Eight deals went down before Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline hit at 4 p.m. ET. All told, NFL teams orchestrated 18 trades after Oct. 1, the second-most in NFL history (2022: 21 trades) and three more than last season.
But what about the swaps that weren’t finalized before the trade deadline? Here are five more moves that could’ve made sense on Tuesday.
Buccaneers Find a Chris Godwin Replacement
- Steelers acquire: WR Jakobi Meyers
- Buccaneers acquire: 2025 fourth-round pick
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost their third straight game on Monday, falling to 4-5 and two games behind the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC South. Still, PFN’s Playoff Predictor still gave the Bucs a 44% chance of making the postseason, so GM Jason Licht could’ve considered making a move on Tuesday.
Tampa Bay’s most obvious area for improvement might’ve been at wide receiver. Chris Godwin will miss the rest of the season after dislocating his ankle in Week 7. Mike Evans aggravated an existing hamstring injury in that same game; he hopes to return after the Bucs’ Week 11 bye.
Meyers could’ve been on Tampa Bay’s radar heading into the deadline. The Las Vegas Raiders wideout’s prowess in the short and intermediate ranges of the field could be a perfect complement to Evans’ downfield ability. Meyers has lined up in the slot on roughly 40% of his snaps this season but can also play on the perimeter.
Jakobi Meyers comes down with the TD!
📺: #KCvsLV on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/MjQhOBMC6M— NFL (@NFL) October 27, 2024
Even better, Meyers wouldn’t have been a one-year solution for the Buccaneers. They would’ve owed the 28-year-old roughly $2.6 million for the rest of the 2024 campaign, but they also would have had him under contract for $11 million in 2025.
Godwin will be a free agent in 2025. With Meyers in the fold, Tampa Bay wouldn’t have had to worry about signing another pass catcher next offseason or trying to find another hit in the draft.
Chargers Give Justin Herbert Another Weapon
- Chargers acquired: WR Darius Slayton
- Giants acquired: 2026 sixth-round pick
Few wideouts have been mentioned in as many (ultimately unfruitful) trade rumors over the past few seasons as Slayton. He’s still on the New York Giants’ roster and still producing when called upon.
With star New York WR Malik Nabers sidelined by a concussion, Slayton went 8-122-1 in Week 5 and 6-57-0 in Week 6, leading the Giants in catches and receiving yardage in both games. He’s hardly a star, but Slayton has posted 700 receiving yards in four of his five NFL seasons.
Slayton has repeatedly asked for a Giants extension, but he remains a pending free agent. It’s hard to imagine New York re-signing the 27-year-old, so Big Blue should’ve tried to get something for him before the deadline.
Slayton could’ve fit with the Los Angeles Chargers, who needed more depth behind their starting WR trio of Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston, and Joshua Palmer. All three pass catchers have battled injuries this season, while fellow Bolts wideout DJ Chark Jr. is currently hurt.
L.A. would’ve only owed Slayton $1.625 million for the remainder of the season. He could’ve been a valuable insurance policy if the Chargers’ pass catchers continued to deal with health questions.
Colts Land Pro Bowl Tight End
- Colts acquired: TE David Njoku and a 2025 seventh-round pick
- Browns acquired: 2025 third-round pick and 2025 fifth-round pick
The Indianapolis Colts’ decision to bench 2023 first-round quarterback Anthony Richardson in favor of Joe Flacco was the definition of a win-now move. If the Colts plan to sacrifice Richardson’s long-term development for the chance of making a playoff run, they might as well have gone all-in and brought in another weapon for the veteran signal-caller.
Indy already has a well-rounded wide receiver depth chart. Michael Pittman Jr. is a solid possession receiver, Josh Downs is dynamic out of the slot, Alec Pierce is a downfield stretcher, and second-round rookie Adonai Mitchell is around for depth.
However, the Colts still had a weakness at tight end, where no member of their four-headed rotation had more than 15 targets through nine weeks. Mo Alie-Cox and Drew Ogletree are running routes on fewer than 70% of their snaps; Kylen Granson and Will Mallory have six combined catches.
Njoku broke out for a career-best season in 2023, hauling in 81 catches for 882 yards and six touchdowns in an otherwise broken Cleveland Browns offense. His performance made his four-year, $54.75 million extension — which made Njoku just the NFL’s seventh-highest-paid TE — look like even more of a steal.
Sources: Despite receiving interest on Pro Bowl TE David Njoku, the #Browns are “highly unlikely” to trade him.
Cleveland views “Chief” as part of its long-term future. pic.twitter.com/3jRWImG6L7
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) November 4, 2024
Njoku missed time with a high-ankle sprain this year, but his role in the Browns’ passing offense has expanded since the club traded wideout Amari Cooper.
Cleveland may not have been willing to move on from Njoku after he’d become their most viable receiving option. However, the Colts had every incentive to make a Njoku trade worth the Browns’ while.
Chiefs, Dolphins Agree on CB Trade
- Chiefs acquired: CB Kendall Fuller and a 2026 seventh-round pick
- Dolphins acquired: 2026 fifth-round pick
How about a trade deadline reunion?
Fuller played for the Kansas City Chiefs from 2018 to 2019, joining the club as part of the return when QB Alex Smith was traded to Washington. The veteran cornerback re-signed with the Washington Commanders in 2020 before landing with the Miami Dolphins this spring.
The 29-year-old Fuller doesn’t really make sense for the 2-7 Dolphins, whose playoff chances are bordering on non-existent. Miami might have been better off trying to trade Fuller before the deadline, even if it had to accept a minuscule return like the one we’ve proposed.
Kansas City targeted CB help after acquiring WR DeAndre Hopkins and EDGE Josh Uche. They were in the mix for Marshon Lattimore, who was eventually moved from the New Orleans Saints to the Commanders.
Fuller could’ve been a worthwhile consolidation prize. He can play in the slot or on the perimeter, which would’ve allowed Chiefs DC Steve Spagnuolo to toy with Fuller and Trent McDuffie’s alignments.
49ers Land Jadeveon Clowney From Panthers
- 49ers acquired: EDGE Jadeveon Clowney and a 2027 seventh-round pick
- Panthers acquired: 2025 fifth-round pick
Clowney seems to be getting better with age. He picked up new moves with Baltimore Ravens pass-rushing coach Chuck Smith in 2023 and has maintained a pressure rate of over 13% with the Panthers this season.
Did we mention Clowney also ranks No. 2 among edge defenders in run-stop win rate?
Clowney would’ve fit with the San Francisco 49ers, where defensive line coach Kris Kocurek could have determined how to keep getting the most out of the mercenary pass rusher. Nick Bosa ranks 10th among EDGEs with a 19.2% pass-rush-win rate, but he needed help. No other 49ers defensive end ranks among the NFL’s top 60 in PRWR.
Cap space isn’t an issue for San Francisco, but Clowney is only earning a league-minimum base salary. General manager John Lynch would’ve also had Clowney under contract in 2025 for $11.8 million, $2 million of which is fully guaranteed.