-
Bill Barnwell
We’re less than one week away from the NFL’s trade deadline, which hits at 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday. A handful of teams have already made their moves. This week alone, we’ve seen the Patriots send defensive lineman Keion White to the 49ers and safety Kyle Dugger to the Steelers, while the Rams landed cornerback Roger McCreary from the Titans. The Jets also sent Michael Carter II to the Eagles for John Metchie III. More trades are coming between now and next Tuesday.
So, should your favorite team be trying to add veterans on deadline day? Should it be moving on from players to acquire draft picks that can help it in the future? Or should it be staying put with what it has, neither dealing for players nor dealing them away?
Subscribe: ‘The Bill Barnwell Show’
I’ve put together a guide for each of the league’s 32 teams and whether they should be adding or subtracting veteran talent over the next week. I’ll also highlight the biggest needs for the teams that should be pursuing players and some of the potential trade candidates for organizations that should be working the phones to get players out of town. And then I’ve split the league’s teams into five tiers based on how they should be approaching the deadline.
Let’s start with the teams that should be most active in looking to add players who can help their chances of winning in 2025.
Jump to a team:
ARI | ATL | BAL | BUF | CAR | CHI | CIN
CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GB | HOU | IND
JAX | KC | LAC | LAR | LV | MIA | MIN
NE | NO | NYG | NYJ | PHI | PIT | SF
SEA | TB | TEN | WSH
Should definitely add players
These teams shouldn’t be trading every pick or young player they have to add difference-makers to their rosters, but they should be open to considering more substantial moves and be willing to target players on expiring contracts who could contribute to a potential deep playoff run.
Biggest needs: S, DT, WR
Bills fans will want GM Brandon Beane to go into the market for a star wide receiver and come away with someone like A.J. Brown, but barring something truly shocking, I’d be surprised if the Bills went that direction. Remember that Beane shipped a third-round pick to the Browns for Amari Cooper last year (that selection landed Cleveland its current starting quarterback in Dillon Gabriel). Cooper had 20 catches for 297 yards in a Bills uniform before leaving and then retiring.
Defensive help for coach Sean McDermott would make sense, especially with Ed Oliver suffering a serious biceps injury. DaQuan Jones will return from his calf injury in the weeks to come, and Larry Ogunjobi is back from his six-game suspension, but the Bills could stand to add another rotational player at defensive tackle. Landing a safety McDermott trusts would be a dream scenario, but the demand around the league there is far greater than the potential supply.
Biggest needs: Edge, CB, OL
My dream of an all-in move for Trey Hendrickson and Jaelan Phillips probably died when the Bengals star went down with a hip injury in Sunday’s loss to the Jets. The Lions already have plenty of injured defenders, especially in the secondary, where they were down four of their five starters in the Week 7 win over the Bucs. Coach Dan Campbell should get many of those guys back in the weeks to come, but this organization doesn’t need to be reminded about how thin it has been in the secondary over the past two postseasons.
The main priority should still be adding an edge rusher, even if it’s just someone to rotate with Al-Quadin Muhammad across from superstar Aidan Hutchinson. I also wonder if the Lions should consider trying to find some additional depth along the offensive line, where Giovanni Manu struggled filling in for Taylor Decker before hitting injured reserve with a knee issue.
With so many of their young standouts likely to earn extensions and massive raises over the next 12 months, 2025 is the Lions’ best shot at winning a Super Bowl. They should act accordingly.
Biggest needs: CB, QB, K
The wildly unexpected and entertaining 7-1 start calls for the Colts to make a play. Indianapolis has earned the top spot in the AFC through eight weeks, and ESPN’s Football Power Index makes it a massive favorite to finish there at the end of the season, with a 47.8% chance of claiming the first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the postseason. GM Chris Ballard is never going to tear up his future draft capital and trade a bunch of picks to make midseason additions, but if there was ever a time for the Colts to take an unexpected swing or two to add guys to their roster, it’s now.
Cornerback has been the one revolving door for the Colts, as free agent addition Charvarius Ward is on injured reserve with a concussion suffered in a pregame collision. Coordinator Lou Anarumo imported former Bengals corner Mike Hilton to play in the slot while Kenny Moore II was out, but Hilton also landed on IR shortly thereafter. Indy played late-summer additions Mekhi Blackmon and Cameron Mitchell and undrafted free agent Johnathan Edwards as its three top outside cornerbacks in Sunday’s blowout win over the Titans.
The other move to consider would be trying to hedge against a scenario that has haunted organizations in the past. The easiest way to have a great season fall to pieces is an injury to your quarterback at the wrong time. Ask the 2016 Raiders, who went 12-4, lost Derek Carr in December and had to play Connor Cook in what would be his only NFL start as they crashed out of the wild-card round. The 2015 Cardinals went 11-5 and couldn’t do anything in the playoffs when they were forced to start Ryan Lindley against the Panthers. The 2020 Commanders probably weren’t going to do much in the playoffs, but when Alex Smith was unable to go, they were forced to turn to Taylor Heinicke in his second career start against Tom Brady and the Bucs.
