NFL News: Latest Trade Buzz Surrounding Martavis Bryant, Joe Staley and More

While contenders around the NFL are looking for upgrades, it might be difficult to acquire an impact player before the Oct. 31 trade deadline.

Not many teams are ready to give up on the season so early—only six squads have fewer than three wins—and those exceptions have few players worth acquiring. Organizations also aren't in the habit of letting useful contributors go for nothing.

There is plenty of speculation leading up to the deadline, but coaches and general managers continue to shut down the possibilities. Here is the latest on several names that earned plenty of buzz over the past week.

Martavis Bryant, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers

Ron Schwane/Associated Press

The Martavis Bryant saga we have seen this season is likely not what the Pittsburgh Steelers were expecting when their talented player returned from suspension this year.

Bryant has struggled on the field and has become a distraction off it, causing the team to bench him for Sunday's game against the Detroit Lions, per Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The punishment comes after speaking negatively about teammate JuJu Smith-Schuster via Instagram (h/t Bouchette).

Meanwhile, he placed a trade request because of his unhappiness in the offense, per Dan Graziano of ESPN.com. And he told ESPN's Josina Anderson if he isn't traded, he is "not going to re-sign" when his contract is up in 2018.

Unfortunately for the 25-year-old, it doesn't appear as though he will get his wish.

"We've invested a lot in Martavis since we drafted him," head coach Mike Tomlin said, per Kevin Patra of NFL.com. "He's not available via trade. We've invested a lot."

On the other hand, the latest moves could cause the front office to change its mind, as Ian Rapoport of NFL Network argued: "The Steelers have said they are not trading him, but the fact that he is inactive this week does make us think maybe they could."

There are plenty of teams that would love an athletic, 6'4" receiver who had 15 touchdowns in his first 21 games, but it will be up to Pittsburgh to decide whether he is worth the trouble.

Duane Brown, OT, Houston Texans

Jim Mone/Associated Press

It recently appeared as though the Houston Texans' Duane Brown was going to be traded. The tackle had been a holdout since training camp, with neither side budging on a new contract, making him useless for the Texans but a perfect target for another team.

Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reported Brown was an option for the Seattle Seahawks, who also looked at Cordy Glenn of the Buffalo Bills. Benjamin Allbright of Cover32 reported Houston tried to deal Brown but couldn't agree on a price tag.

After all this discussion, however, Brown finally returned to the team this week.

According to Rapoport, the tackle isn't expected to be traded as he prepares to play the next 10 games for the Texans. The even better news is he could be available to play as early as Sunday.

"Very ready," Brown said, per Drew Dougherty of the team's official site. "It's my 10th year doing it, so I'm very familiar with what I need to do in order to be out there and be productive and be efficient. I'm in shape, so just getting caught up to speed on the plays and the terminology and I'll be good."

This is huge for the Texans as they try to compete in the AFC South and likely a disappointment to all the teams in need of help on the offensive line.

Joe Staley, OT, San Francisco 49ers

Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

Brown might not be on the move, but there are still teams looking for a tackle. The Denver Broncos could use an upgrade on the offensive line, while the Philadelphia Eagles could suddenly be desperate after Pro Bowl tackle Jason Peters was placed on injured reserve.

One possible target is Joe Staley, who has five Pro Bowl appearances in his 10-year career with the San Francisco 49ers, starting every game he has played in this stretch.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee wrote in his mailbag he expects the 49ers to discuss potential trades before the deadline, including with the Eagles. However, he also noted there is an advantage of keeping him on the roster to help protect whomever is the quarterback next season.

Staley is under contract through the 2019 season, per Spotrac.

The coaching staff also doesn't want to trade away the left tackle unless necessary.

"It'd have to take a whole lot," head coach Kyle Shanahan said, per Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group.

This doesn't necessarily mean Staley won't be traded, especially since Shanahan doesn't have the final say on personnel moves, but the cost to get him might be too high for anyone to pull the trigger.