In the NFL, “good enough” sometimes doesn’t suffice. The 2023 season is a perfect example thus far.
We’re almost halfway through this campaign, and it’s abundantly clear the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles — last season’s Super Bowl 57 participants — are a cut above the rest of the competition. But it doesn’t have to stay that way. With the 2023 NFL trade deadline on the horizon this Halloween, prospective teams trying to hunt the Chiefs and Eagles down can make trades that transform them into powerhouses worthy of toppling the NFL’s upper-crust giants.
Now is the time for the league’s upper-tier, second-class contending teams to make moves that can elevate them over the top this winter. They assuredly won’t get a better chance all season, so there’s no room for sitting idly by on the sideline. The below list features a few squads who shouldn’t hesitate to buy, buy, buy by the time the 4 p.m. ET hits this Tuesday.
The bigger the swing of a trade addition, the better.
1
Detroit Lions (Record: 5-2)
Potential trade fits: Washington Commanders CB Kendall Fuller, Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR Mike Evans
As the leaders of what might be the NFL’s worst division, the Lions truthfully don’t really have to change much. They’re easily the most complete team in the NFC North and will likely coast to their first division title in over three decades. But I have a hunch that general manager Brad Holmes sees an opportunity to achieve more in a weak NFC and will want to sand over some of his mostly complete team’s remaining flaws. In this case, injuries to defensive backs Emmanuel Moseley and C.J. Gardner-Johnson have decimated what was a promising Lions secondary. On offense, outside of Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit doesn’t possess any reliable receivers.
Making a quality trade addition to either or both of these position groups could push Detroit to have a far more fruitful postseason this winter.
2
Buffalo Bills (Record: 5-3)
Potential trade fits: Tennessee Titans WR DeAndre Hopkins, Chicago Bears WR Darnell Mooney
The Bills watched their Super Bowl dreams crumble last year because they didn’t have any consistent help for Josh Allen. They responded by getting him … a rookie tight end. This is meant as no disrespect to Dalton Kincaid — who had a fine Thursday night in the best performance of his young career so far — but he is not yet a viable second option to Stefon Diggs. That is, on a team with championship aspirations, at least. The Bills cannot enter another postseason with Diggs, a rookie tight end, and a bunch of nondescript guys. There are too many competent to elite defenses in the AFC to expect that trying a still-similar plan will work out in a deep playoff run. A serious offense would give defenses more to worry about rather than just bracketing Diggs and daring someone else to make a play.
It’s time to go and trade for a legitimate No. 2 receiver that can complement Diggs’ complete skill set. As arguably the NFL’s second-best quarterback, Allen deserves that kind of assistance to ideally bring Western New York its first Super Bowl.
3
Seattle Seahawks (Record: 4-2)
Potential trade fits: Minnesota Vikings EDGE Danielle Hunter, New York Jets EDGE Carl Lawson
Pete Carroll has done it again and in seemingly no time. He traded away the finest quarterback in Seattle’s history, and in less than two years, the Seahawks have a legitimate NFC power again led by former journeyman Geno Smith. It would frankly be unbelievable if he didn’t have the reputation of an elite coach who always maximizes his players. This is just what Carroll does. He usually pulls the right strings.
However, these Seahawks are not without fault.
They’ve got the quarterback. They’ve got the secondary (hoo boy, Devon Witherspoon and Tariq Woolen together). They definitely have the tailbacks and offensive line. And they’ve got the weapons — DK Metcalf, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Tyler Lockett together are the WR corps envy of many teams. What’s missing? Oh, right, that whole pass rush elephant in the room. Seattle is just 12th in the league in quarterback hits and sits at a robust sixth in sacks (23) mainly because of that mentioned elite secondary. Those are acceptable numbers if the Seahawks are content with another playoff berth before making a relatively quick exit. But every other piece on this team is collectively good enough to go to Las Vegas this February.
Adding a legitimately dynamic pass rusher who can take over a game and take advantage of Seattle’s defensive backs would be a godsend at this deadline. Such a star edge player would potentially make the Seahawks the kind of pro football titan we haven’t seen residing in the Pacific Northwest since the mid-2010s.
4
Baltimore Ravens (Record: 5-2)
Potential trade fits: Tennessee Titans RB Derrick Henry, Carolina Panthers EDGE Brian Burns
As it stands, with this white-hot version of Lamar Jackson, I believe that the Ravens could walk into Kansas City this January and leave with a win. They possess an MVP-caliber quarterback and a top-five defense in most relevant metrics. You don’t need any more to hoist the Lombardi Trophy in this league. But it’s been at least three seasons since the Ravens were this good, showing how golden opportunities can be fleeting. Jackson is only 26, so the Ravens will likely be championship contenders through the length of his prime. It’s just that that’s no guarantee in this fickle league.
Not to mention that the Ravens aren’t entirely without needs. An early-season injury to J.K. Dobbins decimated what has been a bland Baltimore backfield to this point. It could definitely use a more capable workhorse to take pressure off of Jackson from wearing a red cape all the time. And while that defense is special — shoutout to defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald — I wouldn’t say there’s an elite edge pass rusher on hand. Imagine someone exceptional entering the fold and utilizing Macdonald’s uniquely confusing scheme en route to weekly dominance of offensive lines. The Ravens would be unstoppable.
If I were Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta, now would be the time to put the trade cherry on top and earnestly pursue the franchise’s first Super Bowl win in over a decade.
5
San Francisco 49ers (Record: 5-2)
Potential trade fits: Chicago Bears CB Jaylon Johnson, Denver Broncos CB Patrick Surtain II
The premier players potentially available at this year’s trade deadline are cornerbacks. That plays right into the 49ers’ hands, who have glaring weak spots at all three primary corner spots. To say Charvarius Ward, Deommodore Lenoir, and Isaiah Oliver have all struggled intermittently as San Francisco has dropped two straight games would be an understatement. The 49ers’ defense might be outstanding everywhere else, rife with All-Pros like Nick Bosa and Fred Warner, but no one can overcome weak secondary play. At a certain juncture, your defensive backs must be able to hold their water without a perfect pass rush. Good NFL quarterbacks — especially those of an upper-echelon in the NFC — will eventually victimize your cornerbacks if they sense weakness, without fail.
Put another way: This is not the 49ers’ defense we’re accustomed to seeing.
It also almost might be near the end of a championship window in the Bay Area. To keep matters buoyed last year, general manager John Lynch took a considerable swing to add Christian McCaffrey. That move worked out with flying colors. The San Francisco defense will require a similar caliber of addition this Halloween. At least there’s a great precedent of Lynch understanding when his team needs more talent mid-season.
