The NFL‘s 2024 trade deadline will hit at 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, and some teams might be unsure how to proceed before tomorrow’s cutoff. Which NFL clubs may view themselves as buyers but should really be selling ahead of this year’s trade deadline?
5 NFL Trade Deadline Buyers That Should Actually Be Selling
New York Jets
- Record: 3-6, second place in AFC East
- Playoff chances: 24.7%
The New York Jets’ Thursday night win against the Houston Texans kept them in the playoff race, but they’re still just one-in-four favorites to make the postseason.
PFN’s Playoff Predictor gives Aaron Rodgers and Co. next to no shot (2.2%) of catching the 7-2 Buffalo Bills for the AFC East title. A Wild Card slot is Gang Green’s only hope.
What’s ahead for the #Jets and the NFL trade deadline? pic.twitter.com/MGkn5LyimJ
— Connor Hughes (@Connor_J_Hughes) October 31, 2024
Of course, general manager Joe Douglas has no reason to sell off assets at the deadline. His job — and that of interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich — are on the line. If the Jets don’t make the dance this year, all of the club’s decision-makers will likely be gone.
As a practical matter, New York should probably consider trading WR Mike Williams or pending free agent cornerback D.J. Reed. However, The Athletic reported that Reed will likely stay put, while ESPN said Williams is expected to remain with the Jets through the deadline.
Miami Dolphins
- Record: 2-6, third place in AFC East
- Playoff chances: 11.9%
The Miami Dolphins are not giving up. Despite falling to 2-6 with a Week 9 loss to the Bills, the Dolphins are apparently still interested in adding talent before tomorrow’s trade deadline.
As PFN’s Adam Beasley wrote, plugged-in Miami-based agent Drew Rosenhaus said on the local FOX affiliate Sunday that the Dolphins have actually been aggressively making calls to acquire talent, not shed it.
Winning the division title is out of the question. If Miami can rebound over the second half of the season, another No. 7-seed Wild Card berth could be in the cards. However, as Beasley notes, a late-year turnaround seems unlikely. Per 4for4, the Dolphins are underdogs in seven of their final nine games.
While Miami certainly has roster areas for improvement if it thinks it can contend, selling at the deadline is probably the optimal choice for GM Chris Grier. Pending free agents like DT Calais Campbell, EDGE Emmanuel Ogbah, and LB David Long Jr. could draw interest.
Seattle Seahawks
- Record: 4-5, fourth place in NFC West
- Playoff chances: 6.0%
The Seattle Seahawks haven’t been shy about trading for veterans this year.
Mike Macdonald and Co. acquired LB Michael Barrett and EDGE Trevis Gipson during the preseason, then picked up DT Roy Robertson-Harris and LB Ernest Jones IV in October. Could Seattle keep adding talent before Tuesday’s deadline?
It might not be the best idea. After starting the season 3-0, the Seahawks are 1-5 over their past six games. Week 9’s overtime loss to the division-rival Los Angeles Rams was a significant blow to Seattle’s postseason chances. While the other teams in the NFC West have playoff odds above 36%, the Seahawks reside at just 6.0%.
Seattle doesn’t boast a bevy of obvious trade candidates unless it’s willing to part with veteran WRs DK Metcalf or Tyler Lockett. GM John Schneider could part with a pending free agent DT like Jarran Reed or Johnathan Hankins, but a blockbuster move seems unlikely.
Dallas Cowboys
- Record: 3-5, third place in NFC East
- Playoff chances: 4.0%
Don’t expect Jerry Jones to give up on the season, even though the Dallas Cowboys fell to 3-5 with a loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.
“We’re going to do everything we can, at all times, to improve this team, and in our judgment, if what you have to give up helps improve it, we’ll do it,” Jones said. “I know everybody understands. I don’t think I have to say it, but we’ll go for it.”
While Jones said not to expect a high-profile trade like the club’s 2018 Amari Cooper acquisition, he suggested the Cowboys “have some things in the mail.”
From @GMFB: Looking at all things #Cowboys, including Dak Prescott's hamstring and Mike McCarthy's future (with owner Jerry Jones saying he has a fire in his belly). pic.twitter.com/2coPlr82Vd
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 4, 2024
Dallas has no hopes of overtaking the 7-2 Washington Commanders or 6-2 Philadelphia Eagles for the NFC East trophy. And they have to compete with all of the NFC North, all of the NFC West, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for a Wild Card berth.
The Cowboys — at just 4.0% — have the worst playoff chances among that cohort. Only the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears have more difficult schedules over the rest of the season.
Dallas’ outlook became even bleaker when QB Dak Prescott injured his hamstring on Sunday. NFL Network reported today that Prescott is expected to be sidelined for multiple weeks. Jones can’t justify trading draft capital for immediate help when Cooper Rush is under center.
However, even if Dallas wants to sell assets, it doesn’t have many great candidates to move. Maybe the Cowboys could get something for pending free agents like CB Jourdan Lewis or RB Rico Dowdle, but those players are full-time starters in Dallas.
Chicago Bears
- Record: 4-4, fourth place in NFC North
- Playoff chances: 3.8%
The Bears lost 19.6 percentage points in playoff probability by falling to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 9. Only the Seahawks (-22.6%) did more damage to their postseason odds on Sunday.
Chicago was viewed as a fringe playoff contender in Caleb Williams’ rookie year, so a 4-4 mark through nine weeks is hardly the end of the world. However, general manager Ryan Poles must be cognizant of his club’s postseason chances at the deadline.
Although the Bears could use help within the trenches, they aren’t in a position to sacrifice future draft capital for win-now moves. Williams and Co. play in the NFL’s toughest division. While Chicago is competitive, they’re unlikely to keep pace with Detroit, Green Bay, and Minnesota.
Realistically, the Bears should consider trading a veteran like WR Keenan Allen, whose absence would allow more targets to be funneled to first-round rookie Rome Odunze. However, finding another team to absorb Allen’s $9 million remaining schedule will be challenging. Optically, Poles may not want to move Allen for a lesser package after trading a fourth-round pick to land him from the Los Angeles Chargers in March.