QB Room, Week 8: NFL trade deadline's top names to watch as contenders try to help their star passers

An AFC general manager was going down a list of NFL teams during a phone call Monday, speculating buyers and sellers at the trade deadline, when the Kansas City Chiefs’ acquisition of New England Patriots edge rusher Josh Uche popped up in his text messages.

“Uche just went,” he said. “To the Chiefs. Wow.”

Uche’s availability was about as close to being broadcast publicly by the Patriots as you could get. And not just his availability, but also a fifth-round draft pick price tag that many suspected had an even lower threshold for compensation. Which it ultimately did, in the form of a sixth-round pick from Kansas City. It marked the second trade the Chiefs have made as the deadline approaches on Tuesday — the first being a trade for Tennessee Titans wideout DeAndre Hopkins. And there’s a chance Kansas City isn’t done, either. Last week, multiple executives told Yahoo Sports that the Chiefs were making calls on cornerback availability.

Still squarely in a Super Bowl window that will probably exist as long as Patrick Mahomes is under center, Kansas City is wasting no time scouring every avenue to help him make the next championship happen. Because while the Hopkins trade was expressly for Mahomes, the defensive additions are about Mahomes. For a few teams with special quarterbacks — Super Bowl window creators — the shopping list is about having the QB, regardless of where you’re making the team better around him.

You certainly see it happening right now with the trade calls. The 49ers are in the wideout market looking for a reliable short-term rental to cover the hole made by the season-ending injury to Brandon Aiyuk. The Lions are poking around defensive ends, to help cover for the loss of Aidan Hutchinson, but also to make sure they take their best possible cut in the playoffs while Jared Goff is playing at his peak.

The Washington Commanders feel like they’ve suddenly got a tiger by the tail with the way that quarterback Jayden Daniels has lifted the offense, so they’re doing a lot of work on defensive line and cornerbacks. The Los Angeles Chargers? Poking around high-end tight ends for Justin Herbert. The Bills got their wideout for Josh Allen by peeling Amari Cooper off the Cleveland Browns, but they’re still looking at front-end defensive help. And the Philadelphia Eagles are always looking. It's just how they operate. That said, I wouldn't count them among the aggressive buyers this year.

Just remember: Some of the deadline hunting is for the quarterbacks. All of it is about the quarterbacks.

So who is really available right now? Here are some names to watch.

Travis Etienne, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars hoped they could find a trade partner for slot receiver Christian Kirk, but he suffered a season-ending broken collarbone in the loss to the Green Bay Packers. I don’t think Etienne is being shopped the way Kirk would have been. But I do think the Jaguars would be open to taking serious calls for him. They’re not going to give him away. Despite injuries, he’s still a core playmaker when healthy. He also has a somewhat modest $6.14 million base salary next season.

Cooper Kupp, WR, Los Angeles Rams

Despite the win over the Minnesota Vikings — which really showcased Puka Nacua as the Rams’ No. 1 at this point — I still believe the Rams would deal him for the right compensation/salary absorption combination. One executive whose team has been in the market all season for a wideout said the Rams were “still stuck on a second-round pick” for Kupp compensation. Unless they eat the majority of his remaining salary this season, I don’t think they’ll get that kind of draft pick.

Mike Williams, WR, New York Jets

He’s not a fit anymore. There’s no need to go into all of it. He can be had for next to nothing. Just a willingness to pay some of his remaining base salary.

Treylon Burks, WR, Tennessee Titans

The Titans are definitely messaging that they’re not selling off any other pieces after shipping out Hopkins and linebacker Earnest Jones IV. I think they’d deal Burks at this point for a late-round draft pick. I just don’t think anyone is going to make that call.

The Carolina Panthers

It’s wild to list a whole team, but aside from its most recent draft class and a very small group of core players, anyone on the roster would be open for a discussion. Basically, name a player over the age of 25 and the Panthers are open for a call. Offense, defense, special teams. And some under the age of 25, too.

Za’Darius Smith, DE, Cleveland Browns

This one is more interesting coming off the win over the Baltimore Ravens. If the Browns could get another win Sunday against the Chargers and head into the bye week with back-to-back quality AFC victories, it could have a chilling effect on Smith being available. Cleveland's defense is a big part of getting the momentum turned around the second half of the season, and dealing Smith would put a dent in that. On the other hand, he’s an attractive mercenary for a team like the Detroit Lions.

