play0:50Graziano: Chiefs are the scariest team in the AFCDan Graziano explains why the Colts are the best team in the AFC but the Chiefs are the scariest moving forward.
play0:34Why Schefter does not think the Eagles will trade A.J. BrownAdam Schefter says he wouldn’t be surprised if the Eagles make a move before the deadline, but he doesn’t expect A.J. Brown to be traded.
play1:19Does the road to the Super Bowl go through the Packers?Alex Smith, Adam Schefter and Rex Ryan discuss the Packers’ young roster and their chances of reaching the Super Bowl.
play2:17Schrager to McAfee: Patriots might not be done making movesPeter Schrager tells Pat McAfee that the Patriots’ recent moves not only free cap space but also show Mike Vrabel is building a new culture.
play2:35Stephen A. fired up over Steelers’ awful defenseStephen A. Smith is not giving the Packers too much credit for beating a bad Steelers defense.
play1:07Schrager: I’m calling for Trey Hendrickson if I’m 49ersPeter Schrager and Louis Riddick explain why the 49ers and Colts should call the Bengals to try and get Trey Hendrickson.
play2:06’Get Up’ crew sounds off on Cowboys’ defensive woesThe “Get Up” crew takes stock of the Cowboys’ defensive struggles this season.
Graziano: Chiefs are the scariest team in the AFCDan Graziano explains why the Colts are the best team in the AFC but the Chiefs are the scariest moving forward.
Dan Graziano explains why the Colts are the best team in the AFC but the Chiefs are the scariest moving forward.
Why Schefter does not think the Eagles will trade A.J. BrownAdam Schefter says he wouldn’t be surprised if the Eagles make a move before the deadline, but he doesn’t expect A.J. Brown to be traded.
Adam Schefter says he wouldn’t be surprised if the Eagles make a move before the deadline, but he doesn’t expect A.J. Brown to be traded.
Does the road to the Super Bowl go through the Packers?Alex Smith, Adam Schefter and Rex Ryan discuss the Packers’ young roster and their chances of reaching the Super Bowl.
Alex Smith, Adam Schefter and Rex Ryan discuss the Packers’ young roster and their chances of reaching the Super Bowl.
Schrager to McAfee: Patriots might not be done making movesPeter Schrager tells Pat McAfee that the Patriots’ recent moves not only free cap space but also show Mike Vrabel is building a new culture.
Peter Schrager tells Pat McAfee that the Patriots’ recent moves not only free cap space but also show Mike Vrabel is building a new culture.
Stephen A. fired up over Steelers’ awful defenseStephen A. Smith is not giving the Packers too much credit for beating a bad Steelers defense.
Schrager: I’m calling for Trey Hendrickson if I’m 49ersPeter Schrager and Louis Riddick explain why the 49ers and Colts should call the Bengals to try and get Trey Hendrickson.
Peter Schrager and Louis Riddick explain why the 49ers and Colts should call the Bengals to try and get Trey Hendrickson.
‘Get Up’ crew sounds off on Cowboys’ defensive woesThe “Get Up” crew takes stock of the Cowboys’ defensive struggles this season.
We’re less than one week away from the NFL’s trade deadline, which hits at 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday. A handful of teams have already made their moves. This week alone, we’ve seen the Patriots send defensive lineman Keion White to the 49ers and safety Kyle Dugger to the Steelers, while the Rams landed cornerback Roger McCreary from the Titans. The Jets also sent Michael Carter II to the Eagles for John Metchie III. More trades are coming between now and next Tuesday.
So, should your favorite team be trying to add veterans on deadline day? Should it be moving on from players to acquire draft picks that can help it in the future? Or should it be staying put with what it has, neither dealing for players nor dealing them away?
I’ve put together a guide for each of the league’s 32 teams and whether they should be adding or subtracting veteran talent over the next week. I’ll also highlight the biggest needs for the teams that should be pursuing players and some of the potential trade candidates for organizations that should be working the phones to get players out of town. And then I’ve split the league’s teams into five tiers based on how they should be approaching the deadline.
Let’s start with the teams that should be most active in looking to add players who can help their chances of winning in 2025.
These teams shouldn’t be trading every pick or young player they have to add difference-makers to their rosters, but they should be open to considering more substantial moves and be willing to target players on expiring contracts who could contribute to a potential deep playoff run.
