There is no morning-to-night coverage, there is no hot-stove TV special—unlike its North American sporting counterparts, the NFL trade deadline is not a point of emphasis on the league calendar. You probably won’t see teams drastically change their fortunes at the deadline like the Blue Jays and Rangers did in the lead-up to the MLB playoff races.
We’ve already seen some notable mid-season moves, like Jared Allen going from the Bears to the Panthers, Matt Cassell going from the Bills to the Cowboys, and Jon Bostic going from the Bears to the Patriots.
All teams in contention are looking to strengthen their rosters, but it’s the team having bad starts to the season that are the real catalysts for trades at this time of year. Cap room and draft picks are the main two assets losing teams are looking to get back.
With the trade deadline of Nov. 3 at 4:00 p.m. EST quickly approaching, let’s take a look at the players who could be on the move because their current club is looking to press the reset button.
Vernon Davis, TE, San Francisco 49ers: 
He’s got a big name that would excite a fan base, but his production is down with just 12 receptions, 170 yards and zero TDs this season. The issue is what can you get for him? For the 49ers it might not matter, as any return will be worth it as he will likely walk in free agency in the off-season and hasn’t figured largely in their offence. The one concern with trading him would be what that does to the progression of Colin Kaepernick. Davis has long been one of the QB’s most trusted targets. If you are trying to evaluate what you have in Kaepernick it might make sense to keep his security blanket around.
Matt Forte, RB, Chicago Bears: 
In Forte you are guaranteed great production—he’s one of the league’s most consistent running backs and this year has 507 rushing yards and leads the NFL with 21 attempts per game. So why is he a trade candidate? He is a 30-year-old back in the final year of his deal. Forte is going to command DeMarco Murray or Adrian Peterson type money and the Bears have bigger needs. Plus, in Jeremy Langford the Bears have a promising running back who would allow them to fill the vacated spot from within. The other reason this move makes sense is there are top teams who have a great need at the position: The Cowboys and Broncos would have interest.
Robert Griffin, QB, Washington Redskins: 
Griffin has not played this year and currently isn’t even dressing. There was talk Jay Gruden thought so little of him in practice he was playing safety on the scout team. Given what the Redskins traded to the Rams to get up to No. 2 in the draft to get him, his presence on or off the field will always be a distraction. What makes matters worse is the Redskins picked up Griffin’s fifth-year option at $16.1 million. The contract is guaranteed against injury, which will hurt the Redskins’ trade capabilities. It will be tough for any team to take on that risk if you still don’t know if he can play in the NFL.
Zach Mettenberger, QB, Tennessee Titans:
Mettenberger is 0-6 as a starter and clearly isn’t in the Titans’ future plans at quarterback now that they’ve drafted Marcus Mariota. What Mettenberger is, however, is a perfect insurance policy in the event a starter gets banged up. Similar to the way Cassell found work after a QB went down, Tennessee could get some value if a team has an injury crisis at the QB spot. He’s also under control as he’s in just the second year of a four-year deal.
Steve Smith Sr., WR, Baltimore Ravens:
The AFC North is getting away from the Ravens as the Bengals are undefeated and the Steelers remain a threat even playing without Roethlisberger. At 36, Smith is still a solid contributor with 36 receptions, 510 yards and three TDs on the year. Smith is gong to retire after the year so the Ravens could do him a solid and trade him to a contender for one last chance at an elusive ring. The issue is that would leave nobody else for Joe Flacco to throw to.
Roy Helu, RB, Oakland Raiders:
Helu has just 28 rushing yards in four games this year, but was a fantasy sleeper in previous years. There were rumours he’d be traded dating back to the off-season. He’s a player that could help the passing game as he’s an adequate route runner and an above-average pass protector. With Latavius Murray having a shoulder issue, however, the Raiders might think twice before parting with him.