With the NFL moving its trade deadline back to Nov. 5 — just past the halfway mark of the season — we have already seen teams making moves. There has been a run on wide receivers with Davante Adams, Amari Cooper, DeAndre Hopkins and Diontae Johnson all in new locations, but some lingering questions remain. Who’s going? Who’s staying? Are the teams that already made trades going to keep taking swings?
In this trade deadline roundup, The Athletic’s reporters provide their insights on the latest news from 25 teams around the league. Here is what they’re saying.
The Falcons took control of the NFC South on Sunday by beating the Buccaneers for the second time this season. But they have a glaring weakness. The Falcons are last in the league with six sacks. Nine NFL players have more than that. They had zero sacks and zero QB hits in Tampa on Sunday. This is far from a new problem. Since 2020, the Falcons have the fewest sacks in the league (116).
The Falcons already have tried the trade market once to address their pass-rushing concerns, sending a third-round pick to the Patriots for Matthew Judon in August. Judon had 15 1/2 sacks in the last full season he played in New England, but he has only 1 1/2 through eight games in Atlanta. Getting some more help by Tuesday would make a lot of sense. — Josh Kendall | Read more
If GM Eric DeCosta makes another move following the Diontae Johnson deal, it will likely be to address the defensive side of the ball. Adding a pass rusher might be the biggest priority, but you could easily make a case for a defensive back. The Ravens haven’t consistently impacted the opposing quarterback, and an addition — whether it’s an edge rusher or defensive back — could solidify a pass defense that is ranked as the league’s worst. Baltimore has depth concerns along the interior of its defensive line, too.
The Ravens could have as many as 11 picks in the 2025 NFL Draft, so parting with mid-round draft capital shouldn’t be a major issue if there’s a trade that makes sense. There is one challenge: The Ravens have just over $3 million of salary-cap space remaining this year, and DeCosta has said repeatedly that they’ll be very selective about adding contracts to future caps. — Jeff Zrebiec | Read more
The Bills made big headlines following their acquisition of wide receiver Amari Cooper two weeks ago. They can head into the upcoming trade deadline no worse than 6-3 and with at least a 2.5-game lead in the AFC East. The Bills have every reason to be buyers at the deadline if they find a deal that moves them. They could use offensive line depth and help at edge rusher, safety, and defensive tackle.
Offensive line is the most pressing of the Bills’ remaining needs. The unit has been miraculously healthy from the beginning of the 2023 season through the first eight games of 2024, including playoffs. But with the amount of wear and tear that position brings each year, it would be remarkable if the Bills finished the entire year without suffering a single injury to their starting offensive line. The acquisition price for a fringe starter likely wouldn’t be significant. — Joe Buscaglia | Read more
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NFL trade deadline predictions: Who’s staying put and who’s moving on?
The Panthers moved the player most expected to go when they dealt Diontae Johnson to the Ravens. If Panthers GM Dan Morgan turns this into a fire sale, veteran Adam Thielen could be next. Thielen has missed the past five games with a hamstring issue and is 34, so the return — like that on Johnson — would be negligible. Dave Canales likes how Thielen has helped set the culture in the building. The Panthers likely will hold on to Thielen and have him continue to mentor their young receivers.
As for Bryce Young, his return would likely be better in the offseason when teams are formulating their quarterback plans rather than trying to make a plug-and-play move at an important position. Young, whose rookie deal makes him a good value even if he’s a backup, could boost his trade value with additional starts, like this week vs. the Saints. — Joe Person | Read more
With two second-round picks in the 2025 NFL Draft, Bears general manager Ryan Poles can entertain conversations about the best players available on the trade market with an eye on the trenches. He didn’t hesitate to trade a second-rounder for defensive end Montez Sweat last year. Sweat is an exceptional player in a prime position. The real question for Poles, though, is whether the Bears are better off retaining both picks and using them in the draft. That will take some projection. One of the second-round picks is from the Panthers: the final piece of the blockbuster deal for the No. 1 pick in 2023. The Bears could have the first pick in the second round in 2025. — Adam Jahns | Read more
If you’re looking for the Bengals to break with their history and become active at the trade deadline, go look somewhere else. Just like nearly every year, Cincinnati doesn’t have plans to make moves with the trade deadline approaching next Tuesday. Hearing that the Bengals won’t deal at the deadline because that’s not what they do infuriates the club’s fans. Watching the Chiefs, Ravens and Bills all give up minimal assets to add receivers to augment their attacks only fans the flames.
