The NFL is more wide open than at any time in recent memory. And with the trade deadline on Nov. 4, it could shake up before we hit the stretch drive.
Coming into Week 8, a whopping 16 teams have either four or five wins, while the Colts have a league-leading six victories. The list of teams that could reach the playoffs is long, while the group that could win the Super Bowl without a miracle occurring is significantly shorter. That could change in the coming days if a few general managers make some aggressive moves.
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To be included in this conversation, there’s one qualifier: A team must be over the .500 mark.
So, what does your team need at the NFL trade deadline? Let’s examine.
AFC
The Bills have a few needs, including safety and receiver. However, finding another pass rusher should be at the top of general manager Brandon Beane’s list.
Buffalo invested in Joey Bosa on a one-year deal, but he’s produced only limited results. Despite staying healthy, Bosa has two sacks and five quarterback hits through six games. It’s not terrible production, but for a player getting 68% of the snaps on a team typically leading by a score or two, it’s not ideal.
The Bills also gave Greg Rousseau a four-year, $80 million extension this offseason, but haven’t seen great results. The 25-year-old has 1.5 sacks and four quarterback hits, leaving Buffalo light on players it can depend on getting home with.
In the playoffs, the Bills need to get more out of their pass rush than in previous years. In their five postseason losses to Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow, they’ve totaled six sacks, nowhere near enough to win a Lombardi Trophy.
The Broncos have an elite defense, ranking first in yards per play, red zone efficiency and third-down conversions. Unfortunately, the offense isn’t as potent.
Bo Nix has been inconsistent in his second year, throwing for 6.1 yards per attempt while ranking 20th in EPA per play, behind Mac Jones and Kyler Murray. Part of the problem is the lack of skill-position talent, as only Courtland Sutton has more than 270 receiving yards through seven games.
General manager George Paton could be aggressive and try to land another pass catcher on the outside, giving the offense some punch when Sutton isn’t open. If the Ravens believe they’re out of the race over the next few weeks, making a play for veteran DeAndre Hopkins for meager draft compensation could be an option.
The Colts are the highest scoring team in the NFL, so any addition would have to come on defense for coordinator Lou Anarumo.
If Indianapolis is going to make a move, keep an eye on the cornerback position. The Colts invested heavily this offseason in the secondary with the signings of former All-Pro corner Charvarius Ward and safety Cam Bynum. Still, Indianapolis is ranked 13th in yards per completion (10.5) and 18th in yards per attempt allowed (7.0).
That said, the pass defense isn’t a glaring weakness. The Colts are ninth in EPA per dropback against (0.029), although that has to do more with a pass rush that’s seventh in sacks (19) and fifth in quarterback hits (54).
The Jaguars are a tough team to size up, considering their long-term position and the moves they made earlier this season.
First-year general manager James Gladstone traded corner Tyson Campbell to the Browns for Greg Newsome II, a swap of corners he believed made for a better scheme fit. Would Gladstone trade for another corner to join Newsome and slot corner Jourdan Lewis, or does it make more sense to target another area of weakness?
If the Jaguars go in another direction, watch for a pass rusher. Despite ranking 10th in pressure rate at 22.2%, Jacksonville is dead last with eight sacks through seven games. Although Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen are a terrific duo, an interior rusher can be acquired to complement them.
The Chiefs are starting to take off, but they could still use some help along the defensive line.
Kansas City’s offense has been awesome over the past four weeks, averaging more than 411 yards per game while scoring at least 28 points in every outing. While the defense is ranked fifth in yards and third in points against, the pass rush is a middling 14th in sacks (15), 22nd in pressure rate (18.3%) and 12th in quarterback hits (38).
With rookie defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott done for the year with a torn ACL, the Chiefs should be looking to add a player alongside Chris Jones, who despite having only two sacks, is playing elite football. One target could be Calais Campbell with the Cardinals, who at 39 years old, has posted three sacks and nine quarterback hits on the interior.
The Chargers seemed loaded at running back heading into the season, with first-round rookie Omarion Hampton and veteran Najee Harris leading the way. However, things have changed.
