NFL Trade Rumors: Latest Buzz on Alshon Jeffery, Joe Staley and More

The NFL trade deadline is Tuesday evening at 4 p.m. ET, giving NFL teams a shrinking window to potentially improve their rosters via trade.

Below, we'll break down some of the hottest rumors still making the rounds.

Alshon Jeffery, WR, Chicago Bears

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The Chicago Bears are 2-6 on the season and will likely reset at quarterback this offseason—Jay Cutler doesn't have any guaranteed money left on his contract, meaning he can be cut without salary-cap implications. Plus, Alshon Jeffery is set to become a free agent.

Add it all up, and it isn't hard to see why the Bears might consider trading Jeffery to accumulate draft picks as a part of the team's rebuilding plan.

In fact, "There is an outside possibility the Bears could find a willing trade partner for star receiver Jeffery," according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. And NFL writer Benjamin Allbright tweeted that the Philadelphia Eagles had inquired about Jeffery, though Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported that the Bears and Eagles weren't engaged in trade talks (h/t Chris Wesseling of NFL.com). 

B/R's Matt Miller also reported that the Bears aren't comfortable moving Jeffery at this time:

So Jeffery could be moved, but it seems unlikely.

Joe Staley, OT, San Francisco 49ers

San Francisco 49ers star tackle Joe Staley has generated interest before the trade deadline, as has Cleveland's Joe Thomas, according to La Canfora:

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There are numerous contenders who could use an upgrade at tackle—Seattle, Arizona, Denver, the New York Giants among them—and many of those teams have had internal conversations evaluating Thomas and Staley and determining what they would be willing to give up via trade. At this point, teams believe the Browns (Thomas) and 49ers (Staley) are seeking greater compensation than the market will bear, though those price tags could drop by Tuesday.

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Staley remains one of the league's best offensive linemen and ranked as the 70th-best player in the NFL in 2015, according to Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus. He's an excellent run-blocker, a very strong pass-blocker and is still one of the steadier left tackles in the NFL.

For that reason, the Niners can afford to demand a high asking price, which may ultimately keep Staley in the Bay Area. But for playoff contenders looking to solidify their offensive lines, the 32-year-old is an excellent option.

Torrey Smith, WR, San Francisco 49ers

Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images

Finally, La Canfora noted that the 49ers were also "drawing interest" in wide receiver Torrey Smith, who has just 13 receptions for 199 yards and two touchdowns this season and appears to be wasted in San Francisco's struggling offense.

Smith remains a dangerous vertical threat, and his ability to stretch defenses would make him potent on a better offense. His cap hit will rise to $9.6 million per year between 2017-19, however, per Spotrac, making it hard to imagine that teams would deal for Smith without some assurance that the wideout would be willing to restructure his deal.

In other words, Smith will likely remain with the Niners.

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