It's that time of the year when general managers across the NFL begin picking up the phone in earnest to try and wheel and deal to make their clubs better via trade. We are now just hours away from the 2024 trade deadline, which is slated for 4 p.m. ET Tuesday afternoon.
Already, we've seen a handful of deals come down the wire, including a blockbuster trade that sent star wide receiver Davante Adams from the Las Vegas Raiders to the New York Jets to reunite him with Aaron Rodgers. The Buffalo Bills also landed themselves a pass catcher, acquiring Amari Cooper in a deal with the Cleveland Browns, while the Kansas City Chiefs addressed their receiver need with DeAndre Hopkins.
So, what other deals could be on the horizon? Well, that's what we'll be trying to identify here. Below, we're going to collect the contenders and suggest one trade they should make between now and the deadline to better their chances of solidifying a playoff spot. So who are the contenders? For this exercise, we'll be taking the teams currently in the playoff picture after Week 9.
AFC: Kansas City Chiefs, Houston Texans, Pittsburgh Steelers, Buffalo Bills, Denver Broncos, Baltimore Ravens, Los Angeles Chargers
NFC: Detroit Lions, Washington Commanders, Atlanta Falcons, Arizona Cardinals, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles
With those particulars out of the way, let's play trade matchmaker!
AFC
Kansas City Chiefs
Trade target: Greg Newsome II, DB, Cleveland Browns
Kansas City has already addressed a couple of critical needs prior to the deadline, landing wideout DeAndre Hopkins and pass rusher Josh Uche. If the Chiefs want to continue to buy to further their chances of becoming the first-ever team to win three straight Super Bowls, they could look to the corner position. Even with the Cleveland Browns winning in Week 8, they are still 2-6 and could be sellers at the deadline. If they don't see Newsome (24) as a long-term piece, he'd be a welcome addition to Kansas City's secondary.
Houston Texans
Trade target: K.J. Osborn, WR, New England Patriots
The Houston Texans are suddenly thin at wide receiver. Already with Nico Collins on injured reserve, the club saw Stefon Diggs leave Week 8 after suffering a noncontact knee injury. If that proves to be serious, further adding to that room becomes a priority. The Patriots are 2-6 on the season and have already begun selling leading up to the deadline. A clear candidate to be traded out of Foxborough is veteran K.J. Osborn, who has seen a small role in the passing game.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Trade target: Darius Slayton, WR, New York Giants
The Steelers have been in the market for a wide receiver for a while now. They were in on trying to acquire Brandon Aiyuk before he ultimately re-signed with San Francisco and were also lurking about in the Davante Adams waters before he was sent to New York. With that need still there to add to its receiver depth chart, one move could be to acquire Slayton from the Giants. He is in the final year of his contract, and with New York sitting at 2-6, they could be sellers at the deadline.
Buffalo Bills
Trade target: E.J. Speed, LB, Indianapolis Colts
Buffalo may have already made its big trade of this deadline cycle in acquiring Amari Cooper. While that helps stabilize the passing attack, the Bills could also use some help on the defensive side of the ball. Speed is in the final year of his contract, and the 29-year-old has been productive this season, posting 70 tackles through seven games.
Denver Broncos
Trade target: Austin Hooper, TE, New England Patriots
The Broncos have been one of the surprise teams of the season, as they sit at 5-3 following Week 8. As they currently stand in a playoff position, they could stand to add more weapons around rookie quarterback Bo Nix, particularly at the tight end position. With New England poised to be sellers at the deadline and Hooper not carving out a huge role in the offense behind Hunter Henry, he could be an expendable piece that is attractive to Denver down the stretch.
Baltimore Ravens
Trade target: Budda Baker, S, Arizona Cardinals
While some may look for the Ravens to add to their wide receiver room, they could use a boost in the secondary. Baltimore is allowing the most passing yards per game in the league, which isn't exactly a winning formula come playoff time. The front office should look to bolster that piece of the defense with Budda Baker, who is in the final year of his deal with the Cardinals. If Arizona falls out of the NFC West race, it could make sense to move off him.