Daniel Jones is thankfully running the lowest sack rate of his career by a considerable margin, but he has managed to complete only one full season as a pro without missing time due to injuries. With Anthony Richardson Sr. out indefinitely and struggling badly when he has played, the next man up would be sixth-round pick Riley Leonard, who is yet to throw an NFL pass. A veteran backup to shore things up behind Jones would be a logical hedge for a Colts team with aspirations of playing deep into January.
Biggest needs: Edge, DT, S
The Chiefs are in a perpetual championship window with Patrick Mahomes at quarterback, which creates some challenges. A team spending as much as the Chiefs do on its top players needs to hit on draft picks to build a cost-controlled roster around those stars, which makes trading those selections away for veterans a bit of a dangerous game. Brett Veach has gotten some of those picks back by trading away his own vets, including L’Jarius Sneed and Joe Thuney in recent years, but the longtime Chiefs general manager is understandably going to be selective about how many picks he moves between now and the deadline.
0:50
Graziano: Chiefs are the scariest team in the AFC
Dan Graziano explains why the Colts are the best team in the AFC but the Chiefs are the scariest moving forward.
The offense appears to be set after the returns of Xavier Worthy and Rashee Rice, leaving Veach to focus on the defensive side of the ball. Along the D-line, Felix Anudike-Uzomah and rookie second-rounder Omarr Norman-Lott are both out for the season, costing the Chiefs two players who were expected to be part of their rotation up front. Veach has gotten useful work here at the bottom of the lineup from players he has added during the season in the past, including Terrell Suggs in 2019 and Mike Pennel in 2023, though those were both signings as opposed to trades. I think the Chiefs could add at least one lineman between now and the start of the postseason.
Biggest needs: CB, LB, K
With Matthew Stafford flirting with retirement (or a new contract) on seemingly an annual basis, the Rams have to consider adding more talent around their veterans if they want to win another ring. Would they have beat the Eagles in Philadelphia last season during the playoffs if the guy they signed to upgrade the interior of their line over the offseason, Jonah Jackson, was good enough to hold up against Jalen Carter? Who knows.
That would seem like a cautionary tale against adding outside talent, but the Eagles beat the Rams in their rematch earlier this season by physically overwhelming Los Angeles’ cornerbacks. Coordinator Chris Shula’s front might be the best defensive line in the league, but the Rams clearly needed a cornerback and traded a pair of Day 3 picks to the Titans for Roger McCreary, who’s in the final year of his rookie deal.
McCreary spends most of his time in the slot, where the Rams were already using Quentin Lake. Will they move him outside? If not, you could still make a case that the Rams need another cornerback who can play outside to take snaps away from Darious Williams and Emmanuel Forbes Jr. Unfortunately, you’ll note that so many of the other teams competing for a Super Bowl this season are likely to be shopping for cornerbacks, too. A veteran kicker also wouldn’t hurt, given Joshua Karty’s struggles this season.
Biggest needs: Edge, OL, CB
The Eagles made their move at cornerback Wednesday by shipping John Metchie III to the Jets for Michael Carter II (with a late-round pick swap), who had seen his role diminish this season. Like the Rams, who traded for Roger McCreary, the Eagles acquired a slot cornerback despite really needing a corner who can line up on the outside, where Kelee Ringo and Adoree’ Jackson have struggled this season. There just aren’t many outside CBs on the market right now. Philly will likely move Cooper DeJean out of the slot, which will be a major test for the second-year standout, while Carter takes over slot cornerback duties.
Otherwise, GM Howie Roseman is probably looking at adding depth on both sides of the line of scrimmage. Brett Toth hasn’t looked great filling in for Cam Jurgens, and injuries have already led Philly to bring Brandon Graham back out of retirement on the edge. I would be surprised if Roseman sprung a trade for a weekly starter anywhere else on the roster besides cornerback, but bringing in some big bodies up front who can fill in for a handful of snaps or a spot start here and there seems like a logical move.
0:34
Why Schefter does not think the Eagles will trade A.J. Brown
Adam Schefter says he wouldn’t be surprised if the Eagles make a move before the deadline, but he doesn’t expect A.J. Brown to be traded.
Should probably add players
These teams should be open to adding players who can immediately help, but they shouldn’t be as confident or aggressive as the organizations in the tier above.
Biggest needs: DT, Edge, LB
The Ravens shouldn’t be selling out to prop up a disappointing, injury-hit team, but finding guys who can make an immediate impact on this roster while also featuring for what will presumably be a better version of this team in 2026 would make some sense. GM Eric DeCosta has already made a deal by swapping edge rusher Odafe Oweh for Chargers safety Alohi Gilman, which allowed the Ravens to move uber-versatile star Kyle Hamilton into the box more often after their Week 7 bye.