The big names associated with the Bengals in trade talks — Tee Higgins and Trey Hendrickson — are two who have openly requested trades this year after expressing displeasure with their contract situations. The Bengals still very much see a path to making the playoffs in a mediocre AFC, so there is no shot either of those two would be shipped. — Paul Dehner Jr. | Read more
If the Browns make a move, I think the two most likely players to be traded are veteran defensive linemen Za’Darius Smith and Dalvin Tomlinson. Smith because he’s still a good player at a premium position; Tomlinson because he’s still a solid player, and the Browns have depth at defensive tackle. There’s not a lot of edge depth on the current roster, and Smith has been a full-time starter, but in moving Smith the Browns would be acknowledging that they’re looking to the future.
Both Smith and Tomlinson have movable contracts, as they have no guaranteed money past this season. The acquiring team would only be on the hook for the remaining base salary for the rest of 2024. Those trade-friendly contracts mean the Browns could ask for something at least semi-significant in return, and that’s what it would take to push a speculated trade to the finish line. — Zac Jackson | Read more
Dalvin Tomlinson could make a big impact for a team looking for help on its defensive line. (Jeff Lange / Imagn Images)
Making a move before the Nov. 5 trade deadline could give the Cowboys a much-needed spark. However, that seems highly unlikely. Dallas’ current plan is to depend on its younger players to step up and then getting a boost from the return of injured players Micah Parsons, DaRon Bland, DeMarcus Lawrence, Brandin Cooks and Marshawn Kneeland.
That doesn’t mean the Cowboys don’t have needs. The ones that immediately jump out are two positions that weren’t addressed well enough in the offseason: running back and defensive tackle. Add offensive line help, a pass catcher and a safety to the needs list. — Jon Machota | Read more
The Broncos have won five of their past six games and are currently slotted into the No. 5 spot in the AFC field. They also have some needs — most notably at the playmaker positions around rookie QB Bo Nix — they could address in a deadline deal, bolstering the roster for a postseason run. But the Broncos seem intent on allowing their young players to develop in these meaningful games. That could lead to occupying a seller’s position — not only to restock a draft cupboard that was emptied after trades for Russell Wilson and Sean Payton but also to ensure there is not a logjam at positions where the Broncos want their young players to emerge.
If the Broncos are buyers, they’ll likely want a playmaker. Panthers WR Adam Thielen or Giants WR Darius Slayton could be possibilities. If they sell, LB Baron Browning, TE Greg Dulcich and backup QBs Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson could be in play. — Nick Kosmider | Read more
I talked to a few general managers just to try to get an idea of what are the Lions going to do? I had one guy tell me they’re going to probably check on Trey Hendrickson in Cincy, but the Bengals don’t ever really move their players, though, so that’s going to be tough. Tennessee’s Arden Key has played really well this season. The New York Giants’ Azeez Ojulari is a good option — again, sneaky, not a big, big splashy name. Green Bay is taking calls on Preston Smith. — Dianna Russini from the “Scoop City” podcast | Listen here for more
The Packers aren’t known for making in-season splash moves. They did so this offseason in signing running back Josh Jacobs and safety Xavier McKinney during free agency — both acquisitions have been resounding successes — but the Packers seem to be in the mix with big-name players at the trade deadline more so than crossing the finish line with them. Don’t expect this season to be much different, if at all. Given their roster of talent, you might not see the Packers mentioned in the mix as much.
Defensive end Preston Smith and offensive lineman Andre Dillard have been mentioned in the media as possibilities to be moved, but if they moved Smith, they’d likely have to add a pass rusher to replace him.
The Packers haven’t made noise at the deadline under their current general manager when they’ve had glaring needs, so they likely won’t make noise this time around, either. — Matt Schneidman | Read more
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What every NFL team should do at the trade deadline: Buy, sell or stand pat?
Texans receiver Stefon Diggs is out for the year due to a torn ACL suffered in Week 8. The wide receiver and team captain is on a one-year deal; he will become a free agent as he works his way back. Even with Diggs out, don’t expect Houston to be aggressive at the trade deadline. Rather, this is viewed as an opportunity for Robert Woods, Xavier Hutchinson and John Metchie III to step up. — Russini | Read more
The Chiefs have made two trades ahead of the deadline that should erase any doubts about their commitment to going for a third straight Super Bowl title. Last week, they acquired veteran DeAndre Hopkins from the Titans to shore up their injury-riddled wide receiver corps. This week, they made a deal with the Patriots to add pass rusher Joshua Uche to their stout defense.
Hopkins and Uche joined receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and running back Kareem Hunt as players added to the roster after training camp. Hopkins proved he can help draw attention away from tight end Travis Kelce in his Chiefs debut on Sunday, and Uche, 26, could thrive alongside fellow pass rushers Chris Jones, George Karlaftis and Charles Omenihu. — Nate Taylor | Read more
The Raiders traded away Davante Adams last month and have lost four straight games, so obviously when it comes to Tuesday’s trade deadline, they are going to … sell, sell, sell! Nah. That doesn’t really make sense. They’re easily the worst team in the AFC West and barring a miraculous turnaround, the Raiders won’t sniff the playoffs this year. Which is why the Raiders should stand pat. And, according to team sources, that’s exactly what they’re expected to do.
