The Falcons’ season is effectively over after a 1-7 start. They have already traded Mohamed Sanu, and cornerback Desmond Trufant may be next.
Trufant is a veteran corner who is signed through 2022. Since coming into the league in 2013, he has 11 interceptions and 76 passes defended. He is also used sparingly in blitz packages, securing five sacks. Even though he has only played in five games this season, two of those 11 interceptions have been in 2019.
His trade value right now is high, and the Falcons are going nowhere fast. Especially now that Matt Ryan may miss time with an injury. Atlanta will likely shop Trufant around, knowing he is under control if they do not find the right buyer.
Here is a look at some teams who could be interested in him.
The Texans’ cornerback situation is not great. The cornerbacks on Houston’s roster are either banged up or sub-par.
Trufant will not necessarily fix these problems outright, but he can help. A solid veteran with some injury history, he can at least hold his own on the field. They did trade for Gareon Conley, but that solves next to nothing other than having enough corners on the roster.
If the Texans have plans for a deep playoff run, they will need to be able to defend the pass. As of now, they cannot, as evidenced by their Week 7 loss to the division-rival Colts.
Atlanta may or may not want a big return for Trufant. The Texans already shipped away picks for Laramie Tunsil before the season, so they cannot afford to give up too much draft capital here. But they do desperately need help on the back end.
There may be better options on the trade block, but Trufant may be one of the cheapest. Again, he is also under control for a couple of years. That could be a big contributing factor in acquiring him.
The Chiefs need some secondary help if they want to deliver on their Super Bowl expectations in 2019.
They can outscore almost anyone with Patrick Mahomes running the offense. But, if they expect to beat the Patriots, they cannot hang their hats on offense alone. Considering New England’s incredible pass defense, they may have to grind out an eventual playoff matchup against them.
Kansas City needs some help on the back end to make a deep playoff run. (Photo by Jay Biggerstaff/USA TODAY Sports)
Trufant could be a plug-and-play corner for Kansas City. He is a veteran who can make a difference on the back end immediately.
He is not a generational or superstar talent, but he can provide some much-needed leadership. He can cover the number one or two receivers with some success. If they are lucky, he could continue to be a ball hawk and give possessions back to that potent offense.
Kansas City should try and shore up the back end, and quickly. They have a chance at the Super Bowl, and since their window is open for the foreseeable future, getting a corner that is under control until 2022 would make a lot of sense.
The Jags gave up star corner Jalen Ramsey after he expressed unhappiness with the front office. They also would have had to pay him an exorbitant amount to keep him past this year anyway.
So, getting a replacement whose contract is not something they will have to worry about in the immediate future could be perfect. One could argue that the Jaguars should be sellers, not buyers during the trade deadline. But, they are not out of the race for the AFC South yet, sitting at 4-4.
A solid, reliable corner would be much better than the circus Ramsey brought to the Jaguars. Even if he is objectively not as good at the position as Ramsey is. Their defense is still good, and the offense is holding its own under Minshew-mania. So it is not quite time to punt on the season just yet.
The Falcons also would be okay sending him far away from the NFC South. Again, it is unclear what exactly the Falcons would want, but the Jaguars could pay what they asked and take Trufant’s contract without much trouble.
This would be a win-win for both sides. Not necessarily replacing Ramsey’s production, but bringing a veteran presence into the locker room while helping shutting down other teams’ passing game.
Featured Image courtesy of Jason Getz/USA TODAY Sports
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