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Wilfredo Lee/Associated Press
The 2021 NFL trade deadline is rapidly approaching. At 4 p.m. ET on November 2, the market will close for the season, and teams looking to add talent will be limited to the free-agent and practice-squad pools.
Naturally, there has been no shortage of trade buzz ahead of the deadline. Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson has headlined the rumor mill, and there’s a real chance that he’s dealt in the coming days.
Watson hasn’t played this season as he faces 22 civil lawsuits and 10 criminal complaints from women who have accused him of sexual assault or misconduct. However, the Miami Dolphins are interested and have agreed with Houston on preliminary trade compensation, according to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle.
Watson is far from the only player who could be moved before next Tuesday, though, and here, we’ll dive into some of the other trade buzz worth following.
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Jacob Kupferman/Associated Press
The Philadelphia Eagles have stumbled to a 2-5 record, and while they’ve dealt with injuries along the offensive line—starting left tackle Jordan Mailata, guard Brandon Brooks and guard Isaac Seumalo have all missed time—they could be interested in moving backup tackle Andre Dillard.
Dillard, the 22nd overall pick in the 2019 draft, has made four starts this season but is back to a reserve role with Mailata healthy. According to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport, teams have been inquiring about his availability.
“Dillard hasn’t been in the starting lineup, and recently, he has been taking reps at guard in practice,” Rapoport wrote. “So, teams have been calling with trade interest. … The Eagles won’t give him away, and there are scenarios where he’s a part of their future, anyway. But teams believe a quality second-day pick would be enough to pry Dillard away.”
While Dillard hasn’t lived up to his draft status, he’s still a 26-year-old tackle with upside. The Eagles aren’t going to get a first-round pick back for him, but a Day 2 pick isn’t unrealistic if a team believes it can get the most out of the Washington State product.
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Wilfredo Lee/Associated Press
If the Dolphins do strike a trade for Watson, it immediately clouds the already murky future of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Publicly, Miami has backed the second-year quarterback.
“I think he’s getting better every time he steps on the field,” head coach Brian Flores said, per Daniel Oyefusi of the Miami Herald.
However, if the Dolphins are all-in on acquiring Watson, it’s unlikely that Tagovailoa will be part of the franchise’s future. The problem is that Miami may struggle to find Tagovailoa a new home.
According to Sports Illustrated‘s Albert Breer, the Texans aren’t particularly interested in acquiring Tagovailoa as part of a Watson trade.
“My sense is, and I know this might sound out of whack, that the Texans actually like Davis Mills more than Tua Tagovailoa,” Breer wrote.
The Denver Broncos—who are still searching for a franchise quarterback—are also out on Tagovailoa.
“Per source, Broncos not in on Tua Tagovailoa either, by the way,” Mike Klis of 9News Denver tweeted.
So, while there’s a chance that Miami has a new quarterback by Tuesday, there’s also a good chance that it will still have Tagovailoa on the roster.
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Darryl Webb/Associated Press
The Arizona Cardinals are the NFL’s last undefeated team. Normally, contenders are more interested in buying than selling at the trade deadline. However, the Cardinals could be open to moving 2019 second-round pick Andy Isabella.
Isabella caught 21 passes for 224 yards and two touchdowns last season. However, he’s been an offensive non-factor in 2021. According to Pro Football Reference, he’s been on the field for all of six special-teams snaps this season, and that’s it.
According to Rapoport, the Cardinals weren’t interested in moving Isabella during the preseason but could now change their stance.
“Teams were calling Arizona to no avail about the speedster prior to the season,” Rapoport wrote. “Expect those calls to increase as the trade deadline draws closer and if they don’t trade him, the Cardinals face the prospect of getting nothing for a former early pick who doesn’t appear part of their future.”
Arizona may be inclined to keep Isabella as an insurance policy, but expect teams to continue making offers for the former University of Massachusetts standout.
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