The NFL trade deadline is around the corner, and the Falcons find themselves in an intriguing position.

They’re 3-4, which doesn’t exactly scream “championship contender.” But they’re also just a half-game back of the Panthers for first place in the NFC South, 3-2 with Michael Penix Jr. under center, and set to get star pass rusher James Pearce Jr. back in a couple of weeks.

There’s certainly a case to be made for Atlanta to buy ahead of the deadline, but that’s not what this piece is about. Over at Fox Sports, they put together a list of trade candidates for all 32 NFL teams, and the name mentioned alongside the Falcons was cornerback Mike Hughes.

“Atlanta’s still in strong contention in the NFC South, so don’t expect the Falcons to deal core pieces away,” Greg Auman writes. “But trading Hughes for even a pick swap would clear a path for second-round rookie Aveion Terrell to step into a larger role. Terrell only has six tackles in his first five games, and Hughes is a reliable veteran who started 27 games over the last two years. Perhaps once A.J. Terrell is back from his groin injury, Atlanta will be comfortable dealing Hughes to get both brothers on the field together.”

Auman is right that the Falcons aren’t going to send out any meaningful pieces at this year’s deadline. This is an organization that knows it isn’t a championship contender just yet, but it also knows it hasn’t made the playoffs since the 2017 season — and it has a golden opportunity to change that this year. That’s not something they’re going to pass up.

That said, there won’t be many Falcons fans mourning the loss of Mike Hughes. He’s been BBQ chicken all season, and with C.J. Henderson stepping up, Hughes’ starting job is likely a thing of the past once the secondary is fully healthy.

I still find a trade like this unlikely, for a couple of reasons. For starters, the secondary hasn’t been 100% healthy for a single game this season, and as I like to say, cornerbacks are like pitchers in baseball: you can never have enough of them. Plus, are we sure Mike Hughes brings back much of anything in return? I highly doubt it, which means the Falcons are probably better off keeping him around for depth purposes.

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