NFL Trade Rumors: Rounding Up Buzz on Roddy White, Vernon Davis and More

It might not dominate the headlines yet, but it's NFL trade rumors time with the deadline on approach. 

Maybe it would be wise to add this to the tail end of the above: It also helps that there's so many bad teams this year. Going into Week 8, there are 21 teams at .500 or worse, including an entire division sitting at worse than .500.

Of course, good teams make trades, too, maybe looking for the so-called missing piece to a Super Bowl run. The first batch of rumors provides an interesting balance, so let's take a look.

Teams Sniffing Around Vernon Davis?

In the grand scheme of things, this particular rumbling wasn't hard to see coming. 

The 49ers sit at 2-5 and dead last in the NFC West, a surefire recipe for a team to host a fire sale, especially after a terrible offseason and with a talent such as Vernon Davis sitting on the final year of his deal.

San Francisco's top tight end has looked anything but this year, catching just 12 passes for 170 yards. Many of the issues aren't his fault, though, considering he's seen only 21 targets in five outings.

According to CBSSports.com's Jason La Canfora, other teams see the writing on the wall and perhaps want to encourage a move:

It doesn't help that reports of friction between Davis, quarterback Colin Kaepernick and tackle Joe Staley continue to trickle out, per ESPN.com's Paul Gutierrez.

"No, I didn't call Kap out," Davis said, per Gutierrez. "I don't know where you got that from. I didn't call Kap out at all. It's not my job, my role to call Kap out; I let the coaches do that.

Regardless of whether anything comes of it, the rumblings fan the flames. Davis might be 31 years old, but he's still the freak athlete who has posted six or more scores in a season four times, including two 13-touchdown outbursts.

It takes one contender looking for a half-season rental to make the right offer and Davis is gone.

Roddy White's Standing in Atlanta

Weston Kenney/Associated Press

While maybe in a quiet fashion, Atlanta Falcons veteran wideout Roddy White used to be one of the league's most potent threats, recording 1,150 receiving yards with at least six touchdowns in six consecutive seasons beginning in 2007. 

Through seven games this year, White has just 14 catches for 186 yards and a score, sitting fifth on the team's target list behind Julio Jones, Devonta Freeman, Leonard Hankerson and Jacob Tamme.

The diminishing role in Atlanta's offense obviously led to some speculation about his future with the team, something that now has a bit of legs, as NFL.com's Ian Rapoport broke down the situation, per his colleague, Kevin Patra:

"

He has openly mused about what his role in this offense is, he is too often the third and fourth option for this team. He loves Atlanta, doesn't want to go anywhere. It doesn't sound like (the Falcons) are motivated to move him, but will a team change their mind as we get closer to next Tuesday.

"

After speaking out about his role as mentioned, though, White backtracked once the situation gained steam in early October.

“This is nothing to get mad over,” he said, per D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I can’t control no plays that are being called in the huddle. All I can do is run the routes I’m supposed to run on the play and do my job. That’s all I can do.”

Regardless, it's a situation a contending team might want to exploit. At 33 years old, White clutches a contract that has a cap hit north of $6 million in each of the next two seasons, per Spotrac, but it won't stop a team from picking up the phone if it believes he can still produce like his old self if actually given a bigger role.

Matt Forte's Future

The Chicago Bears sit at 2-4 and star running back Matt Forte is 29 years old, so it was only a matter of time before the "free Matt Forte" crowd picked up the drums and got to banging.

Any why not? Forte is the Chicago offense, with 507 yards and two scores on the ground, a 4.0 per-carry average that looks miraculous given the disaster around him. He's also one of the league's rare every-down backs thanks to his ability through the air, where he's caught 21 balls for 191 yards and a score.

When one thinks about consistency, it's Forte, whether or not he's always received the proper credit:

SEASON	ATT	YDS	AVG	TD	REC	YDS	TD
2008	316	1,238	3.9	8	63	477	4
2009	258	929	3.6	4	57	471	0
2010	237	1,069	4.5	6	51	547	3
2011	203	997	4.9	3	52	490	1
2012	248	1,094	4.4	5	44	340	1
2013	289	1,339	4.6	9	74	594	3
2014	266	1,038	3.9	6	102	808	4
2015	126	507	4.0	2	21	191	1

That mind-boggling stat sheet is what would have plenty of teams interested in him if he became available, especially on his expiring contract.

Yet, according to Rapoport, Forte isn't among the names the Bears are willing to move just yet: "It's clear this is a rebuilding year for the Bears with a new regime. They are open, I am told, to trading really a lot of their key parts, mainly because they would like draft picks. At this point nothing is expected from Forte, because of his age, because of his salary."

This tune might change by the time the deadline hits. The Bears might not necessarily view themselves as rebuilding, but moving a star player they might not be able to retain for a great value would be a wise move.

It's perhaps the most interesting thing to watch at the deadline: Will the Bears cling to a fan favorite and find a way to keep Forte around? Or will the highest bidder dangle enough assets on the market to give the organization pause?

Statistics courtesy of ESPN unless otherwise specified.