Tre’Davious White, CB, Los Angeles Rams

He’s been riding the struggle bus all season, and the Rams have green-lit White and reps seeking a trade elsewhere. He’s a big name who isn’t living up to his own standard right now. At the very least, he’d be motivated, since he’s slated to hit free agency in March and could use some quality tape.

Trey Hendrickson, DE, Cincinnati Bengals

He wants a new contract that I don’t think he’s getting with the Bengals. They could hang onto him and deal him next season, but the returns would be far less than what he could draw right now. It will be an expensive trade if someone really wants to have that conversation with the Bengals.

That’s hardly a comprehensive list in a league where most everyone is available if you are willing to pay the freight. Next week, we’ll take a look back at which quarterbacks had their situations improved the most by trade deadline moves.

Until then, on to Week 8 of the QB Room …

• Jayden Daniels’ 52-yard Hail Mary to wideout Noah Brown to beat the Chicago Bears. Yes, there is always an element of luck on a Hail Mary. But there is skill, too. And for Daniels, it was stretching the play nearly 13 seconds long with his feet — and with total composure — then picking the right spot to step into his throw. The Commanders feel like they’re never dead in a game with Daniels, and they might be right.

• David Montgomery’s short touchdown pass to tight end Sam LaPorta, which was a perfect spiral. Montgomery was a dual-threat quarterback in high school coming up in Cincinnati. You can see it when he throws. The Lions regularly go into their bag on offense for something unique. That gives defenses a ton to prepare for. And this is a great example.

• Kirk Cousins’ 49-yard touchdown to tight end Kyle Pitts, between multiple defenders in the middle of the field. Not only did Cousins hit Pitts in stride, he knew he was going to him from the moment the ball was snapped. The duo has really been clicking the past four games, and it has Pitts on track for arguably the best season of his career.

• Justin Herbert’s superb back shoulder sideline tap to wideout Jalen Reagor, who made a beautiful catch. Herbert is quietly starting to crank it up in Jim Harbaugh’s offense. Not only is he utilizing a multitude of different players, he's exuding confidence and looking like he’s finally healthy.

• Russell Wilson’s 43-yard, over-the-shoulder and in-perfect-rhythm (from a super clean pocket to boot) basket drop to wideout George Pickens along the sideline. It’s one of the prettier balls I’ve seen from Wilson in a while. It also illustrates what Mike Tomlin was reaching for when he put Wilson back into the starter’s chair. For what it’s worth, Tomlin has looked absolutely correct in his decision thus far. The Steelers' offense is vertical and playing with a ton of confidence.

This week’s look at the passing charts ended up focusing on Cleveland Browns quarterback Jameis Winston and how dramatically different the franchise’s offense (not to mention competitive fire) looked in comparison to what Deshaun Watson produced this season. It’s really never an apples-to-apples comparison when you’re looking at a one-game snapshot versus another one-game snapshot. But it’s fair enough given the criteria.

The only “starter” snapshot we have with Winston from this season is Sunday’s 29-24 win over the Baltimore Ravens. I chose that to compare to Watson’s Week 1 chart against the Dallas Cowboys. The reasoning is that like Winston against the Ravens, it was Watson’s first full week of starter preparation for a game this season. It was also Watson’s highest-volume passing game of the season (45 attempts) which made it easier to slot alongside Winston’s 41 attempts against the Ravens. The pacing of both games also tilted them more toward the passing game as well.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at the two charts, starting first with Watson’s game against Dallas …

And next, Winston’s game against the Ravens …

So what do we see? One thing that should immediately stand out when you look at Watson’s chart are the overwhelming number of throws that were 5 yards or less (including behind the line of scrimmage). The biggest ribbon of Watson’s completions were less than 5 air yards. Part of that can be attributed to a Dallas pass rush that necessitated Watson getting the ball out as quickly as possible. But it's partly because that’s where the staff went to find Watson’s efficiency, and it was mirrored across all of his seven games. Fifty-two percent of Watson’s pass attempts this season (113 of 216) were 5 air yards or less, while 65 percent of his completions were 5 air yards or less. The single-game snapshot against Dallas: 51 percent of his attempts were 5 air yards or less, while 79 percent of his completions were 5 air yards or less.