Los Angeles Chargers
Trade target: Mike Williams, WR, New York Jets
Who doesn't like a reunion? With the Jets acquiring Davante Adams, it would seem as if Mike Williams is the odd man out in New York. In fact, there have already been reports that the team is shopping Williams around the league. The Chargers released Williams over the offseason, but that was largely due to his contract. He has a rapport with Justin Herbert, and Los Angeles still has a need at the position, so this return makes sense all around.
NFC
Detroit Lions
Trade target: Azeez Ojulari, OLB, New York Giants
In the aftermath of losing Aidan Hutchinson for the season, Detroit needs to add a pass rusher. With Brian Burns and, when healthy, Kayvon Thibodeaux being the pillars of New York's pass rush, Ojulari is expendable as he plays in the final year of his rookie contract. This season, Ojulari has six sacks and 24 tackles.
Washington Commanders
Trade target: Tee Higgins, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
The Commanders secondary certainly could use a boost via a trade to help make the pass defense a more formidable unit. That said, they could also use a pass catcher to further build around rookie sensation Jayden Daniels. And if the Cincinnati Bengals fall further below .500 between now and the deadline, what bigger swing could GM Adam Peters make than dealing for wideout Tee Higgins? The Bengals didn't pay Higgins this offseason and he is set to be a free agent. If they are out of the playoff race and don't plan on re-signing Higgins, it'd make sense to get a blue-chip asset in return for him while they still can.
Atlanta Falcons
Trade target: Arden Key, DE, Tennessee Titans
The Falcons could use more pass-rushing help as they look to secure the NFC South down the stretch. Key has proven to be a solid edge rusher throughout his career and has three sacks on the year with six quarterback hits through seven games with the Titans. Tennessee is likely going to be one of the main sellers at the deadline, and with Key only signed through 2025, this could make sense for both sides.
Arizona Cardinals
Trade target: Chase Young, DE, New Orleans Saints
The Cardinals rank 29th in the NFL in pressure rate this season and 27th in sack rate. So, as they currently stand in playoff position, that area of the defense needs to improve rather drastically. The Saints sit at 2-6 after Week 8, and that record could propel them to sell at the deadline. While Chase Young isn't the player he was when he first stepped into the league as the No. 2 overall pick in 2020, he could provide some depth to the unit at a reasonable cost.
Green Bay Packers
Trade target: Za'Darius Smith, EDGE, Cleveland Browns
The Packers rank 19th in the NFL in pressure rate this season, so while the overall team looks primed for a playoff run, they could use a boost in that area. And maybe that could come from old pal Za'Darius Smith. The Cleveland Browns have already traded away Amari Cooper, which could be a signal that they are waving the white flag on the season. If so, Smith, who is signed through 2025, could be expendable, too. The 32-year-old played three seasons with the Packers from 2019 to 2021 and was named to the Pro Bowl twice over that span, so there is familiarity here.
Minnesota Vikings
Trade target: Adam Butler, DT, Las Vegas Raiders
The Vikings have already addressed a key need on offense by acquiring Cam Akers in a deal with the Houston Texans. That said, GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah hasn't been shy making deals throughout his tenure, so they may not be done. One area they could look to shore up is the defensive line with Raiders tackle Adam Butler. The 30-year-old has a relationship with defensive coordinator Brian Flores back when he was the de facto DC with the Patriots and then signed on with the Dolphins in 2021 when Flores was the head coach.
Philadelphia Eagles
Trade target: Jordan Akins, TE, Cleveland Browns
Dallas Goedert has been sidelined with a hamstring injury the past few weeks, which furthers Philadelphia's need to deepen its tight end room. With David Njoku the top dog on Cleveland's depth chart, Akins could be an expendable piece for Cleveland as he is in the final year of his deal, and the Browns currently sit at 2-6.
