2024 NFL trade deadline: Determining whether every team should be buyers, sellers or holders

Believe it or not, we’re already gearing up to flip the calendar to November. With that looming change comes the 2024 NFL trade deadline rocketing towards us on Nov. 5 at 4 p.m. ET. Until then, teams will be on the phone trying to wheel and deal to either improve their roster for the stretch run or collect as many assets as possible to build for the future. 

We’ve already seen a number of high-profile deals go down. For instance, DeAndre Hopkins is now with the Kansas City Chiefs, the New York Jets reunited Davante Adams with Aaron Rodgers, and the Buffalo Bills found their top wideout after acquiring Amari Cooper. And there are plenty more deals that could be on the horizon. 

Below, we’re going to identify what each team in the NFL should do at this year’s deadline and drop them into one of three respective buckets: buyers, sellers or holders. 

Buyers

The Detroit Lions have a great argument to be considered the best all-around team in the NFL, and they are currently one of the favorites to win the Super Bowl at Caesars Sportsbook. While the roster is already among the best in the league, this is the time to tighten up the edges and address key areas to push them over the top. Losing Aidan Hutchinson for the year was a mighty blow to their defense, so strengthening the pass-rushing unit at the deadline could make some sense. 

Meanwhile, the Baltimore Ravens have been among the best teams in the AFC through the first seven weeks and appear destined for another run to the AFC Championship. However, they are allowing 287.1 passing yards per game this season, which is the most in the NFL. An impact defensive back could be just what the doctor ordered to help further push them over the top. 

The Green Bay Packers continue to be a dark horse in the NFC North, at least in my eyes. While Minnesota’s undefeated start through the first six weeks captured headlines and the Lions considered the top dog in the division, Green Bay has won five of its first seven, even with an injury to Jordan Love. Its roster is already pretty solid, but possibly adding another defensive back could be a worthwhile maneuver. 

The San Francisco 49ers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in similar positions leading into the deadline. Injuries have decimated both clubs offensively, with the Niners losing Brandon Aiyuk and the Bucs losing Chris Godwin — both for the season. So, adding a pass catcher is a likely target for each club as it looks to claim its respective division. 

The New York Jets have already made one big move leading up to this deadline by bringing aboard Davante Adams, but considering where the team stands, it may as well go all-in. After all, Aaron Rodgers is going to be 41 years old in December, and there are only so many kicks at the can the Jets will get to make a playoff run. The Dallas Cowboys also feel like they are in a similar predicament. The team invested heavily in Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb this offseason with massive extensions but hasn’t lived up to expectations. Making a deal to help propel the offense and/or shore up the defense should give them a boost. It’ll also help determine whether or not wholesale coaching changes need to be made entering 2025. 

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been big-game hunting for a wide receiver for months now and haven’t been able to reel one in. I don’t expect that pursuit to subside before the deadline, and the team is in prime position to make the playoffs, jumping out to a 5-2 record. That said, it does need another reliable target for Russell Wilson/Justin Fields. It’s also clear that the Los Angeles Chargers need another receiver for Justin Herbert. Even as they sit at 3-3 entering Week 8, the talent at pass catcher is lacking. If they can swing a deal for a capable receiver, they should be in play for a wild-card spot in the AFC. 

The Philadelphia Eagles and Cincinnati Bengals both started the season on rocky notes but still find themselves within striking distance of a playoff spot. Each of these clubs is supremely talented when firing on all cylinders but could also use a boost. Eagles general manager Howie Roseman has never been shy about making deals, so Philly shouldn’t be ruled out of anything at this time of the year. That said, both the Eagles and Bengals don’t have a ton of cap space to work with, so striking a deal could be difficult. Nevertheless, both of these teams are in a Super Bowl window and should be looking to add. 

Finally, we have the Washington Commanders, Atlanta Falcons, and Seattle Seahawks. Outside of possibly Atlanta, not many expected these teams to find themselves atop their respective division at this juncture, but here they are. The playoffs are within reach for all three of these teams, and it makes sense to reward the current roster by bringing more talent aboard. Washington could use another receiver along with some help in the secondary, while the Falcons need another pass rusher. Seattle already has made a couple of moves, including trading for linebacker Ernest Jones IV, but could also use some help along the offensive line.