Oweh probably didn’t figure into future plans for the Ravens, but they’re pretty thin along the defensive line right now, both on the interior and at edge. Rookie Teddye Buchanan has also looked overmatched at linebacker, and although getting Roquan Smith back helps, I wonder if the Ravens will look to bring in a veteran linebacker who can solidify things next to the three-time first-team All-Pro.
Biggest needs: G, CB, LB
Flying high atop the AFC West at 6-2, Sean Payton’s Broncos probably aren’t going to be doing much at the trade deadline. I thought they might look at tight end options with Nate Adkins out, but Payton went for one of the most experienced players in football when Denver signed 41-year-old tight end Marcedes Lewis this week. Lewis will take a handful of snaps as an inline tight end until Adkins returns.
The Broncos are down a starting guard (Ben Powers) and a key offensive line reserve (Matt Peart), so although they’re probably not going to land a starter to take over until Powers returns from his biceps injury, a utility guy who can serve as the sixth or seventh lineman on game day would be a nice find for GM George Paton.
There’s no replacing Pat Surtain II at corner, and I suspect the Broncos will move forward over the next month with a larger role for first-round pick Jahdae Barron, who has played just 24% of the snaps so far.
Biggest needs: CB
I’m trying to list three positions of need for each team, but I could have written down cornerback three times for the Packers. It’s the one clear liability on the roster. Nate Hobbs has struggled badly on the outside since joining from the Raiders in free agency, and Keisean Nixon has developed some problematic habits in coverage. He is tied for the league lead with nine penalties this season.
Of course, these are the Packers, and GM Brian Gutekunst is already down two first-round picks after the Micah Parsons trade. Everything about how Gutekunst has operated suggests the Packers are going to hold on to the picks they have, and they typically don’t target players toward the tail end of their careers. The question then becomes whether Gutekunst makes one of his wide receivers, most likely Romeo Doubs or Dontayvion Wicks, available for trade.
1:19
Does the road to the Super Bowl go through the Packers?
Alex Smith, Adam Schefter and Rex Ryan discuss the Packers’ young roster and their chances of reaching the Super Bowl.
Biggest needs: S, RB, OL
After their early-season winning streak was derailed by a series of injuries to key players, the Chargers have begun to get some of those players back. Khalil Mack (elbow) returned in Week 7, and starting tackles Joe Alt (ankle) and Trey Pipkins III (knee) were back on the field for the win over the Vikings last Thursday. Omarion Hampton (ankle) is making progress, though there’s still no timetable for the rookie running back’s return to the lineup.
The problem is that as one injury stack faded into the past, another popped up at safety. Derwin James Jr. and Tony Jefferson both went down in the win over Minnesota, and backup Alohi Gilman was dealt to the Ravens as part of the Odafe Oweh trade. Rookie RJ Mickens might be forced into the lineup in the short term if GM Joe Hortiz can’t find a veteran to help fill in. There are a lot of teams looking at safety help and few options available, especially after Kyle Dugger went to the Steelers earlier this week.
Biggest needs: S, RB, Edge
One of the few teams with defensive depth on the market, the Patriots consummated a pair of trades when they dealt Kyle Dugger to the Steelers and Keion White to the 49ers on Tuesday afternoon. Both moves have been in the cards for most of the 2025 season, but the trades were more about getting rid of players who didn’t fit Mike Vrabel’s system than shipping off players from a position of strength. The Pats probably wouldn’t mind adding a safety to rotate in alongside Jaylinn Hawkins and rookie Craig Woodson.
On offense, the Patriots have been remarkably healthy, as the only regular contributor missing from the lineup right now is backup running back Antonio Gibson, who is out for the year with a torn ACL. Rhamondre Stevenson (fumbles) and TreVeyon Henderson (pass blocking) haven’t been reliable, so a move for a back who could play a handful of snaps per game as the third option in the lineup wouldn’t be shocking. The Patriots could be similarly looking for backups at spots such as edge rusher, tight end and defensive tackle — but I wouldn’t expect anything dramatic.
2:17
Schrager to McAfee: Patriots might not be done making moves
Peter Schrager tells Pat McAfee that the Patriots’ recent moves not only free cap space but also show Mike Vrabel is building a new culture.
Biggest needs: G, Edge, LB
The 49ers have already made a handful of trades over the past few months, bringing in Brian Robinson Jr., Skyy Moore and Keion White. That limits GM John Lynch’s flexibility in shipping off more draft capital for guys who won’t be difference-makers on the roster. You can understand his desire to keep the roster competitive while players such as Trent Williams and George Kittle are in their title windows, but the 49ers have been hit by too many injuries and have lost too many star players.
