NFL Teams That Would Regret Being Idle at the 2023 Trade Deadline
It may come as a shock to realize that the 2023 NFL season has nearly reached its halfway point. Week 8 kicks off in a matter of days, and the October 31 trade deadline is rapidly approaching.
Teams looking to buy or sell ahead of the deadline are running out of time to make their moves. While maintaining the status quo and waiting until the spring to make significant changes is an option, it shouldn't be the plan for several franchises.
There are teams on the cups of playoff or title contention who could desperately use help now. There are tradeable players who should be dealt in the coming days, either because they won't be available in the spring or because their value would be greatly diminished.
For teams in each of these categories, sitting idly by as the trade deadline passes would be an enormous mistake.
Arizona Cardinals
1 of 10
The Arizona Cardinals sit at 1-6, and even if quarterback Kyler Murray returns in the near future, they're unlikely to win anything of note this season. Arizona should take solace in the fact that the team is playing hard for head coach Jonathan Gannon, navigate the remainder of the schedule and focus on 2024.
Depending on how things shake out, the Cardinals may have a tough decision in the spring between keeping Murray and targeting a top 2024 QB prospect like Drake Maye or Caleb Williams.
Between now and then, Arizona should consider moving impending free agents, specifically, safety Budda Baker and wideout Marquise Brown. These veterans may not want any part of the next stage of the rebuilding process, so cashing in while they would be the Cardinals' best play.
General manager Monti Ossenfort may be willing to do exactly that.
"Some execs believe Arizona, in a general sense, is open for business," ESPN's Jeremy Fowler wrote on Friday.
Brown and Baker are both players who would bring a reasonable return in a trade—especially with Baker off injured reserve. Ossenfort would lament not making a deal if one or both walk away in March.
Buffalo Bills
2 of 10
The Buffalo Bills have lost two of their last three and don't have the look or play style of a legitimate Super Bowl contender. The offense has started slowly in three consecutive games, and the defense has been decimated by injuries.
Tre'Davious White, DaQuan Jones and Matt Milano are all on injured reserve.
It would behoove general manager Brandon Beane to be aggressive at the deadline in an attempt to win this year. Why? Building a stronger roster in 2024 will be difficult with Josh Allen's cap hit jumping from $18.7 million to $47 million.
It wouldn't hurt to add another receiving target to complement Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis. Deonte Harty ranks third among Bills wideouts with a mere 113 receiving yards.
Defensively, targeting a pass-rusher like Danielle Hunter or a cornerback like Jaylon Johnson would make plenty of sense.
The caveat is that Beane may have to get financially creative to get a deal done. The Bills have just $1.4 million in cap space available. If Buffalo does nothing at the deadline, however, it could be another year of having a top-tier quarterback and a seat on the couch during the Super Bowl.
Carolina Panthers
3 of 10
The Carolina Panthers are in a very tough position as the deadline looms. The Panthers are 0-6, they've gotten underwhelming results from rookie quarterback Bryce Young, and tanking isn't a viable option.
The Panthers traded away their 2024 first-round pick in the move to go up and draft Young.
Carolina's only priority from here on out should be developing Young. Targeting a receiver like Courtland Sutton or Jerry Jeudy would make sense, as would targeting a receiver in April's draft. Without that first-round selection, however, neither option is particularly feasible without selling at the deadline.
The good news is that the Panthers have logical trade candidates in impending 2024 free agents C.J. Henderson, Justin Houston, Jeremy Chinn—who is expected to return from a quad injury later this season—and Brian Burns.
Burns is the headliner here, and a player who could get Carolina back into the first round of the 2024 draft. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported last year that Carolina turned down a package of two first-round picks and a second-rounder from the Los Angeles Rams.
The bottom line is that the Panthers need a dramatically improved receiving corps if they hope for Young to become an above-average signal-caller. They're unlikely to find it either this year or next by remaining idle at the trade deadline.
