NFL: Preseason-New York Jets at Atlanta Falcons
Dale Zanine / USA TODAY Sports

New York Jets general manager Joe Douglas is staring a major rebuild in the eyes and will need assets to make it happen. Douglas is well-respected around the league and is not going to make moves simply to make moves. The long-term stability of the organization is not going to be compromised for short-term goals. 

The NFL trade deadline is fast approaching on Nov. 3 and the Jets have already shown a willingness to deal. On Sunday, Tampa Bay traded for defensive tackle Steve McLendon and a 2023 seventh-round pick in exchange for a sixth round pick in 2021. The move could be the beginning of additional transactions made by the AFC East franchise. 

CBS Sports' Cody Benjamin constructed 10 hypothetical trades that should be made around the league. Here are some of the players that could be moved by the Jets at the NFL trade deadline:

QB Sam Darnold

It is more likely that Darnold is moved after the season than in-season. New York is likely to be picking early, which would mean they would be in prime contention for a top quarterback prospect, but a trade of Darnold should not be made without certainty of where they are selecting. The USC product is not going to be able to step in somewhere and contribute immediately this season so there is no rush for a deal to be completed now. It takes time to learn a new system. With that said, it is very likely that Darnold is moved this offseason. Teams selecting a new quarterback rarely retain former starters and/or early quarterback selections. See: Cardinals, Arizona. 

When the time comes, fans should expect teams with old quarterbacks to be interested: New Orleans, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis. Those teams are too good for a shot to add one of the premier quarterback options in the 2021 NFL Draft so they have to find their answers elsewhere unless they want to take a chance on BYU's Zach Wilson or Florida's Kyle Trask, etc.

There are two more years of control on Darnold's rookie deal, which makes him even more valuable. 

DT Quinnen Williams 

It is doubtful that the Jets would be willing to move on from the former No. 3 overall selection after two seasons, considering he has shown improvement this year. The dead cap hit over the next two years is substantial and enough of a deterrent to any potential trade. There has already been a lot of unsubstantiated chatter involving Williams' name, however. 

If the Jets receive a good offer, then maybe they entertain a trade, but it seems unlikely that another team would be willing to broker a deal for anything more than a bargain price. There would be teams interested if he is made available. Williams, 22, has two sacks in six games this season and has three years remaining on his rookie deal. There are a lot of teams willing to gamble on being able to unlock his talents in a new city. 

TE Chris Herndon

Herndon has not had a dramatic resurgence, as some had anticipated. He has just 13 receptions for 98 yards. Herndon has one more year remaining on his deal at a little more than $1 million. The Miami product is a low-risk investment for a team that could use a move tight end. Arizona and Carolina come to mind as potential suitors.

The secondary

The Jets added competent veterans where it made sense. The issue is that they lack blue chip talent. Teams perusing the trade market are generally looking for a supplement to their roster and potentially depth. The Yannick Ngakoue's and Darius Slay's of the world are not often available. Teams in search of secondary help might find New York to be a willing trade partner. 

Safety Marcus Maye, safety Bradley McDougald, cornerback Brian Poole and cornerback Pierre Desir are all in the final year of their respective contracts. Teams could take a flyer on them for the remainder of the season and move on during the offseason if they desire. The value of those players is certainly impacted because they are only under contract for the remainder of the season. It is not as though Douglas would be able to fetch a third round pick for any of them. Maye could be a long-term fit for some teams. Each had a base salary less than $5 million this season. 

The front seven

Edge rusher Tarell Basham is capable of being a role player for a team. He only has one sack this season but has applied some additional pressure. He comes at a very affordable rate earning less than $1 million this season. Edge rusher Jordan Jenkins is another pass rusher for hire. He compiled 15 sacks in the two seasons prior to 2020. Through six games, he has just one sack. Basham and Jenkins are both scheduled to be free agents after the season. 

Linebacker Avery Williamson has battled injuries since arriving in the Big Apple but he is a reliable contributor when on the field. Prior to missing all of last season due to injury, Williamson had missed just one game in five seasons. He has recorded one interception in four of his six seasons and at least two sacks every year until the present. Philadelphia and Pittsburgh make sense as teams that might have interest in Williamson. 

It is difficult to envision anyone wanting Joe Flacco or Frank Gore. Otherwise, those would be the types of players that Douglas would look to move. Some of the offensive linemen could command a decent return but the risk of depleting the unit even further is greater than the reward. If they draft Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence, then he can not be thrown to the wolves with no protection of skill talent ala Tim Couch with the Browns or David Carr with the Texans. One other benefit to moving more players is that it decreases the level of talent on the roster and essentially ensures that they get the No. 1 overall pick. 

The Jets already have an additional first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft from Seattle as part of the Jamal Adams trade. They also have a third-round pick from the Seahawks and a fifth-round pick from the Giants.