NFL Trade Block Big Board Entering Week 8

We're entering the final full week before the 2020 NFL trade deadline. After 4 p.m. ET Tuesday, teams will no longer be allowed to conduct in-season deals. There could be a flurry of activity over the next few days as franchises look to sell off assets and/or bring in reinforcements for the stretch run.

Twelve teams own at least five wins while seven teams have one or fewer, so there should be a fair bit of action on both ends of the spectrum.

Who are the top players likely to be available at the deadline? That's what we'll determine, using factors such as roster makeup, cap space and the likelihood of player movement to guide us.

The Selection Process

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To get our top 10, we first determined 15 likely trade candidates based on prior speculation and common sense. Losing teams like the 0-7 New York Jets, for example, could look to dump salaries and gain draft picks before the deadline.

We have a couple of additions to the list as teams begin to make players available.

Albert Breer of The MMQB reported that the Cincinnati Bengals have defensive end Carlos Dunlap on the trading block. Breer also said on Patriots Pregame Live that the New England Patriots have discussed dealing cornerback Stephon Gilmore.

To make room for these three, we're removing Odell Beckham Jr. and Haason Reddick. Beckham suffered a torn ACL on Sunday and is out for the season. At 5-2, the Arizona Cardinals are contenders and shouldn't be looking to move contributors like Reddick.

The new initial list, in no particular order, is as follows:

• Chris Herndon, TE, New York Jets
• A.J. Green, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
• David Johnson, RB, Houston Texans
• Stephon Gilmore, CB, New England Patriots
• Dwayne Haskins Jr., QB, Washington Football Team
• Alshon Jeffery, WR, Philadelphia Eagles
• Ryan Kerrigan, Edge, Washington Football Team
• Jacoby Brissett, QB, Indianapolis Colts
• DaeSean Hamilton, WR, Denver Broncos
• Denzel Perryman, LB, Los Angeles Chargers
• Kenny Stills, WR, Houston Texans
• Carlos Dunlap, DE, Cincinnati Bengals
• Trent Murphy, Edge, Buffalo Bills
• Vic Beasley Jr., Edge, Tennessee Titans
• Golden Tate, WR, New York Giants

10. Chris Herndon, TE, New York Jets

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New York Jets tight end Chris Herndon might not jump out as a prime trade-deadline target—at least based on this season. He has caught just 13 of 23 targets for 98 yards and has been credited with three dropped passes.

"A lot of it is just self-inflicted," Herndon said, per Brian Costello of the New York Post,

However, Herndon possesses a ton of physical upside, which he flashed two years ago as a rookie—he was limited to one game by injury and suspension last season. In 2018. Herndon caught 39 passes for 502 yards and two touchdowns.

Teams looking to add depth with a pass-catching tight end should show some interest in Herndon.

The Jets, who are barreling toward the No. 1 in the 2021 draft, should view very few players as off-limits before the deadline. Herndon isn't one of them. If a team Herndon, it can likely have him.

9. Golden Tate, WR, New York Giants

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New York Giants wide receiver Golden Tate finally got into the end zone in Week 7. His 39-yard touchdown reception helped the Giants build an 11-point lead that they ultimately blew. It's unlikely that he's going to become a big part of the offensive game plan, though.

Tate has caught just one pass in each of his last two games and has been targeted three times in that span.

The Giants are going nowhere, even in the pitiful NFC East, so Tate should be available for the right price.

He could benefit a team in the playoff mix. He's not going to be a top option, but he has been a productive complementary receiver in the past. Just last season—his first with the Giants—he caught 49 passes for 676 yards and six touchdowns.

8. David Johnson, RB, Houston Texans

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The Houston Texans suffered their sixth loss of the season Sunday, and as they slip further away from contention, they're more likely to consider dealing valuable pieces. As of now, Houston will enter the 2021 draft without a first- or second-round draft pick.

One would have to think running back David Johnson could be available for the right price. He's been serviceable since being acquired as part of the DeAndre Hopkins trade, but he hasn't been a bell-cow back.

While Johnson has 553 scrimmage yards and four touchdowns, he's averaging just 3.9 yards per carry. The Texans could look to get out from under the last season and a half of his three-year, $39 million contract if a running back-needy team comes calling with a fair offer.

While a team that deals for Johnson wouldn't be getting a workhorse No. 1 back, it could add a fine complementary piece for the stretch run—like the Kansas City Chiefs just did by signing Le'Veon Bell.

7. Dwayne Haskins Jr., QB, Washington Football Team

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The Washington Football Team appears to be done with 2019 first-round pick Dwayne Haskins Jr. The former Ohio State star has been out of the starting lineup the past three weeks and hasn't even been active on game days.

CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora reported two weeks ago that teams around the league believe he could be dealt before the deadline. While this is likely still the case, Haskins remains low in our rankings for one big reason.

While the quarterback position is the NFL's most important, Haskins has shown little to suggest he can contribute right away. This means he isn't a viable option for teams like Dallas that need quarterback help right now—not that Washington would be likely to help the Cowboys.

However, Haskins could still have a lot of value for a franchise that is looking to develop a young signal-caller for the future. The allure of the unknown will probably cause at least one team to kick the tires on Haskins at the deadline.

