With the NFL trade deadline just a couple of weeks away, expect another flurry of action in the coming days. There were four trades last week, including some blockbusters, and there are several more deals that could come together soon.
We’ve already been keeping you up to date on which players might be on the block, so it’s time for a look at the other side of that with some potential landing spots. Here are 10 potential trades that could end up happening in the next two weeks before the NFL trade deadline:
Ravens trade for Bears RB Khalil Herbert
Herbert has been on the block dating back to the preseason after Chicago brought in a ton of competition for touches. While the former sixth-round pick out of Kansas has exceeded his meager pre-draft expectations, averaging 4.8 yards per carry for his career, the Bears have been after a more dynamic option. Herbert isn’t a top-shelf athlete and isn’t known for having a passing-down skillset, but the 5-9, 212-pounder runs with excellent vision and does a good job of maximizing his opportunities, especially in zone rushing schemes.
The Cowboys are the team that gets linked to just about every running back available but in this case, I’m not sure Herbert is a definitive upgrade over who they have available. He’d just be another middling option in a committee backfield. There are a couple of teams that could use an upgrade to their depth in the backfield where Herbert would be a better fit, and Dallas seems intent on not making any moves before the deadline anyway.
The Ravens are leaning heavily on RB Derrick Henry as the engine of their offense, and RB Justice Hill sees a ton of snaps as a passing down back. Behind those two, however, the Ravens are wafer-thin. They used a fifth-round pick on RB Rasheen Ali but a draft cycle biceps injury has hampered his progress and he doesn’t seem ready to contribute at this time. Baltimore has relied on back-of-the-roster and practice squad caliber players in the No. 3 spot.
Herbert would be an upgrade who would give Baltimore an insurance policy to guard against injuries at running back. It shouldn’t cost much at all either. The Vikings just upgraded their No. 3 running back spot by trading for RB Cam Akers at the cost of a late-round pick swap in 2026. Herbert isn’t in the same stratosphere as Henry but he’s also much more likely to keep the Ravens’ running game afloat in a worst-case scenario than anyone else currently on the team.
Chiefs trade for Rams WR Demarcus Robinson
This isn’t the big swing Chiefs fans might be hoping for. But this might be the most realistic option given the circumstances Kansas City finds itself in. There’s no question the team needs help at receiver after injuries destroyed the progress the Chiefs thought they made this offseason. However, the Chiefs have some clear parameters they’re operating with when it comes to finding help. They’re shopping with a budget, both in terms of cash and picks, and there’s a big priority on players who can integrate quickly into HC Andy Reid’s system, which isn’t easy on newcomers.
Robinson checks all the boxes the Chiefs are looking for. He’s cheap, due a base salary of $2.5 million in 2024 and nothing beyond that. He’s got some familiarity with the system after spending the first six seasons of his career with the Chiefs. The Rams probably wouldn’t hang on to him too tightly either with how much depth they have at receiver, particularly with Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua returning. Something like a sixth-round pick would probably do it, or equivalent value in a swap.
Now Robinson might not move the needle in a huge way. His career-high for receiving yards in a season is 466 back in 2020 with Kansas City. He has 12 catches for 189 yards and a score so far this season. But Robinson is an excellent athlete and his knowledge of the system would allow him to be part of the committee the Chiefs are leaning on to replace Rice. And the truth is, with Cooper and Adams off the board there isn’t a new No. 1 receiver available to come save the Chiefs.
Commanders trade for Jaguars WR Christian Kirk
Washington lost to the Ravens in Week 6 and pushed back afterward at the notion that the 30-23 setback was a moral victory. Truthfully, though, it was a confirmation that the 4-2 Commanders are for real. There was optimism about Washington entering the year but moreso because of the long-term trajectory with new owner Josh Harris, new HC Dan Quinn and first-round QB Jayden Daniels. The present was expected to contain some bumps. Instead, Washington looks like a playoff team and a real contender to win the NFC East.
Does that speed up new GM Adam Peters’ rebuilding plan? Peters could have made a push for 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk in August, as Aiyuk wanted to reunite with his college QB Daniels, but elected to keep his cash and draft picks. If Peters knew in August what he knows now, maybe he’d handle things a little differently.
So far the lack of receiving weapons outside of WR Terry McLaurin hasn’t hurt Washington thanks to how brilliant Daniels has been with his arm and his legs. You have to figure relying on a soon-to-be-34-year-old TE Zach Ertz, journeymen like WRs Olamide Zaccheaus and Noah Brown, and third-round WR Luke McCaffrey will catch up with Washington eventually, though. Washington has extra picks in the future and $25 million in cap space right now to try and maximize this year’s window.