Some of those standouts are coming back, so I’m not sure the 49ers are going to do anything besides wait for Brock Purdy, Brandon Aiyuk, Ricky Pearsall and Bryce Huff to return. This team isn’t in rental territory right now. If the Niners can find young players who can make an impact in 2025 and stick around in 2026 and beyond, though, Lynch could probably justify making a move or two.
Biggest needs: OL, WR
Blessed with one of the youngest and healthiest rosters in the league, the Seahawks probably aren’t looking to do too much at the deadline. But GM John Schneider has surprised us in the past. Grey Zabel has settled in as one of the better guards in the league as a rookie, and the Seahawks are set at tackle with Abraham Lucas and Charles Cross, but this running game wouldn’t suffer from adding another lineman on the interior. There should be rookie contract (Jackson Powers-Johnson) and veteran (Kevin Zeitler) possibilities on the market, so if Schneider wants to make a move, he’ll have options.
The Seahawks are obviously thrilled with Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Cooper Kupp is making an impact with his blocking, but there are always going to be questions about Kupp’s ability to stay healthy in his 30s. We’ll see more Tory Horton in the second half, but getting a veteran wideout who can block well as the third or fourth option would track.
Biggest needs: LB, OL, Edge
Likewise, GM Jason Licht and the Buccaneers can’t realistically expect to replace a half-dozen starters in the trade market. They mainly must hope to get healthy versions of Bucky Irving, Chris Godwin Jr., Luke Goedeke and Mike Evans between now and the end of the season. If the Bucs can find a lineman to help settle things down on the right side of their O-line or a pass rusher who can help deal with the absences of Calijah Kancey and Haason Reddick, they would have to consider it.
The only spot they might look to upgrade in the starting lineup in the long term is linebacker, where SirVocea Dennis has been overmatched in coverage and stretched trying to tackle in the open field. With veteran Lavonte David, 35, playing on a series of one-year deals, the Bucs might need to acquire two new off-ball linebackers to start this offseason. Could they call up the Bengals about Logan Wilson or ask the Dolphins about Jordyn Brooks?
Should take a neutral approach
There are a handful of organizations that don’t really have a clear path forward. They could add or subtract talent on the back end of their rosters, but it would be a surprise if they did something serious. Their most logical move might be doing nothing at all.
Biggest needs: OT, WR, DB
Notable trade candidates: QB Kirk Cousins, Edge Arnold Ebiketie, Edge Leonard Floyd
After last week’s ugly loss to the Dolphins, the Falcons are down to a 12.4% chance of advancing to this year’s postseason, per ESPN’s Football Power Index. They don’t have their own first-round pick in 2026 after shipping it to the Rams to get James Pearce Jr. in April, so you might argue that they’re less incentivized to tank (or at least lean into playing their younger guys) than teams that are hoping to land a top-10 pick in next year’s draft.
Opening up more playing time for Pearce and Jalon Walker would make sense, though, and the Falcons could move one of their existing edge rushers to recoup some of that lost draft capital. Ebiketie had six sacks in the 2023 and 2024 seasons, but his role has been reduced in 2025, and the Falcons are likely to let him hit free agency after the season.
Biggest needs: OL, LB, CB
Notable trade candidates: RB Chuba Hubbard, RB Rico Dowdle, WR Hunter Renfrow
A three-game winning streak in Carolina was brought to a screeching halt by an ugly loss to Buffalo with Andy Dalton under center. A loss to the Packers in Green Bay this week would drop the Panthers to 4-5, and they still have games against the Rams, 49ers and Seahawks to come, as well as a home-and-home with the Buccaneers. Panthers fans are desperate for a playoff berth after eight years in the wilderness, but I’m not sure one’s in the cards in 2025, regardless of what Carolina does at the deadline.
One way to solve the Panthers’ sudden logjam at running back would be to trade Hubbard or Dowdle to a contender. Dowdle has been the more productive RB in recent weeks, and coach Dave Canales signaled that he was expecting to lean more toward him going forward. But the franchise also gave Hubbard a contract extension last season and signed Dowdle for only one year. Trading Dowdle to a contender like the Chargers or Chiefs would probably be the right long-term decision, even if it wouldn’t be easy to sell to the fan base right now.
Biggest needs: CB, OT, Edge
Notable trade candidates: WR DJ Moore
Here’s another team that had its winning streak brought to a painful end last week. The Bears should realistically take GM Ryan Poles’ phone away from him at the trade deadline, given that he has made in-season moves to trade second-round picks for Chase Claypool (who caught 18 passes in a Bears uniform) and Montez Sweat (a good player who signed a superstar extension after the trade). Those picks became a pair of standout young cornerbacks in Joey Porter Jr. and Cooper DeJean.
The Bears could use DeJean or Porter right now given that their top three corners (Jaylon Johnson, Kyler Gordon and Tyrique Stevenson) are all injured. Poles shouldn’t be selling out to get a replacement, but I wonder if coordinator Dennis Allen would want to look up Alontae Taylor or Isaac Yiadom from his old stomping grounds in New Orleans as a short-term solution.
