On Nov. 5, the NFL world will have its own decision day – albeit with much lower stakes than the election.
Hours before polling places close, the league’s annual trading deadline will reach its cutoff, which marks the last opportunity for teams to make a marquee roster addition. A few teams opted not to wait before swinging a significant deal, as the New York Jets acquired wide receiver Davante Adams from the Las Vegas Raiders last Tuesday before the Buffalo Bills landed Amari Cooper from the Cleveland Browns. And on Wednesday, the Kansas City Chiefs followed up by securing wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins from the Tennessee Titans.
But who else could join in before the movement is shut down in 13 days? Parting with top talent – even those set to become free agents after the season – can be difficult for any decision-maker without firm job security. And in a league known for its postseason parity, front offices are often inclined to stick things out while clinging to the notion of a late-season rally. But the NFL this year pushed the deadline back one week, affording franchises a bit more clarity on just how close – or far – those playoff aspirations might be.
While it’s too early to tell exactly which teams will be sellers at the trade deadline, here are five who should be.
2024 NFL trade deadline sellers
Cleveland Browns
Anchored to Deshaun Watson – at least financially – for two more seasons, Cleveland is in the unenviable spot of needing to undergo a rebuild without fully being able to launch one in earnest. But selling off Cooper even prior to Watson suffering a torn Achilles reinforced that the next six months likely will feature a number of tough decisions.
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Reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett is probably untouchable at the trade deadline, as could be cornerback Denzel Ward and linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, both in their mid-20s coming off Pro Bowl campaigns. But the Browns’ roster has been sapped of young talent after going the last three years without a first-round draft pick due to the Watson trade, and the salary-cap outlook is even more inauspicious. At some point, Cleveland shoulder consider whether moving one of its cornerstones could help accelerate the revitalization efforts.
In the short term, there are still solid options to sell off. Defensive end Za’Darius Smith, 32, might be the most valuable piece given the market’s shortage of edge rushers for contenders in need. Elijah Moore could follow Cooper out the door after coach Kevin Stefanski refused to reveal why the receiver was benched for the first two series of Sunday’s loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. Despite his injury history, offensive tackle Jack Conklin has allure as a rental given that he has no guaranteed money on his contract beyond this season. And cornerback Greg Newsome II and defensive tackles Dalvin Tomlinson and Shelby Harris also could draw interest.
New England Patriots
Even though he later walked it back, coach Jerod Mayo’s claim that New England is ‘a soft football team across the board’ seems like a harbinger for a shake-up. Personnel changes are no doubt coming this spring, when the Patriots again are set to have a sizable amount of cap space with which to play. But it would be wise to ramp up those efforts early by casting off any players who are superfluous to a franchise taking the long view in addressing its abundant roster deficiencies.
In his ninth season with the team, cornerback Jonathan Jones is one of the longest-tenured Patriots, as well as one of the club’s most dependable starters. Sending him to a playoff-caliber outfit searching for assistance in the secondary would be a win for all parties. Sub rusher Josh Uche doesn’t seem to fit the hard-nosed approach Mayo wants from his defense at the moment, and there should be at least a few teams drawn to a low-cost spark off the edge. And while wide receiver Kendrick Bourne re-signed on a three-year deal in March and is still working his way back from a torn anterior cruciate ligament suffered last December, the veteran’s reliability might be better suited elsewhere given New England’s widespread youth movement on offense.
Carolina Panthers
Shouldn’t the teardown process be nearly over for a franchise that seemingly has so little left? Somehow the reboot effort under the first-year regime of coach Dave Canales and general manager Dan Morgan has stalled out, with former No. 1 pick Bryce Young benched after two games in 2024 and the defense on pace to surrender the most points of any team in NFL history. With no major payoff yet from the past three draft classes, accruing more picks remains one of the most vital steps steps for Carolina.
There’s no Brian Burns-level figure to spark a bidding war, but the Panthers still has players of interest for contenders. Diontae Johnson has been the focal point of the offense with 30 catches for 357 yards and three touchdowns, but he bemoaned Sunday that he ‘can’t play every position on the field and make every play.’ That doesn’t sound like someone eager to re-sign once his deal is up in March, so Carolina should see what it could secure for a target many teams would be eager to have as a high-level No. 2 option. Adam Thielen could also fit the bill of a complementary piece in a receiving corps, though the 34-year-old has been out since Week 3 with a hamstring injury. While Carolina has resisted the idea of moving Young, the lack of urgency in plotting his course back to the lineup indicates it’s time to pursue a split. On defense, edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney can still provide a jolt, and safety Xavier Woods also might draw inquiries as a multitalented asset on the back end.
New York Giants
Much as general manager Joe Schoen and coach Brian Daboll might like to hold out for hope a midseason resurgence, Sunday’s 28-3 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles was a pale horse for this campaign. Not even a pass rush with a league-leading 31 sacks is enough to compensate for the rudderless, Daniel Jones-led offense, which bests only the injury-ravaged Miami Dolphins in points per game (14.1).
The most significant changes likely won’t come until the offseason, at which point the organization can fully investigate its options for replacing Daboll and/or Jones. For now, the Giants should take a more active role in drumming up interest for at least two players with expiring contracts.
Darius Slayton stepped up while Malik Nabers was in concussion protocol, but the go-to rookie’s return has once again made the veteran extraneous. His big-play potential as both a deep target and run-after-catch threat make him a solid second-tier consideration for teams eyeing a boost to their passing attack. Elsewhere, outside linebacker Azeez Ojulari doesn’t seem likely to be back next season given the investments made in Kayvon Thibodeaux and Brian Burns on the edge. Yet after two injury-riddled years, Ojulari has again shown flashes of being a highly efficient pass rusher, notching three sacks in his last two games. Selling high is the right call.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Embracing a fire sale might be a non-starter given that owner Shad Khan has declared this group ‘the best team assembled by the Jacksonville Jaguars ever.’ But there’s no guarantee that either coach Doug Pederson or general manager Trent Baalke are safe beyond a week-to-week basis, and the 2-5 Jaguars are staring down a forthcoming five-game stretch against opponents that all have winning records. If there’s time to cut bait and recoup some draft capital, it’s now.
Assuming tight end Evan Engram is off limits as one of Trevor Lawrence’s favorite targets, the most consequential figure potentially on the block for Jacksonville could be wide receiver Christian Kirk. The slot target seems to have shrinking relevance next to Engram and breakout rookie Brian Thomas Jr., so offloading him – and his nearly $24.4 million cap hit for 2025 – would be wise so long as the return is right. Cam Robinson and Walker Little are both set to become free agents and could assist a team looking for someone to step in at left tackle. And playmaking safety Andre Cisco, also on the last year of his deal, sounds ready for a change of scenery after saying the Jaguars exhibited ‘a lot of quit’ in their first London outing.
(This story was updated to change a gallery.)
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