NFL Trade Rumors 2013: Larry Fitzgerald, Kenny Britt, Marcedes Lewis To Be Dealt At Deadline? Patriots Interested In A Deal?

Time is running out for NFL teams to improve for the second half of the season. With Week Eight coming to a close, the NFL trade deadline is just one day away.

Several big-name wide receivers have been at the center of trade rumors. Hakeem Nicks has been mentioned for much of the 2013 season, but it doesn’t appear as if he is headed anywhere. Instead, a perennial Pro Bowl selection might be the most likely wide out to be wearing a different uniform in Week Nine.

Larry Fitzgerald could be traded by the deadline on Tuesday. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Arizona Cardinals star will be available in the offseason if he’s not dealt this week. Fitzgerald has been with the Cardinals since the team drafted him with the third overall pick in 2004. On Sunday, he became the youngest player in NFL history to record 800 career catches.

The veteran has been the Cardinals best playmaker since he joined the team, but he hasn’t performed like one of the league’s top receivers of late. Last year, when the Cardinals started four different quarterbacks, he caught 71 passes for just 798 yards. In 2013, he’s on pace for another season with less than 1,000 yards. In the 2011 preseason, he signed a contract through 2018.

Arizona’s win on Sunday put them at 4-4, keeping them very much in the hunt for a playoff spot, which could prevent them from trading Fitzgerald. The Tennessee Titans had a bye, but they’ve lost three in a row and are quickly falling out of contention. They have reportedly been interested in moving Kenny Britt, who hasn’t done much of anything this season.

Britt has just eight catches on the year for 67 yards. Three years ago, he registered 775 yards in 12 games, but has never been able to match that level of production. Since he hasn’t made much of a difference on the field, it wouldn’t cost a lot for another team to acquire him. According to Ian Rapoport of nfl.com, the Titans are shopping Britt and not asking for much.

The Jacksonville Jaguars could win the rest of their games and they still wouldn’t have a chance to make the postseason, making a player like Marcedes Lewis expendable. A report from Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports claims that the team is open to trading him. However, the tight end has battled calf injuries this year and has caught just two passes in three games.

With several receivers available, the New England Patriots would seem to be a likely landing spot for one. The defending AFC East champs appear to be on their way to another division title, but they have clear deficiencies on offense. In the last four games, Tom Brady has thrown just two passing touchdowns.

Despite their injuries and struggles to get in the end zone, head coach Bill Belichick doesn’t expect the Patriots to make a big move. At last year’s deadline, New England made the biggest splash by acquiring Aqib Talib.