Has the action for the NFL trade deadline already peaked this year?
With six days remaining until the league’s cutoff for in-season swaps, many organizations have already engineered what is likely to be their most significant personnel change until the spring. The New York Jets were the first to grab headlines by acquiring three-time All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams, with several contenders – the Buffalo Bills (Amari Cooper), Kansas City Chiefs (DeAndre Hopkins and Joshua Uche), Baltimore Ravens (Diontae Johnson) and Minnesota Vikings (Cam Robinson) – following suit.
With all those deals complete and much of the top available talent accounted for, many of the most aggressive teams might already have wrapped up their plans. Still, there are several franchises that have the means and motivation to secure a key contributor who could be helpful in a playoff push.
Here are five more teams that could still be buyers before Tuesday, and a look at which players might be of interest to them in potential deals:
Pittsburgh Steelers
Mike Tomlin and Co. aren’t looking back after pivoting to Russell Wilson, with the Steelers now standing alone atop the AFC North at 6-2. Yet even though Wilson’s attacking mentality has unlocked a previously dormant deep passing game, there should be some serious reservations about a unit that stalled out on all four of its red zone trips in Monday’s 26-18 win over the New York Giants.
NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.
With Pittsburgh facing far greater tests in the coming weeks after feasting against lackluster offenses in the early going, it stands to reason that Wilson needs additional support in a receiving corps lacking a capable complement to George Pickens. Given Wilson’s penchant for lofting shots to the sideline, a tall target capable of winning contested catches could go a long way toward helping this offense reach a new level.
Steelers’ NFL trade deadline target possibilities
Darius Slayton, WR, New York Giants: At 6-1 and 198 pounds, he’s not the towering figure one might envision as the fitting deadline addition for the Steelers. Still, his speed and tracking skills have been woefully underutilized in a Giants offense still coping with Daniel Jones’ limitations, and Pittsburgh got an up-close look at his capabilities on Monday night when he posted 108 yards on four catches. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported that Slayton is unlikely to be moved, but maybe Omar Khan can come up with a strong enough offer to entice Giants GM Joe Schoen, whose focus should be gearing up for the reboot ahead this offseason.
Detroit Lions
When Aidan Hutchinson was lost for the season to a broken tibia and fibula, many speculated that Detroit would try to reel in Maxx Crosby, Trey Hendrickson or even Myles Garrett. Each appears to be off limits, however, and such a seismic move would be a departure for Lions general manager Brad Holmes, who has been discerning with his approach to making additions that could rattle his team’s carefully calibrated culture.
Still, Dan Campbell acknowledged that the organization is ‘looking into’ its options ahead of the deadline, though he maintained no one is in ‘panic mode’ and there are other ways to generate pressure even without a premium edge rusher. With scant depth beyond Josh Paschal at the position, any infusion of talent could help put the defense on more solid ground as the Lions navigate the cutthroat NFC North while pursuing the conference’s top seed.
Lions’ NFL trade deadline target possibilities
Emmanuel Ogbah, DE/OLB, Miami Dolphins: Maybe Miami is reluctant to become a seller with Tua Tagovailoa breathing life into the offense upon his return. At 2-5, however, the Dolphins have a long way to go to climb back into the playoff picture. Securing a pick for an impending free agent who will turn 31 next week would assist in the effort to recalibrate one of the league’s more uneven rosters. Ogbah has recovered from his biceps injury and provides inside-outside versatility as a rusher.
San Francisco 49ers
Despite still having 10 players on injured reserve, the 49ers are tied for the NFC West lead at 4-4, with reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year Christian McCaffrey trending toward making his season debut after the bye. Could San Francisco follow last year’s trajectory with another second-half surge? Perhaps, but some personnel changes still seem to be in order.
Losing Brandon Aiyuk to a torn ACL and MCL drastically alters the complexion of the offense, with Brock Purdy now deprived of his speediest target. While tight end George Kittle and wide receiver Deebo Samuel can pick up some of the slack, both were ailing heading into Sunday’s win over the Dallas Cowboys, with Samuel now dealing with rib and oblique strains. As much as San Francisco might prefer for rookies Ricky Pearsall and Jacob Cowing to step up, another veteran pass catcher could help settle any lingering uncertainty. Meanwhile, the defensive interior is looking precarious after Javon Hargrave was lost for the season to a torn triceps, and the edge rush is short on depth. Despite clearly being invested in making another Super Bowl push with this roster before an eventual Purdy extension necessitates some tough decisions, San Francisco will surely be cognizant of its cap outlook as it tries to roll over its unused space (a league-high $54.1 million, according to OverTheCap.com) to next year while minimizing any future obligations.
49ers’ NFL trade deadline target possibilities
Calais Campbell, DT/DE, Miami Dolphins: At 38, Campbell has ranked fourth this season in pass-rush win rate among defensive tackles (15%), according to ESPN. The 49ers could try to replicate their past efforts with Arik Armstead in utilizing the versatile 6-8, 282-pounder, and Campbell might enjoy getting to hop aboard a legitimate contender as it makes a title push.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The level of urgency is not yet evident for the Buccaneers, who are a game behind the Falcons in the NFC South and have lost the tiebreaker after being swept by Atlanta in the regular season. With wide receiver Chris Godwin out for the season and rampant defensive problem areas, is it still realistic to push for a fourth consecutive division crown – or more?
If general manager Jason Licht does decide to be active leading into the deadline, there is no shortage of spots to address. While offensive coordinator Liam Coen has gotten impressive mileage out of the ‘Pony’ package that trots out running backs Rachaad White and Bucky Irving together, the Buccaneers are sure to encounter some trouble in a receiving corps that will be without Godwin and Mike Evans, who is likely sidelined by a hamstring injury until at least Week 12 following the team’s bye. With the once-robust market for receivers having thinned out considerably, the Buccaneers will have to be creative if they want try to do more than press onward with third-round rookie receiver Jalen McMillan and tight end Cade Otton. But the bigger challenge might be on defense, with Todd Bowles’ group displaying major deficiencies in both the pass rush and secondary while allowing Kirk Cousins to throw for eight touchdowns in two games.
Buccaneers’ NFL trade deadline target possibilities
Philadelphia Eagles
At a time when most other NFL general mangers are content to stand pat, Howie Roseman is a lock to be working the phones. The Eagles’ personnel architect routinely takes the opportunity to scour the market for any possible upgrades. Yet the last few years have mostly produced a collective yawn, with midseason additions Kevin Byard III and Robert Quinn not living up to their billing. Eagles coach Nick Sirianni seemed to temper expectations amid a three-game winning streak, saying Tuesday, ‘I love the team that we have, and I think this team is really coming together.’
While Philadelphia still lacks a reliable No. 3 receiver behind A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, Roseman might be reticent to undercut himself with another deal after he parted with a third-round pick in August to land Jahan Dotson, who has disappointed with just six catches for 35 yards this season. The biggest opportunity for a potential import could be the edge rush, which seemed to quell concerns when it picked up 13 sacks over the previous two weeks before netting just one Sunday against Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals. Additional depth at linebacker and along the offensive line could also come in handy.
Eagles’ NFL trade deadline target possibilities
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast.Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.