Hampton is on injured reserve with an ankle injury for at least two more games, while Harris is done for the year with a torn Achilles. This has left the rushing load to Hassan Haskins and Kimani Vidal, who have 145 NFL carries between them.
The good news? Los Angeles should have some options. Depending on how much the Chargers are willing to give up in a trade, they could make calls to the Saints, Jets and Dolphins about Alvin Kamara, Breece Hall and De’Von Achane, respectively. Hall is set for free agency in 2026, while Kamara and Achane are signed until 2027. Any of the three would give run-heavy coordinator Greg Roman a nice option to have in the backfield alongside Hampton upon his return.
Add the Patriots to the long list of teams that would love to add another pass catcher to the mix before the deadline.
New England has been thriving at 5–2 with Drake Maye playing like an MVP candidate with 1,744 passing yards and 12 touchdowns on 8.6 yards per attempt. Still, there are questions on the outside. Stefon Diggs and Kayshon Boutte have produced 812 yards and four touchdowns between them, but the next-best receiver is Mack Hollins with 11 receptions and 119 yards.
If the Patriots could find another significant weapon to space the field alongside Boutte and Diggs, that would make them a more dangerous threat come January.
Looking at the Steelers, there’s a case to be made for the defense. After all, Pittsburgh ranks 28th in yards allowed per game. Still, there’s no bigger weakness on the roster than the receivers behind DK Metcalf.
Metcalf has been solid in his first season with the Steelers, totaling 406 yards and four touchdowns. However, every other wideout has failed to reach even 200 receiving yards through six weeks, with Calvin Austin III ranking second with 139.
If Pittsburgh wants to be more than one-and-done in the playoffs for the first time since 2016, the front office should be targeting another playmaker opposite Metcalf. Maybe that’s someone such as Chris Olave or Rashid Shaheed from the Saints, both of whom are on rookie deals.
NFC
If you got the Panthers’ front office in an honest moment, they might admit they probably didn’t expect to be 4–3 and a game out of first place in the NFC South.
Yet, Carolina is in contention, and to that end, the Panthers have to be thinking about adding some firepower to a team that moved off veteran Adam Thielen this offseason, leaving them with star rookie Tetairoa McMillan and 2024 first-round pick Xavier Legette.
If Carolina wants to make a move, it might be considering a long-term addition, given the timeline of the roster. The aforementioned Olave would be intriguing. Then there are some cheaper options, including 28-year-old Jakobi Meyers from the Raiders, who is set to hit free agency after this season.
Nobody could have thought the Bears would need a corner coming into the season. Chicago had a star in Jaylon Johnson and an emerging slot corner in Kyler Gordon, both of whom signed recent extensions.
However, with Johnson out for the season, general manager Ryan Poles could be trying to add another stalwart in the defensive backfield. Through six games, Chicago ranks tied for 16th in pass defense and 18th in yards per completion against. While another pass rusher would also be terrific, that’s made harder by already paying Montez Sweat $100 million.
Riding a four-game winning streak, Chicago is hoping to break through and reach the postseason for the first time since the 2021 season. Adding a corner to the injury-plagued secondary would help that cause.
The Lions are loaded offensively, with Jahmyr Gibbs, David Montgomery, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams and Sam LaPorta.
The defense is another story.
While the secondary is beat up, that unit should be getting healthier in the coming weeks. The bigger long-term issue is the pass rush, which, outside of Aidan Hutchinson, doesn’t have many threats. Through seven games, Hutchinson has six sacks and 13 quarterback hits. Al-Quadin Muhammad is also blossoming in his age-30 season, with five sacks and 10 QB hits, but will that continue? His track record suggests it might not.
Yet there isn’t much else on the edge, making it worthwhile to add a third pass rusher who can consistently pressure the quarterback. For general manager Brad Holmes, it makes sense to call the Bengals about Trey Hendrickson, who would likely cost a Day 2 pick. Over the 2023 and 2024 seasons, Hendrickson posted 35 sacks.