The best fit available might be Kirk, assuming the Jaguars make him available. He’s due $14.5 million in base salary this year and $15.5 million next year, at which point the Jaguars have a decision to make about his future, whether they’re rebuilding or looking to create cap space. In his age-28 season, Kirk is still arguably in his prime and could generate legitimate interest if Jacksonville makes him available. A third-round pick feels a little rich but not completely out of the question if another team is desperate.
Washington isn’t desperate but they can afford Kirk’s salary, both this year and next year, and there are a few extra factors that could help a deal come together. Kirk played for Commanders OC Kliff Kingsbury in Arizona and should be able to roll right in without missing too much of a beat. As a slot and underneath receiver, he’s the perfect fit for what Washington’s offense needs right now to complement McLaurin.
A fourth-round pick is a lot for this time of year but when you balance the historical hit rate for fourth-round picks against how good of a fit Kirk would be for the Commanders in the window provided by Daniels’ rookie contract, it starts to feel like something that would make a lot of sense.
Saints trade for Jets WR Mike Williams
Adam Schefter reported that the Raiders were interested in Williams as a part of the package sending WR Davante Adams to the Jets. However, the fact that Williams isn’t in Las Vegas right now tells me Jets GM Joe Douglas felt confident about getting a pick back in a separate deal to help offset what they gave up to get Adams. New York has paid down all of Williams’ salary already and that’s probably helping generate some interest, especially from cap-strapped teams like the Saints.
New Orleans was down both WRs Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed on Thursday and it showed. Olave should clear the concussion protocol soon while Shaheed is out for the year with a meniscus injury. Even before then, Saints HC Dennis Allen was bemoaning a lack of weapons outside Olave, Shaheed, RB Alvin Kamara and TE Taysom Hill who’s missed a lot of time as well. The Saints are working out WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling who could help replace the deep threat aspect they lost with Shaheed, but adding Williams would give the team another perimeter playmaker to take attention away from Olave and the running game.
It’s worth debating the wisdom for the 2-5 Saints to trade away future assets with their future cap issues, but with Allen competing for his job, it could happen. Williams stands out among the potential receiver targets because he’s cheap, so he wouldn’t add anything to the Saints’ future cap considerations. Off the cuff, I’d say a sixth-round pick would be enough, but it’s possible the Jets could get more if there’s a lot of interest — and it does seem like there could be.
Steelers trade for Titans WR DeAndre Hopkins
Pittsburgh has been linked to just about every single receiver available on the trade market over the last several months but has not closed the deal on any of them. Williams was another one and had the Steelers not been playing the Jets this week, perhaps that one would already be done. Williams fits the archetype Steelers OC Arthur Smith likes at outside receiver, as he wants big wideouts who can block and go up and get passes.
If the Steelers miss on Williams, the other option who fits this archetype and would be a notable improvement over the current group in Pittsburgh outside of WR George Pickens is Hopkins. He’s more expensive — due an $8 million base salary in 2024 — and the Titans so far haven’t been shopping him, but if they keep losing (which seems likely) you would expect that to change.
The Steelers have enough cap space to take on Hopkins’ contract initially and then restructure to regain budget to operate during this season. He’d be a sure-handed option opposite Pickens who could be a reliable possession threat for whoever is throwing passes for the Steelers. As far as what Pittsburgh would have to give up, something like a fifth-round pick could do it because of Hopkins’ significant salary.
Steelers trade for Bears G Nate Davis
If the Steelers don’t end up trading for a receiver, the offensive line would be the next most logical place to try and reinforce. Three Steelers linemen are on injured reserve already and second-round C Zach Frazier will miss some time with an ankle injury. For a team that wants to build its identity around the run game and being strong on the line of scrimmage, that’s arguably more concerning than the situation at receiver.
Davis has been so bad in Chicago that he’s been demoted to a healthy scratch and is behind Bill Murray on the depth chart — a converted defensive tackle. But at one point, Davis was a coveted free agent acquisition thanks to a solid first four years of his career in Tennessee, a few of those under Arthur Smith.
Perhaps Davis has checked out after getting his pay-day but perhaps a reunion with Smith would revive his career. Chicago would love to find a taker for what’s left of Davis’ $8.75 million 2024 base salary, which was already guaranteed before the season started, and the Steelers have enough budget to roll the dice on Davis if Smith is confident Pittsburgh would get a lot more production out of the veteran than the Bears did. As long as the Steelers are comfortable taking on Davis’ salary, the draft pick cost to trade for him would probably be next to nothing.
Bills trade CB Kaiir Elam to Jaguars for LB Chad Muma
We don’t see player-for-player trades often but this would make a lot of sense for both sides. Elam is a former first-round pick who has yet to carve out a role in Buffalo’s secondary. In fact, he’s currently running behind CB Ja’Marcus Ingram in the pecking order, and Ingram was an undrafted free agent who joined Buffalo the same year as Elam. It’s probably time for a fresh start elsewhere.