Now compare that against Winston’s single-game snapshot versus the Ravens. Forty-one percent of his attempts were 5 air yards or less, with only 44 percent of his completions coming in the same distance. In the one-game comparison, Winston took bigger shots downfield and Cleveland's offense was far more vertical. He threw 19 passes that were 11 or more air yards, completing 12 of them. Against Dallas, Watson threw 15 passes that were 11 or more air yards, completing three. Again, that’s largely reflected across the entirely of Watson’s seven games. His “success” was dink-and-dunk. His struggle was taking downfield shots.

In one game, Winston was much more successful vertically — much like Joe Flacco was in 2023. While it’s a conversation for a different day, I’m not sure how the Browns can fix this. Watson’s backups have simply had more success than Watson immediately after they stepped in … with the same surrounding cast of players. Either head coach Kevin Stefanski has to radically remake the scheme he runs (which has been successful with multiple quarterbacks who were not Watson) or the Browns have to stick with quarterbacks who can operate it. Unless Watson comes back next season and suddenly has a mastery of it, the problems are going to persist.

It’s hard to watch this highlight and act like we don’t all know what the right answer is.

Stock Up

Atlanta Falcons’ Kirk Cousins

23-for-29, 276 yards, 4 TDs, 0 INTs; 3 rushes for 16 yards; 2 sacks

Don’t look now, but Cousins is on a heater with the Falcons going 4-1 in their past five games, including two wins over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — Atlanta’s toughest division rival — with eight touchdown passes and only 1 interception in those victories. He’s still slightly behind his level of play through the eight games he played last season before he tore his Achilles, but he’s not that far off. That's saying something, given that he was playing arguably the best football of his career last season. What’s more promising for the Falcons is that Cousins is helping to crank up all of their talented young skill position players at the same time.

Los Angeles Rams’ Matthew Stafford

25-for-34, 279 yards, 4 TDs, 1 INT; 0 sacks

Finally, Stafford had a game where he looked like the best Rams version of himself. Not surprisingly, it comes with star wideouts Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp back on the field together, and a strong commitment to the running game that has the offense looking balanced again. We’ll see if the offensive line can continue to come together, but after beating the Minnesota Vikings soundly, the Rams look capable of putting a run together that gets them back into the postseason picture.

Cleveland Browns’ Jameis Winston

27-for-41, 334 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTs; 2 sacks; 1 fumble lost

You can get a better look at how Winston operated inside the Browns' offense in the Tale of Two Passing Charts section. This was Winston’s first 300-yard and three-touchdown passing performance since December of 2019. Frankly, it’s one of his best games in a long, long time, especially when you consider the circumstances of Winston stepping in for an injured Deshaun Watson and being counted on to create a spark similar to what Joe Flacco provided in 2023. Winston did exactly that. The change in Cleveland feels significant. It’s worth noting that he’s only 30 and could still be some team’s bridge starter at some point if he can put together a run with the Browns to finish the season.

Stock Down

New Orleans Saints’ Spencer Rattler

12-for-24, 156 yards, 0 TDs, 0 INTs; 3 sacks

I don’t want to go in on him too much, given that he’s a rookie. But he was definitely given a good look over two and a half games. The Saints gave him the opportunity to operate a pass-heavy offense despite facing some solid defenses, and Rattler looked like a rookie who is going to need ample seasons to develop. There’s nothing wrong with that. The stock down designation is more a result of his benching and also the tamping down of the hopes that Rattler might surprise everyone with his current play. He didn’t.

Green Bay Packers’ Jordan Love

14-for-22, 196 yards, 0 TDs, 1 INT

This is a stock down for injury rather than performance. When he’s healthy, Love is actually playing very well. But the groin injury he suffered in the narrow win over the Jacksonville Jaguars has to be frustrating for the staff. Not only is it his second lower body injury of the season, it comes on the doorstep of facing the Detroit Lions in a very important divisional matchup. One other worry, too: Groin injuries can linger for quarterback’s who utilize their athleticism to move around a lot.

