Surprise NFL Trade Deadline Buyers Should Make These Trades

You probably saw that outlandish trade proposal floating around the internet this weekend.

Former Jets general manager and current ESPN analyst Mike Tannenbaum is so in love with Browns star Myles Garrett that he thinks the Lions would be wise to give up three first-round draft picks, a second-round pick, and young running back Jahmyr Gibbs for him.

It was typical ESPN theatrics, complete with a fellow analyst performatively walking off the set. But there are two kernels of truth to take away from the bizarre idea.

The Lions need some pass-rush help in the wake of Aidan Hutchinson’s season-ending injury last month.

And the Lions are buyers. The Lions! What a world!

Indeed, the hallmark of this year’s NFL trade deadline is the collection of surprise buyers, led by a Detroit franchise with such little history of winning or making big splashes, now seriously contending for a Super Bowl and getting airtime on national airwaves debating their status.

With the trade deadline approaching Tuesday afternoon, let’s get the Lions that defensive help and highlight three other teams who don’t usually get to be in the privileged position of buyer at this time of year.

Detroit Lions Acquire Miami Dolphins DE Calais Campbell

Cleveland won’t part with Garrett, but NBC’s Pro Football Talk connected another Browns defender, Za’Darius Smith, to Detroit on Sunday night.

The Lions may have several other options as well. I previously wrote about them pursuing Haason Reddick, but it looks like he’s finally content to play for the Jets.

Then there’s Calais Campbell, who at 38 projects as an affordable half-year rental and surely wouldn’t mind leaving the sinking Dolphins for the opportunity to go deep in the playoffs with the Lions. How can we be so sure coach Dan Campbell likes the player who shares his surname? Here he was being open about the Lions’ pursuit of the defensive star less than two years ago.

Arizona Cardinals Acquire New York Giants Pass Rusher Azeez Ojulari

The Cardinals handled the Bears, and the Rams sent the Seahawks tumbling below .500, meaning that at the end of Week 9, 5-4 Arizona is your surprise leader in the NFC West. Quick question to everyone who saw that coming: Why are you lying to me?

Arizona is hardly a great contender — the team has a minus-7 point differential on the year — but it should be serious about pulling together the best team possible to make a playoff run while the window is open.

That means finding help for the pass rush after BJ Ojulari suffered a season-ending knee injury in August and Dennis Gardeck tore his ACL two weeks ago.

Going after BJ’s brother, Azeez Ojulari, makes all the sense in the world. The Giants are going nowhere fast and have already relegated their 2021 second-round pick to a backup role behind Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux. But Ojulari has performed all the same, racking up five sacks in three weeks when Thibodeaux got hurt and adding two QB hits Sunday against Washington.

Washington Commanders Acquire New England Patriots CB Jonathan Jones

ESPN reported Saturday that “players,” in general, would like to be traded to the Commanders.

It would be such a thin attempt at a news story except for the fact that Washington was about the last place any player would ever want to wind up in the Dan Snyder ownership era. This is news. This is the new era of football in the greater Landover, Maryland area.

Specifically, multiple reports agree the Commanders want to improve at cornerback. They have the cap space to bring in Jonathan Jones, the Patriots’ CB1, who is a prime trade candidate as New England plummets to the bottom of the AFC and needs to rebuild.

Cincinnati Bengals Acquire Miami Dolphins CB Jalen Ramsey

You wanna get nuts?

Cincinnati is the ultimate surprise buyer. The Athletic reported the Bengals are making calls, despite having an owner with a skinflinty reputation and acquiring just two players via trade in 52 years.

The Bengals have been weak at cornerback dating back to their 2021 Super Bowl run. There’s perhaps no more compelling way to address that than by trading for one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL.

Ramsey is no stranger to being dealt from team to team, but he’s still a perennial Pro Bowler and just grabbed his first interception of the season Sunday. Yes, he just signed an extension with Miami before the season, but at 2-6, the Dolphins have every reason to hit reset and flip Ramsey’s contract for future assets.

How does three first-round draft picks, a second-round pick and a young running back sound? Kidding.