By ROB MAADDI
Associated Press

The best team in the NFC already added an All-Pro to the secondary.

More moves are coming around the NFL.

Teams looking to bolster their rosters for the second half have until Tuesday’s trade deadline at 4 p.m. EDT.

Several established veterans could end up switching uniforms. There were a slew of trades at this time last season.

The Philadelphia Eagles couldn’t wait to upgrade at safety, acquiring two-time All-Pro Kevin Byard from the Tennessee Titans earlier this week. Byard is a significant addition at a position that was depleted by injury and the departure of C.J. Gardner-Johnson in free agency.

“Obviously, I feel like I’m a great player, but at the end of the day, it’s not really about that,” Byard said Wednesday. “It’s about what I do now that I’m here. I had a great career in Tennessee, but I’m a Philadelphia Eagle now and that’s what it’s more about — moving forward, making plays and winning games.

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“This is my eighth season and I’m feeling really good, coming off a bye week, too. I’m definitely feeling fresh right now. This team has a great culture and I’m just looking to add to that. It feels good to wake up 6-1.”

Here are five players who could end up finding new homes:

DERRICK HENRY

The Titans (2-4) already traded one star on defense so dealing their best offensive player wouldn’t be a surprise. Henry’s production is down on a struggling offense. He’s run for 425 yards, a 4.3-yard average and three touchdowns. The 29-year-old Henry can be a free agent after the season so he should be considered a half-season rental.

The Ravens (5-2) and Buccaneers (3-3) are potential leading suitors for Henry. Baltimore lost running back J.K. Dobbins in Week 1. Lamar Jackson is their leading rusher followed by Gus Edwards.

The Buccaneers have the fourth-worst rushing offense in the league and only one team is averaging fewer yards per carry. Henry makes sense for Tampa Bay even though the team wants to build around younger players. The NFC South is wide open and the two-time reigning division champs are in the mix.

Don’t discount the Cowboys (4-2) despite Jerry Jones’ declaration that Dallas isn’t making calls. For the right price, the Eagles (6-1) could pull off yet another deal with the Titans. Getting wide receiver A.J. Brown from Tennessee in 2022 helped elevate Jalen Hurts into an MVP runner-up.

Washington Commanders defensive end Chase Young (99) celebrates his sack of Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts on Oct. 1.

AP FILE PHOTO

CHASE YOUNG

The No. 2 overall pick in 2020 could be on the way out in Washington. The Commanders (3-4) already declined to pick up Young’s fifth-year option. He has five sacks in six games, but Washington has already given a big contract to defensive tackle Daron Payne and has defensive lineman Montez Sweat also due for a new deal.

The Dolphins (5-2), Lions (5-2) and Jaguars (5-2) are among the top possibilities if the Commanders deal Young.

BRIAN BURNS

A two-time Pro Bowl edge rusher, Burns is in the final year of his contract and the winless Carolina Panthers (0-6) need to accumulate more draft capital after trading a slew of picks to move up to No. 1 to take Bryce Young this season.

Burns has four sacks this season and would be a significant addition for teams such as Miami, Detroit, Buffalo (4-3), Jacksonville (5-2) and even San Francisco (5-2). The Panthers had an opportunity to move Burns last year before the deadline but they held on and aren’t winning with him.

JUSTIN SIMMONS

The three-time, second-team All-Pro safety is among several Broncos (2-5) who could be on the move. Denver is headed nowhere and trading veterans for draft capital makes sense.

Simmons is not only a solid, do-it-all player but he’s a strong leader in the locker room and would fit nicely with contending teams. The Seahawks (4-2), Bengals (3-3) and Steelers (4-2) could have interest.

MARQUISE BROWN

“Hollywood” Brown already was traded once from Baltimore to Arizona last year. He hasn’t matched the production he had with the Ravens in 2021, but only had 11 games with Kyler Murray last season.

Brown has 32 catches for 383 yards and three TDs this season and would be a big boost for an offense that needs a speedy receiver to complement its group. The Chiefs (6-1) seem to be the best fit, but the Chargers (2-4) and even Panthers could be among many suitors.

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Few people have a better pulse in the NFL or a stronger attitude toward the state of the league than ESPN’s Ryan Clark.

Clark played 13 seasons in safety in the NFL and has stayed in league circles since retiring as an analyst for ESPN, appearing on shows such as NFL Live, First Take and SportsCenter. But Clark’s new appearance against the Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry didn’t come from a television appearance.

While stopping by on 104.5 The Zone on Friday morning at Ramon, Kayla and Will, Clark explained to Will Boling and Ramon Foster why he thinks the Titans are in a difficult position with Derrick Henry when it comes to running back and why himself removed the NFL from appreciating the type of player that Henry is.

Clark believed the Titans should get Henry back on the roster for 2023 but believes Henry’s return must come with an understanding that he cannot bring you a championship alone and that his style of play could soon be old-fashioned.

“Does its productivity create championships and lead to victories?”, said Clark. “If you’re looking from the outside at the San Francisco 49ers, who had a ridiculous record when they took over Christian McCaffery, don’t you want that guy? If you look at what Tony Pollard can do for a crime, don’t you want this guy?

“Don’t get me wrong, I think Derrick Henry has been so successful because he’s different in some ways, but how many times have the Tennessee Titans gone down in a game or how many times have you finished third and now you don’t need Derrick Henry ?”, Clark continued.

Clark continued that, much like McCaffrey and Pollard, the running backs continue to give teams the passing flexibility they desire. The league is a passing league, and running backs who are dynamic, bring value to the pass and also bring 1,200 rushing yards are the next generation of talent in the NFL. The tough downhill runners can stay behind.

It’s a hard pill to swallow, but ultimately he’s right.

Henry is still a generational talent. He’s one of the best running backs the world has ever seen. There has never been another player like him and there probably never will be again. But the current playstyle that the Titans’ offense is adopting is not a winning style. The most successful running games in today’s league have more than one running back committed. Your running backs expand the field with the outside zone, line up in the slot, and are prolific as both pass catchers and pass blockers.

Today Henry is still the best downhill power runner in the NFL, but unless he’s complemented by an exceptional pass blocker with lateral agility, Tennessee’s offense can be boxed fairly easily.

The Titans will have to reflect on some of the same questions Clark asked this offseason as GM Ran Carthon, who has seen success in San Francisco firsthand, tries to navigate a challenging offseason full of decisions.

Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports

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