The NFL trade deadline will be here before you know it, with various contenders trying to bolster their rosters and other struggling teams wanting to get draft compensation for the future.
We’ve looked at all 32 NFL teams to determine which deals we’d love to see ahead of the Halloween trade deadline.
For some teams, we’re looking at additions. For other teams, we’re looking at subtractions. Some deals we outline trade partners for here, while others are just one-way situations that we think would make a ton of sense.
We’re not sure if any of this will happen, so take these prognostications with a grain of salt. However, we do like where these ideas are headed.
Let’s dive in and see which teams could do what later this month.
Arizona Cardinals: Trade WR Marquise Brown
The Cardinals have proved to be a feisty football team this season, even if a 1-4 record better reflects their overall quality.
While Arizona has to be hopeful that this new coaching staff is getting what it is out of this roster, the team doesn’t have the luxury to not consider trading some expiring contracts for players brought in by the previous regime.
Brown is a good wide receiver, but it’s not likely that Arizona will re-sign him with the youth movement that’s about to his this franchise.
The Cardinals could probably get a mid-round pick ahead of the NFL Trade Deadline from a contending team that needs some receiver help (hello, Kansas City Chiefs).
With someone like Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams likely going to cost more, Brown could be a useful addition to basically any NFL roster for less draft compensation. Arizona should really consider this if teams are calling.
Atlanta Falcons: Trade for DE Danielle Hunter
The Falcons adding wide receiver Van Jefferson was a smart move to help bolster the team’s passing game. Now, they need to get a dominant edge rusher to further push for the NFC South title.
Hunter has been one of the most productive pass rushers in the NFL this year with six sacks, and he’s on a sinking Minnesota Vikings team that really needs to sell assets at the deadline to replenish young talent on the roster.
We’re guessing the Vikings will start looking for the quarterback of the future with a top-10 pick feeling likekly, and added draft compensation will continue to build up an offense that will help that pick thrive.
Hunter will be 29 this month, and he would be better suited for a defense that is a piece away from really being good. The Falcons desperately need someone like Hunter to continue their defensive overhaul, and him coming off the edge could instantly make this one of the tougher defenses to play in the NFL.
If the Falcons can stomach parting ways with a higher 2024 pick and the Vikings are willing, this would be great for both sides.
Baltimore Ravens: Trade for WR Adam Thielen
The Ravens are coming off a game where wide receivers dropping passes cost them a win against a division opponent.
While that’s not necessarily going to translate into weekly problems, Baltimore might consider adding a veteran receiver at the trade deadline to give quarterback Lamar Jackson another target he could rely on.
Thielen might not be as explosive as he used to be, but he’s coming off a 107-yard, one-touchdown performance against a good Detroit Lions team. The Panthers are 0-5, and they need to start thinking about what the future of this offense is going to look like. Keeping around a veteran like Thielen doesn’t make much sense in that equation.
If you’re Baltimore, you call Carolina and offer, say, a young receiver in Rashod Bateman and a low-round pick for Thielen. The Panthers get a young receiver who could use a change of scenery to pair with Young, and Thielen gets to go to a contender that could use his veteran savvy.
Buffalo Bills: Trade for CB Pat Surtain
The Bills losing cornerback Tre’Davious White for the season really hurts that team’s secondary, a team with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations.
While signing Josh Norman adds veteran depth, the team needs to consider a Hail Mary to give this defense the jolt it needs to withstand the best AFC offenses in January. Trading for Surtain would do that.
Denver’s lockdown corner is stuck on the worst defense in the NFL, and he’s going to be in line for a big contract in the not-too-distant future. The Broncos have plenty of needs on both sides of the ball, and acquiring another first-round pick for 2024 would absolutely help that.
Surtain going to the Bills would be the slam-dunk move Buffalo could make to shake off the injuries on defense and really give this team a chance.
Let’s say Buffalo sends 2022 first-round pick Kaiir Elam to Denver along with a 2024 first-round pick for Surtain, who signs a big-money extension with the Bills in the offseason. It gives a great Bills team an excellent cornerback for the future, and it gives the Broncos a young prospect in Elam and a first-round pick to boot.
Carolina Panthers: Trade DE Brian Burns
The Panthers have their futures tied up in quarterback Bryce Young. Everything going ahead needs to be about making Young’s life easier and giving him plenty of options to succeed.