The Raiders don’t have many players who would garner significant draft capital, but also owner Mark Davis, general manager Tom Telesco and coach Antonio Pierce still don’t view this as a full-scale tear down despite their current struggles. There remains internal optimism that, if they nail next offseason, they could become a competitive team again as soon as 2025. — Vic Tafur and Tashan Reed | Read more
I think the Chargers should be targeting two primary positions: receiver and cornerback. They could use a pass-catching tight end, but I do not see a viable candidate on the market. Even with wideouts Quentin Johnston and DJ Chark on their way back, I think the Chargers could use more depth and talent in this position group for the second half. At cornerback, the Chargers are navigating injuries and would be wise to add a veteran at this spot.
Five trades to consider: Rams CB Tre’Davious White for a seventh-round pick; Jets WR Mike Williams for a conditional seventh-round pick; Jets CB D.J. Reed for a fourth-round pick; Patriots WR K.J. Osborn for a seventh-round pick; Giants WR Darius Slayton for a sixth-round pick. — Daniel Popper | Read more
While head coach Sean McVay said trading Cooper Kupp is “not a move that we want to make” earlier in October in regards to trade conversations involving the star receiver, there are still a couple of players who now find themselves the odd man out as the Rams get healthy players back or shuffle their personnel.
McVay confirmed that cornerback Tre’Davious White, who has been a healthy scratch since Week 5 after a shaky start to the year, has permission to seek a trade and that the defense will roll with their current starters at cornerback.
Reserve offensive lineman Joe Noteboom is back from an ankle injury but rookie undrafted free agent Justin Dedich is playing well as a fill-in left guard, and starter Steve Avila could be back in November. Receiver Tutu Atwell got productive snaps when Kupp and Puka Nacua were out with injuries. They were both back last week but Nacua re-injured his knee Thursday at practice and his status going forward was unknown as of Thursday evening. Demarcus Robinson is the clear No. 3 when they are both healthy. The Rams could still make some moves, but will probably stay pat on anything splashy. — Jourdan Rodrigue | Read more
Could the Rams’ leading receiver, Tutu Atwell, be on the move? (Gary A. Vasquez / Imagn Images)
As in 2022, when they acquired tight end T.J. Hockenson from the Lions, the Vikings (5-2) could part with some draft picks ahead of the deadline to secure a preferred target. Rather than compete for a cornerback like the Jets’ D.J. Reed in free agency, Minnesota could deal a late-round pick for him now and extend him the way they did with Hockenson.
The same strategy could make sense for players like Bengals defensive tackle B.J. Hill or Panthers offensive lineman Brady Christensen. Some other options are Cowboys defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa, Colts guard Will Fries and Raiders cornerback Nate Hobbs. All are free agents-to-be on sputtering teams that might see draft picks as more valuable for the long term. — Alec Lewis | Read more
It’s no surprise that the Patriots will be sellers. They are 2-6 and in the early stages of a rebuild. The only question now is how much they’ll sell as they aim to stockpile draft picks. After sending Matthew Judon to the Falcons before the season, they dealt Joshua Uche to the Chiefs earlier this week.
Cornerback Jonathan Jones, who is in the final year of his contract, could be someone New England looks to move. Same for wide receivers Kendrick Bourne and K.J. Osborn. None of the players the Patriots would consider trading would draw more than a Day 3 pick, but they still could be worthwhile transactions for a Pats team whose top focus needs to be on building a better team down the road. — Chad Graff | Read more
Two of the Giants’ most probable trade candidates, wide receiver Darius Slayton and edge Azeez Ojulari, had strong performances Monday night against Pittsburgh.
Slayton had the seventh 100-yard receiving game of his career, recording 108 yards on four receptions, reeling in two deep balls of 35-plus yards. Slayton has always been a solid vertical threat, and plenty of offenses around the league could use someone with his skill set and track record of reliability. If the Giants traded Slayton, they would create $1.8 million in cap savings and could probably expect a Day 3 pick in return for him.
