The Jets are the team drawing the most buzz in this round of AFC trade chatter, and the biggest names tied to them are the ones fans would care about most: Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall. But despite the frustration around New York’s record and Wilson’s uneven target share, The Athletic’s Zack Rosenblatt doesn’t see the Jets moving him unless the return is massive - two first-round picks and a starting-caliber player.
That’s the same kind of haul New York got when it dealt CB Sauce Gardner last year, a deal the team wasn’t exactly shopping for until the Colts came in with an offer that blew them away. Rosenblatt also points out that Hall’s new contract was built in a way that makes him tradable, just like Gardner’s was. Even with RB Braelon Allen emerging, Rosenblatt said he would still be surprised if Hall were moved.
If the Jets do make a move, Rosenblatt sees OLB Will McDonald IV as their best trade chip. New York kept him last year despite interest at the deadline, but this time Rosenblatt says a fourth-round pick could be enough to get a deal done. He also names S Andre Cisco, CB Nahshon Wright, CB Jarvis Brownlee, LB Jamien Sherwood and TE Jeremy Ruckert as other possible candidates, and notes there’s a decent chance Wright gets cut after the deadline if he isn’t traded.
The bigger picture in New York also includes the status of head coach Aaron Glenn. ESPN’s Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler both say sources around the league believe Glenn is unlikely to be fired in-season and will be given time to try to right the ship.
Still, the hot-seat talk is real, and league sources are treating this as a possible future opening. For Glenn to keep control of the situation, both notes say he has to sharpen up his game management and situational football, while the offense needs to show enough progress for the team’s brass to feel good about supporting a likely first-round passer.
Elsewhere around the AFC, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler said the Chargers still haven’t shown any interest in selling, though if that changes, OLB Khalil Mack, WR Quentin Johnston and CB Donte Jackson would all have markets. Fowler also said the Chiefs feel like a team that has to do something at receiver before the deadline if they want to juice the offense, and he mentioned Colts WR Josh Downs and Browns WR Jerry Jeudy as possible fits.
In Other News...
Raiders Just Put Dont'e Thornton Jr. Under A Real Spotlight
The Raiders have finally brought Dont'e Thornton Jr. back onto the active roster, a move that comes after head coach Klint Kubiak had been non-committal about whether the rookie receiver would be ready in time. His return gives Las Vegas another pass-catching option at a time when the offense could use all the help it can get, especially with Jack Bech also expected back at practice soon after a broken forearm.
Thornton's activation also forced a roster decision, and the Raiders chose to make it on the defensive side of the ball. For a team still sorting out how its receiving mix will look moving forward, the timing adds a little more pressure to Thornton to show he can contribute quickly and make the most of the opening he was given. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Roster Shakeup Could Be Just The Start
The Raiders made a roster tweak this week by activating Donte Thornton Jr. and moving on from Jonah Laulu, who could circle back to the practice squad. Its the kind of housekeeping that comes with a long season, but it also fits a team still sorting through its depth and trying to find a workable mix after another rough stretch.
What makes the move more interesting is that it may not be the last one. Jack Bech is expected back from injury soon, and his return could force another shuffle at wide receiver as Las Vegas keeps reworking the bottom of the roster. Beyond that, the Raiders are still dealing with the broader noise around the team, from former wideout Zay Jones landing with Arizona to fresh chatter about Maxx Crosby as the losses keep piling up. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders May Have Let A Rare O-Line Chance Slip Away
Four straight losses have turned the Raiders from a team trying to hang around the playoff picture into one that has to think about the trade deadline very differently. At 3-4, the conversation in Las Vegas is no longer just about adding help for a push, but about whether the roster needs bigger-picture fixes, especially along an offensive line that has been under the microscope for much of the season.
So when a rare name like Quenton Nelson suddenly came off the board, it was the sort of move that naturally makes the Raiders wonder what might have been. Nelson would have fit the kind of upgrade this offense could use, but his availability came with the usual complications tied to his contract and the timing of where Las Vegas appears to be headed as a team. In a year that already looks like it could tilt toward rebuilding, chances to land a premium lineman do not come along often. [Read more 🡒]