With the NFL trade deadline approaching Tuesday afternoon, time is running short for teams to use a powerful tool for improving their short- and long-term outlooks.
The Jacksonville Jaguars could fashion themselves as a quarterback away from challenging the AFC's elite. Could they pry an established starter from a team that might be willing to hit the reset button? Speaking of the AFC's elite, will the ever-active New England Patriots have any more surprises up their sleeve after dealing Jimmy Garoppolo? Elsewhere, what about Jarvis Landry, a talented young wideout whose current team hasn't seemed particularly motivated to reward him with a lucrative long-term deal?
That is where we begin this look at trades that should happen -- or at least cross the mind -- before the deadline.
Two semi-big trades that are actually realistic
1. Miami Dolphins trade receiver Jarvis Landry to the Los Angeles Chargers or Chicago Bears for a 2018 second- or third-round pick
The Dolphins have so far appeared unmotivated to reward Landry with a long-term deal as the receiver heads toward free agency in March 2018.
There is little reason, at least outwardly, for the team to suddenly seek a lucrative deal with him. The Dolphins, though 4-3 in the standings, have gained no traction offensively and are coming off a 40-0 defeat at Baltimore. They have never been worse over the past decade in terms of their seven-game totals for Total QBR, yards per game, yards per play, yards per rush, net yards per pass attempt, points per game or offensive points per game.
Landry is eligible for the franchise tag after this season, which provides insurance for any team acquiring him. Why the Chargers, who might seem to need help at linebacker or cornerback instead? They just scored 13 points against New England in a game that saw Philip Rivers targeting Travis Benjamin nine times for 64 yards.
Meanwhile, the Bears badly need help at receiver for young quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, especially after losing tight end Zach Miller to a career-threatening injury Sunday. Landry would go from an Adam Gase offense in Miami to the scheme Gase left in place for Dowell Loggains, an easy conversion. The Bears would ideally wait until the offseason before addressing their receiving situation, but a case could be made that Trubisky needs help to have any shot at success over the remaining games.
The Dolphins would get a 2018 pick instead of playing the compensatory game further down the line. An agent said he thought Landry would command a second-round pick, an important distinction when it comes to the Bears, who sent their third-rounder to San Francisco.
2. Buffalo Bills trade left tackle Cordy Glenn to the New York Giants for 2018 second- and conditional-round picks.
The Seahawks remain a popular destination for left tackles in various trade scenarios, but the Giants could be a better partner. Their general manager, Jerry Reese, is in a desperate situation with his job on the line. Acquiring Glenn would let the Giants move current left tackle Ereck Flowers to the right side, his more natural position. The Giants would be upgrading two spots, which could have an exponential effect.
The Bills, meanwhile, might prefer the Giants to the Seahawks as a trading partner. Any 2018 picks received from the Giants figure to be higher in the order than picks they would receive from Seattle or another contending team. Buffalo already owns two picks in the first, second and third rounds of the 2018 draft. The team's ability to win after dumping high-priced talent suggests the issues in Buffalo were more cultural than driven by personnel deficiencies.
Buffalo might want a player in return, which could be tougher to pull off. Giants cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie comes to mind as a possibility, but introducing a disgruntled 31-year-old veteran into the Bills' reconfigured locker room might not make sense from a Bills perspective. The Bills might want younger players on rookie deals -- players more along the lines of, say, Dalvin Tomlinson or Wayne Gallman
"I don't see Buffalo letting Glenn go," an evaluator said. "You could argue that Glenn is a first-round talent at tackle, but he does have a big contract, and that factors into the value."
Four franchise-altering QB trades from Fantasy Land
1. Jacksonville Jaguars acquire quarterback Eli Manning from the New York Giants for 2018 first- and fourth-round picks
The case against such a trade is easy to make, but if Giants ownership decided a franchise reset were needed following a 1-6 start, and if Manning wanted no part of a rebuild at this stage of his career, all parties could come out ahead on paper, at least.
The Jaguars, with former Giants coach Tom Coughlin as lead football decision maker, could justify the deal by saying Manning is the final variable in their championship equation. Manning, though reluctant to leave the Giants, could increase his chances for earning a third Super Bowl ring by winning big with a second organization, which would also enhance his Hall of Fame credentials. Coughlin's Hall credentials would also improve if he suddenly got the Jaguars over the top.
The Giants could use their own first-round pick to target Manning's successor while adding draft capital for a rebuild. Manning has a no-trade clause in his contract, meaning he would have to give written permission for any deal. The price would be whatever it takes to get a deal done -- not necessarily what I've suggested.
