NFL Trade Rumors: Analyzing Buzz on Sheldon Richardson, Alshon Jeffery and More

Only hours remain for NFL general managers to finalize any trades ahead of Tuesday's 4 p.m. ET deadline.

If any marquee stars change teams before the afternoon, then Sheldon Richardson, Alshon Jeffery and Joe Thomas are among the likeliest candidates. All three have been the subject of trade rumors over the last few days.

Below is the most recent buzz swirling around the trio of veterans.

Sheldon Richardson

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NFL Media's Ian Rapoport (via Conor Orr of NFL.com) reported Sunday the New York Jets are willing to move Richardson. Newsday's Kimberley A. Martin confirmed the report but spoke to a source who doubted whether Richardson will get dealt: "He is a two-strike guy, so [the Jets] won’t get what they want."

It's easy to overlook Richardson's contributions on the field because he hasn't posted gaudy sack numbers. Through seven games, he has 1.5 sacks.

The 25-year-old is most effective against the run, with Pro Football Focus grading him the fourth-best edge defender in run defense (85.3). Plenty of teams would improve by adding Richardson to the front seven.

As Martin noted, though, Richardson's off-field issues could hurt his trade value. He earned a four-game suspension in 2015 for a violation of the NFL's substance-abuse policy, and the league suspended him one game in 2016 after he was pulled over for speeding in July 2015.

Teams may be hesitant to give up much for a player who's likely looking at a significant punishment if he runs afoul of league rules once again.

Alshon Jeffery

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Jeffery would have a major impact on a playoff contender in the second half of the season. According to Bleacher Report's Matt Miller, the Chicago Bears aren't going to trade the 2013 Pro Bowler, though:

The Bears may not have much choice in the matter. Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio explained how Jeffery's franchise tag $14.599 million complicates any potential trade:

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Beyond 2016, Jeffery will be eligible for free agency. The only way to keep him off the market will be to tag him again, at a 20-percent raise over his 2016 salary. That becomes more than $17.5 million for 2017.

So a new team could sign Jeffery to a new deal, right? Sure, but they can't do it until after the regular season ends. By then, the player may decide to keep pushing toward the market, at a minimum to let the market set his value.

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The incentive simply isn't there for a team to give up a mid-round pick to acquire Jeffery for what may only be half a season. Using the franchise tag on the 26-year-old in 2017 would also mean making him the highest-paid wide receiver in the league, per Spotrac.

The Bears will almost certainly let Jeffery hit free agency, so he'll be available a few months from now anyway.

A general manager with enough desperation could make Chicago a strong offer. Otherwise, it appears Jeffery will finish the year in the Windy City.

Joe Thomas

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Thomas has been the subject of trade rumors for months, but it's looking increasingly unlikely he'll be moved before the deadline.

CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora reported Sunday that the Seattle Seahawks, Arizona Cardinals, New York Giants and Denver Broncos are all looking to upgrade at offensive tackle. However, the Cleveland Browns' asking price is scuttling potential deals.

The Browns shouldn't even have Thomas available in the first place. If they're going to entertain offers, though, then they're smart to demand a high return.

The 31-year-old remains one of the league's better tackles; Pro Football Grades him No. 6 (87.0) at the position. He's signed through the 2018 season as well, so there isn't the immediate threat of him leaving in free agency.

Thomas isn't agitating for a move out of Cleveland, either. Last Wednesday, he reaffirmed his commitment to the franchise, per Cleveland.com's Dan Labbe:

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I'm a goal-setter and a guy that's very goal-oriented and to me doing the things that you set out to do and that you say you're going to do is important. So when I first got here my goal and my mission is kind of always to make the playoffs and to help be part of turning the Browns into a consistent winner and kind of turning the franchise's fortunes around. We haven't done that yet, so to me that means that my mission is not yet complete here.

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Especially since the Browns are likely to address the quarterback position in the 2017 draft, the team needs to ensure it has a capable left tackle along the offensive line next season. Trading Thomas would create major problems for the Browns' pass protection, in turn hurting the development of their next QB of the future.