NFL Trade Rumors: Updated Outlook for Big Names Reportedly on Block

Between the most recent NFL offseason and the dawn of the 2015 campaign, there have been a fair amount of high-profile trades. Big names such as LeSean McCoy, Kiko Alonso, Sam Bradford, Nick Foles, Jared Allen, Matt Cassel and others all made moves.

The marquee players involved in the latest buzz include Atlanta Falcons receiver Roddy White and Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte. Both players' teams are trending in the right direction, as Atlanta has started 5-0 and Chicago has won two straight off a 0-3 start.

Let's take a closer look at White and Forte, assessing how they fit in their current situations, then determine how likely it is for either to be moved on that basis.

Roddy White, WR, Atlanta Falcons

John Bazemore/Associated Press

The likelihood of White being on the move, if not already remote, seems even more diminished in light of recent events. White himself has denied wanting to play elsewhere, despite expressing displeasure with his minimal role to date in the Falcons offense.

"I haven't heard any of that," said White of the trade rumors brought about by NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, via the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's D. Orlando Ledbetter. "I'm a Falcon. I'll be a Falcon for life. I've dedicated everything I've got to this team and this organization. I'm going to continue to do that. I'm going to continue each and every week to get better, be a better football player and try to win."

Atlanta improved to 5-0 this past Sunday with an overtime victory over Washington. With the attention focused even more on Julio Jones after Leonard Hankerson left the game with a rib injury, White caught a key fourth-down pass from Matt Ryan to position the Falcons for a go-ahead score in the fourth quarter.

The fans did their best to encourage White during Sunday's thriller, too, as ESPN's Josina Anderson observed:

Thanks to a revamped rushing attack spearheaded by Devonta Freeman, there's reason for White to believe he'll see an increase in targets. Jones will command double coverage whenever defenses can manage it, leaving White in favorable matchups on the outside.

If Freeman can keep pounding the rock as he has, big opportunities ought to await White off play-action fakes. Offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan does a great job scheming Jones open but figures to adjust, diversify and look for White more frequently as the year wears on.

Based on his personal testimony and the integral role he played in Sunday's win, White doesn't appear to be going anywhere. He's played in Atlanta for his entire, accomplished career and may have a realistic chance at a championship if the Falcons keep trending the way they are to start 2015.

Matt Forte, RB, Chicago Bears

Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

Little has changed on the Forte front since Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reported October 4 that it'd take a "steep price" for Chicago to trade him.

Bears general manager Ryan Pace has already dealt away Jared Allen and Jon Bostic, so Chicago shouldn't be active on the trade market with Forte unless it's an absolute king's ransom.

Forte has also shown he can still ball as he approaches 30 in December—the typical plateau for modern NFL running backs. Bears quarterback Jay Cutler fumbled a snap but recovered to throw Forte the winning touchdown pass in Week 5's gritty victory over Kansas City:

The elite receiving ability Forte has out of the backfield now makes him even more valuable to Chicago as it deals with a banged-up receiving corps.

Forte even addressed the trade buzz himself in a recent CBS Sports Radio interview, via FoxSports.com:

"

The media, I don't know. I guess they start to speculate and then they report it as news and it takes off. That's how news gets more and more views, likes and listens, I guess. So they were speculating when the draft was coming up this past offseason that I was going to be traded then and nothing happened. So I can only control how I play on the football field. I don't really worry about it. I just think it'd be crazy to trade me anyways.

"

"Crazy" isn't too hyperbolic an adjective to describe the Bears' potential move to ship Forte out of the Windy City. Whereas Allen wasn't a proper scheme fit in Chicago's 3-4 defensive alignment and Bostic was an inconsequential loss, Forte is vital to the Bears' fortunes in 2015.

Forte is the NFL's leading rusher at the moment with 438 yards and 18 receptions. NFL Network's Jeff Darlington further illustrated Forte's individual impact:

What appeared to be a lost, potential disaster of a season in Chicago through three games has suddenly turned on its head thanks to two stellar efforts from the defense and gutsy Cutler comebacks.

One big reason the Bears have hung tough in their past two wins can be attributed to Forte's being a workhorse. They're eighth in the NFL in time of possession, according to Team Rankings.

Next up for Chicago is a matchup against the winless Detroit Lions, who field the NFL's 27th-ranked rushing defense. There's reason to believe Forte's early-season roll will continue, as the Bears have a realistic chance to reach .500 prior to their Week 7 bye.