Allen Park — The NFL trade deadline arrives next Tuesday, November 10, at 4 p.m., and we’ve already seen a small flurry of deals, including a couple high-end pieces on the move.
The Minnesota Vikings and New York Giants got the ball rolling in late September, when the divisional foe punted on former first-round pick, quarterback J.J. McCarthy, shipping him to the Giants for a fifth-round selection.
In the following weeks, we’ve seen cornerback Joey Porter sent from Pittsburgh to Dallas, offensive lineman Cam Jurgens going from Philadelphia to Baltimore, and receiver Marvin Harrison — another former first-rounder still on his rookie contract — dealt from Arizona to Houston.
Business picked up last week when the Colts began a firesale, shedding the expiring deals of guard Quenton Nelson and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner for a trio of mid-round draft picks.
That was followed up by the biggest splash, Chicago surrendering a pair of future first-round choices for All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons.
With each swap, Detroit Lions fans wonder if general manager Brad Holmes will enter the fray, sacrificing some draft capital to bolster a roster that moved to 5-2 on the season with back-to-back divisional wins.
Holmes is no stranger to deadline deals. In 2022, he sent tight end T.J. Hockenson’s expiring contract to Minnesota for a pair of Day 2 picks. In subsequent years, the GM has been a buyer, to varying degrees.
In 2023, the team made a modest move for receiver depth, landing Donovan Peoples-Jones from Cleveland for a sixth-rounder. The following year, after weeks of back-and-forth with the Browns, Detroit landed an Aidan Hutchinson injury replacement, veteran Za’Darius Smith.
Last year, the Lions and Holmes stood pat, moving to 6-3 with a victory immediately after the deadline, before stumbling to a 9-8 finish, missing the playoffs for the first time in three years.
Holmes has said in years past that his roster-construction strategy won’t be directly impacted by the moves of other teams, including those in his division. Still, does the immediate impact of Simmons this past week alter the GM’s thinking?
We’ll know soon enough.
In the meantime, let’s take a look at the developing market, including potential sellers, Detroit’s areas of need, and the talent that could be on the block for the right price.
Likely sellers
Most of the league is still in the hunt for a playoff spot, sitting two or fewer games out of either the top of their division or a Wild Card berth. Even fringe postseason contenders can be reluctant to concede before the halfway point.
With that in mind, let’s consider the likely sellers heading into Tuesday, by order of their record.