NFL Trade Deadline: Which teams are most likely to buy? The latest from Intel executives
The NFL trade deadline is less than two weeks away, and as of Wednesday, there hasn’t been a lot of movement to this point.
Of course, the Cincinnati Bengals acquired Joe Flacco in a trade from the Cleveland Browns earlier in October. But beyond that, we haven’t seen any big names move in the weeks leading up to the deadline, such as Davante Adams going to the New York Jets in 2024 or Christian McCaffrey going to the San Francisco 49ers in 2022.
But there’s still some time for some movement. The trade deadline is on Nov. 4, a day after Week 9 is completed as the NFL reaches the halfway mark of the season.
So, FOX Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano and Eric D. Williams surveyed the league to see which positions teams are targeting the most, which players are most likely to be moved and the latest on who might be buying or selling ahead of the trade deadline.
Which positions are we most likely to see movement at?
Ralph Vacchiano: Not everyone around the NFL is convinced that there will be a flurry of activity at the trading deadline in two weeks. But if it happens, it’s likely to involve pass rushers and wide receivers.
That’s the opinion of a couple of NFL sources who told me that those positions seem to be in the most demand at the moment. The problem, though, is that the demand might far exceed the supply.
“Everybody seems to want help in the pass rush and plenty of teams are looking for receivers,” said one NFL personnel executive. “But right now, there just aren’t enough sellers. There aren’t enough teams out of it yet — or convinced they’re out of it.”
“There could be some big-name edge guys and receivers on the move, if teams are willing to move them,” an NFL assistant general manager said. “But right now my sense is [the media is] We expect more [trading] “Deadline more than the rest of the league.”
A lot could change, of course, between now and the November 4 deadline, especially with two weekends of matches remaining. But if there is activity every now and then, there are certainly some interesting names at edge and receiver that NFL insiders are keeping an eye on.
Possibly the Bengals’ biggest defensive end Trey Hendrickson, who has attracted a lot of attention even though he is still owed $10 million in salary for the rest of the season. But after the Bengals knocked off the Pittsburgh Steelers last Thursday night behind Joe Flacco to improve to 3-4, the assistant general manager said: “There’s no way they’ll trade him now. They think they can stay in it until [Joe] “Porro is back.”
Trey Hendrickson requested a trade during the offseason, but the Bengals reworked the final year of his contract to retain him. There were some who thought he would be a trade candidate before the deadline before the Bengals’ recent win over the Steelers. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
That likely leaves Bradley Chubb, Jaylan Phillips of the Miami Dolphins and Jermaine Johnson of the New York Jets as the most likely to be moved to the edge. However, the Jets may not be in true seller mode entering Week 8.
“The Jets are listening, but their prices are high, which tells me they are not serious about trading…yet,” the assistant general manager said.
As for the Dolphins, their personnel executive said they appear “frozen,” perhaps because neither general manager Chris Grier nor head coach Mike McDaniel knows for sure how long they will last in their jobs.
But if either of these teams decide to sell, it looks like there will be a lot of teams asking for help on the brink. These and other sources indicated that philadelphia eagles, Kansas City Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers, Detroit Lions, New England Patriots and The Dallas Cowboys are all among the teams looking for help at the position.
There are a lot of teams looking for help from receiver as well. The Steelers, Patriots and New York Giants are the teams that are mentioned most often, which is why the Dolphins’ Jaylen Waddle and Las Vegas Raiders’ Jakobi Myers have drawn interest. But again, neither team appears ready to start trading assets away just yet. And another attractive name — Chris Olave of the New Orleans Saints — doesn’t appear to be available at all.
Jaylen Waddle suddenly emerged as a trade candidate before the deadline amid the Dolphins’ rough season. (Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images)
“The teams that should be laser-focused on 2026 are not there yet,” the personnel executive said. “They all have their reasons. Some are trying to get some wins to save jobs. Others might think it sends a bad message to the fans as they try to sell tickets. I don’t know. But they’re not there yet.”
