The November 1 NFL trade deadline is quickly approaching, and we've already started to see a little player movement.
Earlier this week, the Cleveland Browns acquired linebacker Deion Jones from the Atlanta Falcons. While Jones hasn't played this season while recovering from shoulder surgery, he was a Pro Bowler back in 2017 and made several appearances on our Trade Block Big Board before being dealt.
Presumably, we'll see other notable names on the move before the deadline hits. However, not every team that needs help can or will be willing to make a deadline trade. For those teams, the free-agent market is the top option.
Here, we'll examine six free agents who could help solve some glaring weaknesses around the league. We'll dive into what these unsigned players can offer, which teams should target them, and the potential trade candidates for which they provide alternatives.
Players are listed in alphabetical order.
WR Odell Beckham Jr.: Los Angeles Rams
Wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. wants to return to L.A., but he isn't happy with the offer that the Los Angeles Rams have given him.
" LA knows where I wanted to be… but they didn’t offer me… ANYthing!" Beckham tweeted. "So idk what people want me to do, I def kno my worth and what the offer was isn’t reflective of that."
According to Rams coach Sean McVay, though, L.A. hasn't made its final offer.
"We have constant dialogue," McVay said, per ESPN's Sarah Barshop. "He also knows that certainly I don't think that's the last [offer] that would come from us."
It's time for the Rams to pony up and find a way to pay Beckham what he wants—before he signs elsewhere. The Rams haven't gotten much out of Allen Robinson II (107 yards and one touchdown) and have struggled to find a reliable No. 2 opposite Cooper Kupp. L.A. ranks just 18th in net yards per pass attempt.
While Beckham won't be recovered from the torn ACL he suffered in Super Bowl LVI until late in the season, he can provide the Rams with a spark in the stretch run—exactly what he did last year.
While L.A. has only $5 million in cap space, it may find it easier to pay Beckham than trade for a receiver like Kenny Golladay or Robbie Anderson. Golladay has $31.4 million in dead money remaining on his New York Giants contract, while the Carolina Panthers might not be willing to part with a piece like Anderson.
"The Panthers … aren’t in fire-sale mode," The Athletic's Jeff Howe wrote on October 11.