NFL trade block: Five players who could move before opening kickoff

Now that the NFL preseason is into its final week, teams are reaching decision time for their 53-man rosters. 

It is not always just about the players who get cut when it comes to those decisions. There are also trades — and potentially significant trades — still on the horizon. We have already seen a handful of deals this week, so let's look at a few more prominent names who could also be on the move.

1. Jonathan Taylor, running back, Indianapolis Colts: Taylor is the obvious place to start because he already has requested a trade away from the Colts following a public spat with team owner Jim Irsay over running back value. The Colts have also given him permission to seek a trade. Despite Taylor's status as one of the best running backs in the league interest has reportedly been lukewarm with only a handful of teams making calls to the Colts and even fewer actually making offers. 

It is a fascinating dynamic because the Colts are not going to give him away since they do value him as a trade asset — they just do not value him enough as a player to commit to a long-term deal. Such is life for running backs in the NFL in 2023.

2. Trey Lance, quarterback, San Francisco 49ers: The Lance era has turned out to be a mess for the 49ers. They gave up a haul of draft picks to move up to select him in the 2021 class, passed on multiple Pro Bowlers to do so, and are now in a situation where they have no idea what sort of player Lance is and have buried him on the depth chart behind Brock Purdy, the last player selected in the 2022 class, and Sam Darnold, a veteran who flamed out in his previous two NFL stops. 

It's not that Lance has failed to show potential. He has. He just can't stay on the field and seems to have completely fallen out of favor with the coaching staff. This might be a situation where a fresh start does everybody some good. The 49ers will never get back the value they gave up to pick him, but he might still have some value to a team looking for a young QB to develop.

3. Marcus Mariota, quarterback, Philadelphia Eagles: Mariota seemed to be a lock for the role of backup to Jalen Hurts, but his continued inconsistency throwing the football combined with the surprisingly strong performance of rookie Tanner McKee could make Mariota the odd man out in Philadelphia. The Eagles gave Mariota a $5 million contract following his exit from Atlanta, but he may not be long for the roster given the play of both him and McKee this preseason.

4. Malik Willis, quarterback, Tennessee Titans: The issue for Willis in making the Titans roster is the team typically only keeps two quarterbacks. Veteran Ryan Tannehill is still firmly locked in as the team's starter, while there is absolutely no way Tennessee parts ways with Will Levis after trading up to pick him in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft. That puts Willis, a third-round pick from a year ago, on the roster bubble. 

The one thing that might help him is the NFL rule change that allows teams to dress a third emergency quarterback on their game-day rosters, but even that is not a guarantee. Willis wowed scouts with his athleticism and arm strength in pre-draft workouts last year but looked completely overmatched when he saw the field during the regular season. Drafting Levis shows the Titans already soured on him as a potential starter. He's still struggled in the passing game this preseason but has shown big-play potential, especially with his legs. If the Titans decide to roll with two quarterbacks again, Willis might still have some value for a team looking for a developmental quarterback. 

5. Zach Ertz, tight end, Arizona Cardinals: There was a time where Ertz was one of the best tight ends in the NFL, but that time has passed. The Cardinals have already been extremely busy in the trade market this offseason and preseason as they continue to reshape their roster with a new front office and new coaching staff. Ertz does not have much value to them in the short-term or long-term outlook given his age and the fact he is coming off a significant knee injury. 

The Cardinals also have 2022 second-round pick Trey McBride as an emerging talent at tight end and will almost certainly want to increase his role and usage within the offense. Ertz might have more value to the team as a trade chip at this point than he does as a player in the offense. Given that the Cardinals are likely to be one of the worst teams in the NFL this season, he might welcome a change as well.