NFL Trade Deadline Looms, More Possibilities for Players on the Move

Tuesday is the day we’ve all circled on the calendar. After that, there will be no more talk, only action. The pundits will go silent, and a nation will watch the fallout.

We are, of course, talking about the NFL trade deadline, which is Tuesday, November 5. It is the final day for contending teams to improve their rosters, and the final day for teams looking ahead to 2025 and beyond to get compensation for players who aren’t in their future plans.

Cincinnati Bengals are Sellers

This was not how this season was supposed to go in Cincinnati. Quarterback Joe Burrow was back and healthy, and when the season began, the Bengals were the third betting favorite to win the AFC, paying +750. Instead, they are 3-5 through eight weeks, and have now dropped to seventh in the AFC at +2500. They sit three full games behind the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC North.

Tee Higgins is banged up, missing last week with a quad injury, but it makes too much sense to trade him. Compensation will be harder to come by because of the injury, but considering the team’s inability to sign him this past off-season, any compensation is better than letting him walk. And wide receivers have been the hottest commodities so far on the trading market.

Defensive end Trey Hendrickson also requested a trade away from the Bengals this off-season, and he has seven sacks this season to go along with 17.5 last year. He would fill in nicely for the injured Aidan Hutchinson on the Detroit Lions.

Cooper Kupp Still Talked About

When the Los Angeles Rams won last Thursday, Cooper Kupp caught a touchdown pass in his return from an ankle injury. Head coach Sean McVay said that he is expecting to have Kupp for the remainder of the season. And it is true that the Rams season is far from over, as they sit just one-half game behind the rest of the teams in the NFC West. (They are +390 to win the division.)

But it’s clear that Puka Nacua is the top wide receiver in L.A., and they have one of the most dynamic running backs in the NFL in Kyren Williams. Kupp is no longer the dominant weapon with the Rams, and there are plenty of teams out there that would benefit from adding him to their roster.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers still fancy themselves a contender, but their wide receivers are all hurt. The Houston Texans just lost Stefon Diggs for the season. If the price is right, Kupp can be had.

New York Wide Receivers in the Rumor Mill

There is still an expectation that the New York Jets will trade wide receiver Mike Williams before Tuesday’s deadline. He is on the outs with quarterback Aaron Rodgers, and his role has diminished significantly since the team traded for Davante Adams. In Weeks 3, 4, and 5, Williams was targeted a total of 13 times. In Weeks 6, 7, and 8, he’s been targeted just five times.

The Jets season has gone from one of promise to one of finger-pointing, and with an off-season of upheaval on the way, there is no reason to keep Williams.

The same can be said of New York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton, who has been said to be on the move for most of his six seasons with the Giants. He’s never been great, but he’s always been good, and as a veteran who is on pace for a career-high 892 yards, he has a market.

The Jets are currently -650 to miss the playoffs, and the Giants are near the bottom at -20000.

Cleveland Browns Shopping Defensive End

The Cleveland Browns are thought to be willing to trade a defensive end after already trading away their top wide receiver, Amari Cooper.

No, not that defensive end. Although if the price was right, even Myles Garrett could be had. However, the price for him would be very expensive, and not one that a contender would be able to afford, considering they would be drafting late in the first round and Garrett is a game-wrecker worth top-of-the-draft compensation.

The defensive end in question is Za’Darius Smith, who is in the final year of his contract and is unlikely to be back in Cleveland next season. The Browns see the writing on the wall at -10000 to miss the playoffs, and Smith still has juice, recording five sacks this season. He also comes with his own realtor, having played in four different cities since 2018.

Running Back Help in Jacksonville

Travis Etienne Jr. was a first-round pick in 2021, is still only 25-years-old, and in his two full seasons in the NFL, he has gone for more than 1,000 yards each time. Last year, he also caught 58 passes, making him one of the most prolific receiving running backs in the NFL.

But the Jacksonville Jaguars are 2-6 (-1800 to miss the playoffs), and Etienne has been injured. He’ll play on his fifth-year option in 2025 (a new contract is coming), and the Jaguars really like the way the cheaper and younger Tank Bigsby has run the ball this season. Etienne is expendable, should the right suitor come calling.