Bills fans will want GM Brandon Beane to go into the market for a star wide receiver and come away with someone like A.J. Brown, but barring something truly shocking, I’d be surprised if the Bills went that direction. Remember that Beane shipped a third-round pick to the Browns for Amari Cooper last year (that selection landed Cleveland its current starting quarterback in Dillon Gabriel). Cooper had 20 catches for 297 yards in a Bills uniform before leaving and then retiring.
Defensive help for coach Sean McDermott would make sense, especially with Ed Oliver suffering a serious biceps injury. DaQuan Jones will return from his calf injury in the weeks to come, and Larry Ogunjobi is back from his six-game suspension, but the Bills could stand to add another rotational player at defensive tackle. Landing a safety McDermott trusts would be a dream scenario, but the demand around the league there is far greater than the potential supply.
The main priority should still be adding an edge rusher, even if it’s just someone to rotate with Al-Quadin Muhammad across from superstar Aidan Hutchinson. I also wonder if the Lions should consider trying to find some additional depth along the offensive line, where Giovanni Manu struggled filling in for Taylor Decker before hitting injured reserve with a knee issue.
With so many of their young standouts likely to earn extensions and massive raises over the next 12 months, 2025 is the Lions’ best shot at winning a Super Bowl. They should act accordingly.
With Matthew Stafford flirting with retirement (or a new contract) on seemingly an annual basis, the Rams have to consider adding more talent around their veterans if they want to win another ring. Would they have beat the Eagles in Philadelphia last season during the playoffs if the guy they signed to upgrade the interior of their line over the offseason, Jonah Jackson, was good enough to hold up against Jalen Carter? Who knows.
That would seem like a cautionary tale against adding outside talent, but the Eagles beat the Rams in their rematch earlier this season by physically overwhelming Los Angeles’ cornerbacks. Coordinator Chris Shula’s front might be the best defensive line in the league, but the Rams clearly needed a cornerback and traded a pair of Day 3 picks to the Titans for Roger McCreary, who’s in the final year of his rookie deal.
Why Schefter does not think the Eagles will trade A.J. Brown
These teams should be open to adding players who can immediately help, but they shouldn’t be as confident or aggressive as the organizations in the tier above.
Oweh probably didn’t figure into future plans for the Ravens, but they’re pretty thin along the defensive line right now, both on the interior and at edge. Rookie Teddye Buchanan has also looked overmatched at linebacker, and although getting Roquan Smith back helps, I wonder if the Ravens will look to bring in a veteran linebacker who can solidify things next to the three-time first-team All-Pro.
Flying high atop the AFC West at 6-2, Sean Payton’s Broncos probably aren’t going to be doing much at the trade deadline. I thought they might look at tight end options with Nate Adkins out, but Payton went for one of the most experienced players in football when Denver signed 41-year-old tight end Marcedes Lewis this week. Lewis will take a handful of snaps as an inline tight end until Adkins returns.
There’s no replacing Pat Surtain II at corner, and I suspect the Broncos will move forward over the next month with a larger role for first-round pick Jahdae Barron, who has played just 24% of the snaps so far.
I’m trying to list three positions of need for each team, but I could have written down cornerback three times for the Packers. It’s the one clear liability on the roster. Nate Hobbs has struggled badly on the outside since joining from the Raiders in free agency, and Keisean Nixon has developed some problematic habits in coverage. He is tied for the league lead with nine penalties this season.
Does the road to the Super Bowl go through the Packers?
After their early-season winning streak was derailed by a series of injuries to key players, the Chargers have begun to get some of those players back. Khalil Mack (elbow) returned in Week 7, and starting tackles Joe Alt (ankle) and Trey Pipkins III (knee) were back on the field for the win over the Vikings last Thursday. Omarion Hampton (ankle) is making progress, though there’s still no timetable for the rookie running back’s return to the lineup.
Schrager to McAfee: Patriots might not be done making moves
The 49ers have already made a handful of trades over the past few months, bringing in Brian Robinson Jr., Skyy Moore and Keion White. That limits GM John Lynch’s flexibility in shipping off more draft capital for guys who won’t be difference-makers on the roster. You can understand his desire to keep the roster competitive while players such as Trent Williams and George Kittle are in their title windows, but the 49ers have been hit by too many injuries and have lost too many star players.
Some of those standouts are coming back, so I’m not sure the 49ers are going to do anything besides wait for Brock Purdy, Brandon Aiyuk, Ricky Pearsall and Bryce Huff to return. This team isn’t in rental territory right now. If the Niners can find young players who can make an impact in 2025 and stick around in 2026 and beyond, though, Lynch could probably justify making a move or two.