.jpg?w=256 "Titans Camp Football")
Chicago Bears
4 of 10
The Chicago Bears are staring down a franchise-altering decision. Armed with two first-round picks—including that of the Panthers—the Bears should have the opportunity to chase a prospect like Maye or Williams. Doing so, though, would mean moving on from 2021 first-round pick Justin Fields.
Of course, the decision to move on from Fields might be made easier by his thumb injury. If Chicago keeps stringing together wins and good offensive performances with undrafted rookie Tyson Bagent at the helm, it'll be extremely difficult to defend Fields' up-and-down play.
Regardless, Chicago is at least a year away from legitimate contention, and adding to its 2024 draft cache would be advisable. The Bears could do exactly that by dealing impending free agents like Johnson, Andrew Billings, Yannick Ngakoue, Robert Tonyan Jr. and Darnell Mooney.
Johnson, who had two interceptions and a touchdown on Sunday, is the headliner of the group. However, the Bears have "little interest" in making Johnson available, according to Fowler.
Yet, dealing Johnson and/or other players is something general manager Ryan Poles has to consider. If Fields isn't the answer, Chicago must keep throwing darts at the position—and the more darts they have to throw in April's draft, the better.
Dallas Cowboys
5 of 10
The Dallas Cowboys got back on track to a degree in last Monday's win over the Los Angeles Chargers. While the Cowboys look like a playoff team, however, they don't look like an elite NFC contender.
Blowout losses to the lowly Cardinals and the high-powered San Francisco 49ers have left Dallas looking more like a team destined for another early playoff exit. Red-zone efficiency remains a massive issue—the Cowboys have converted just 39.1 percent of their red-zone trips into touchdowns—while run defense has left something to be desired.
Dallas is allowing an average of 4.2 yards per carry this season.
Offensively, the Cowboys could target a power back like Henry or perhaps a complementary tight end like Tonyan. Defensively, they might consider a defensive lineman like Billings or a linebacker like the Minnesota Vikings' Jordan Hicks.
It could also make sense for Dallas to target a cornerback like Johnson, given Trevon Diggs' season-ending ACL tear.
President, franchise owner and general manager Jerry Jones should be eager to add at the deadline for two big reasons. For one, Dallas has the fifth-most cap space in the NFL. Secondly, the Cowboys, as constructed, don't appear to be a serious threat to teams like the Philadelphia Eagles and the 49ers in their conference.
Denver Broncos
6 of 10
The Denver Broncos picked up their second win of the season by outlasting the Green Bay Packers on Sunday. Good for Denver, but with a 2-5 record, the Broncos aren't poised to be a playoff threat this season.
Change is likely coming during the offseason because the dynamic between quarterback Russell Wilson and head coach Sean Payton isn't working.
Moving on from Wilson won't be easy because he will still have $85 million in dead money remaining on his contract after this season. That shouldn't preclude Denver from drafting his replacement, however, if given the opportunity.
Extra draft capital could help the Broncos secure their quarterback of the future, and they have plenty of options. Impending free agents like Josey Jewell, safety Kareem Jackson and defensive end Mike Purcell could be moved. Denver should also consider moving on from Jeudy.
According to NFL Media's Ian Rapoport, teams have called about Jeudy "over the last few weeks."
Jeudy is set to earn just under $13 million on his fifth-year option next season, and his production—he's provided a passer rating of just 86.2 when targeted this season—doesn't match that price point for Denver.
And Jeudy's trade value will be higher now, with an extra half-season with a base salary of $2.7 million coming in addition to 2024—than it would be in the spring.
Detroit Lions
7 of 10
The Detroit Lions' presence on this list is not a knee-jerk reaction to Sunday's blowout loss to the Baltimore Ravens. The Lions are genuinely a piece or two away from competing with the likes of Philadelphia and San Francisco in the NFC.
However, the loss to Baltimore did show where Detroit's deficiencies lie. With David Montgomery sidelined by a rib injury, the ground game struggled. With defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson and pass-rusher James Houston on injured reserve, the Lions had no hope of containing Lamar Jackson and the Ravens' passing attack.
