Changing the Trade Dealine

Recently in the NFL, many team have lost there starting quarterback to injury and have had to scrounge through free agent and older veterans to find a replacement. This  very problem has occurred with our beloved Chicago Bears as Jay Cutler was lost for the season when making a touchdown saving tackle against the San Diego Chargers. The Bears were one of the few lucky teams that had a serviceable back in Caleb Hanie, but what about teams like the Kansas City Chiefs or the Houston Texans?  A way this flawed system could be fixed by the NFL would be by pushing back the NFL trade deadline. Unlike basketball and baseball, the trade deadline in the NFL is not as active as the others however it is still a nice necessity to have. However, the NFL trade deadline comes far to early in the season for it to even be a factor for teams. By the seventh week of the season, when the current NFL deadline occurs, many  teams are still shuffling for position in their division and only a few teams have separated themselves from the back as either front runners or bottom feeders. So with that little of separation occurring by a number of teams in the league, few deal are done at the trade deadline because so many teams are trying jockey for a playoff position and are not ready to sign off on a season. One way I feel the NFL can better itself and help teams like the Texan's, Chiefs and Bears is by extending the trade deadline to later in the season. Imagine what help it would be to a team that is fighting for a playoff birth, such as the Texans, if they were able to make a trade for a quarterback in week 12 lets say, after they have already lost their first and second string quarterbacks. Instead, the current NFL system has teams ruffling through veterans looking for quarterback, that in my opinion have no right being in the league any more. Just recently, the Texan's had to sign Jake Delhomme as their back up quarterback because they had lost start Matt Schuab and backup Matt Leinart to injuries. The Texans are in the middle of a heated playoff run, their first in franchise history and could use a quality NFL worthy quarterback to back up start TJ Yates or possible even start. If the NFL were to move the trade deadline back to week 12, the Texan would have been able to trade for a quarterback such as Kyle Orton, Donavon McNabb, or Matt Flynn. Each of these quarterback would be a more serviceable option then Jake Delhomme and could possibly even help the Texans make it to the playoff like the team dearly needs. I know the NFL is in a constant state of change with trying to protect its players and better the game, so why not try and protect franchises and teams that have late season injuries by moving back the trade deadline. This would not only benefit teams that suffer injuries and need a quick stop gap, but also will benefit the teams that are towards the bottom of each conference. These teams may be able to add valuable draft pick to try and better their team and make the league as a whole more competitive. So NFL, why do you look into moving back the trade deadline? So until next time readers, Bears Down.