6. Alshon Jeffery, WR, Philadelphia Eagles

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According to Breer, Eagles wideout Alshon Jeffery is "very clearly available," and teams have reason to be interested at the deadline.

While not a true No. 1 option, Jeffery can be a valuable possession receiver, as he has been in the past. He had 65 catches for 843 yards and six touchdowns in 13 games in 2018. If Jeffery can be obtained for little trade capital, he could be an ideal target for a receiver-needy contender.

The fact that Antonio Brown is off the market should only increase the value of wideouts like Jeffery.

However, he isn't higher on this list for two reasons. For one, he still isn't back to 100 percent from his foot injury and hasn't suited up in 2020. As well, he's saddled with an unfavorable contract that carries an $18.5 million cap hit next season.

Even if a team doesn't give up much to acquire Jeffery, he isn't going to be cheap.

5. Kenny Stills, WR, Houston Texans

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As previously mentioned, the 1-6 Houston Texans could be close to having a fire sale. One of the first pieces up for bid should be wide receiver Kenny Stills. A talented complementary receiver in the right situation, Stills has largely been an afterthought this season.

Stills has been targeted just 18 times and has 10 catches for 138 yards and a touchdown. There's virtually no reason for the Texans to be high on keeping him in the final year of his contract.

Any reasonable offer should be enough to get Stills out of Houston.

A team that acquires him would be getting a solid role player. His lack of production this year is about a lack of opportunities and not a lack of talent. Just last season, Stills had 40 catches, 561 yards and four touchdowns while playing alongside DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller V.

4. Carlos Dunlap, Edge, Cincinnati Bengals

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The Bengals appear willing to move on from edge-rusher Carlos Dunlap. Dunlap appears to want out—he briefly appeared to be offering up his Cincinnati-area home—which could make him a bargain-bin option at the deadline.

Teams aren't going to offer much for a player when a team is already willing to break ties.

If Dunlap can be had on the cheap, he could be one of the best pickups of midseason. He's played less than 60 percent of the defensive snaps this season and hasn't been highly productive, but he's traditionally been one of the more consistent edge-defenders in the NFL.

Dunlap had nine sacks last season and has averaged just over eight sacks over the last four years. He should add an instant boost to any contender that needs a situational pass-rusher.

Guys who can pressure the quarterback are always going to be valuable, which is why Dunlap is in the top half of our power rankings despite being a new addition.

*Update: The Bengals are trading Dunlap to the Seattle Seahawks, according to NFL Medias Ian Rapoport.

3. Jacoby Brissett, QB, Indianapolis Colts

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While Dwayne Haskins Jr. wouldn't have much value to a team that needs a quarterback right now. Indianapolis Colts backup Jacoby Brissett could. Brissett has 32 career starts and helped Indianapolis reach 7-9 last season.

For a team like the Cowboys—who are down two signal-callers and playing in a weak division—a 7-9 quarterback could be an ideal target. He would instantly be a more experienced option than either Ben DiNucci or Garrett Gilbert, Dallas' two healthy quarterbacks.

Brissett should be a top target for any other team if its starter gets hurt between now and Nov. 3. He should also be available if a team is willing to offer something of value.

Brissett is firmly entrenched behind starter Philip Rivers, and he's in the final year of his contract. Indianapolis could be happy to dump some salary and get something in return if it can unload Brissett for a fair price.

2. Ryan Kerrigan, Edge, Washington Football Team

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When Washington picked up its second win of the season Sunday, it reentered the NFC East divisional race. However, there's still reason to believe edge-rusher Ryan Kerrigan will be available at the deadline. He's 32 years old and in the final year of his contract, and Washington could be eager to add to its 2021 draft haul.

If so, Kerrigan could be one of the best values available.

"A perfect stretch-run add for a contender," NBC Sports' Peter King wrote of Kerrigan.

Kerrigan had another sack against the Cowboys on Sunday, bringing his season total to four despite playing just 36 percent of the defensive snaps. He could potentially put up Pro Bowl numbers with a bigger role on a contender.

1. Stephon Gilmore, CB, New England Patriots

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There should be no shortage of playoff-caliber teams looking for secondary help, which is why Stephon Gilmore tops this list. While he hasn't been spectacular in 2020—he has only two passes defended and one interception—he's still a No. 1 corner and the reigning Defensive Player of the Year.

Were the Patriots built to make a deep playoff run this season, they almost certainly wouldn't consider dealing Gilmore. But at 2-4, they might be a long shot even to earn a wild-card berth.

The Patriots likely could get a significant haul for Gilmore while also clearing the last year-and-a-half of his five-year, $65 million contract off their books. They had conversations about trading him as recently as August, according to Albert Breer of The MMQB (via Justin Leger of NBC Sports Boston).

While Gilmore is set to carry a cap hit of roughly $17.2 million next season, an interested team wouldn't be trading for an albatross of a deal. His cap hit in 2021 isn't much more than what Xavien Howard and Tre'Davious White are making annually.

Any team acquiring Gilmore would get an elite defensive piece for the stretch run and a No. 1-caliber corner at a pricey-but-not-overpriced salary in 2021.

Contract information via Spotrac. Advanced statistics from Pro Football Reference.