AUGUST 21: To little surprise, Pelissero names Adam Thielen as a potential Vikings target (video link). Nothing is imminent, and the Panthers elected to keep him in the fold at last year’s trade deadline. Reuniting with Thielen would nevertheless allow for Minnesota to bring the former Pro Bowler back to where his first nine seasons took place as a starting-caliber option for 2025.
AUGUST 20: The Vikings are exploring a trade for a veteran wide receiver, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero and The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. The Jets and 49ers are also interested in adding a wideout, per Russini.
Minnesota will be without 2023 first-round pick Jordan Addison for the first three games of the season due to a DUI-related suspension. Justin Jefferson (hamstring) has returned to practice after missing much of training camp, but offseason signing Rondale Moore (knee) is out for the year and fourth-year receiver Jalen Nailor (hand) is currently “week-to-week,” according to head coach Kevin O’Connell.
Those absences would likely elevate tight end T.J. Hockenson to the No. 2 pass catcher role in the offense, but the Vikings seem to want more support for second-year quarterback (and first-year starter) J.J. McCarthy.
The Jets similarly have a clear WR1 (Garrett Wilson), a young quarterback (Justin Fields), and a veteran dealing with an injury (Allen Lazard). The hype surrounding veteran Josh Reynolds has faded over the course of the summer, and the rest of the team’s pass catchers are unproven as full-time starters. New York would love to see one of their young wideouts – particularly Malachi Corley, Xavier Gipson, Arian Smith, or Brandon Smith – emerge as a reliable secondary receiver, but it seems like none of the four has impressed in training camp as hoped.
The 49ers’ receiver room is still without Brandon Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings. The former is expected to be back around Week 6, while the latter is still nursing a calf injury (and seeking a new contract). The next man up, 2024 first-rounder Ricky Pearsall, seems poised for a Year 2 breakout, but his would-be running mate, nine-year veteran Demarcus Robinson, could begin the year on a suspension stemming from a 2024 DUI arrest.
Fourth-round rookie Jordan Watkins is also dealing with a high ankle sprain and may not be ready for Week 1. That would leave Pearsall to pair up with Jacob Cowing or Robbie Chosen, who barely played last year, or Russell Gage, who didn’t play at all last year. The 49ers are likely to make a move here before Week 1, with The Athletic’s Matt Barrows predicting multiple additions — for active-roster and practice squad spots — will unfold.
It’s unclear which receivers would be available on the trade market. An Adam Thielen reunion with the Vikings will likely be a popular mock trade in the coming weeks, and the Eagles may be willing to move 2022 first-round pick Jahan Dotson after acquiring John Metchie last week. The Bills also have a surplus of depth receivers and could move one before cutdown day for draft capital and cap relief, per The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia.
Damn a lot of needs here. Amari Cooper, Tyler Boyd, Gabe Davis all available. Maybe even Allen Robinson. Trade options could be Alec Pierce, Allen Lazard and maybe a patriots WR. KJ Osborn makes sense too
I think even the fork sticking out of Allen Robinson has melted at this point.
He’s a vet with experience. I’m spitballing here lol
Unfortunately there’s a reason most of these guys are available. Cooper looked like he was nearing the end last year. Boyd is 30 and slot only. Allen Lazard is Allen Lazard. Pierce is intriguing as a true deep threat I think a few teams could use. Davis has never been as good as he looked for a handful of games in Buffalo, but he’s useful. I’m surprised he hasn’t signed anywhere. I wonder if his asking price has been too high all offseason.
Presumably the Patriots are going to have to cut a couple of guys with some possible intrigue. Jason Brownlee won’t make the Chiefs and he could be a useful player. But none of those are reliable vets.
Cooper had like 1,300 yards two years ago. No way he’s already that washed. I think he’d have a solid year for a team with a prolific passing QB and a functional offense. Cleveland was a disaster, and Buffalo last year was a situation where he really wasn’t featured.
I’d love to be wrong because I’ve always liked him as a player, but he looked a lot worse last year physically. He wouldn’t be the first receiver who fell off very abruptly in his early 30s. I’m sure he’ll catch on somewhere, but I wouldn’t be counting on much.
Two seasons ago in NFL is like x 3 in years versus other sports.
NFL teams have caught up to the knowledge that age is usually a thing. Imo moreso than other sports, like the nba and mlb
Where a player rides from team to team, based on being a first round talent in 1963.
Na that’s ridiculous.
Amari isn’t washed imo
Adam Thielen is my favorite active player and I’d love to see him back with the Vikings even though I’m a Bears fan.
now would be a good time for the Bears to get out of DJ Moore’s contract before it becomes an albatross in 3 months
1) If the Bears were going to trade their best receiver in the first year of a new offense, they would have done it earlier in the offseason.