If there’s a prominent player who could unexpectedly make sense as a potential trade candidate at the deadline for me, it’s Moore. The 28-year-old is starting a four-year, $110 million extension next year, but he hasn’t found a consistent role in Ben Johnson’s offense; he is averaging a career-low 47.3 receiving yards per game. I get the sense that Johnson’s preferred option would be to work with 12 personnel when tight ends Cole Kmet and Colston Loveland are healthy or work Luther Burden III into the mix alongside Olamide Zaccheaus and Rome Odunze in three-WR sets. A trade during the offseason would make more sense, but I wouldn’t be shocked if Moore became the odd man out in Chicago.
Biggest needs: TE, K, S
Notable trade candidates: RB Travis Etienne Jr., DT Maason Smith, CB Jarrian Jones
The Jaguars are still figuring themselves out. They’ve already beaten Patrick Mahomes and lost to Jake Browning. They’re still in the thick of the playoff hunt in the AFC South, but with the Colts three games ahead, it’s going to take a sweep of Indianapolis if the Jags want to win the division.
While there has been fanciful talk about potentially trading second-year wideout Brian Thomas Jr., what the Jags and their new brain trust really need is time to settle in. This team signed a bunch of new starters in free agency and then traded for Greg Newsome II earlier this month. It’s still figuring out the best role for Travis Hunter, who just had his most productive game as a pro in the loss to the Rams. GM James Gladstone could move on from some of the players he inherited from the Trent Baalke regime, such as Smith and Jones, but I would suggest that the Jags stand pat and give their roster time to coalesce.
Biggest needs: WR, LB, CB
Notable trade candidates: WR Roman Wilson, S Chuck Clark, RB Kaleb Johnson
The Steelers already made their deadline moves by signing Marquez Valdes-Scantling and making a trade with the Patriots for rugged safety Kyle Dugger, who is only a couple of years removed from being a standout on an excellent Patriots defense under Bill Belichick. Of course, this secondary is full of guys who are only a couple of years removed from being standouts, and the Steelers aren’t getting what they hoped out of veterans such as Jalen Ramsey, Darius Slay and Juan Thornhill. They need more out of their cornerbacks and inside linebackers with Patrick Queen struggling, but those guys are locked into roles and aren’t going to be replaced until the offseason.
2:35
Stephen A. fired up over Steelers’ awful defense
Stephen A. Smith is not giving the Packers too much credit for beating a bad Steelers defense.
Could Pittsburgh be more aggressive in trying to get Aaron Rodgers one more playmaker at running back or wide receiver as it tries to win a title with the 41-year-old? Maybe. The Steelers do have an extra third-round pick in the upcoming draft after the George Pickens trade, so maybe that leaves GM Omar Khan with a little more flexibility to ship out a Day 3 pick for the right player.
Should probably deal players for picks
Everybody wants to be in a position to justify adding talent to plug roster holes and win some games, but these teams aren’t really in position to prioritize veteran talent right now. They shouldn’t be holding everything-must-go signs, but they might want to make a selective move or two to create an opportunity for a young player on their current roster or move on from a pending free agent and save some money.
Notable trade candidates: DT Calais Campbell
The league’s coin-flip team, the Cardinals have had each of their seven games decided by seven points or less this season. Arizona is better than its 2-5 record, but with three five-win teams ahead in the NFC West, I’m not sure that really matters much. The Cards’ playoff odds are down to 4.4%, per the FPI. After Sunday’s game in Dallas, their next five games are against teams with winning records. I still believe Arizona can make a run, but it hasn’t looked capable of running the ball like it did in 2023 and 2024, and that has really caused the offense to stagnate.
With Walter Nolen III and BJ Ojulari theoretically set to return at some point during the second half of the season, the Cardinals have more defensive line depth than just about anybody else in the league. Campbell is continuing to play at a high level, and he might want to simply finish his career where it started in Arizona, but the 39-year-old is good enough to play meaningful snaps on a team that’s competing for a Super Bowl. He would be a great fit for a team like the Chiefs or Bills, both of whom could use extra depth up front.
Notable trade candidates: Edge Trey Hendrickson, CB Cam Taylor-Britt, LB Logan Wilson
After losing to the Jets on Sunday, the Bengals fell to 3-5. Their playoff odds per the FPI fell to 12%, a figure that is only partially informed by the toe injury to Joe Burrow, whose timetable for return is still unclear. The AFC North is still wide open, which might keep the Bengals from leaning more heavily into trading away their veteran players. And Hendrickson’s hip injury, which has kept him out of eight of the past 12 quarters of football the Bengals have played, might reduce his trade value to the point where the Bengals would rather just keep their star edge rusher, even if he’s going to leave in free agency after the season.
