Getty Several members of the Carolina Panthers getting ready for an NFL game.
The New York Jets are enjoying a nice surplus on the defensive line.
They have so many talented players on their roster that they are forced to make tough business decisions each week with their active players.
That could very well open up the door for a creative trade opportunity mid-season.
Insider Predicts a Trade Is in the Jets’ Future
Rich Cimini of ESPN said in his Sunday morning column that Gang Green has a “d-line dilemma” with the number of guys they have in the room.
Gang Green has 10 of them on the roster and Vinny Curry is waiting in the wings to come off of injured reserve which would increase that number to 11.
Cimini called it a “crazy surplus” and predicted that general manager Joe Douglas will receive trade calls leading up to the NFL trade deadline in November.
One trade that could make sense is flipping former first-rounder, Sheldon Rankins, for a valuable asset.
With the Carolina Panthers firing head coach Matt Rhule, several NFL insiders have predicted a potential fire sale with their roster.
If that comes to fruition the Jets shouldn’t go after the big names, but instead, try to find the diamonds in the rough.
A name that fits that bill is linebacker Frankie Luvu.
The former undrafted free agent has carved out a nice career in Carolina and is a versatile piece on the defensive side of the ball.
This offseason he signed a two-year deal to stay with the Panthers for $9 million. However, with their future looking murky, Luvu might want to hit the reset button.
A Panthers-Jets Trade That Makes Sense
The two organizations have pulled off trades before, namely for Sam Darnold two offseasons ago.
The Panthers would get a grizzled veteran that can help hold down the fort in turbulent waters throughout the rest of this season.
Rankins is a fine player with a first-round pedigree and has had a major bounceback this season, but with the depth of the Jets’ defensive line, he is an expendable piece.
On the other side of the coin Gang Green would receive another dynamic piece to add to their linebacking corps.
It would also be a family reunion for Luvu because he spent the first three seasons of his professional career with the Jets.
During that run of 40 games he was wildly effective mostly in a reserve rotational role:
- Six sacks
- 16 quarterback hits
- Notched a safety
- One forced fumble
Unlike during his time with the Jets, Luvu has been a starter for the Panthers.
The blunt truth is that Luvu is a playmaker. Through his four starts in Carolina this season he has a pick-six, a forced fumble, and five tackles for loss.
At just 26 years of age on a controllable cheap contract for the next two years, this is the kind of move the Jets should seriously explore.
It would help the present and the future of this organization.
Kwon Alexander is on a one-year deal, CJ Mosley is getting older, and Quincy Williams is set to be a free agent this upcoming offseason.
It’s time for general manager Joe Douglas to start playing chess while everyone else is playing checkers.