So far, Carolina has done an abysmal job of that. Going 0-5 is bad enough, but a good quarterback prospect in Young cannot flourish with what the Panthers have at their disposal right now. This team needs to sell assets at the trade deadline to help recoup not having a 2024 first-round pick.
Trading a talented pass rusher like Burns would sting, but it could net the franchise a first-round pick. Burns is that talented of a pass rusher, and assuming he’s not hired away next season, defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero can make a good defense work without a player like Burns on the roster.
Burns and the Panthers weren’t able to come to terms on a new contract in the offseason, and they really should see if someone would trade for the pass rusher and send back a first rounder in compensation.
It’d give Burns the opportunity to get the payday he so richly deserves, and it’d give the Panthers the draft capital it needs to get a top-flight offensive talent for Young to grow with in the future.
Cincinnati Bengals: Trade for TE Darren Waller
The Bengals are starting to find their rhythm on offense with quarterback Joe Burrow getting healthy, and they need some added offensive help to really capitalize on this newfound momentum.
Waller is stuck on a Giants team is going nowhere in a hurry, and he’s just too talented to get stuck in New York. If the Giants would be willing to move Waller for a pick, Cincinnati should pick up the phone and make this happen.
Tight end Irv Smith Jr. only has five catches for 27 yards this season, and he’s the team’s starter. The Bengals could add Waller to Smith and give the team a nice one-two punch at the position this season.
New York could probably net mid-round draft compensation for Waller, who is still one of the more talented tight ends in the game. Cincinnati would benefit from making this happen.
Chicago Bears: Trade WR Darnell Mooney
Mooney has produced a good bit in the past for the Bears, but he’s not the team’s top wideout any longer with D.J. Moore in town.
Chicago won its first game against the Washington Commanders last week, but we’re not as bullish that this are about to turn around aggressively for the Bears. They’d still be wise to be sellers at the NFL Trade Deadline.
Any number of teams that need wideout help could send a mid-round pick to Chicago to acquire Mooney, whose contract expires next spring. The Bears have the depth at wide receiver to withstand this loss and not put quarterback Justin Fields in no man’s land.
It’d be a smart move for the Bears to get the compensation now to help the roster for 2024.
Cleveland Browns: Trade TE Harrison Bryant
Bryant hasn’t factored in too much to the Cleveland passing game since being drafted in the 2020 NFL Draft, and it might be time for the Browns to move him for a late-round pick.
He’s only got three catches for seven yards this season and is third on the depth chart. A team needing tight end depth might could get Bryant for a seventh-round pick and get him in the mix.
Cleveland doesn’t necessarily have to do this, but it makes the most sense of anyone on the roster who could get moved. It could be a very low risk, decent reward move for a team that unlocks more of Bryant’s potential.
Dallas Cowboys: Trade for LB Josey Jewell
After losing linebacker Leighton Vander Esch to injury for some time, the Cowboys have an immediate need at linebacker.
Signing veteran Rashaan Evans was a good stopgap move, but the team really could use another starting-caliber player in the middle of the defense. Enter Jewell, a good player who is trapped on a horrible Broncos defense.
The Cowboys could send a mid-round pick for Jewell, whose contract expires next spring. Denver could recoup the loss with a pick, and Dallas could have Jewell and Evans to lean on until Vander Esch gets back.
When he returns, the Cowboys would immediately have a deep linebacker group for a possible postseason run. Jewell could also factor into the team’s future at the position.
Denver Broncos: Trade WR Jerry Jeudy
Denver needs to go on a fire sale for the trade deadline, regardless of what Sean Payton says. This team needs to rebuild in the worst way, and keeping around certain veterans won’t help with that pursuit.
By all accounts, Jeudy is a good wide receiver. He’s also got room to grow, and the Broncos might not want to pay him a big deal to make that growth in Denver with pressing roster issues to address in the future.
Jeudy getting a change of scenery ahead of a likely contract extension would be huge for him, and he’s still at a point in his career where he could fetch Denver a really nice return.
The Broncos really need to consider moving Jeudy before the deadline; this franchise will not contend this season, and it needs draft capital in the worst way to rebuild this roster.
Detroit Lions: Trade for CB Adoree' Jackson
The Lions are on fire right now, but losing cornerback Emmanuel Moseley for the year is not going to help this ascending defense.
Detroit needs secondary depth in the worst way, and they really could benefit from adding a starting-caliber corner to challenge Jerry Jacobs for the starting role opposite Cam Sutton.
