NFL Trade Rumors: Latest on Alshon Jeffery, Torrey Smith and Joe Staley

With the NFL's trade deadline approaching on Nov. 1, there is one last opportunity during the 2016 season for some notable names to be shipped off to new homes.

While this deadline won't be as busy or dizzying compared to that of Major League Baseball's or the NHL, here is the latest on some notable names that have come up in trade talks recently. 

Alshon Jeffery

Chicago Bears No. 1 receiver Alshon Jeffery has developed into a premier pass catcher in the NFL despite subpar quarterbacking during his tenure. 

In the two seasons in which he's played all 16 games, Jeffery has recorded over 2,500 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns:

But with free agency looming after this season, Jeffery's name has popped up in trade talks, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. 

The Philadelphia Eagles were a team that was mentioned as a possible suitor for Jeffery, but NFL Network's Ian Rapoport quickly refuted those rumors (via Chris Wesseling of NFL.com):

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Rapoport further explained that it's "essentially unprecedented" to trade a franchise player because the new team cannot sign the tagged star prior to the start of free agency.

In which case, the selling team can't expect to receive more than a mid-round draft pick in return for a half-season rental. Since the Bears will likely be awarded a mid-round pick in the compensatory process should Jeffery seek greener pastures in free agency, there's little incentive for a trade.

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Because of that, don't expect Jeffery to be traded anywhere before the deadline. If anything, he'll find a new team during the spring if he leaves Chicago at all. 

Torrey Smith

Jeffery's unavailability hasn't done much to deter the Eagles from searching elsewhere along the trade market. 

According to Rapoport (via Wesseling) the Eagles and San Francisco 49ers are talking about a deal involving Torrey Smith. 

Smith is on pace for one of his most disappointing seasons in the NFL this year. Once a receiver who racked up 1,128 yards with the Baltimore Ravens in 2013, Smith put up 663 yards last season and only has 13 catches for 199 yards in 2016. 

For a player making $40 million over five years, according to Spotrac, those numbers are underachieving ones for a receiver expected to be a big-play threat on the outside. However, it hasn't helped that he is in an offense that has seen a cycle of Blaine Gabbert or Colin Kaepernick at quarterback. 

The Eagles could use the big-play capabilities of Smith for young quarterback Carson Wentz. According to Wesseling, Jordan Matthews is "best suited to the middle of the field," Nelson Agholor is "unable to win consistently outside the numbers," and Dorial Green-Beckham is "still too raw as a route-runner."

All three of them are also under the age of 25, which means that the 27-year-old Smith could bring more of a veteran presence and add a new dimension to the passing game. 

Joe Staley

Smith's teammate and veteran offensive lineman Joe Staley has also seen his name crop up in trade talks. 

In a report by Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, sources have stated that Staley is available for a first-round draft pick from a contending team. 

However, those reports took head coach Chip Kelly by surprise, as reported by Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle: "That’s news to me. Nobody has had any discussions with me about trading Joe. We need Joe here.”

He also added that he hasn't spoken about it with general manager Trent Baalke, who is the man who controls Staley's fate in San Francisco. 

Staley has appeared in every game since the 2011 season and was elected to five Pro Bowls in a 10-year career. 

That kind of success coming from a team that is 1-6 can generate trade buzz for rebuilding purposes. Add that with the fact that he's signed through the 2019 season, according to Spotrac, and Staley's name could continue to pop up in the next few days. 

Stats courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com.