On Tuesday, the fire sale began in Indianapolis, with the Colts trading Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner before the NFL trade deadline.
But the deals might not stop there.
On Wednesday morning, wide receiver Josh Downs requested a trade, and the WR should have no shortage of suitors on the open market.
Here are five teams that should pick up the phone.
When the Colts made both trades on Tuesday, first sending guard Quenton Nelson to the Seattle Seahawks and then trading DeForest Buckner to the San Francisco 49ers, two other players popped up in online speculation, including Downs.
And the Kansas City Chiefs were immediately linked to the wide receiver.
This makes a lot of sense. The Chiefs, despite Sunday night’s loss to Seattle, appear to be back among the AFC’s best teams, and the acquisition of Kenneth Walker III this past offseason has given this running game a much-needed edge.
However, the passing game could use some help, which seems surprising given the return of Patrick Mahomes. But with Tyquan Thornton lost for the season due to injury and Rashee Rice still recovering from a hamstring injury suffered against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 4, adding a WR makes a lot of sense for the Chiefs.
Another team that has been plagued by injuries in the WR room?
The list of receivers currently on injured reserve could be a starting group for an NFL team. DeMarcus Robinson, D’Zhaun Stribling and Ricky Pearsall are all out, and Brandon Aiyuk remains out of the league after a bizarre offseason. And although Mike Evans and Deebo Samuel are on the active roster, both have been injured this season.
San Francisco signed veteran Brandin Cooks to the practice squad in late September and promoted him to the active roster before Week 4, but for a team that has its eyes on another deep playoff run, Downs would give Kyle Shanahan another top talent in the WR room and give quarterback Brock Purdy a much-needed target in the passing game.
While the first two teams have a need at this position due to injuries, the Atlanta Falcons are an intriguing option due to the skills of the players on the roster and what could help this team compete in the NFC South.
With Drake London and Kyle Pitts Sr., the Falcons have the two big receivers on the outside. But finding the right combination of Z slot and receiver options was more difficult. Jahan Dotson is an option, as is Olamide Zaccheaus. Then there’s rookie Zachariah Branch, but he struggled with ball security, losing two fumbles against the Chicago Bears in Week 6.
But Downs would give Atlanta an established weapon out of the slot, a great complement to what the Falcons can deploy along the boundaries.
After discussing the project further with the previous team, we return to the idea of filling out the roster after injuries.
The Commanders just confirmed Wednesday that Terry McLaurin was placed on injured reserve after tearing his patella tendon against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 6, officially ending his season. The team previously announced he would be out for a year after the loss to San Francisco, but now it’s officially official.
Dyami Brown, Stefon Diggs, Antonio Williams, Treylon Burks and Luke McCaffrey are the current options in the WR room, but adding Downs would give Jayden Daniels another target in the passing game. While the Commanders are currently at the bottom of the division with a 1-4-1 record, they are just three games behind the Giants in the win column, and with the Philadelphia Eagles struggling and the Dallas Cowboys enduring another up-and-down season, there’s no reason to start this season in Washington again.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are another team reportedly looking for WR help.
Right now, rookie Germie Bernard and veteran DK Metcalf are Aaron Rodgers’ top two targets. Michael Pittman Jr. is currently on injured reserve with a foot injury – and reporting from Pittsburgh that it could be an extended absence – and Roman Wilson is also on IR, although his finger injury could see him return for Week 10.
According to this article by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Matt Bowen, the Steelers are one of the teams that best fit for Downs, along with the Chiefs. Bowen describes Downs as someone with “sudden footwork and coverage recognition to figure out between the number (that) fits a team looking for a high-percentage target to win underneath and move the chains.”
Pittsburgh could ideally be that place, considering what Bernard and Metcalf bring to the table.
Gn sports