The Packers looked like the best team in the league through two weeks, beating the Lions and Commanders with ease. Then, after a loss to the Browns and a tie with the Cowboys, things looked murky. But with two wins since then against the Bengals and Cardinals, Green Bay seems to be back on track.
That said, the Packers need to find another talent on the defensive interior after trading away former Pro Bowler Kenny Clark in the deal to land Micah Parsons from Dallas. Green Bay doesn’t have much at defensive tackle alongside Devonte Wyatt, with Karl Brooks having just seven tackles and a half-sack as the other starter.
General manager Brian Gutekunst is hamstrung by the draft capital he surrendered to land Parsons, but he may part with a Day 3 pick for a rental.
If the Rams could kick the ball, they would be 7–0 and indisputably the best team in the league through seven weeks. Alas, they’re 5–2 and in a three-way tie for the NFC West lead.
Los Angeles could make the unique move of trading for a kicker, but it’s more likely this team will take a bigger swing by finding a corner who can play in front of star safety Kamren Curl. Currently, the Rams are relying on the starting trio of Cobie Durant, Darious Williams and Quentin Lake in the slot to hold up in the secondary.
Thus far, Los Angeles ranks second in sacks (26) and seventh in pressure rate (25.2%) but only 13th in passing yards allowed per game. If the Rams can find a top-end corner to accompany their pass rush, they could emerge as the NFC favorites.
Philadelphia is 5–2, but the Eagles haven’t been crisp on either side of the ball much of the year, ranking 26th offensively and 23rd defensively.
If there’s any area to address above all else, though, it’s on the defensive line. Philadelphia lost Josh Sweat and Milton Williams this offseason, watching 13 sacks and 25 quarterback hits walk out the door. The answer was to sign Azeez Ojulari, Josh Uche and Za’Darius Smith.
Through seven weeks, that trio has combined for 2.5 sacks and six quarterback hits, and now Smith has retired. Even after Brandon Graham’s recent return from retirement, general manager Howie Roseman has the luxury of looking at both edge rushers and interior presences. As mentioned above, there are ample options available.
The 49ers have myriad needs because of all their injuries.
At 5–2, San Francisco has a share of first place in the NFC West alongside the Rams and Seahawks, but the team’s situation is tenuous. That’s especially true in the front seven, where All-Pro edge rusher Nick Bosa and future Hall of Fame linebacker Fred Warner are both out for the season.
General manager John Lynch can’t replace Bosa or Warner, but he should consider making a big move to at least ease the burden of their replacements. The 49ers could call Cincinnati about Hendrickson to see what it would take to acquire him on an expiring deal. If nothing else, make the Bengals hang up the phone.
Seattle has the top-ranked offense in DVOA through seven weeks and for good reason. Sam Darnold has thrown for 1,754 yards and 12 touchdowns. Jaxon Smith-Njigba leads the league with 819 receiving yards, with nobody else above 630. The defense is 10th in yards and sixth in points.
Still, the Seahawks do have a weakness: They struggle to run the ball. Despite having Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet, Seattle has averaged just 3.7 yards per carry to rank 27th in the league.
While it’s tempting to consider someone like Kamara or Hall, the reality is that Walker and Charbonnet are both quality backs. The Seahawks need to reinvest again up front after solving left guard with first-round rookie Grey Zabel. Seattle could make a call to the Titans for veteran Kevin Zeitler, who is on a one-year deal.
If there were a team going into the season nobody would ever imagine needing a receiver, it would be the Buccaneers. Yet, here we are.
Chris Godwin continues to rehab his dislocated ankle, Mike Evans has a broken clavicle and Jalen McMillan has missed every game through two months with a preseason neck injury. All that’s left is star rookie Emeka Egbuka and a host of depth pieces.
With the Buccaneers making a legit run at the Super Bowl this year, general manager Jason Licht should be scouring for any upgrades on the perimeter to help Baker Mayfield, who has MVP aspirations with 1,767 passing yards, 13 touchdowns and two interceptions in seven games.
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