Sellers

None of these teams are going anywhere fast and have yet to earn more than two wins on the year. Some of these teams have already begun selling off parts, like the Tennessee Titans (DeAndre Hopkins and Ernest Jones IV), Cleveland Browns (Amari Cooper), and Las Vegas Raiders (Davante Adams). There’s likely nothing these could do between now and the deadline that would change the tides of their season, so continuing to build up assets by removing players who are not part of their future makes all the sense in the world.

While the Carolina Panthers, New England Patriots, and New York Giants haven’t started shipping away pieces, teams will come calling if they haven’t already. All three of these teams have wide receivers who could be attractive to contenders in Diontae Johnson, K.J. Osborn and Darius Slayton. All three of these clubs are firmly in the rebuilding stage, so getting as many assets as they can today to help them tomorrow should be the priority. 

Holders

The Minnesota Vikings have been one of the surprise teams of the 2024 season and seem earmarked to make the playoffs after a 5-2 start to the year. While there’s an argument to buy at the deadline to double down on this impressive run, they simply don’t have the assets to do so. At the moment, Minnesota has just three picks at the 2025 NFL Draft: a first-rounder and two fifths. Those Day 3 picks could help with minor moves, but that’s as far as they should go, given their lack of capital. 

The Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills already made their deadline splashes by bringing DeAndre Hopkins and Amari Cooper aboard. With those deals already completed, it wouldn’t be shocking if they held through the deadline. Could either one of these teams make another move to address smaller weaknesses? Sure. That said, their biggest need was at wide receiver, so they’ve already accomplished their clear objective this trade season. 

Speaking of throwing away draft picks like they are Halloween candy, the Los Angeles Rams should fend off calls about Cooper Kupp and others, particularly after taking down the Vikings at home to begin Week 8. They are now 3-4 on the season and have Kupp and Puca Nakua back in the fold. They should hold firm and let this core play itself back into postseason contention.

The Miami Dolphins are getting Tua Tagovailoa back, which should be what helps propel the offense back to a respectable level. The defense has already played at a high level through this stretch, so getting more stable quarterback play may be the only addition the Dolphins need.

Sticking in Florida, the Jacksonville Jaguars did trade away defensive tackle Roy Roberson-Harris to the Seahawks, but I’m not sure if we’ll see any sort of wholesale deals at this deadline. While the likes of Christian Kirk and Travis Etienne could be attractive trade chips, I would guess the Jags let the season play out and see how they finish before selling the farm and firing the coaching staff. 

The Arizona Cardinals were a tricky team to pin down here. On the one hand, they have been frisky and are technically in second place in the NFC West entering Week 8, yet are below .500 at 3-4. While there are needs on this roster, they feel like more than a deadline move or two away from true contention, so it’s best to hold firm unless a slam-dunk deal comes across general manager Monti Ossenfort’s desk. 

The Denver Broncos and Indianapolis Colts both seem to be in a similar position. They are each 4-3 entering Week 8 and are working through the development of a young quarterback. In both scenarios, they feel like they are a year or two too early from going all-in as buyers. The wise move may be to simply play the year out and continue building internally, unless an ideal long-term trade piece comes across the wire.  

Meanwhile, the Houston Texans have a stellar roster around C.J. Stroud and will get wideout Nico Collins back at some point this season, which will be a boost in itself. This club already made plenty of moves in the offseason and — outside of some ancillary trades — doesn’t need to do anything drastic at the deadline. The same thing can be said for the Chicago Bears. They did a tremendous job building around Caleb Williams this offseason, and the rookie No. 1 overall pick has started to pop in recent weeks. Given the lack of holes on the roster, it’s smart to be patient and simply continue to watch Williams blossom. 

The New Orleans Saints feel like a team that wants to be a buyer but should be a seller, so we’ll stick them right in the middle. Similar to Pittsburgh, they’ve been searching for a wide receiver in the trade market for months, but nothing has been executed. The position group has been hit hard by injuries, but so has the quarterback room, with Derek Carr missing multiple games due to an oblique injury. That’s contributed to a five-game losing streak, which includes two losses to division rivals. Instead of seeking outside help, they should simply focus on getting healthy.