2. Jaguars acquire quarterback Philip Rivers from the Los Angeles Chargers for 2018 first- and fifth-round picks
Rivers, like Manning, has a no-trade clause in his contract. He was not happy when the Chargers relocated from San Diego, however. That could make him more amenable to relocating if he thought Jacksonville gave him a better shot at winning a championship. Like Manning, he might still be reluctant to leave a comfortable situation with no assurances of greater team success. The fact that Jacksonville might be a quarterback away doesn't compel other teams to make a quarterback available.
3. Jaguars acquire quarterback Andy Dalton from the Cincinnati Bengals for 2018 second- and fifth-round picks
This trade would give the Jaguars a veteran quarterback not named Blake Bortles. The Bengals would spend the season's second half evaluating A.J. McCarron. Dalton has been a good quarterback, but evaluators do not see him as player who consistently elevates those around him (they do not necessarily see Manning or Rivers in that light, either, but both have polled higher than Dalton in QB Tiers balloting over the years).
An agent thought the value for Dalton should be nearer the values for Manning and Rivers, given that Dalton is younger and signed to a friendly contract. That could be true. As with all these trades, the prices are secondary. Selling teams always want more than buying teams would prefer to pay. The concepts behind the trades are more substantive.
4. Cleveland Browns acquire Dalton from the Bengals for 2018 second- and fifth-round picks
The Bengals would be deciding they'd rather see McCarron than Dalton. The Browns would add a proven veteran quarterback under contract through 2020. Cleveland could still draft a quarterback early in 2018. Dalton would give them another option. The Browns own three second-round picks in 2018.
Five other trades with some logic behind them
1. Indianapolis Colts trade cornerback Vontae Davis to the New Orleans Saints or Philadelphia Eagles for a 2018 fifth or sixth-round pick
Davis can become a free agent after the season. He has played in 119 regular-season games and will turn 30 in May. The Colts could get something in return for him now if they felt as though they were likely to move on without him next season. The Saints and Eagles could enhance their standing as NFC contenders by addressing long-established cornerback needs in time for a stretch run.
2. New England Patriots trade cornerback Malcolm Butler to the Saints or Eagles for a 2018 fourth-round pick
This move would be consistent with the 2016 trade New England made when sending Jamie Collins to Cleveland. Collins was one of the Patriots' more talented defensive players, but he was headed toward free agency in the absence of a long-term deal. Butler is also headed toward free agency, and a long-term deal for him seemed to become less likely once the team signed Stephon Gilmore in free agency.
"If we could get him for a fourth I'd give that up today," an evaluator said. "Even if we have to pay him to keep him. New England might be willing. I think his value is higher than that."
3. Detroit Lions trade tight end Eric Ebron to the Patriots for a 2018 fourth-round pick
The Patriots have been in the market for tight ends on a regular basis, but their latest acquisition, Dwayne Allen, has not made an impact. Ebron is under contract to the Lions for 2018 at $8.25 million, the price Detroit committed when picking up the tight end's fifth-year option. He would improve the two-tight end sets New England has used to great effect over the years. The Patriots' receiving depth has taken hits with Julian Edelman out for the season, Danny Amendola nursing a sore knee and Chris Hogan suffering a shoulder injury Sunday.
The Lions might realistically want a third-round choice. The Patriots might offer a sixth. We settle somewhere in the middle, while aware that the Patriots might need to get creative because their fourth-round pick could wind up with Philadelphia as part of the Eric Rowe trade.
4. Seattle Seahawks trade cornerback Jeremy Lane to the Chargers for a 2018 seventh-round pick
Editor's note: This story was originally published before the trade on Monday sending Lane to Houston along with a 2018 fifth-round pick and a 2019 second-round pick in exchange for offensive tackle Duane Brown.
Seattle conceivably could have traded Lane already if the corner's $4 million salary had not been guaranteed for this season. Sending Lane to the Chargers would reunite him with former Seattle defensive coordinator Gus Bradley while giving Los Angeles welcome depth at the position.
5. Chargers trade defensive end Jeremiah Attaochu to the Seahawks or Patriots for a conditional 2018 pick
A second-round pick in 2014, Attaochu has 10 career sacks, but only two in nine games over the past two seasons. It seemed like an ominous sign when first-year Chargers coach Anthony Lynn made a crack about knowing more about Attaochu's proficiency at rehabbing injuries than his proficiency as a player. Seattle and New England both could use reinforcements for their pass-rush rotations. The San Francisco 49ers' Aaron Lynch could be another pass-rushing option available, perhaps for a 2018 sixth-round pick.