Getty New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh reacting in the middle of an NFL game.
So you’re saying there’s a chance?
Chris Brockman of “The Rich Eisen Show” predicted that “one or two” superstars will be traded at the NFL trade deadline on October 31 at 4:00 pm Eastern Time.
On “The Overreaction Monday Podcast” with Rich Eisen, Brockman floated out Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald as one of the names that could be moved.
“How much money did Aaron Rodgers leave on the table so the Jets could have some room to, oh I don’t know, trade for Aaron Donald in Week 7?”
SPICY! @chrisbrockman thinks we see a superstar or 2 traded at the #NFL deadline & name dropped #Rams DL Aaron Donald as a potential name to watch + Chris then asked @richeisen ‘how much money did Aaron Rodgers leave on the table so the #Jets could have some room to, oh I don’t…
Would the Rams Really Trade Donald?
The premise of the segment on Monday, September 4 was that teams that perform poorly this season could decide to jettison some of their star talent.
The Rams aren’t projected to be very good this season. Vegas Insider set LA’s over/under win total at 6.5 ahead of 2023. That is tied for the second-lowest win total in the entire NFL heading into the season. The only team that has fewer wins projected is the Arizona Cardinals.
Donald is one of the best players in the NFL. On this year’s edition of the NFL’s top-100, he was voted the No. 11 best player in the league.
Donald is 32 years of age and has two years left on his contract through the 2024 season.
The former Pitt product was said to have strongly considered retirement after the Rams won the Super Bowl in 2022, but Donald denied those reports.
Regardless he is much closer to the end of his career than the beginning and if the Rams are going to be bad this year, perhaps Donald would want to be moved to a team that has a chance to win the whole thing in 2023.
Jets Can Go All-in Making a Strength Even Stronger
Daniel Jeremiah of the NFL Network put the Jets’ defensive line in the same category as the Philadelphia Eagles and the San Francisco 49ers earlier this offseason.
It is widely considered one of the best in the NFL, but adding Donald could take it to an unfair level.
Donald has earned three Defensive Player of the Year awards, nine Pro Bowls, and seven first-team All-Pro nominations.
In his nine-year NFL career to date, Donald has racked up 103 sacks, 237 quarterback hits, and 24 forced fumbles.
If the Jets coughed up the necessary beans to make this trade happen they could pair Donald next to one of the best young defensive tackles in football with Quinnen Williams.
Gang Green’s defensive line is already a strength, but you can never have enough pass rushers in today’s game.
As far as the Jets are concerned the only thing that matters is 2023.
Jets cornerback DJ Reed did a good job during his media availability this week talking about the sense of urgency this team has heading into 2023.
“We have a small window when you have a team like this: a great defense, a Hall of Fame quarterback, a well-built roster you have to take advantage of this because these teams don’t happen every year with cap space and guys wanting to get paid, etc. So we really have to maximize opportunity right now.”
Acquiring Donald would be one surefire way to accomplish that goal.