1:07
Schrager: I’m calling for Trey Hendrickson if I’m 49ers
Peter Schrager and Louis Riddick explain why the 49ers and Colts should call the Bengals to try and get Trey Hendrickson.
Should they move fringe players like Taylor-Britt or Wilson if a team comes calling, though? Absolutely. Taylor-Britt has been in and out of the lineup this season, and he had a pair of illegal contact penalties in the loss to the Jets. Given how many teams are desperate for cornerback help right now, director of player personnel Duke Tobin should be trying to find a home for Taylor-Britt, who will also be a free agent after the year.
Notable trade candidates: OT Trent Brown, RB Dameon Pierce, DT Denico Autry
The Texans aren’t out of the wild-card race at 3-4, but GM Nick Caserio would do well to add some future draft capital for players on the fringe of his roster. The Texans didn’t have a first-round pick in 2024 because of the trade up for Will Anderson Jr., and although they made a solid trade down with the Vikings to accrue extra capital, their 2025 second-round pick went to the Bills as part of the ill-fated deal for Stefon Diggs. They already have six picks in the first four rounds of next year’s draft, which is a plus, but every little bit helps.
Autry’s tenure with the Texans never really went as planned. He signed a two-year, $20 million deal in free agency, was suspended for the first six games of the 2024 season for violating the league’s PED policy and then missed the first five games of the 2025 season with a knee injury. But in his first 25 snaps of 2025, Autry already has a sack of Sam Darnold to his name. Due $2.2 million over the rest of the year, Autry could fit as a rotational tackle for teams that need an interior pass rusher.
Notable trade candidates: RB Aaron Jones Sr., LB Ivan Pace Jr.
Down their fourth-round pick in next year’s draft (but with a third-round compensatory pick on the way and handful of late-round picks to make up for it), the Vikings might also want to follow in Houston’s footsteps to make up for some of the aggressive moves they made in the past. The Vikings had only five picks in 2025, and at 3-4, they haven’t looked like a team that can make a deep playoff push this season.
They’ll obviously hope to improve after getting second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy back from his ankle injury, but the defense has been surprisingly lacking for coordinator Brian Flores. The Vikings had the second-best defensive performance of the season by EPA per play against Jake Browning and the Bengals in September and otherwise rank 25th by the same metric against everyone else, down from second a year ago.
Moving on from Jones might be more about saving money than anything else. He is owed just over $1 million in 2025 and has $2 million of his $10 million compensation in 2026 guaranteed, a deal the Vikings are likely to move on from this offseason. Would a team like the Chargers be willing to essentially pay $3 million to have Jones in its lineup for the rest of 2025? Pace, who has fallen out of the starting lineup and played just 17 defensive snaps over the past two weeks, is a restricted free agent after the season.
Notable trade candidates: OT Evan Neal, CB Deonte Banks, QB Russell Wilson, Edge Kayvon Thibodeaux
Injuries and late collapses against the Cowboys and Broncos have sapped the Giants’ chances of competing on the fringes of the wild-card picture in the NFC. General manager Joe Schoen isn’t going to want to do anything that compromises Jaxson Dart’s development, but moving on from players who aren’t seeing many snaps on offense or former first-round picks who are going to be squeezed out on defense would make sense — especially if the Giants can add young players who would help them on offense.
Thibodeaux’s situation is probably the most interesting. The 2022 fifth pick has an 11.5-sack season to his name, and he is owed just $610,000 over the remainder of the season with a $14.8 million fifth-year option locked in for 2026. He’s still playing 73% of the snaps for the Giants, but their future on the edge is Abdul Carter and Brian Burns. Thibodeaux has been inconsistent, but talented young pass rushers with a year-plus of cost control at a very reasonable price don’t come available very often. The Giants have suggested publicly that they aren’t interested in trading Thibodeaux, but they also said that about Odell Beckham Jr. once, and you remember how that went.
Notable trade candidates: WR Deebo Samuel, CB Marshon Lattimore, CB Noah Igbinoghene, OL Andrew Wylie
Injuries have hurt, but it’s very clear that this version of the Commanders isn’t living up to the expectations raised by their 2024 success. Many of the veterans GM Adam Peters & Co. have added over the past 12 months haven’t panned out. Holdovers both old (Lattimore, Bobby Wagner) and young (Mike Sainristil, Brandon Coleman) have taken a step backward. There’s just not enough young talent on this roster, and the Commanders are down their second- and fourth-round picks in next year’s draft. They probably won’t be able to regain those selections with any of their trades, but adding some Day 3 picks would help.
Samuel is due just $1.1 million after the season, and if the Commanders aren’t going to re-sign him, getting something for the veteran wideout would make sense. Lattimore has been a disaster, and Igbinoghene hasn’t been playing — despite some of the worst secondary play in the league. But the sheer number of teams that need cornerbacks around the NFL makes me believe there could be a potential landing spot for the two Commanders corners. Peters would surely have to be willing to eat some money, though, as Lattimore is still owed $8.9 million over the remainder of 2025.