Enter Jackson, who would fit right in with the Lions and probably wouldn’t mind getting out of New York during a terrible season for the Giants.
Jackson is the kind of ball-hawking cornerback this Detroit secondary could thrive with, and he could probably be had for mid-round compensation.
If Detroit is serious about a Super Bowl this year, they need to add to this cornerback group. Jackson would be an excellent rental option.
Houston Texans: Trade for CB Bryce Hall
Once upon a time, New York Jets cornerback Bryce Hall looked like one of the more promising young secondary players in the NFL.
His 2021 breakout season saw him start 17 games for New York, netting 36 tackles and 16 pass breakups. The following season didn’t go nearly as well for Hall, and he’s basically a bench player for the Jets this season.
An ascending team like the Texans would be smart to take a late-round flier on Hall before his rookie contract expires and see if he’d help their banged-up cornerback room. Hall might just need a change of scenery to find his 2021 form, and Houston has a very bright defensive head coach in DeMeco Ryans.
This might be a nice fit for both sides.
Green Bay Packers: Trade for RB Javonte Williams
Williams burst onto the NFL scene in 2021 with a 903-yard, four-touchdown rookie season, but he only played four games in 2022 because of injury.
In 2023, the running back is on a coaching staff that wasn’t there when he was drafted. It wouldn’t be shocking if the Broncos were curious what they could get for Williams, and Green Bay would be an excellent fit.
The team hasn’t always had Aaron Jones at its disposal this season because of injury, and Williams could be a great option to fill in as Green Bay’s starter as A.J. Dillon struggles to really move the needle.
The Packers need to help quarterback Jordan Love with a strong ground game. Until Jones gets fully healthy, Williams could carry the load. When Jones does get back, he and Williams would be a dangerous one-two punch.
A fourth-round pick and change for a young running back like Williams would make sense if you’re the Broncos.
Indianapolis Colts: Trade WR Michael Pittman Jr.
With quarterback Anthony Richardson on injured reserve, the Colts need to think long and hard about selling at the trade deadline to get some draft capital to add meaningful talent to this offense.
Pittman is a very reliable wide receiver, but he’ll be a free agent in the spring. It would make sense for Indianapolis to consider moving him to a contender that needs wideout help for a third-round draft pick.
That’d be the highest compensation the team would get if Pittman walked and signed a major deal elsewhere, but they wouldn’t see that pick until 2025. It’s also possible they’d cancel that out by signing a big free agent of their own.
Trading Pittman for a third wound be smart for the Colts. It’d give them a nice pick for next year’s draft, and it’d send Pittman to a place where he could help a team now and perhaps land a new deal early.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Trade for DE Brian Burns
We mentioned the Panthers trading for Burns earlier on this list, and here’s his ideal landing spot.
The Jaguars need added pass rush help, and Burns could really make a huge difference for Jacksonville this season and beyond. Having Burns, Josh Allen and Travon Walker coming off the edge would be huge to help Jacksonville meaningfully contend for an AFC title this season.
Now, it’d be an all-or-nothing move for Jacksonville, and it might mean that they choose to hold onto Burns and let Allen walk as a free agent next spring. Signing both would seem unlikely. However, Burns might be a slight upgrade over Allen as the team’s top pass rusher, so it might all work out in the end.
Kansas City Chiefs: Trade for WR Marquise Brown
We mentioned the Cardinals trading Brown at the top of this list, and here’s our preferred destination.
Seeing Brown play with quarterback Patrick Mahomes would just be impossibly fun, and the Chiefs could lock him in as the team’s top wide receiver immediately on an extension and just have a good time.
He’s a really nice fit for a team with a veteran offense, and Mahomes would help get Brown back to being one of the game’s more electric talents.
The Chiefs could send any one of their underperforming wideouts back to the Cardinals to help soften the blow of losing Brown, and we’re guessing Arizona would also get a decent draft pick in return.
Please let this happen, NFL gods. We’d love to see Mahomes and Brown together, lighting up opposing defenses.
Las Vegas Raiders: Trade WR Davante Adams
Adams is one of the NFL’s best wide receivers, and he’s on a 2-3 Raiders team that looks more mediocre than contender. We’re not sure if Las Vegas would actually do this, but they should trade Adams for a draft haul.
If they could work the finances out for another NFL team to take Adams’ contract, then Las Vegas should consider moving on from Adams and recouping the sky-high benefits that would come from such a transaction.