Ojulari is now two shy of matching his career-high eight sacks, set in his tantalizing rookie season. Pretty much every contender could use a ready-made pass rusher. So what could the Giants get for him? An executive cited in a story by Dan Duggan speculated about a late Day 3 pick. — Charlotte Carroll | Read more
Late in the fourth quarter of a 23-20 Monday night loss to the Bills in Week 6, Aaron Rodgers launched one up for Mike Williams. The receiver slipped and the ball was picked off by Bills corner Taron Johnson. After the game — and a day later on “The Pat McAfee Show” — Rodgers went into detail about what went wrong. Specifically: Williams ran the wrong route. In the wake of the Jets’ trade for All-Pro wideout Davante Adams, there was little room left for Williams. Two days after the Bills game, the Saints, Steelers and Chargers called the Jets about a trade for Williams, according to league sources. — Zack Rosenblatt and Russini | Read more
GO DEEPER
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Teams with such high expectations tend to be buyers at this time of the year. But general manager Howie Roseman may have already taken his biggest swings. The Eagles spent lavishly in free agency on Saquon Barkley, Bryce Huff and C.J. Gardner-Johnson. They reached long-term extensions with A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson and Jake Elliott. They traded for Jahan Dotson in training camp. Is there little else (or little available) to acquire?
Since his September slump, Bryce Huff has 1.5 sacks and a tackle for loss. Nolan Smith (who was also absent in the backfield in September) has 2.5 sacks and two tackles for loss in his last three games. Both edge rushers, who split roles in base and nickel packages, are now adequately supplementing Josh Sweat — the most stable member of the position group with three sacks and four tackles for loss in 2024. — Brooks Kubena | Read more
Monday’s game was a final chance for Calvin Austin III and Van Jefferson to show they can answer one of the Steelers’ most pressing question marks. Both receivers produced some of the most impactful plays of their seasons, continuing to thrive with Russell Wilson at QB. That might make the Steelers more confident in their wide receiver group.
Meanwhile, outside options are running out. Pittsburgh’s dreams of landing Brandon Aiyuk, Davante Adams or Cooper Kupp are dead. DeAndre Hopkins got dealt to the Chiefs and Amari Cooper to the Bills. Jaguars receiver Christian Kirk is now out for the season with a collarbone injury.
Tyler Boyd played his college ball at Pittsburgh and could be a fit for what the Steelers need. (Steve Roberts / Imagn Images)
So who is left? The Jets’ Mike Williams, Giants’ Darius Slayton or Panthers’ Adam Thielen could make sense. Maybe the Raiders’ Jakobi Meyers or Titans’ Tyler Boyd (a University of Pittsburgh product)? The Steelers must decide how badly they need an upgrade and what they’re willing to pay. — Mike DeFabo
Defensive end might make the most sense for a trade considering the intersection of need and available players. Until Yetur Gross-Matos (knee) returns, the only two defensive ends behind Nick Bosa and 32-year-old Leonard Floyd are neophytes Sam Okuayinonu and Robert Beal Jr. Both have potential, but they’d be overmatched if either of the starters went down with injury. Gross-Matos also is likely to split time between defensive tackle and defensive end when he’s back.
Meanwhile, there could be all sorts of possibilities on the trade market from longtime veterans like Za’Darius Smith (Browns), Calais Campbell (Dolphins) and Jadeveon Clowney (Panthers) to younger players like Azeez Ojulari (Giants).
The 49ers could even pick up a former player. Arden Key (Titans) could be available. Heck, with the Saints at 2-6, the 49ers could deal a compensatory third-round pick for Chase Young for the second straight season. — Matt Barrows | Read more
John Schneider’s goal each year is to field a championship-caliber roster, and his in-season moves have long reflected that view. This season is no different, as the general manager has already made two deals to address problem areas on coach Mike Macdonald’s new defense. But unlike previous seasons, Seattle might be reaching its inflection point earlier in the year.
The Seahawks (4-4) — who, per the model of The Athletic’s Austin Mock, have a 17 percent chance to win the division — are home underdogs against the Rams on Sunday. The loser will find itself last in the NFC West. Falling to 4-5 just a couple of days before the trade deadline would bring into question whether the Seahawks should continue to behave like buyers, and whether Schneider’s view of the team was warranted. — Michael-Shawn Dugar
Numerous league sources told The Athletic they have heard minimally about Washington this deadline cycle or that the team is attached to any specific names. There’s a willingness by the front office to listen, especially for a cornerback, according to another team’s front-office executive, but there’s little sense that activity is brewing. Trading one or multiple future high draft picks is likely required to change perceptions, if not move the Commanders closer to that contender tier.
But making such a trade comes at a cost. This is Year 1 of a multi-year plan focused on sustained contention rather than chasing immediate gratification. To make a move of significance, the Commanders must trade away future assets, namely draft selections. Washington’s 10 picks in 2025 include four in the top 100. Getting star talent in their prime is always a good choice, but a player with that profile on the trade market is rare. — Ben Standig | Read more
(Top illustration: Meech Robinson / The Athletic; photos of Adam Thielen, Za’Darius Smith and Darius Slayton: Ian Maule, Cooper Neill and Luke Hales / Getty Images)
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