Should definitely deal players for picks
It’s time to face facts and accept that this isn’t their year. These teams aren’t going to compete for a Super Bowl in 2025, and although there’s still enough time for anyone to get hot and run into a postseason berth, these rosters aren’t good enough to make a deep playoff run. Moving on from some veterans and accruing draft capital or younger players for 2026 is the right thing for these teams to do.
Notable trade candidates: WR Jerry Jeudy, G Joel Bitonio, G Teven Jenkins, C Ethan Pocic, G Wyatt Teller, TE David Njoku, RB Jerome Ford, DT Shelby Harris
Anything that isn’t nailed down. The Browns aren’t going to deal Myles Garrett or anybody from their promising rookie class, and I’d be surprised if they traded Denzel Ward, though the star cornerback is owed just over $1 million for the rest of 2025 and would surely have a ton of interest given the complete lack of options on the CB market.
Anyone else should and very well might be available for the Browns, who are realistically thinking about 2026 and 2027. When he put together his list of potential trade candidates earlier this month, ESPN’s Adam Schefter included the entirety of the interior of Cleveland’s offensive line.
Players such as Ford and Njoku, who have been usurped by Quinshon Judkins and Harold Fannin Jr., respectively, aren’t going to be part of that 2027 roster. Njoku is in the final year of his contract and due only $1.3 million over the rest of the year, so although the Browns would surely like to use 12 personnel (1 RB, 2 TE) with Njoku and Fannin, getting a meaningful pick might be more valuable. The Browns are also likely to be active in free agency this offseason, which will limit their ability to rack up compensatory selections.
Notable trade candidates: WR Jonathan Mingo, RB Javonte Williams, DT Mazi Smith, DT Kenny Clark, Edge Sam Williams, Edge James Houston, K Brandon Aubrey
Well, you’ve watched the Cowboys’ defense. At 3-4-1 and with a stretch of games against the Eagles, Chiefs and Lions later this season, it’s tough to envision the Cowboys making it to the postseason, let alone doing anything once there. Jerry Jones has proudly bragged about the draft picks the Cowboys got for Micah Parsons and how they might help Dallas land a handful of valuable players, but barring something unexpected, those picks aren’t going to make a difference in 2025.
I would be stunned if the Cowboys traded away Aubrey, but I’m throwing him out here more as a thought experiment than anything else. A going-nowhere Cowboys team doesn’t have much use for Aubrey, and although kickers can play into their 40s, the former soccer player is already 30 years old. He’s obviously a valuable player, but Aubrey is eligible for an extension next offseason, and the Cowboys need to save money around Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb to address their defense.
Most teams aren’t going to trade a premium pick for a kicker, but Aubrey is so good that I wonder whether all-in teams might be willing to make an exception. Would someone like the Rams be willing to offer the Cowboys a second-round pick for Aubrey? My guess is no, but it’s fun to think about.
Williams, having a career season on a one-year deal at running back for a team that clearly sees running backs as replaceable in the post-Ezekiel Elliott era, would also have an interesting market.
2:06
‘Get Up’ crew sounds off on Cowboys’ defensive woes
The “Get Up” crew takes stock of the Cowboys’ defensive struggles this season.
Notable trade candidates: QB Geno Smith, WR Jakobi Meyers, G Jackson Powers-Johnson, RB Raheem Mostert, Edge Tyree Wilson, CB Decamerion Richardson
Things haven’t gone as planned for Pete Carroll in his first season with the Raiders. Smith has struggled to protect the football, and the 35-year-old might not make it through the season with his job intact. The Raiders owe Smith $13.3 million over the rest of 2025 and have already guaranteed $18.5 million of what he’s owed in 2026, which makes a deal unlikely unless one of the league’s playoff contenders has its starting quarterback suffer a season-ending injury next week.
It’s more likely that the Raiders will move on from a pending free agent like Meyers or some young players they inherited from the prior regimes in the desert. Wilson is likely to have his fifth-year option declined this offseason, and Richardson hasn’t played a single defensive snap after starting seven games a year ago.
Powers-Johnson has frustrated the team at guard, and coordinator Chip Kelly doesn’t appear to see the former Rimington Trophy winner as an NFL center. He has already been benched this season, but there are undoubtedly teams around the league that had positive grades heading into the draft on a player who came off the board with the 44th pick. He could use a change of scenery.
Notable trade candidates: WR Cedrick Wilson Jr., RB Jaylen Wright, Edge Jaelan Phillips, Edge Bradley Chubb, LB Willie Gay Jr.
