Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith heard trade rumors involving his name prior to Tuesday's deadline. "I heard multiple teams I was going to," Smith told Carolina Growl. "You hear the stories about waking up and being traded. You never want to be a guy who wakes up Carolina and hears there is a flight for you going somewhere else, so when you hear that you ask people. I asked my agent if there was anything going on. I got a few texts from different people in different states, so I had to make sure and investigate it." The Panthers claim that they never had any trade discussions about Smith.

Cowboys tight end Martellus Bennett may have been the player that was highly coveted ahead of Tuesday's trade deadline. Pro Football Talk is reporting, "As league insiders try to divine the identity of the Cowboys player who supposedly was the subject of recent trade talks, the early speculation focuses on tight end Bennett." Bennett, a second-round pick in 2008, is stuck behind Jason Witten on the team's depth chart.

According to his agent, Joshua Cribbs wants to finish his career with the Browns. "I'm not surprised at all," agent J.R. Rickert told the Cleveland Plain Dealer when asked if he was surprised that Cribbs wasn't traded. "I had heard that several teams had reached out to the Browns and were told no. "That's great news for Joshua. He wants to remain a member of the Browns' organization for the rest of his career. However, he also wants the proper consideration from the organization for the [contract] extension that he has rightfully earned."

The Rams reportedly met with running back Steven Jackson to assure him that they wouldn't trade him prior to Tuesday's deadline. The meeting took place on Sunday. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch is reporting that the team assured Jackson that they would never consider dealing him because he's a big part of both their present and future.

The Cowboys are saying that they turned down a "significant offer" prior to Tuesday's trade deadline. "We had a significant offer for a key player that we turned down, and turned down in getting in more extended dialogue for," Jones told ESPN. "So we did have that kind of activity ... but I shouldn't name the player or the team. It was a very firm, significant offer for one of our young players that we had a chance for a lot of consideration if we had wanted to take it, and we didn't." Jones admitted that the player involved in the trade was not a running back, adding that the Cowboys were offered at least one premium draft pick for the player.

The Eagles have acquired linebacker Will Witherspoon from the Rams in exchange for rookie wide receiver Brandon Gibson and a 2010 fifth-round draft pick. "I think [Gibson] is going to have a great career in the NFL," Eagles coach Andy Reid said during a conference call. "That doesn't make this an easy situation. We started off the season thinking we were in pretty good shape at [middle linebacker], and now we've been banged up a little here, so we needed to make this move to stay strong there. That's the only reason I would have done something like this." The Eagles have lost Stewart Bradley and now Omar Gaither to injuries.

The Ravens had the opportunity to shoot down rumors of a possible trade for Terrell Owens, but coach John Harbaugh only fueled speculation. "All I can say about T.O. is this ? I'm going to jump out a limb here ? I've got a lot of respect for T.O., OK? Always have," Harbaugh told the Baltimore Sun. "He's a football player, he practices hard, I think he's got a really good heart, always have. We have a good relationship. Now is anything happening there? Not that I know of. And I think I would know if something was happening. But he plays for another team. We have a ton of respect for him, and I've always liked him and I want to be positive about him." Harbaugh added that he won't be surprised if the Ravens pulled the trigger on a deal.

The Patriots are looking to upgrade their third wide receiver spot. The Boston Globe points out that Deion Branch, a former Patriot, could be a possibility. He has fallen down the depth chart in Seattle and certainly has experience in New England's system. Branch is in the fourth year of the six-year, $36 million deal and carries a base salary of $4.94 million.

Adam Schefter of ESPN.com points out that the Panthers might benefit from acquiring quarterback Brady Quinn. Quinn has been surrounded by trade rumors after since the Browns benched him in favor of Derek Anderson. In addition, there have been reports that he has put his house on the market. "Clearly, the Quinn-Cleveland marriage hasn't worked any better than Greg Norman and Chris Evert's, so call it a day. Right now, Carolina doesn't have a first-round pick in April, and would be unable to draft one of the top quarterbacks, so it would make sense to take a chance on a quarterback who needs a change of scenery," Schefter wrote.

The Browns don't plan to trade Josh Cribbs, who is stuck in a lengthy contract dispute with the team. He wants a new deal, but Cleveland coach Eric Mangini has been unwilling to renegotiate the current pact, which runs through 2012. "I'm gonna be stuck," Cribbs said. "I don't know what I'm going to do right now. It will tremendously disappoint me if nothing gets done. That's no secret. I'm going to be very disappointed."