It’s not that the Raiders are horrible. They’re just clearly not going to contend for a Super Bowl, and the team really needs a quarterback of the future. Building around a 2024 draft pick would be wise. Trading Adams helps that.
Los Angeles Chargers: Trade for CB Jaylon Johnson
The Chargers admitted defeat on cornerback J.C. Jackson by trading him back to the Patriots, but they now need some cornerback help.
Los Angeles could give Chicago a call and see if they’d be willing to part ways with Johnson before his deal expires next spring.
The veteran cornerback would add some reliable depth for Los Angeles and could start if he’s needed. The Chargers have a thin margin for error in a treacherous AFC, and all the secondary help you can get is helpful.
Los Angeles Rams: Trade for DE Carl Lawson
The Rams look like they’re decently back to contend in the NFC, but the team’s pass rush could use a little help.
Enter Lawson, who could become the next pass rusher to have a career renaissance by playing next to superstar defensive tackle Aaron Donald.
Lawson seemed to have fallen out of favor on a deep New York Jets rotation, and we’d be mightily curious how he’d look with the Rams next to Donald.
He’s got the talent to produce in the NFL, and Los Angeles might be a good spot for him to rebound. Plus, the Rams really do need some help off the edge this season to really make a dent in January football.
Miami Dolphins: Trade for DE Leonard Williams
You’ll see below that we’re advocating the New York Giants to trade Williams. Well, here’s your trade partner.
The Dolphins want to contend for a Super Bowl this season, and boosting that defensive front for a long playoff run would help that immensely.
Williams has the kind of drive-changing talent that could really push this defense over the top, and we’d love to see what Vic Fangio would do to move Williams all over the defensive line.
He’s the kind of dangerous chess piece that helps playoff teams a ton.
Minnesota Vikings: Trade QB Kirk Cousins
Of any team in the NFL, the Vikings need to tank. They are quite literally the perfect franchise to do so, as a rookie quarterback would enter Minnesota with three excellent receiving options and a solid offensive line.
Can you imagine, like, Caleb Williams with this team? They’d be nearly unstoppable on offense. Minnesota had a great 2022 season, but the team needs to just wave the white flag and get their starter for the future.
The best way to tank is to trade Cousins. He’s still a reliable NFL quarterback, but his contract expires at the end of the season. With the Vikings likely picking high in the 2024 NFL Draft anyway, why not send Cousins to a team that desperately needs him?
The Vikings won’t make the playoffs this year, barring a genuinely stunning turnaround. Wide receiver Justin Jefferson being on injured reserve hampers that possibility. It’s time for Minnesota to think about the future.
New England Patriots: Trade TE Mike Gesicki
Gesicki is the kind of jack-of-all-trades that usually flourishes in New England, but he’s not having the kind of production you might’ve expected.
With only 116 receiving yards, a struggling Patriots team could send Gesicki to a contender ahead of the deadline and maybe get, like, a fifth rounder in return?
The right team could find plenty of ways to unleash Gesicki’s skill set, but the Patriots offense is not working right now. New England might be wise to get this done to get the draft capital back.
New Orleans Saints: Trade for DE Marcus Davenport
The Saints’ defense is really good this year, and the team should inquire about bringing Davenport back to New Orleans if Minnesota starts a fire sale.
Davenport hasn’t played much this year because of injury, but he’d fit right back in with the Saints’ pass rush since he’s well-versed in the scheme.
New Orleans could use a fresh Davenport down the stretch to get after the quarterback in their quest for the NFC South, one with familiarity with how this defense likes to play.
New York Giants: Trade DE Leonard Williams
The Giants feel like the worst team in the NFL sometimes, a once-promising squad decimated by injuries and lackluster play. The team needs to sell off some veterans at the deadline if they can. Williams is a great candidate.
He’s still a ferocious presence on any defensive line, and can you imagine him going to a Super Bowl contender? It’d be delightful to see Williams chasing down opposing quarterbacks and swallowing up running backs in January once more. The Giants need to send him out for a mid-round pick.
It doesn’t really look all that promising for New York this season until they get healthy. Williams is on an expiring deal, anyway, so you might as well get some compensation for him before the deadline.
New York Jets: Trade for QB Kirk Cousins
It’s the trade on everyone’s mind. The Jets have a playoff-ready roster with a quarterback in Zach Wilson that probably won’t get this team to January.
