This is the last few hours before the NFL trading deadline. General managers from all around the league will be hustling to get their club better for the remainder of the current campaign or to acquire a foundational piece for the future between now and 4 p.m. Naturally, not every club patron will be on the dance floor; some may prefer their current offerings and decide to hold out until the end of the deadline. And that’s what we’ll be attempting to understand in this instance.
Every NFL team is gathered here and divided into three categories: teams that plan to buy at the deadline, teams that will sell, and teams that will refuse to negotiate.
Buyers
Kansas City Chiefs
Miami Dolphins
Buffalo Bills
Baltimore Ravens
Jacksonville Jaguars
Cincinnati Bengals
Detroit Lions
San Francisco 49ers
Seattle Seahawks
Philadelphia Eagles
The Chiefs should absolutely be trying to add at the deadline because they are the defending champions and are once again at the heart of things when it comes to the Super Bowl. Mecole Hardman was previously acquired from the Jets, but they should be keeping an eye out for more big-game hunting at the receiver position if players like Mike Evans or Marquise Brown become available due to their impending free agency. That would not only improve their chances of winning again, but it would also be a solid foundation for the offense moving ahead, especially with Travis Kelce entering his age-34 season.
Another team that might try to bolster its offensive line is Baltimore, perhaps in an effort to add more depth to their backfield. The Ravens might take a large risk and ask if they can sign Derrick Henry, a Tennessee native, or add a depth player to join players like Gus Edwards and others. The Bengals, who are also in the AFC North, have a history of remaining silent at the deadline. They might decide to wait for their roster to regain health rather than bolstering it, but they have the ability to go on a run, and winning the Lombardi Trophy depends on having as much talent as possible.
With 5-2 records thus far in the season, the Lions and Jaguars are vying for supremacy in their respective leagues. They can be looking for similar players in addition to being in comparable circumstances. They might engage in a bidding war for players like Danielle Hunter or Brian Burns to help them get an advantage on that side of the ball since both could use assistance at pass rusher. The Bills, who have suffered multiple injuries, may also consider adding to their defense. Given that they lost Matt Milano for the season, the linebacker would be an intriguing position for them to drop.
As they prepare for the final stretch, the 49ers could use an upgrade in their secondary in the NFC West. Despite having a strong front seven, the Vikings on Monday thoroughly outran them through the air, which may have revealed a hole in their title prospects. Seattle, however, has a deceptive 4-2 record on the year and appears to be involved in trade talks at all times. Although the team added Frank Clark, they still need to add more pass rushers to their lineup.
Even though the Eagles had made a big statement at the deadline when they acquired safety Kevin Byard from the Titans, general manager Howie Roseman is still a possibility at this time of year. Philadelphia is undoubtedly the best team in the NFC and is vying for a Super Bowl berth, so it wouldn’t be unexpected if they made another move.
Sellers
Tennessee Titans
Denver Broncos
New England Patriots
Chicago Bears
Minnesota Vikings
Arizona Cardinals
Indianapolis Colts
Carolina Panthers
Tennessee, which opened the season with a 2-4 record and the bottom spot in the AFC South, has already declared that it is in the sell mode. Star Kevin Byard was just traded by the team, a move that suggests almost every player on the roster may be available. Star running back Derrick Henry is one of them. The Titans’ roster is full of elderly cornerstones, and new general manager Ran Carthon may be keen to begin the rebuilding process before this deadline.
Although the Patriots’ surprise victory over the Bills this season may have given them hope, they should still think about cutting some players from their roster who they don’t think will be a long-term fit. After all, they are still 2–5 on the season, and their next opponent in Week 8 is the Dolphins. Players who are nearing the end of their contracts, such as Mike Gesicki, Jalen Mills, and Kendrick Bourne, could prove to be excellent rentals for teams in the latter stages of the competition.
Like the Patriots, the Vikings are a club that could be motivated after their surprising victory against the 49ers in Week 7. They are now 3-4 on the year, but they may still want to offload some players, such as Danielle Hunter, a pass rusher.
Denver is another team with a 2–5 record that seems to be finishing last in the league. For weeks, there has been talk that the Broncos could be selling players like wideouts Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton and tackle Garett Boles.
These two NFL teams are at the bottom of the barrel, with Carolina and Chicago. Justin Fields is hurt and the Bears are 2-5, so Tyson Bagent, an undrafted rookie, will likely start in Week 8. They might try to move safety Eddie Jackson, a seasoned player, or corner Jaylon Johnson, who recorded two interceptions last week. As the Panthers attempt to reassemble their youthful roster, Carolina is currently 6-6 and there have been whispers of a possible deal involving Brian Burns. The Colts may try to get rid of those players who are intended to remain there for the entire reconstruction after this season, as they have already placed Anthony Richardson on the injured reserve for this one.
Stand pat
New York Jets
Pittsburgh Steelers
Dallas Cowboys
Cleveland Browns
Las Vegas Raiders
Houston Texans
Los Angeles Chargers
New York Giants
Washington Commanders
Green Bay Packers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Atlanta Falcons
Los Angeles Rams
New Orleans Saints
There are a lot of clubs that fall in the center, as one might anticipate, and they might decide not to make a deal for a variety of reasons.
It is possible to argue that the Jets and Falcons should try to acquire a quarterback in order to improve their prospects of making a postseason push, but Kirk Cousins, the quarterback who has been linked the most, doesn’t appear to be moving. Aside from that location, they are very stable, and there hasn’t been much activity from those teams to move the front offices in any direction by the deadline.
Other than maybe making a little trade, teams like the Buccaneers, Commanders, Saints, Packers, and Giants haven’t demonstrated enough that they are worth making a significant trade before the deadline. General managers might be more willing to let things go as they are rather than handing up future assets given where they individually stand in the standings. The clubs who already have strong rosters—the Cowboys, Chargers, Steelers, and Browns—just need to perform at their skill level to be competitive.
Right now, the Texans are in the running for a postseason berth, but it might take them a year or two under C.J. Stroud before they make a major commitment to individual seasons.