Meanwhile, Muma is playing a little under half the snaps but that’s partially because veteran LB Foyesade Oluokun is down with an injury. Muma has been behind fellow draft classmate LB Devin Lloyd and been losing snaps to young LB Ventrell Miller. Once Oluokun gets back, Muma’s role could shrink even more.
The Bills have been reportedly perusing the trade market for help at linebacker with veteran Matt Milano out for a while and other injuries thinning the herd. The trade for Cooper shows the team believes in its window to win now, and Elam isn’t being a big help to those goals at the moment. Buffalo had a formal Combine interview with Muma back in 2022 and teams lean a lot on their pre-draft assessments when players are still on their rookie contracts. As for Jacksonville, they’re looking at things a little more long-term. They could use a tall, long, former first-round corner who runs sub-4.4 in the 40.
Broncos trade for Bengals TE Tanner Hudson
Denver’s gotten little out of the tight end position this year. The Broncos had high hopes for former third-round TE Greg Dulcich but he still hasn’t found his footing and has fallen off the gameday roster. Hudson has an interesting skillset as a receiving tight end and had 39 catches for 352 yards last year.
Meanwhile the Bengals have an embarrassment of riches at tight end with four credible options to earn a game-day jersey each week. Cincinnati doesn’t usually do in-season trades but this is a rare instance where they have enough depth to potentially feel comfortable dealing away Hudson. They wouldn’t get much back but could get a late-rounder.
Lions trade for Browns DE Za’Darius Smith
Smith has already garnered trade interest from teams, including the Lions, and that won’t go away with the Browns losing both the game in Week 7 and their starting quarterback. Cleveland is probably going to be more willing to deal the 32-year-old pass rusher now that QB Deshaun Watson is out for the year. There will be interest in Smith considering his track record and the fact he has four sacks so far this season. Smith should also be a good fit with the Lions. He’s a powerful player who can hold up on the edge even if at this stage he’s better served in a rotational role and not full-time snaps.
It’ll be interesting to see what Smith’s trade value is. He’s on a veteran minimum salary with no guarantees past this season, so the financials shouldn’t be much of an obstacle. The Eagles gave up a fourth-round pick for DE Robert Quinn at the deadline a few years ago, so that might be the best-case scenario for the Browns.
49ers trade for DT Quinton Jefferson and/or Falcons OLB Arnold Ebiketie
San Francisco has built a lot of its success on the foundation of being strong on the defensive line. Year after year, it’s enabled the 49ers to build their entire defense around the ability to get pressure with just four players and control the line of scrimmage in the running game.
That foundation has cracked this year. Due to a combination of offseason losses (trading away DT Arik Armstead) and injuries (losing DE Yetur Gross-Matos and Drake Jackson), the 49ers are as weak along the defensive line as they’ve been at any point since early in the tenure of HC Kyle Shanahan and GM John Lynch. For a team that still views itself as squarely in a Super Bowl window, a midseason addition or even two to fortify the defensive line would not be a surprise.
Jefferson and Ebiketie are two options to consider for the 49ers if they double dip, one interior addition and one on the edge. Jefferson has fallen out of the rotation in Cleveland and would be one of the veteran players on a one-year deal who the Browns would look to move anyway after falling out of contention. He’s developed into a mercenary pass rusher, with at least three sacks in each of the past six seasons with four different teams. Jefferson had a career-best six sacks last season in a similar scheme as San Francisco with the Jets.
Ebiketie was a second-round pick by the Falcons in 2022 and had a career-best six sacks last season. But Atlanta’s scheme change on defense has put him in a tough situation. New DC Jimmy Lake prefers bigger edge rushers and Ebiketie is limited to a rotational role at 6-2 and 250 pounds. He would be in a rotational role in San Francisco as well but in a scheme that would enable him to pin his ears back and attack more.
Neither player should cost much in a trade. Jefferson could be had for a late-round pick or equivalent value in a swap. Ebiketie might be a tick more expensive as a recent Day 2 pick on a rookie contract but the 49ers have some late-round capital to work with in future years.
Ravens trade for Jaguars G Brandon Scherff
The Ravens’ young offensive line has had some growing pains but to be fair to them, they’ve settled in more since the first few weeks, particularly when it comes to the ground game. Still, there’s room to get better. Scherff has a tradable contract at just $1.75 million in base salary and he fits the profile of established, veteran players the Ravens have had a lot of success with in the past. Acquiring Scherff would move OL Daniel Faalele to the bench and give him more time to develop. It also likely wouldn’t cost much for the Ravens, perhaps a fifth-round pick at most.
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