Indianapolis Colts’ Anthony Richardson

10-for-32, 175 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT; 6 rushes for 45 yards; 5 sacks; 1 fumble lost

Richardson was already trending toward disaster before having a rough performance against the Houston Texans, when he admitted tapping out of a drive at one point to take a play off to get a breather. Richardson admitting that is remarkable and concerning. It’s no wonder the Colts decided to bench him for Joe Flacco against the Minnesota Vikings for Week 9. Richardson is hurting the offense more than helping it, and the next four games (against the Vikings, Buffalo Bills, New York Jets and Detroit Lions) will be extremely critical if the Colts have any hope at squeezing into a playoff spot.

○ Across the NFL, the Indianapolis Colts’ decision to start Joe Flacco over Anthony Richardson is being viewed as a “soft benching” — meaning that Flacco will start only as long as the Colts are in the postseason picture. When/if Indianapolis is eliminated, the assumption among league executives is that Richardson will be back in the saddle. The Colts are 4-4 and are in second place in the AFC South. Flacco’s contribution to that record is 2-1 in the three games he appeared in, so there’s no telling how long this could go. There’s a chance Richardson won’t see the field again in 2024 if Flacco keeps the Colts competitive.

So how does this get fixed with Richardson?

There are varying opinions on that across the league, and most of them aren’t great. Some are suggestive of a hard reset where he’s the backup the rest of the season, then an offseason that emphasizes just the most basic fundamentals of a dramatically slimmed-down offensive playbook and starting over again on Richardson’s mechanics.

“He has to have mastery over a section of the offense and his mechanics before you put him out there,” one AFC general manager said. “In-game stress and pressure usually makes guys revert to their habits. Then you can expand what you ask him to do from there. Additionally, ever since he has been a starter, he has also been rehabbing injuries and that takes both time and mental energy. I think this [benching] could be good for him.”

An NFC executive who suggested Richardson shouldn’t have started his rookie year was less optimistic about what a benching accomplishes now.

“He missed most of his rookie year so he hasn’t really played, and now it’s not good enough?” he said. “From ownership down, I would guess people are not aligned [on the decision].”

Added another NFC executive: “It’s an offseason thing. If you are truly committed to him, you have to change up the offense and live with what he can do and accept what he can’t. [They] need to get him on the move, run him and throw it deep, I guess. Shane [Steichen] is a good coach, but he will have to adjust to [Richardson].”

One common repetitive theme: Don’t spend high draft picks on quarterbacks who have exceptional traits but extremely limited development. It’s a recipe for disaster and regret. I don’t think the Colts are there yet … but they’re definitely not any closer to Richardson turning some kind of corner and getting on the Josh Allen track.

Oh, and one other thing seemingly everyone agrees on: When you’re asked this question about tapping yourself out of a game, never, ever say this.

○ Some across the league still believe the Panthers would be willing to trade Bryce Young if anyone put together a real pursuit. Young, who will start on Sunday vs. the Saints, seemed to operate at a much better pace in a 28-14 loss to the Denver Broncos in Week 8. Perhaps it's an indication of him settling down during the benching and showcasing some growth from it. His next start can be taken as one more showcase outing before the trade deadline or for the Panthers to see if Young can build from one game to the next.

As for Young, this throw to rookie Jalen Coker on third-and-14 … that was the guy who came out of Alabama and had everyone raving about him as a prospect. I’d like to see where this could go from here.

○ I’ve covered the league as long as Aaron Rodgers has been in it, and his tone this week is remarkably serene in the face of one of the worst New York Jets losses in years. You can’t help but wonder if the tension has been released because everyone in that building knows the season requires at least an 8-1 finish to make the playoffs and is likely toast. I’ve seen teams get loose and, oddly enough, actually play better when they know their fate is pretty much sealed.

This moment already feels like it happened months ago:

○ Depending on what happens with Jordan Love’s groin, the Green Bay Packers could be leaning on backup Malik Willis again in Week 9 agains the Detroit Lions. I don’t know if there are any prop bets out there still sleeping on the Packers' Matt LaFleur as a Coach of the Year wager, but if they are, people inclined to throw a couple bucks on LaFleur might want to get that bet in now. If he can coach Green Bay to a win over the Lions with Willis starting — and it’s certainly possible — LaFleur is going to fly up any boards where he isn’t already in the top two or three.