ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on Which Big Name NFL Players Could be on the Move Soon

The trade deadline chatter is getting loud, and Rich wanted to know how much of it is real. So he went to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler with a direct question: is Jonathan Taylor on the block?

"On the block is relative," Fowler said. He does not believe the Colts are actively shopping Taylor right now. Could he be available at the right price? "I do believe so." Fowler described Indianapolis as "pretty wide open for business to a point," though he has heard of a few players the Colts have told teams are not available.

Fowler framed the Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner trades as moves that made sense: core players who were older and wanted to go to a championship-level team, and the Colts "kind of did those guys a solid." Younger players are a different story. Fowler said wide receiver Josh Downs wants out. "He sees the writing on the wall," Fowler said, and would like to play with a Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City or an Aaron Rodgers in Pittsburgh. But the Colts don't have much offense right now, so to get through this week, Fowler said, they need Downs and they need Taylor.

If Taylor does move, Fowler compared the market to Christian McCaffrey in Carolina three or four years ago. He is probably not going to net a first-round pick, but a team would have to put together a good package. Minnesota is where people around the league are at least intrigued. Sitting at 6-0, Fowler could see the Vikings being somewhat aggressive, especially with the division heating up. "The NFC North, we're seeing it with Jeffery Simmons going to Chicago," he said. "That is going to be an arms race over the next 11 to 12 days."

Rich noted that his feed is full of unnamed sources promising a hot and heavy stretch before the deadline. Fowler said that is just the trend now. "These GMs are comfortable with each other, they're comfortable making big moves, they're comfortable giving up major draft capital."

Fowler's sneaky contender is the Giants. He was told they were in on Simmons and at least inquired, but at that point the Titans weren't looking to move him. Fowler noted that Titans GM Mike Borgonzi and Bears GM Ryan Poles have a relationship from their Kansas City days, which perhaps made the deal easier. New York is looking for interior defensive line help, and Simmons would have made sense because he played under Dennard Wilson, now the Giants' coordinator, in Tennessee just last year.

Pass rush and defensive line, Fowler said, are what teams typically look for this time of year. He could see the Browns adding an edge rusher, wondered if the Jaguars poke around, and pointed to the 2-5 Eagles. It is not proven they will sell, but some around the league expect them to be at least mild sellers. Could they move a talented defensive lineman like Moro Ojomo, who Fowler called a "really good player" in a contract year?

Then Rich asked for names. On the edge, teams are waiting out the Chargers. Los Angeles is 0-6 but has been clear it is not looking to fire sale. If they drop to 0-7, Fowler said, teams figure they might move Khalil Mack. "That's a name that's buzzing right now."

Maxx Crosby is always out there too, but Fowler was told Crosby "does not at all want to be traded." He wants to stay, and Vegas loves Klint Kubiak and what they have going. Fowler would be surprised by a deal, and said it would take a massive haul, probably multiple first-rounders like the Simmons trade.

One more name Fowler had circled was Yaya Diaby in Tampa. Had the Bucs lost last week, he expected them to look into moving him. But they won and are alive in their division, and the Bucs typically don't sell. Fowler expects plenty more names to surface before the deadline.