Banking on Aaron Rodgers to come back healthy this season after an Achilles tear feels foolhardy, and Cousins is literally right there. Just go get him if this team is seriously considering a postseason run as opposed to tanking.
Wilson hasn’t been quite as troublesome as he’s been in the past, but he’s still not good enough to consistently win games. With this receiver group and running back rotation, Cousins would be a great fill-in starter for the Jets.
Heck, if Rodgers somehow decides to retire after this season, he could be the guy in New York for the next few seasons. New York, just do it.
Philadelphia Eagles: Trade for WR Velus Jones Jr.
The Eagles have one of the best rosters in the NFL, and there really isn’t a ton they’d need to do at the deadline. However, they could add more speed to this wide receiver room.
Jones entered the 2022 NFL Draft as one of its fastest players, but he hasn’t really found a role with the Chicago Bears. However, the Eagles could probably send a late-round pick to the Bears for Jones and give this Philly offense a bit more juice.
Maybe playing with quarterback Jalen Hurts would help unlock more of Jones’ potential? At the worst, he’d be a very solid returner for the Eagles.
At the best, he’d be the kind of speedy vertical threat to make this Philly team even more dangerous on explosive plays.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Trade RB Najee Harris
This might seem a little surprising, but the Steelers might want to transition running back Jaylen Warren into that starting spot and consider sending Harris to a team that could better utilize his talents.
Harris hasn’t quite been the thousand-yard rusher we’ve gotten used to this season, and it’d be very easy to see a Super Bowl-caliber team calling up the Steelers and seeing if Harris is available.
Pittsburgh could probably get a second-round pick in return, and some team would get a proven running back in Harris to help a postseason run.
San Francisco 49ers: Trade for TE Mike Gesicki
The 49ers have the best roster in the NFL, and we’re not really sure if they’ll make any moves outside of adding outside linebacker Randy Gregory.
However, Gesicki screams “Kyle Shanahan offensive weapon,” and we’d be endlessly fascinated if San Francisco would ship out a draft pick to add Gesicki to Brock Purdy’s arsenal of talent.
Gesicki can play all over the field, and he’d be excellent insurance for George Kittle just in case. This is the type of team that makes fun luxury trades in the fall, and Gesicki would absolutely qualify for that.
Shanahan should give Bill Belichick a call and see if he’d make the deal.
Seattle Seahawks: Trade for DE Danielle Hunter
Well, we’re going to give the Falcons some competition for Hunter.
Everything we said about the Falcons’ defense and what Hunter could do can be copied and pasted here, only the Seahawks are a bit closer to contending for a Super Bowl than the Falcons are.
If Seattle really wants to set itself apart in the NFC this season, adding Hunter to this roster would be a big way to make a statement.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Trade for RB D'Onta Foreman
The Buccaneers have surpassed any and all expectations for their 2023 season, positioning themselves as legitimate NFC South contenders.
However, the team’s schedule hints that they’ve not really faced stout competition and should consider adding to this running back group just in case quarterback Baker Mayfield regresses when facing stouter competition.
Foreman signed with the Bears in March to help them contend, but he hasn’t quite gotten the playing time you’d expect. The Bucs know Foreman from his days with the Carolina Panthers, so they could add him as a nice depth piece for probably a sixth-round or seventh-round pick.
Tennessee Titans: Trade for OT Garett Bolles
The Titans are trying to position themselves as legitimate AFC contenders, but the offensive line play leaves a lot to be desired.
If the team is willing to make Andre Dillard a very expensive swing tackle, they could trade a mid-round pick to Denver for Garett Bolles and help keep quarterback Ryan Tannehill upright more often than not.
Bolles could be the Titans’ left tackle for the next few years, and it’d help keep an aging Tennessee team contending as much as possible in the waning days of Tannehill and running back Derrick Henry’s run together.
Washington Commanders: Trade DE Chase Young
Young is enjoying a great season with the Commanders, who are going to have to determine whether or not they’re going to pay him or Montez Sweat next spring.
Paying both just doesn’t feel realistic for one of the more expensive defensive lines in football, and Sweat has been the better player in his career.
If Washington isn’t able to get more wins, they should consider trading Young away to a contender and getting a better draft pick than they’d get if he walked in the spring.
It’s not hard to imagine a team wanting more power off the edge sending a second-round pick the Commanders’ way for an ascending Young.
