NFL Trade Deadline 2016: Latest on Potential Joe Thomas and Joe Staley Moves

The NFL trade deadline doesn't connote the same fervor as those of the three other major professional sports. Major trades are something of a rarity; usually the best we get are a couple mid-level players switching teams for depth purposes.

And on the rare occasion we do see a big name get moved, it rarely works out. Roy Williams, Carson Palmer and Trent Richardson stand out among players traded during the regular season in recent years. Each of those deals look like pilferings for the team that moved their incumbent star in retrospect. 

Perhaps only the Seattle Seahawks, who acquired Marshawn Lynch from the Buffalo Bills in 2010, had their deal work out in a big way. (It's worth noting that Lynch was reaching near-bust status when that trade transpired.)

So, as always: Bet on absolutely nothing happening at this year's deadline. But there are nonetheless a pair of elite offensive tackles making waves as we head toward the Nov. 1 cut off.

Browns Eager to Move Joe Thomas, Price Lowering?

Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press

Joe Thomas might be a saint. There is no other way a human being could handle being a Cleveland Brown for a decade. Being a Detroit Lion drove Calvin Johnson out of football after nine years, and they even made the playoffs twice.

Thomas, who turns 32 in December, has not been part of a .500 football team since his rookie season. He's played for six head coaches, shuffled through offensive coordinators like playing cards and never once thrown a public tantrum. As a nine-time Pro Bowler and eight-time All-Pro who has at times been the only competent player on his own offense, it has to have been a little trying.

The closest we've gotten to Thomas criticizing management is him bemoaning the loss of talented young players, per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com:

"

That's one of the frustrations that I've had over the years and that's the problem when you constantly are hitting the reset button is guys that are really good players like that end up falling through the cracks or going to other teams. Because any time a new staff comes in, basically they wipe out the middle class. They keep a couple of your superstars and then they want everyone else being a rookie so that they can try to develop them.

And when you keep doing that over and over again, you really lose all your middle class on your team and so guys like Buster Skrine, Jabaal Sheard, D'Qwell Jackson, Jordan Cameron, Travis Benjamin, those are the guys that they disappeared even though those were the guys that you drafted them, spent the time developing them and right when they're hitting stride in the peaks of their career, they end up going somewhere else and having great success for somebody else.

"

The Browns are currently in the midst of another rebuild, scrubbing their roster nearly clean of veteran talent. Their 0-7 record is reflective of the process, and they are the only team remaining without a win.

That futility has once again ratcheted up the Thomas rumor mill, which has been festering on and off for years. Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio reported the Browns may be more motivated than ever to make a deal, asking for only a second-round pick in return.

A No. 2 for someone of Thomas' caliber feels like it should be a no-brainer for a contender, but there are cap-space ramifications to consider. Thomas has a base salary of $8.3 million for 2016, making it near-impossible for any team straddling the cap line to make a move. The Browns would have to bring back salary to make a deal happen in most cases, and that would almost certainly raise their price.

Odds are these two stick it out until the end of the season.

Joe Staley Available As Well

Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

Like the Browns, the San Francisco 49ers are drowning in years of bad management and poor drafting. The Chip Kelly era has taken a steep nosedive since Week 1's 28-0 win over the Los Angeles Rams, with the Niners dropping their sixth straight game Sunday.

Like the Browns, the Niners also have their own star left tackle who could be available via trade. Joe Staley doesn't have quite Thomas' resume; he's made five Pro Bowls and three All-Pro teams. But Staley has a base salary that's around $3 million cheaper than Thomas' for the 2016 season, which could make him a likelier mid-season trade target.

One problem: The Niners have set a high bar for Staley's services. Florio reported they have set a first-round pick price on Staley, which would almost certainly come from a championship contender.

In all likelihood, this is a nonstarter. The team in most desperate need of a left tackle, the Minnesota Vikings, already gave up a first for Sam Bradford. They're in no position to give up another—and probably shouldn't relinquish any more draft picks whatsoever.

The New York Giants, Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks have also been mentioned as potential fits. The Seahawks showed a willingness to part with early picks in the Jimmy Graham trade but may be spooked in how that has backfired. The Giants aren't nearly good enough to consider shipping out a first. The Cardinals have a shrinking championship window and a need; they may be the only team that would even remotely consider such a move.

We're probably standing pat here again, unless the price drops.