The Lions will bounce back, but if they plan to chase a Super Bowl this season, general manager Brad Holmes needs to find reinforcements.
Picking up a complementary running back like Cook could help offensively. Defensively, going after a pass-rusher like Burns, Hunter or Ngakoue would make a ton of sense. If Chinn could indeed be available for the stretch run, he should be on Homes' radar as well.
The Lions only have $6.5 million in cap space with which to work, which is problematic. Holmes must figure out where he can free space and where he can bolster the roster because Detroit is very much on the brink of being an elite team.
Jacksonville Jaguars
8 of 10
The Jacksonville Jaguars move to 5-2 with Thursday's win over the New Orleans Saints, and they're poised to challenge the top teams in the AFC with another player or two in the fold.
Most notably, the Jaguars could use another edge-rusher to complement Josh Allen. General manager Trent Baalke may have whiffed when he used last year's No. 1 overall pick on Travon Walker, who simply isn't developing quickly. He could compensate to a degree by targeting a player like Burns or Hunter before October 31.
The Jaguars, who rank 31st in passing yards allowed, could also use secondary help. Starting cornerback Tyson Campbell has
allowed an opposing passer rating of 108.8 this season, while nickel corner Tre Herndon has allowed a 106.2 opposing QB rating.
Defensive backs like Chinn and Johnson should be high on Jacksonville's wish list.
The reality is that the Jaguars are a good team and bordering on a great one. If they hope to get past the likes of Jackson, Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and Joe Burrow in the postseason, however, they need help against the pass.
This could require a little financial finagling on Baalke's part, as the Jags have just $7.7 million in cap space available. If the Jaguars do nothing, however, they could be heading home earlier than they'd like from the postseason.
Los Angeles Chargers
9 of 10
The Los Angeles Chargers have the talent to be a wild-card team, but they fell to 2-4 with Sunday's loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
"It's no one's responsibility but mine," head coach Brandon Staley said, per Eric Smith of the team's official website. We've got a good football team and we need to reset as a football team."
If the Chargers don't find a way to turn things around quickly, they may look to reset in the offseaon by replacing Staley and longtime general manager Tom Telesco.
Telesco's first challenge is increasing the team's cap space (currently $5.5 million). From there, two key areas need addressing.
Los Angeles needs to find a new receiver to fill the void created by Mike Williams' torn Achilles. A pass-catcher like Jeudy or Mooney could potentially fit the bill there. Next, L.A. must find a way to improve a pass defense that ranks 31st in yards per carry allowed and 32nd in yards allowed.
Chinn, Johnson, Troy Hill and Antonio Hamilton are all defensive backs that the Chargers might want to consider. If L.A. instead does nothing, it will be in very real danger of falling out of playoff contention before December.
Minnesota Vikings
10 of 10
Heading into Monday night's game against the 49ers, the Vikings appear to be on the verge of collapse. Minnesota could potentially save its season by upsetting San Francisco, but if it falls to 2-6 with Justin Jefferson on injured reserve, it'll be time to start thinking about 2024.
Next offseason is likely to bring a period of transition for the Vikings. Veterans like Hunter, Hicks, Kirk Cousins, Marcus Davenport, Greg Joseph and K.J. Osborn will be unrestricted free agents.
Trading Cousins now probably isn't happening, but Hunter is a premium trade chip who is drawing interest.
"Teams have been calling the Vikings about potentially trading for Hunter, sources say, with the team leader in sacks likely one of the top players who could be moved at the deadline," Rapoport wrote.
Moving on from players like Hunter would be sensible, as it may be time to move on from the 35-year-old Cousins and to draft a new quarterback of the future in the spring. Rebuilding around a rookie quarterback would be much easier than rebuilding around Cousins and another large contract.
Improving its 2024 draft capital, and in turn, its chances of landing a top prospect, would make a ton of sense for Minnesota.
*Cap and contract information via Spotrac. Advanced statistics from Pro Football Reference.
.jpg?w=480 "Titans Camp Football")
.jpg?w=480 "49ers Eagles Football")
