Washington Football Team: 3 bold targets to pursue at trade deadline

The Washington Football Team is nearing rock-bottom following their Week 6 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs at FedEx Field.

We won’t go as far as to say their season is over. With an extra Wild Card team added to each conference this year, Washington could potentially sneak in, especially when you consider how many NFC teams are struggling.

If Washington actually wants to save their season, the front office better be hyperactive leading up to the Nov. 2 deadline, which will be here before you know it. We’ve already highlighted a few players we’d be in favor of trading for but what’s a trade deadline without thinking outside the box a little bit?

With that in mind, let’s highlight a few bold trade targets Washington should consider before the Nov. 2 cutoff.

Washington Football Team: 3 bold trade deadline targets

3. Jordan Hicks

The Jordan Hicks melodrama in Arizona has simmered since the start of the season, but something tells us he’d still be open to a trade.

For those unaware, Hicks endured an unexpected (and undeserved) drama-filled offseason. Not only did he take a pay cut to help the Cardinals create more cap space, but first-round LB Zaven Collins was named the starter over him without a competition. As a result, he requested a trade,  but nothing came to fruition.

To Hicks’ credit, he showed up to training camp in good spirts, put his head down and has reclaimed his starting role, though it’s worth noting Collins and Isaiah Simmons are seeing plenty of work, too.

In the simplest of terms, Hicks is everything Washington is currently missing in the middle of their defense. Over the last two seasons, the 29-year-old has racked up 268 tackles, 10 passes defended, four interceptions and eight QB hits.

For a player who’s seemingly ALWAYS around the ball, Hicks has a career 8.6% missed tackle percentage. Pretty impressive.

We’re not sure what Hicks’ trade market looks like, or whether Arizona is keen on unloading him, but the least Washington can do is get the Cards on the phone to persuade them to cut bait with the seventh-year pro.

He’d be a revelation for Washington’s defense. Plain and simple.

2. N’Keal Harry

Outside of Terry McLaurin, Washington’s wide receiving corps has been a colossal disappointment.

Curtis Samuel is week-to-week with a groin injury that sidelined him for over three months and landed him on injured reserve to start the year. At this point, he should be shut down and given a fresh start in 2022.

Adam Humphries has underwhelmed as a slot presence, though that can be attributed to his lack of chemistry with Taylor Heinicke. After all, Humphries was largely signed due to his history with Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Cam Sims hasn’t played enough to be a consistent contributor and third-rounder Dyami Brown has struggled to make an impact.

The idea of adding another body to the mix might not resonate with fans, but what else does Washington have to lose? At this stage, McLaurin, Samuel and Brown are the only players with definite futures in Ashburn.

Why not take a late-round flier on N’Keal Harry, who requested a trade from the Patriots amid his dominant showing at training camp?

The 2019 first-round pick hasn’t panned out in New England, but his physical attributes and natural ability can’t be denied. A change of scenery could be just what he needs to jumpstart his career.

If you asked us this question in the offseason, we wouldn’t answered with a resounding NO. However, with Washington’s receiving corps decimated by injury, we don’t hate the idea of acquiring Harry as a rest-of-season tryout.

Washington’s red zone offense is far too dependent on McLaurin. Harry and his 6-foot-4, 225-pound frame — not to mention ELITE jump ball skills — would go a long way towards helping the cause.

1. Trey Flowers

Wait, another pass-rusher? Doesn’t Washington already have too many of those? Well, yes, but only in the starting lineup. Behind the five regulars, the defense has minimal depth at the position, and it’s fair to question why the front office opted against bolstering the defensive end position in free agency.

You can never have too many pass-rushers in today’s NFL, and Flowers — much like Jamie Collins, who we pegged as a target for Washington after he was released by Detroit — has the versatility to play defensive end and outside linebacker.

Even better? Flowers is a savant against the run, earning run-defense grades of 70 or better, including a 76.8 mark in 2019, in all three of his seasons with the Lions.

Washington ranks in the middle of the pack against the run this season, allowing nearly 115 yards per game. Flowers would solve a lot of those problems, and he could be acquired at a discount given his pass-rushing numbers don’t jump off the screen.

With Detroit just starting a full-blown rebuild, they should be shopping Flowers for a mid-round draft pick. The only caveat is his contract, which has two years and $32 million remaining after this season.

Perhaps the Lions can reach some sort of compromise with the 28-year-old before the Nov. 2 deadline, because there’s no way Washington can add his $16 million salary to their current payroll.

If that happens, we are definitely intrigued by the idea of acquiring Flowers. If he falls on his face, Washington could always cut bait with him in the offseason, whether it be via release or another trade.

Washington Football Team: 3 early trade deadline targets for WFT

The NFL trade deadline is just a couple weeks away and the Washington Football Teams should already be browsing the market for potential targets.