14:44what's the point
14:45of it?
14:46Because
14:47there's a possibility
14:48you would end up
14:49with a compensatory
14:50pick for him
14:50anyway
14:51once you lose him
14:52in free agency.
14:54So I wouldn't
14:57be looking to deal
14:57him unless
14:58it's a good price.
14:59I think there's a chance
15:01they probably were
15:02interested in moving
15:03Deron in the offseason.
15:04But there weren't
15:05any interested parties,
15:07at least at the price
15:08they were looking for.
15:10But Deron has started
15:11off this season well.
15:13And teams get desperate,
15:15especially contending teams
15:16and any contending team
15:18that needs,
15:19you know,
15:20an interior
15:21defensive lineman.
15:23Deron Payne's
15:24one of the top guys
15:25on the market
15:26in terms of interior guys.
15:28In fact,
15:29among the defensive tackles
15:31right now
15:32on this list,
15:33he's the number one
15:34interior trade deadline
15:36possibility
15:37among interior
15:39defensive tackles.
15:40What could that mean?
15:42I think it could mean
15:43a fourth rounder.
15:44I doubt it means
15:45any more than that.
15:48But
15:50it's a possibility.
15:52And it wouldn't be
15:53the end of the world
15:54if they dealt him
15:55after a win over Philadelphia.
15:57But if they beat
15:58Philadelphia,
15:58I don't want them
16:00in like total sell mode.
16:02Here's the bottom line.
16:03They don't have a lot
16:04to sell.
16:04They've got more
16:05this year to sell.
16:06Now that I think about it,
16:07they've got more this year
16:08because they've got guys
16:09on one-year deals
16:10and they've got guys
16:12on expiring deals.
16:14You could potentially
16:15think about dealing
16:18somebody like,
16:19well,
16:19Tony Wiley's a giveaway.
16:20I mean,
16:21you're not going to get
16:21enough back.
16:22You're going to get
16:23a seventh rounder,
16:24a conditional late round
16:25pick for him.
16:26But among the guys
16:28that you sign
16:29to one-year deals,
16:32I need that list
16:32in front of me,
16:33but could you deal
16:34a Rasul Douglas
16:35at the trade deadline
16:37if somebody was willing
16:37to give you an early
16:38day three pick,
16:40somebody that's a team
16:41that's light on corners,
16:43you know,
16:43and a Meek Robertson
16:44who's played well,
16:45you know,
16:46so far,
16:47you know,
16:47if they lose to Philly,
16:48if they lose to Philly,
16:50I'm fine with whatever
16:51they do at that point.
16:53If they beat Philly,
16:54I'm not okay
16:55if they end up
16:56being sellers.
16:57And by the way,
16:58my gut tells me
16:59if they beat Philadelphia,
17:02there's more,
17:03there's a better chance
17:05that they might
17:06be looking
17:07to bring a player in
17:09than to deal a player.
17:12There's a lot of pressure
17:14right now
17:15on Peters
17:16and on Quinn.
17:17Certainly on Quinn.
17:19But even on Peters
17:20to a certain degree.
17:21He's got to be feeling it.
17:23You know,
17:24the 24 draft
17:25really not playing out
17:26very well for him.
17:27You know,
17:28that was supposed to be
17:29the initial backbone.
17:30Young players,
17:32six in the top 100,
17:34and it really
17:35hasn't worked out for him
17:36other than Jaden Daniels
17:38and really Brandon Coleman
17:40would be the other one
17:41because Coleman's
17:41played a lot of football
17:42and has started
17:43a lot of games for them.
17:44So a third rounder
17:46that has been
17:47a starter
17:49more often than not
17:50is a hit
17:51in the draft.
17:53You can say,
17:54well,
17:54you know,
17:55that draft is terrible
17:56and those are the only
17:58two players
17:59right now
17:59that really look good.
18:01But you've got to
18:02consider Brandon Coleman
18:03to be a hit.
18:04When you get a third rounder
18:05that has started
18:06as many games
18:07as he has
18:08in his first three years,
18:10yes,
18:10it's a hit.
18:12It counts as a hit.
18:14If you want to say
18:15that if he had been
18:16a first rounder
18:17or an early second rounder,
18:18he doesn't live up
18:19to that draft status,
18:21that's a different conversation.
18:22But he didn't get drafted
18:23at that point.
18:25He got drafted
18:26in the third round.
18:28But I think
18:29if they beat
18:30Philadelphia,
18:31regardless of what
18:32we're going to talk
18:33about here,
18:33whether or not
18:34we want it to happen
18:35or not happen,
18:36I bet it doesn't happen.
18:38I mean,
18:39there could be
18:39a one-off.
18:40There could be
18:41a Duran
18:41if they get something
18:43back significant.
18:44They could deal
18:45somebody like
18:46Andrew Wiley.
18:48But they're not
18:48dealing Stefan Diggs
18:49if they beat
18:50the Eagles.
18:52They're not dealing
18:53Amik Robertson
18:53if they beat
18:54the Eagles.
18:56they're not
18:56dealing Caleb
18:57on chase on
18:58if they beat
18:59the Eagles
19:00on Sunday night.
19:02They're going
19:03to believe,
19:04especially if it's
19:05an impressive
19:06win,
19:07they're going
19:08to believe
19:08that the first
19:10six games
19:11they could have
19:12easily been
19:13two and four,
19:14should have been
19:14two and four,
19:15and probably
19:16in their own mind
19:17they can create
19:17this scenario
19:18in which they
19:18should have been
19:19three and three.
19:21If Jaden
19:21doesn't get hurt,
19:22maybe they beat
19:23Dallas.
19:23If Marcus
19:24doesn't get hurt,
19:25they probably
19:26beat Indianapolis.
19:27And the season
19:28opener was a game
19:30that was winnable.
19:33So I don't think
19:34they're going to
19:35be sellers
19:35if they beat
19:37the Eagles.
19:39With the exception
19:40of maybe
19:41kind of,
19:41you know,
19:42something that
19:42they can't turn
19:43down,
19:43and they have
19:45enough depth
19:45at the position
19:46to continue
19:48to move forward.
19:51301-230-0983.
19:53301-230-0980.
19:56We are less
19:57than two weeks
19:58away from
19:59the trade
20:00deadline.
20:00The trade
20:01deadline is
20:02November 10th.
20:04I think 4pm
20:04is the deadline
20:05on November
20:0610th.
20:08So we are
20:09talking about
20:10a week from
20:11Tuesday
20:11is the trade
20:13deadline.
20:14And by the way,
20:16that means
20:16for this team
20:18two more games,
20:19right?
20:20Two more games
20:21before the trade
20:22deadline.
20:23So I
20:25haven't spoken
20:26about the
20:27next game,
20:28the Rams game,
20:29but that should
20:29factor into it
20:30as well.
20:31But to me,
20:32if they win
20:33Sunday night,
20:34they're going
20:35to be looking
20:36to play this
20:38season out
20:38with what they
20:39have.
20:40And if
20:41anything,
20:41they'd be
20:42looking to
20:42add a piece.
20:45301-230-0980,
20:47do you think
20:47they should be
20:48buyers or
20:48sellers?
20:49I think it's
20:50a tough question
20:50to answer
20:51from my standpoint.
20:52Maybe you
20:52don't.
20:53You can
20:54describe it
20:54any way you
20:55want.
20:55Phone lines
20:55are open.
20:56Kevin Sheehan
20:56show,
20:57the team
20:57980 and
20:58the team
20:58980.com.