Every season in the NFL, there are buyers and sellers stemming from a variety of angles. Injuries, competitive pushes, desperation moves, and organizational drama all fuel trades prior to the deadline (Nov. 4th), and this year’s trade candidate list includes some interesting names who could see immediate positive impacts elsewhere.
A.J. Brown, Philadelphia Eagles
A.J. Brown is an elite WR that has game takeover talent and can elevate any offense. While his tenure with the Eagles has included a Super Bowl ring, it’s also included a regular occurrence of midseason internal drama stemming from his lack of targets/usage in the offense. Last season especially was the strange case of him publicly protesting his role and stirring up headlines despite the team going on a historic run that culminated with a Lombardi Trophy, but now that the Eagles have dropped 2 straight games in the midst of a career-low start for Brown through 6 games (274 receiving yards & 1 touchdown), it seems like his disgruntled behavior is only going to get more internally disruptive. The problem with this situation is that making Brown the focal point of this offense isn’t necessarily what the Eagles need to win football games (as they’ve proven many times), and it’s hard to justify a scheme just to satisfy the demands of one of many offensive playmakers in the offense. Teams in need of a target-hog WR1 should be blowing up Howie Roseman’s phone, and he’ll be answering.
Breece Hall, New York Jets
Throughout much of the NFL’s history (recent and not so recent), the best thing a player could do for himself was leave their situation with the Jets. Breece has been involved in some brutal seasons that have all ended without a playoff birth, and he himself has seen his ups & downs in production. He’s been outspoken about his desire to stay in New York while also acknowledging the onus on him to earn his keep, but a team as bad as the Jets realistically won’t have the luxury of signing a RB to their 2nd contract. It makes sense that a short shelf-life position like RB makes the most of their competitive years, and the winless Jets’ offense hasn’t given Breece many opportunities for production as evident through his 0 TD season so far. Teams with playoff hopes who have struggled in the run game include the Chiefs, Chargers, Rams, Packers, 49ers, Vikings, & Bears– and all but the Rams, 49ers, & Packers currently have bell-cow vacancies.
Chris Olave, New Orleans Saints
Of the many recent star WRs to come out of Ohio State, Olave was seemingly dropped in the worst situation next to Garrett Wilson– who at least has still been able (and available) to establish himself as a top talent in the league. Concussions have kept Olave off the field for much of his career, with a mid-season shutdown last year and concerns about his longevity given the frequency over a short span (4 documented concussions over his first 3 seasons). His talent is undeniable, but so far has been hindered by disappointing QB play (Derek Carr, Andy Dalton, Taysom Hill, Spencer Rattler) and an offense that’s been searching for its identity since Drew Brees called it quits. Olave is a unique candidate in that he could be a complimentary piece to an offense not in need of a WR1, but can absolutely provide the production given the right QB throwing him the ball. The Giants would be an interesting destination considering the long-term viability of him and Nabers coexisting, but there’s also a chance an improving Saints offense led by first-year HC Kellen Moore opts to keep him to support their ascent.
Darren Waller, Miami Dolphins
It really sucks to see Waller have such a positive yet silent return from retirement due to it being with a 1-4 Dolphins team heading towards regime change. Through his 2 games played this season, Waller has 8 catches for 105 yards & 3 touchdowns and has shown that he can still provide immense value to an NFL offense– begging the question on what competitive teams would benefit from adding him to their TE room. Teams with battered offensive lines that frequent 12 personnel sets could see the most value, but he wouldn’t necessarily have to (and probably shouldn’t) bear a heavy workload given his injury history. Jonnu Smith had a great 2024 season in Miami so there could be something to Tua working the middle of the field frequently to get the ball out quick, but nonetheless Waller’s sabbatical has not hurt his ability to contribute and still demands attention from opposing defenses.
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