A quick Friday dive into a couple of trade deadline thoughts…
About that little spat between Giants coach John Harbaugh and Titans GM Mike Borgonzi
First, a quick recap for those who didn’t follow the mini soap opera that unfolded over the last week. Prior to the Jeffery Simmons trade being completed between the Tennessee Titans and Chicago Bears, New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen inquired about the defensive tackle’s availability. As with a handful of other GMs, Schoen was told Simmons wasn’t available. Giants head coach John Harbaugh then proceeded to reach out to Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk directly about a Simmons trade. This was all initially reported by The Athletic on Oct. 30. Harbaugh eventually verified the account earlier this week in a press conference with reporters.
The whole affair was framed in a few different ways over the course of the week, including the suggestion that Borgonzi and the Titans simply weren’t picking up calls. Also, the notion that the Simmons trade became some kind of “buddy deal” between Bears general manager Ryan Poles and Borgonzi, who were previously roommates while working together in the Kansas City Chiefs personnel department.
After having several conversations with individuals familiar with the interactions between the Titans and Giants — and also with another NFC team that inquired about Simmons’ availability — a few things became clear. Among them:
The Bears weren’t the only team that discussed actual trade compensation with Tennessee. There was a second team in the NFC that also had talks with the Titans that advanced to the point of spitballing a potential trade package. According to a source familiar with those talks, the second NFC team was even given an opportunity to counter the Bears’ offer and ultimately declined.
This really came down to trust. It’s clear the Titans were trying to keep talks regarding Simmons as quiet as possible. Due to the assets it would take to acquire him, there was a high-percentage chance that a deal wouldn’t work out. Ultimately, the two NFC teams kept talks completely under wraps. And we only know that one of those teams was the Bears because they actually got the deal done. Regarding that aspect, I’ll just go ahead and say it: I don’t think the Titans trusted the Giants to keep the talks private. I think Tennessee believed that any unsuccessful talks with the Giants would have been leaked. And frankly, given what has unfolded since the trade went down, I think the Titans were right.
One interesting side note in all this: There was some amusement inside the Baltimore Ravens personnel department over Harbaugh reaching out to Strunk to try and get a deal on track. Over the course of Harbaugh’s career in Baltimore, dating all the way back to former general manager Ozzie Newsome, there was a lingering opinion among some in the Ravens personnel department that Harbaugh wanted more influence on trades and draft picks. I was told that some of that was alleviated when Scott Cohen, who had been on Harbaugh’s coaching staff, became the Ravens’ director of football research. One source went as far as to describe Cohen as Harbaugh’s “consigliere” to the personnel department. The same Cohen who capped his NFL personnel career with two years working for the Titans, before departing in August to take a football role with his alma mater, Dickinson College. Now it looks to some in Baltimore like Harbaugh got the juice he always wanted when it comes to front office moves.
The price to get Kirk Cousins in Minnesota would be rich
Given the lack of effective quarterback play for the Minnesota Vikings — and the fact that Carson Wentz is starting for the franchise this week — I think it’s still worth a last-minute Kirk Cousins conversation before the deadline.
Something along the lines of: If Wentz plays poorly against the Buffalo Bills on Monday night, shouldn’t there be at least some consideration given to calling the Las Vegas Raiders for a price check on Cousins? If the Vikings feel like they’re in a win-now window, there’s a solid argument that bringing Cousins back for the remainder of 2026 would be the aggressive move to seize what’s on the table. Particularly given how well Cousins has been playing in Las Vegas this season.
Even with the Raiders sitting at 4-4 and still competing to stay in reach of a playoff spot, I think Cousins could be had for a price — regardless of a win or loss against the 49ers on Sunday. The price? I think a third-round pick would be too tempting to pass up for Las Vegas. Yes, it’s rich. But the Raiders have been placing a lot of value on Cousins’ bridge role as No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza patiently grows as an understudy.
Raiders general manager John Spytek said as much back in late July, when I visited Las Vegas in training camp:
Early in camp, I asked Spytek to spell out how Mendoza could impact his destiny. Would this end up like so many other No. 1 overall QB picks who started the season from Week 1? Would it be a Baker Mayfield transition and last a few weeks, or mirror the level of patience the then-St. Louis Rams showed with Jared Goff, sitting him all the way into November of his rookie year?
“It’s all of it,” Spytek said. “How Fernando practices, how Kirk practices, wins and losses. If Kirk’s in there and we’re 7-3 after 10 games, that’s different than if we’re 3-7. That’s probably ultimately what kept [Patrick] Mahomes on the bench [as a rookie with the Kansas City Chiefs]. They were in the playoffs. They were in the race through the whole thing.”
“Right now we’re committed to our process. But I walk in here every day thinking ‘What’s going to happen today?’”
It’s an understandable sentiment. But it’s also hard to deny that Mendoza’s time is coming. And getting a solid draft pick for Cousins would just stack another asset to build the offense. While I’m not sure the Raiders would want to plug Mendoza in to face three tough defenses before the bye week, the deadline is the deadline.
With that in mind, it’s worth paying attention to Raiders-49ers on Sunday and Vikings-Bills on Monday. I think both games could still factor into a last-minute trade.
Other nuggets coming up on the deadline…
I think the Cleveland Browns are poking around potential lower-cost additions that could be situationally useful. Something along the offensive line or tight end spot that could add protection depth.
The two hottest positions in terms of calls are wide receiver and running back. Jonathan Taylor remains the star of the show at the running back spot, as the list of options is thinning. The Philadelphia Eagles have made it clear they’re not dealing Saquon Barkley. But after making some calls, I also think the Titans are intent on keeping Tony Pollard, who has put up two straight monster games and is in the midst of a strong season. Given his start, I think the Titans view dealing Pollard as too big a risk to the development of Cam Ward. It doesn’t mean Pollard is untouchable, but an offer would have to be rich enough to force Tennessee’s hand.
On the wide receiver front, multiple teams are vying for Josh Downs. It seems like the Kansas City Chiefs are really being aggressive. The Chiefs, 49ers and Steelers all seem pretty intent on adding another wide receiver. Downs is the top prize.
I think if teams are in the market for a right tackle, the Houston Texans would part ways with Braden Smith, who they signed in free agency last offseason. I’m not sure Smith moves the needle for teams, but he’s a depth piece that could be had.
More to come through Tuesday’s deadline…