NFL Trade Rumors: Latest Buzz with Deadline Approaching

The NFL trade deadline is fast approaching, but one could forgive fans for not circling Oct. 28 on their calendars. More often than not, the football trade deadline passes with little fanfare and even less actual trade action.

The 2014 trading season has been a bit different, with the Seattle Seahawks sending wide receiver Percy Harvin to the New York Jets for nothing more than a conditional sixth-round pick. Harvin is a highly recognizable figure, but the nature of the deal—in that the Jets gave up nothing of note—speaks to the nature of most NFL deadline activity.

The NFL trade deadline is for shoring up positional weaknesses and filling out a roster, not nabbing playoff-run fodder or franchise-changing players like the deadlines in baseball and basketball. Clinton Portis for Champ Bailey blockbusters are generational occurrences, not yearly flagships.

That being said, the latest batch of rumors does involve a big name with game-changing talent, so it remains to be seen if Percy Harvin will be the biggest stop-the-presses deal of the 2014 season.

Let's take a look at three names that have been bandied about with the deadline approaching.

Vincent Jackson

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers need help at multiple positions. According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the team is taking every avenue into consideration and has taken inquiries regarding the availability of wide receiver Vincent Jackson:

Trading Jackson would likely be tough for Bucs fans to stomach. Since coming to Tampa as a free agent prior to the 2012 season, Jackson has racked up 2,952 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns in 38 games. V-Jax is off to a relatively slow start this season, but Yahoo Sports' Scott Pianowski did note that he's working well with quarterback Mike Glennon:

Head coach Lovie Smith did say recently that the team is not actively looking to deal its players, per Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times: 

The Bucs do appear to have a future No. 1 wideout in rookie Mike Evans, but the offensive attack would lose what little potency it has without Jackson on the field.

Then again, it's shaping up to be a lost season in South Florida, and if this team could net a couple of high draft picks for Jackson, a midseason deal could be the best course of action. If one had to speculate, it's clear the Seattle Seahawks need a wideout after the Harvin trade, while the New England Patriots could stand to benefit greatly from giving Brady a big target.

Jermaine Gresham

Nick Wass/Associated Press

Rapoport has suggested the Cincinnati Bengals could be looking to offload tight end Jermaine Gresham before the deadline.

"[The Bengals] already have Tyler Eifert coming off an injury," Rapoport said, via ESPN Insider's Tom Carpenter (subscription required). "It seems they've already replaced (Gresham), he could be had too." 

Rapoport also noted on Twitter that Gresham is in a contract year, which suggests the Bengals don't want to lose a proven veteran without getting something in return:

That being said, convincing another team they are getting a viable weapon could be tough considering Gresham's early performances this season while replacing second-year tight end Tyler Eifert, who went down in Week 1 with an elbow injury.

After picking up just eight receptions in the Bengals' first four games of the season, Gresham has 16 over the last two. This includes a somewhat bizarre 10-catch, 48-yard effort in the Bengals' 27-0 loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Week 7.

The sudden burst in activity doesn't necessarily mean Gresham is once again integral to the team's offensive development, although the team has spoken in the past about getting him more involved.

Paul Sancya/Associated Press

"It's early in the season. Keep playing. He'll get to where he needs to be," said offensive coordinator Hue Jackson on Oct. 9, via ESPN.com's Coley Harvey. "I have a lot of confidence in him, I haven't lost any confidence in him at all. He just has to make those plays when they present themselves."

The Colts hardly allowed quarterback Andy Dalton any time to look toward his downfield targets, and Gresham's yards-per-catch average was so low—and the routes he ran were so simple—that one could see Dalton went to his tight end more often out of desperation than by choice.

According to Reggie Hayes of The News-Sentinel, Eifert is aiming for a Week 10 return, which would be roughly two weeks after the deadline. Considering the Bengals' wide receiver corps is paper-thin, it's tough to imagine the front office stranding Dalton without a lifeline in the passing game, especially since the team is going to need to do all it can to keep pace with the Baltimore Ravens in the NFC North. 

Gresham's play as of late might make him a more alluring target for some teams, but it's tough to see the Bengals diluting the offense when they need to show greater consistency on this side of the ball in order to make a playoff run.

Chris Givens

L.G. Patterson/Associated Press

According to ESPN NFL Insider Adam Caplan, St. Louis Rams wide receiver Chris Givens is a player to watch at the trade deadline:

Givens is in his third season with the Rams, and although he had a big 30-yard reception in the team's upset win over the Seahawks in Week 7, he's been out of the regular rotation of wideouts. He's played in just four games this season despite racking up 76 catches on 164 targets in his first two seasons, per ESPN.com.

Instead, the Rams have opted to go with the likes of Brian Quick, Kenny Britt, Austin Pettis and Tavon Austin as the main wide receivers this season. Considering the Rams' 2-4 record, tough NFC West opposition and surplus of young talent—including punt return hero Stedman Bailey—at the position, they would be wise to grab assets for an expendable receiving option. 

Givens' career 16.6 yards-per-catch average speaks to his potential as a downfield threat, a coveted skill in a passing-oriented league. The Patriots would also be a good fit, as Brady can use someone to stretch the field and open up space underneath for Julian Edelman or create better matchups for Brandon LaFell.