The 5 Trades I Want To See Before The NFL Trade Deadline

Apparently, the old adage is true: deadlines do spur action. With only one round of games left before Tuesday’s trade deadline, NFL teams are already making moves, including three former All-Pros moving teams this week. The Colts traded away guard Quenton Nelson and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner for a cache of draft picks. Not to be outdone by their conference rival, the Titans shipped off their best player, defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, to Chicago for two first-round picks and a fourth. If no other deal is made before the deadline, this will already be considered one of the most active trade markets in recent memory. But there’s a lot more to come between now and Tuesday, Nov. 10, with several big names being thrown around as potential trade targets. And with this NFL season so wide open, plenty of contenders will want to add that missing piece before the stretch run. With that in mind, here are five needle-moving trades I’d like to see before the deadline: The Player: Cincinnati should just look to Kansas City for an example of how a star running back can completely transform an offense. The Bengals have spent the past few years trying to build a more explosive running game to supplement the Joe Burrow-Ja’Marr Chase-Tee Higgins triumvirate. They poured resources into the offensive line and redesigned the scheme, but none of it has worked. Only three teams have produced fewer 10-plus-yard runs this season. Jonathan Taylor, playing in a bad Colts offense, has broken off 17 runs of 10 or more yards. Bengals running backs have combined for 12. Without a counterpunch, opponents can just hone in on the passing game with light boxes and two-deep coverages. Adding a piece like Taylor, who requires game-planning attention, would change the math and bring down Burrow’s degree of difficulty. If Cincinnati is committed to rebuilding a Gen Z version of the Peyton Manning Colts, they need someone to fill the Edgerrin James role. The Cost: The Bengals were awarded a compensatory third-round pick in 2027, which gives them extra firepower to make a deal. The Colts will likely want a first-rounder for a player like Taylor, but they’ve already shown that they’re willing to budge after trading Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner at a reduced cost. A pair of Day 2 picks should be enough. The Players: This is the most off-the-wall trade proposal of the bunch, but this swap makes a lot of sense on paper. Both the Chiefs and Jaguars are reportedly interested in adding a receiver at the deadline, and both want one who can help in the deep passing game. The Chiefs, who have spent the last few years chasing the ghost of Tyreek Hill by bringing in a bunch of undersized speedsters, could use a bigger receiver who can win 50/50 balls downfield. Thomas can do that in theory, but we haven’t really seen it in practice since his rookie season. The Jaguars, meanwhile, need more speed on the field. Parker Washington and Jakobi Myers give Trevor Lawrence two reliable possession options, but there’s nothing stopping defenses from sitting on their routes underneath – not with Thomas on the sidelines, at least. Adding the fastest player in recorded history (literally) should help with that, even if he’s more a decoy than a true threat. Neither of these players, both of whom were first-round picks, has lived up to the pre-draft hype, but both have shown flashes. A change of scenery doesn’t always fix things, but a role change, which both players would get, often can. The Cost: Player-for-player swaps are rare, but they do happen. And one happened under very similar circumstances. In 2013, the Chiefs traded disappointing first-round receiver Jon Baldwin to the 49ers for their disappointing first-round receiver, A.J. Jenkins. Both players were taken in the same draft. The same would be true of a Thomas-Worthy trade if it happened, with both drafted in 2024. You may have to go back 13 years to find it, but such a deal has precedent. The Player: The Cowboys are slowly plugging holes on their defense. They traded for cornerback Joey Porter Jr., who has helped shore up the secondary. DeMarvion Overshown’s return from injury last week boosted the linebacker group. Dallas has improved its pass defense over the past few weeks, but it still looks vulnerable against the run. Giving Christian Parker, the first-year defensive coordinator, a real nose tackle could fix the problem, and few are as good (or as tradeable) as Vita Vea. Parker has had to ask Kenny Clark and Otito Ogbonnia to cosplay as a nose tackle in a 3-4 defense, and opponents have had no problem pushing them around. Clark, who’s logged the most snaps at nose tackle for Dallas this season, has been particularly bad when asked to line up over center. Vea is a natural in that role, and he’s one of the rare nose tackles who also provides some pass rush along with elite run defense. Adding him would let Clark and Ogbonnia slide back to their natural positions as ends in a 3-4 front and provide much-needed depth on the defensive line. The Cost: The Cowboys have been wheelers and dealers over the past few seasons, so they’re not flush with draft capital. Trading away a second-round pick would leave them with just one top-100 pick in the 2027 draft. But the NFC East is up for grabs this season, and the Cowboys offense is as good as it will ever be. Also, quarterback Dak Prescott is on the downside of his career at 33 years old, and wide receiver George Pickens is potentially headed to free agency after the season. Jerry Jones is desperate for a winner, and you know what they say about desperate times. The player: At 5-1, the Bills are in a good spot ahead of the trade deadline, but something has to be done to address their defense, which ranks 31st in expected points added allowed. The pass defense could use the most work, and while the unit could use another cornerback, a player like Budda Baker would fill in more gaps. Baker can line up anywhere on the field. The Cardinals use him as a deep safety, they play him as a linebacker, and they love to send him on a blitz, either as a pass rusher or a gap-plugger in the run game. Buffalo can use more of the versatility in its zone-based scheme. Defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard played a similar do-it-all role under Rex Ryan with the Jets, so he can appreciate what a player like Baker brings to the table. Age is a concern. Baker is coming off a subpar 2025 season and hasn’t looked great in 2026 after turning 30 in January. The Bills won’t get the best version of the four-time All-Pro, but it’s better than what they currently have. The Cost: Even a fourth-round pick might be too steep. Baker is on the wrong side of 30, his play has declined, and he doesn’t play a premium position. He may mean more to Arizona than most teams, given his history with the team and the leadership role he’s played. If the Cardinals demand more, the Bills can add a compensatory fourth-rounder as a sweetener. The Player: Josh Downs has already requested a trade out of Indianapolis, and we’re going to grant him one to Carolina. The Panthers need more pass protection, but a receiver like Downs, who can get open quickly, can help a quarterback just as much. And Downs can be more than a pressure release valve for Bryce Young. He’s a twitchy route runner and an explosive athlete who, despite his smaller frame, can be difficult to press. That would give Carolina another answer to beat man coverage. As things stand, throwing a deep ball to Tetiroroa McMillan or Jalen Coker is really the only option. Downs has already racked up 147 yards against man this season, trailing only six receivers, per Next Gen Stats. He’d fill some voids in this offense, which ranks 12 in expected points added. Adding a talent like Downs could propel this Panthers’ offense into the top 10 and make the team favorites in the NFC South. The Cost: Downs’ production hasn’t matched his talent over the first four years of his career, which will drive down the asking price. A late Day 2/early Day 3 pick should be enough to make the deal. The Panthers own Minnesota’s 2027 fourth-rounder and could package it with their own to close the deal.