The NFL trade deadline is just around the corner on November 4th, and the rumor mill is heating up. There are several players on the trade block, and I wanted to see what Madden 26 thought about their potential trade values. So I’ve cooked up the ten most likely trades based on rumors, NFL and Madden rosters, contracts, intuition and several simulations through franchise mode, and ran them through Madden’s trade system, which is hilariously bad. What I found was pretty interesting; here were the results.
David Njoku Traded To The Seahawks
- Realistic price: third-round pick
- Madden price: 1st round pick
The Seahawks could use another weapon for Darnold to hit in the pass game as a complement to 89 overall Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The Browns have two explosive tight ends in Fannin Jr. and Njoku, and with Njoku on the last year of his deal, he could be traded. Njoku would be a massive upgrade over 72 overall A.J. Barner, and it would fill a large hole on the team’s roster.
Madden isn’t terribly far off on this one as much as others we’ll see on this list, although this is still a pretty big gap between Madden’s trade value and the real trade value. With this being the last year on Njoku’s contract, I think a third-rounder is fair for ten weeks of the seventh-highest-rated (87 overall) tight end in the league.
Breece Hall Traded To The Chargers
- Realistic price: a fourth-round pick
- Madden Price: a first and second round pick
With the Jets remaining winless going into week eight, I don’t think there is anybody on their team who should be considered safe. Breece Hall is currently 12th in the league in rushing yards this season and could be extremely valuable for the Chargers, who have lost Najee Harris and Omarion Hampton to injuries. Breece Hall’s 86 overall would end up being 17 points higher than the Chargers’ next best healthy runner, Hassan Haskins. Madden has an extremely high price on Breece Hall as if he’s a generational talent, but in reality, Hall is just a solid three-down running back with a few good years of tread on his tires. A fourth-rounder is much more realistic.
Quincy Williams Traded To The 49ers
- Realistic price: fifth-round pick
- Madden price: second-round pick
The 49ers need all the help they can get on the defensive side of the ball after numerous injuries have decimated their starting roster, wreaking havoc throughout their depth chart. Quincy Williams would be a familiar face for defensive coordinator Robert Saleh. Quincy Williams is only an 82 overall, but that is several overall points higher than their next best healthy linebacker.
Madden put Quincy Williams’ trade value several rounds ahead of where it actually should be, which is likely the fifth to sixth rounds, as his contract is set to expire after this year, and while he can get a lot of tackles, he’s not as impactful on the field as other players at the position.
Jaelen Phillips Traded To The Eagles
- Realistic price: fifth-round pick
- Madden price: second and third round pick
Of course, the Eagles are on the market for pass rushers; what else is new? Them going out and getting Jaelen Phillips makes sense both in Madden and in real life. Jaelen Phillips has the potential to be an elite pass rusher if/when consistently healthy, which has been rare in his pro career. The Eagles could use a premier pass rusher, and Howie Roseman has a knack for finding them and acquiring them at a bargain.
A fifth-round pick would be, in my opinion, a bargain, but I’m high on Phillips; I think he’s got very high potential. A second and third round pick, which is what Madden has determined is his value, is much closer to what I think his value would be if he had actually realized that potential at some point over the last few years.
Jakobi Meyers Traded To The Packers
- Realistic price: fifth-round pick
- Madden price: second and third round pick
Meyers is probably the highest-profile receiver who could actually be traded, outside of maybe Calvin Ridley. Meyers going to the Packers makes sense as they have been dealing with injuries to their receiver room, which has left them light on the position. At 83 overall, Meyers would easily become the Packers’ highest-rated receiver, above the injured Jayden Reed (80), Romeo Doubs (79), the injured Christian Watson (78), and Matthew Golden (78).
It’s possible that Meyers could warrant more than just a fifth-round pick, but there’s no way the Raiders get a second and third rounder for him.
Cam Taylor-Britt Traded To The 49ers
- Realistic price: a fifth-round pick
- Madden price: a second and third round pick
Cam Taylor-Britt has been a good-to-great cornerback for the Bengals, but could potentially be on the chopping block as his contract expires after this year. The 49ers, dealing with injuries to their secondary as well as the rest of their defense, could absolutely use an 82 overall corner to pair with 81 overall Deommodore Lenoir and 76 overall Renardo Green and become an instant impact player on that embattled defense.
The game saw Cam Taylor Britt as an 82 overall corner and Jakobi Meyers as an 83 overall receiver as having the exact same value, and honestly, I don’t think they’re wrong; they just have wildly overestimated trade values for these two players.
Alontae Taylor Traded to the Packers
- Realistic price: a sixth-round pick
- Madden Price: a third and seventh round pick
Alontae Taylor isn’t the most well-known player, and he certainly isn’t very highly regarded in Madden, only rated as a 74, but he has become a dependable starting corner, which is extremely valuable in the NFL, even if he’s not the most flashy player grabbing pick-sixes every game. The Packers could certainly use his services, as they currently only have 80 overall, with Nate Hobbs, 74 overall, Carrington Valentine, and two players in the high 60s as their only healthy corners. Adding Taylor would certainly shore up the secondary. A sixth-rounder would likely do it in real life, and I figured his low overall would make the Madden value similar, but Madden wanted more than a third-round pick for the guy!
Rashid Shaheed Traded To The Giants
- Realistic price: a sixth-round pick
- Madden price: two-thirds of round picks
Rashid Shaheed isn’t the top receiver on the market, but that’s okay; the Giants can’t afford a top receiver. They really just need anybody. After Malik Nabers went down with a season-ending injury right as the team was hitting a groove, the Giants have needed another weapon, even if it’s not an elite wideout like Malik Nabers. Shaheed burned the Giants earlier in the year with a long touchdown reception, so the 80 overall speedster might be on the Giants’ radar.
Madden is crazy if they think any team would give away two day two picks for a WR3, but that’s apparently how much they say he is worth. In reality, a sixth-rounder might be enough to pull him away from the Saints, who will likely reset and rebuild this offseason.
Arden Key Traded To The Patriots
- Realistic price: seventh-round pick
- Madden price: two-thirds of round picks
The Patriots are extremely thin on the edges of their defensive line, and they will likely need to strengthen them to stay competitive because I don’t know if you’ve heard, but they’re in first place in the AFC East. Arden Key could come in and play in the rotation for them and be potentially impactful as a veteran on a really young team. Key is not highly ranked in Madden with an overall of just 75, but that’s good enough to be the Patriots ‘ second-best healthy edge rusher.
Madden wanted two third-round picks for him, which is honestly unbelievable considering he’s only rated a 75, but I guess they put extra emphasis on positional importance in their trade algorithm. The Titans would be lucky if they even got a seventh-rounder for Key.
Jerome Ford Traded to the Vikings
- Realistic price: seventh-round pick
- Madden price: two fifth-round picks
The Vikings only have two healthy running backs on the roster, Jordan Mason (82) and Zavier Scott (70). With all due respect to Scott, the Vikings are going to need a lot better than him to complement Jordan Mason in their backfield if they want to get back in the hunt for the extremely competitive NFC North throne. Jerome Ford is a 76 overall and has the exact skill set that the Vikings need. With J.J. McCarthy coming back soon, he could use an explosive check-down option like Ford in the pass game. This would be worth a flyer for the Vikings, who could use a seventh-round pick to likely pry him away from the Browns, although Madden says it would take two fifths.
