NFL Trade Deadline: Most ideal trade deadline moves teams should make
Don't look now, but the NFL trade deadline is in just over a month, so let's make some ideal trade deadline moves for a few teams. Yes, the deadline is actually in view. It follows the Week 9 slate of games and is at the beginning of November.
There does seem to be an abnormally large number of play-makers on offense who could become available, which is interesting. You have to wonder just how aggressive some teams may be in their quest to try and make a deep playoff run. And trades can still happen now, but most of the deadline trades do happen near the deadline when teams have a better idea of where they stand.
Let's look at some ideal trade deadline moves that teams should make.
NFL Trade Deadline: Most ideal trade deadline moves teams should make
Amari Cooper to the Denver Broncos
At some point, the Denver Broncos have to make a move, right? This skill position group is easily among the worst in the NFL and just has not done rookie QB Bo Nix any favors. The team traded Jerry Jeudy and cut Tim Patrick, so maybe they're already regretting those two moves.
Courtland Sutton, Josh Reynolds, and Marvin Mims Jr headline this room. It's deep, I guess, but does lack a high-end play-maker. Well, while Amari Cooper may not be that at this point in his NFL career, he would easily be better than anything that Denver currently has. And with the Cleveland Browns spiraling and heading toward a lost season with Deshaun Watson at QB, the Broncos should inquire.
Davante Adams to the New York Jets
The New York Jets need some defensive line help, but no one would mistake the New York Jets and them making good decisions. It seems like Davante Adams is just not having a great time on the Las Vegas Raiders, and I don't blame him. Adams is aging into his 30s and may not have a ton of efficient football left, so he should really just request to be traded.
The Raiders are going nowhere in the 2024 NFL Season, and I bet if you asked Adams, he'd love to reunite with Aaron Rodgers and play for the New York Jets. Adams could be a huge boost to the Jets' offense, which is just up and down at best.
And it'd be that controversial, high-profile move that a team like the New York Jets could make.
Cooper Kupp to the Kansas City Chiefs
It does kind of feel like Cooper Kupp would fit perfectly with the Kansas City Chiefs, who are now going to be down Rashee Rice and Hollywood Brown for the entire 2024 NFL Season. That isn't great, folks, and I am not sure the Chiefs have much of a choice here. If you ask me, I have no idea why any NFL team would make a deal with KC.
They've won three out of the last five Super Bowls, so why help them out? Well, if the Chiefs come calling and make a strong enough offer, would the LA Rams do it? The main issue with Cooper Kupp, unfortunately, is that injuries are beginning to pile up.
He's been injured in each of the last three seasons, and with older players, you have to simply just hope that they can stay on the field. It would not surprise me if we hear in the coming weeks that the Chiefs inquired about Cooper Kupp, a former triple-crown wide receiver in 2021 with the Rams.
Mark Andrews to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Cade Otton is a fine tight end, but why not add? The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are 3-1 and it feels like this team is again poised to compete for the NFC South, and winning the division guarantees them a top-4 seed and at least one home playoff game. The Bucs are solid from top to bottom and probably need another pass-rusher, but Mark Andrews does seem to be falling out of favor in Baltimore.
Creating a trio of Andrews, Mike Evans, and Chris Godwin would be a nightmare for opposing defenses to defend, and while Baker Mayfield is a good QB, his ceiling is lower than some of the top passers in the NFL, so adding another play-maker would be wise.
The Buccaneers are a quietly good team, as they don't have some of the high-end household names like other teams, so they could perhaps fly under the radar and make a savvy move like this.