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The Atlanta Falcons are not likely to be buyers at the trade deadline, which lands tomorrow at 4 p.m. EST. That's what a 2-5 record will do to you.
To be honest with you, I can't see the Falcons making any impact trades at the deadline, either as a buyer or a seller. Most of their best trade chips are injured, and unless they're getting back a young, impact defender or offensive lineman, it certainly wouldn't be worth moving anyone. Selling also only makes sense if you're dealing someone who won't be with the team a year from now and can bring back something of value.
If the Falcons were going to make a trade, though, here's a few players to consider.
Tony Gonzalez
Gonzalez would need to want to go, the Falcons would need to get some kind of value (a fifth rounder, I'd say, at least) and the move would be pretty controversial and signal that the team was resigned to a lousy season. For all those reasons and more, this remains incredibly unlikely. If they were going to do it, the Chiefs, Seahawks and Colts could make sense.
Steven Jackson
The problem with trading Steven Jackson is that his value has never been lower than it is right now, between injuries, ineffectiveness and the way teams value running backs. That said, this is about the only move I can really endorse at the deadline.
If the Falcons could find a team willing to give them a sixth-round pick, I'd absolutely pull the trigger on trading Jackson. With the way the line is blocking, S-Jax is probably going to have an abysmal year in Atlanta, and the Falcons would unquestionably be better off using the dollars allocated to him at other positions and rolling with a draft pick, Jacquizz Rodgers, Jason Snelling and Antone Smith/Josh Vaughan a year from now. As Jacquizz Rodgers has shown us this year, the ground game isn't demonstrably worse with him in the backfield, and it may actually be a little better.
Again, very unlikely, though.
Roddy White
A team might actually be willing to give up a mid-round pick for Roddy, but his injury complicates things. It's also not generally a great idea to trade a franchise icon at the deadline for a mid-round draft pick. Can't see it.
Sam Baker
I'm sure, at this point, that the Falcons wouldn't mind unloading their injured left tackle and freeing up some major cap space. I don't think any team in the NFL is likely to give up something of value for him, though.
Osi Umenyiora
A team might actually give you a late round pick for Osi, but this would be a clear sign the Falcons have given up on the season.
Asante Samuel
You could probably get a seventh-rounder for him, I guess.
Your thoughts on the trade deadline?