Apparently the old adage is true: deadlines drive action. With only one round of games remaining before Tuesday’s trade deadline, NFL teams are already making moves, including three former All-Pro teams moving this week.
The Colts traded guard Quenton Nelson and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner for a cache of draft picks. Not to be outdone by their conference rival, the Titans sent their best player, defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, to Chicago for two first-round picks and a fourth.
If no further deals are reached before the deadline, this market will already be considered one of the most active trading markets in recent memory. But there’s plenty more to come between now and Tuesday, November 10, with several big names being touted as potential trade targets. And with this NFL season so wide open, many contenders will want to add that missing piece before the final game.
With that in mind, here are five needle moving crafts 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 last few years trying to create a more explosive running game to complement the Joe Burrow-Ja’Marr Chase-Tee Higgins triumvirate. They invested resources in the offensive line and revamped the scheme, but none of it worked. Only three teams have produced fewer runs of 10+ yards this season.
Jonathan Taylor, playing in a poor Colts offense, interrupted 17 runs of 10 yards or more. The Bengals running backs combined for 12.
Jonathan Taylor enters Week 8 ranked fifth in the NFL in rushing yards despite playing for a Colts team that has struggled to move the ball this season. (Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
Without a counterattack, opponents can simply focus on the passing game with light boxes and two-deep coverages. Adding a piece like Taylor, who requires special attention when game planning, would change the math and reduce 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 Edgerrin James’ role.
The cost: The Bengals received a 2027 third-round compensatory pick, giving them additional firepower to make a deal. The Colts will likely want a first-rounder for a player like Taylor, but they’ve already shown they’re willing to make a move 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 outlandish trade proposal of the group, but this trade makes a lot of sense on paper.
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 group of undersized speedsters, could use a bigger receiver capable of winning 50/50 balls down the field. Thomas can do this in theory, but we haven’t really seen it in practice since his rookie season.
The Jaguars, meanwhile, need more speed down the field. Parker Washington and Jakobi Myers give Trevor Lawrence two reliable possession options, but there’s nothing stopping defenses from staying on their underneath routes — not with Thomas on the sideline, at least. The addition of the fastest player in recorded history (literally) should help, even if he’s more of a decoy than a real threat.
Since gaining 1,282 yards in 17 games as a rookie, Brian Thomas Jr. has just 812 in 20 games since the start of last season. (A Rich History/Getty Images)
Neither player, both of whom were first-round picks, lived up to the pre-draft hype, but both showed flashes. A change of scenery doesn’t always help things, but a change of role, which both players would get, often can.
The cost: Player-for-player trades are rare, but they do happen. And one of them 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, AJ Jenkins. Both players were selected in the same draft.
The same would be true for a Thomas-Worthy trade if it happened, with both being drafted in 2024. You might have to go back 13 years to find it, but such a deal has precedent.
The player: The Cowboys are slowly plugging holes in their defense. They traded for cornerback Joey Porter Jr., who helped shore up the secondary. DeMarvion Overshown’s return from injury last week boosted the linebacker group. Dallas has improved its pass defense in recent weeks, but it still looks vulnerable against the run.
Giving first-year defensive coordinator Christian Parker a true nose tackle could solve the problem, and few are as good (or as tradeable) as Vita Vea.
Parker had to ask Kenny Clark and Otito Ogbonnia to play nose tackle in a 3-4 defense, and opponents had no problem pushing them around. Clark, who has logged the most snaps at nose for Dallas this season, has been particularly bad when asked to line up at center.
Vea is a natural in this role, and he is one of the few nose tackles to also provide some pass rush as well as elite run defense.
Vita Vea could be the stopping force the Cowboys defense is missing. (Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Adding him would allow Clark and Ogbonnia to return to their natural positions as they finish in a 3-4 front and would provide much-needed depth to the defensive line.
The cost: The Cowboys have been rollers and dealers over the past few seasons, so they don’t have draft capital. Trading 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. Additionally, quarterback Dak Prescott is on the wrong path in his career at age 33, and wide receiver George Pickens is potentially heading 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 position heading into the trade deadline, but something needs to be done to improve 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 more gaps.
The baker can queue anywhere on the ground. The Cardinals use him as a safety, they play him as a linebacker and they love to send him on blitzes, either as a passer or as a gap plug in the running game. Buffalo can use more of the versatility of its zone-based system. Defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard played a similar role under Rex Ryan with the Jets, so he can appreciate what a player like Baker brings to the table.
Budda Baker has been a mainstay in the Cardinals secondary, but he might be a better fit for a contender like the Bills this season. (Alika Jenner/Getty Images)
Age is a concern. Baker is coming off a mediocre 2025 season and doesn’t look 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 favored position. He may mean more to Arizona than most teams, given his history with the team and the leadership role he has 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 to Indianapolis, and we’re going to give 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 relief valve for Bryce Young. He is a wiry route runner and explosive athlete who, despite his small size, can be difficult to put under pressure. This would give Carolina another answer to beat man coverage.
As it stands, 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, according to Next Gen Stats. He would fill some holes in this offense, which ranks 12th in expected points added.
Adding a talent like Downs could propel the Panthers’ offense into the top 10 and make the team the favorite in the NFC South.
The cost: Downs’ production hasn’t matched his talent over the first four years of his career, which will lower the asking price. A late Day 2/early Day 3 pick should be enough to seal the deal. The Panthers own Minnesota’s 2027 fourth-rounder and could package it with theirs to get the deal done.
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