2) His contract isn’t about to be an albatross. $24.9 million this year isn’t a bad price for him at all, assuming he can rebound a little in an offense that has to be more functional. The next year is $28.5 million, which also isn’t bad. After that, he can be cut with zero dead cap if it’s not looking good or you don’t want to keep him around for his age 30 season.
He’s Chicago’s best offensive player along with Swift. You’re gonna move him when you have a young FIRST OVERALL PICK QB in need of reliable Wars for his development?
The only reason to move him would be a good return for a player that doesn’t get along with Williams. Even we believe that latter portion is true (and I am not saying that it is, please note that), we still must observe that Moore is the Bears’ most consistent offensive player, plays a position of great benefit to the quarterback, and produced last year as best he could. I don’t think that the first year of what is expected to be a prolific offense is the right time to trade Moore.
If it is done, though, I wouldn’t say that it would be a total shock. I definitely don’t see it happening now. I’d say the only way that it does happen without Chicago first finding a true replacement is if the year gets underway and it becomes abundantly clear that Moore is not a fit for the offense. That scenario may result in a deadline type trade, but even with that hypothetical, the return would probably have to be pretty good to deprive Williams of his number one receiver. The return part I fully expect to be good, because teams would definitely be interested (especially after some of these injuries), but the Bears would have to change their minds about Moore’s fit to do that.
Unless Moore doesn’t act like a one (which would be more surprising than a possible trade), I don’t think Johnson wants to get rid of his best offensive player a year into his regime. If they do it, however, they could probably get a good pick for a veteran to use in the future.
They’re not going to trade Moore this year but next year is a possibility if they need the cap room. I admit I didn’t really like his attitude last year even though I agreed with him in principle about the Bears offense. He was being paid to be above that and he wasn’t and I didn’t think he was that kind of guy. If Burden and Zacheus mesh with Caleb and Rome steps up he would be the most logical trade chip at the draft. He could net a nice extra pick and Cap savings to boot and they could easily draft his replacement. The only way I see them trading him now is if they wanted to make a play for Hendrickson or Parsons and I don’t think they need either of them to be a problem right now. The best player on the Bears defense right now is Dennis Allen and he’s worth more than either of them. Still the Bears do have some intriguing cut options right now at WR that somebody might want. Just don’t trade them to the Vikings and it’s fine. Scott, Duvernay, Boykin, somebody has to go.
Plus there’s another angle to consider. Early in camp Johnson flirted with formations in camp where Moore was lined up in the backfield. They haven’t shown it games but then again the starters really haven’t played. Could be part of the reason the Bears aren’t really looking for a top RB right now and seem content to shop at the Dollar General rather than Macy’s. Johnson loves the 2 RB system plus with Rome, Burden, Zacheus, Loveland and Kmet to throw to I can think of some interesting formations he can play with. Moore’s strength is RAC anyway so what better way to get it to him than hand it to him.
Anyone want Jalen Tolbert from Dallas??!?
I have the 49ers requiring Deebo Samuel in a stunning move. You heard it here first!
One reason for receivers falling off so hard after 30 are the hits across the middle. Receivers are not big-bodied guys and they really get rattled across the middle. Their bodies start to feel the hits early and rebel against it. The receiver starts spending more time looking for the defender than the ball.
Pierre Garçon was one of the few who could take hits late in his career. And Garçon was done by 32 because of injury.
This would apply to Amari Cooper, who has never liked to take hits over the middle. As with age receivers lose a step they must be used on inside routes with precise route-running and bigger hits (as opposed to sideline and go routes). End of career. There are younger and faster guys ready to take those life-changing and even life-ending hits. No one who has seen it will ever forget the Vontaze Burfict on Antonio Brown in the 2015 playoffs.
That was a dirty hit. Irrelevant to your argument. AB was still a beast in TB.
The point is that receivers get hit so hard that they start to see ghosts, Sam Darnold style after his years as a NYJ with little to no offensive line. With age, the first bloom of testosterone fades and with a few (or many) millions in the bank financial urgency abates. Going over the middle becomes much more difficult, not just in the head, but in the body.
Alec ,Good points.
What am I offered for QJ a Charger WR?
Can I get a Pizza and a 5th pick?
@JO.2. Vele is 28 and got a 4th. OJ also had a better year. It wont happen but it would be atleast be a 3rd. Reagor is most likely available for a 7th or maybe chargers 7th added for a 6th
Man sure seems tough for Jets receivers to develop. I mean the success rate across the league is tough when so many of these guys exist. But the Darnold/Wilson/Rodgers/Fields has been rough on the youngsters. Would love to see Gipson emerge. Im not a Jets fan but thought high of him at one point.
The Seahawks might part with Marquez Valdes-Scanting… He had a good year on a lousy team last year… The Hawks are suddenly rich with WR’s…
The Eagles are unlikely to move any of their receivers after Johnny Wilson went down with an injury.