Although a blowout win over the Falcons helped to restore some semblance of confidence for the Dolphins, it would be a stretch to draw a line from that win to a real path toward a wild-card spot. Thursday’s game against the Ravens might determine what happens next for the Dolphins. A win could encourage GM Chris Grier & Co. to hold on to their vets before the trade deadline. A loss would drop Miami to 2-7 in advance of a game against the Bills, which might be a wrap on both the Dolphins’ season and this era of the organization.
The big question is what the Dolphins do on the edge, where they should be able to actually extract a meaningful pick if they make one of their starters available. Chop Robinson looked wildly impressive as a rookie, but he has played only 40% of the defensive snaps this season, with one sack in eight games. He needs more playing time. Getting it would require the Dolphins to trade one of the players ahead of him.
Phillips has looked great this season and ranks 15th in the league in quick pressures, per NFL Next Gen Stats. He’s owed $7.4 million in the final year of his contract. Chubb is in Year 1 of a three-year, $54 million extension, although none of that money is guaranteed after this season. He also makes just under $700,000 over the remainder of the year, which might make him more attractive in the short term. On the other hand, Chubb hasn’t been as impactful this season and is three years older than Phillips.
I didn’t include Jaylen Waddle or De’Von Achane as likely trade candidates. With Tyreek Hill unlikely to return to the organization after this season, I’m not sure why the Dolphins would aggressively be looking to trade their two most important offensive playmakers, especially without much else on the roster behind them. Miami would incur $23.3 million in dead money on next year’s cap if it traded Waddle, which isn’t impossible to manage but doesn’t make a trade more likely. Anything can happen if a team is willing to do something over the top, but I wouldn’t expect the Dolphins to move either player at the deadline.
Notable trade candidates: WR Rashid Shaheed, WR Brandin Cooks, TE Taysom Hill, TE Foster Moreau, Edge Cameron Jordan, LB Demario Davis, LB Pete Werner, CB Isaac Yiadom, CB Alontae Taylor
It might have been easier to list the players the Saints shouldn’t consider trading. I’d peg that to be their 2025 draft class, defensive tackle Bryan Bresee, wide receiver Chris Olave, injured center Erik McCoy and running back Alvin Kamara, the last of whom has requested to stay with the organization for the remainder of his career. Everyone else should be available. I’m not sure more than a handful of players would attract meaningful interest, but the Saints are 1-7 and the seventh-oldest team in the NFL on a snap-weighted age basis. The best time to start their rebuild was yesterday.
There wouldn’t be meaningful returns for many of these players, unfortunately, as guys like Davis and Jordan, with expiring contracts at the tail end of their careers, would offer only short-term depth to competitive teams. Shaheed should attract meaningful interest if he does hit the market given how desperate teams are for speed, although the Steelers — my preferred destination for the pending free agent — appeared to signal that they were going in a different direction by signing Marquez Valdes-Scantling this week.
Notable trade candidates: WR Allen Lazard, TE Jeremy Ruckert, RB Breece Hall, Edge Jermaine Johnson, K Nick Folk
Last week’s comeback win over the Bengals shouldn’t trick the Jets into doing anything short-sighted or foolish. This team should still be looking to move on from veterans who aren’t going to be part of the team in 2026 and beyond. That could include Hall, who is coming off one of his best games as a pro. Are there teams that would be willing to give up anything more than a late-round pick for a 24-year-old back two months away from unrestricted free agency? The Jets shouldn’t deal Hall for the sake of it, but they should at least be open to calls for their 2022 second-round pick.
I alluded to the Cowboys trading Aubrey, but a Folk trade would be much more logical and realistic. The 40-year-old veteran has made all 26 of his kicks this season and is owed just $1.3 million over the remainder of the season. There are too many competitive teams with vulnerable kicking situations around the league, and the Jets could justify trading Folk for a sixth-round pick if he is willing to try to compete for a ring somewhere else.
Notable trade candidates: WR Calvin Ridley, WR Van Jefferson, G Kevin Zeitler, TE Chig Okonkwo, RB Tony Pollard, Edge Dre’Mont Jones, Edge Arden Key, S Xavier Woods, S Quandre Diggs, K Nick Folk
Let’s play the same game we played with the Saints earlier. The Titans should be holding on to their 2025 draft class, star defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, newly re-signed safety Amani Hooker, guard Peter Skoronski and 2024 second-round pick T’Vondre Sweat. As with the Saints, unfortunately, I’m just not sure there would be a ton of interest in what they’re offering if the Titans did make most of their roster available.
Jones has flashed at times this season, including a sack through Colts tackle Bernhard Raimann last week on a spin move, and he’s set to make only $1.4 million over the remainder of 2025. In a league where everybody wants more pass rushers in the postseason, Jones would make sense as a short-term acquisition for someone. Okonkwo, an athletic tight end entering the final year of his deal, could be an interesting target for a team that wants to play more multi-tight end groupings.
The Titans landed a swap of Day 3 picks for cornerback Roger McCreary from the Rams, and they would be looking at a similar return for most of their available players.
Leave a Reply