“The Browns were probably the first to accept their reality, and they have already sold two of their most attractive pieces (quarterback Joe Flacco and cornerback Greg Newsome). The Dolphins, Jets and Saints should have a ‘for sale’ tag as well, but I don’t feel like they do.”
Don’t expect a lot of movement in a declining market
Ralph Vaciano: It’s unlikely there will be many trades at the position — if there are any at all — but multiple league sources said there were a few trades that sparked some discussion before the deadline.
The two biggest names to emerge in league circles are Breece Hall of the Jets and Alvin Kamara of the Saints. There are several teams — most notably the Los Angeles Chargers, Arizona Cardinals, and Washington Commanders — that have suffered injuries at this position and need help.
One source described the Chargers as “desperate” to upgrade after the loss Najee Harris for the season and rookie Omarion Hampton until at least Week 10.
Alvin Kamara has stated that he wants to stay with the Saints, complicating the trade market for the linebacker. (Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images)
But the problem again is that demand exceeds supply. Kamara has reportedly told the Saints he wants to stay in New Orleans. The Jets don’t seem interested in Trading Hall after losing their backup, Braelon Allen, especially when they have the worst passing game in the NFL and no other healthy running backs on the roster have gained even 50 yards on the season.
“If either of these teams changes their minds, they could easily build a bidding war,” one source said.
There are a few potential buyers to keep an eye on over the next couple of weeks
Eric D. Williams: The sources I spoke with echoed what Ralph mentioned — that edge rushers and receivers are at the top of the list for teams looking to make a move at the trade deadline.
Steelers and leaders and The Buffalo Bills make the most sense as potential buyers, according to one league source.
“Steelers will add WR,” an NFL source told me. “It’s hard to predict at any level. Washington probably depends on health. And I can see the bill maybe adding a real cheap guy.”
The Steelers are the surprise leaders of the AFC North at 4-2. And with a 41-year-old midfielder Aaron Rodgers, an aging defense, and head coach Mike Tomlin are in win-now mode.
Pittsburgh has been active in the trade market over the past two years, trading for Mike Williams at the trade deadline last offseason and for DK Metcalf during the offseason. So, adding another playmaker to Pittsburgh’s perimeter isn’t out of the question.
Aaron Rodgers helped the Steelers to a 4-2 start. They are looking to build on that by making a move before the trade deadline. (Photo by Jeff Moreland/Sportswire Icon via Getty Images)
The Commanders played without their top three receivers over the weekend, as Terry McLaurin, Deebo Samuel and Noah Brown were all unavailable due to injury. But sitting at a 3-4 with quarterback Jayden Daniels suffering from a hamstring injury, the Leaders may not be inclined to make a move.
The Bills are in the Super Bowl window and could use another receiver to ease the burden on MVP Josh Allen after losing two in a row.
Three other teams to watch at the deadline are the Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks and Houston Texans, according to a league source. Los Angeles and Seattle are part of a three-way tie atop the NFC West standings, and both general managers, John Schneider (Seattle) and Les Snead (Los Angeles), have been aggressive in the past if their teams are in contention.
Like those two, Texans general manager Nick Caserio isn’t afraid to make a move. Both the Rams and Seahawks could use help in the secondary, while the Texans need upgrades at running back, tight end and along the offensive line.
“I can see the Texans making trades to try to improve,” a league source said. “The Rams and Seahawks are taking steps to bolster their roster.”
Ralph Vaciano He is an NFL correspondent for FOX Sports. He spent six years covering it Giants and Airplanes for SNY TV in New York, and before that, 16 years covering the Giants and the NFL for the New York Daily News. Follow him on Twitter at @Ralph Vaciano.
Eric D. Williams He has covered the NFL for more than a decade Los Angeles Rams For Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers For ESPN and Seattle Seahawks For the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on X at @eric_d_williams.
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