2024 NFL trade deadline: Eight big-name moves that need to happen after Bills, Jets make WR splashes

Six weeks of the 2024 NFL regular season are in the books, which means we’re fast approaching both the midway point of the schedule and the newly pushed-back trade deadline. All 32 teams have until 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Nov. 5, to swap players, and there are plenty of big names rumored to be available. We’ve already seen a pair of big deals involving star wide receivers go down: The Jets acquired Davante Adams from the Raiders, and the Bills landed Amari Cooper from the Browns.

With that in mind, here are some of our own trade proposals as the deadline draws near:

Trey Lance to the Miami Dolphins

Potential compensation: Conditional 2025 fifth-round pick

Tua Tagovailoa is apparently on track to return to the field this season, despite some medical experts suggesting his concussion history should prompt retirement consideration. Since when has Miami succeeded at putting all its eggs in the Tua basket, however? Lance remains a project, but he flashed his first-round athleticism under Mike McDaniel in San Francisco, and Dallas has kept him strapped to the bench. He’d make for a low-risk, high-upside rental as added Tagovailoa insurance.

Dameon Pierce to the Minnesota Vikings

Potential compensation: 2025 fifth-round pick

A year after landing Cam Akers in-season, the Vikings could use more backfield depth with Aaron Jones coming off a hip injury. And Pierce has seen his role vary by the week in Houston, where the Texans have gotten good results from both Akers, Joe Mixon and Dare Ogunbowale. His combo of size, speed and power would make for a more well-rounded complement to Jones, who’s key to Kevin O’Connell’s attack but also has an extensive injury history. Anything to keep Sam Darnold comfortable.

Davante Adams to the New York Jets

Note: The Raiders agreed to trade Adams to the Jets after publication.

This one’s been discussed so much it’d be a mild shock if it didn’t come to fruition, reuniting Adams with his former Green Bay Packers teammate in Aaron Rodgers. It also might not be the smartest bet from the Jets’ end, considering how much they’ve already catered to Rodgers, only to end up firing their coach early into a mercurial “all-in” campaign. And yet, if there’s anyone who could help snap A-Rod back into Pro Bowl form due to their extensive history and impeccable chemistry, it’s probably Adams.

DeAndre Hopkins to the Kansas City Chiefs

Potential compensation: 2025 fifth-round pick

He was supposed to be part of the 1-2 punch out wide that elevated Will Levis in Tennessee, but the Titans might rather get something for him before his inevitable 2025 free-agent exit now that the flailing Levis offense is off to a 1-4 start. At 32 on a bad knee, his value isn’t through the roof. To a contender like the Chiefs, however, he could prove vital to a potential stretch run, with Patrick Mahomes very dependent on rookie Xavier Worthy and an aging Travis Kelce amid injuries to Rashee Rice and Marquise Brown.

Adam Thielen to the Pittsburgh Steelers

Potential compensation: 2025 fifth-round pick

The Steelers have been sniffing around blockbuster wideouts this year, from Adams to Brandon Aiyuk, but there are an abundance of lower-tier alternatives who could be available. Thielen is one, coming off an injury at 34 for the Panthers‘ stuck-in-mud rebuild. He’s got a much lower ceiling than a playmaker like Adams, but when healthy, he’s remained one of the NFL’s most surehanded possession targets, making him a logical partner for the more explosive George Pickens in Pittsburgh’s otherwise old-school attack.

Von Miller to the Philadelphia Eagles

Potential compensation: Conditional 2025 third-round pick

The Eagles got a conditional 2026 third for Haason Reddick prior to the season, but their prized offseason edge addition, Bryce Huff, has yet to pop. And while general manager Howie Roseman has been burned by in-season bets on aging veterans before, Miller has a history with new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, earning his last Pro Bowl nod under the coach with the Denver Broncos. Suspended through Week 8, he’d make for a last-gasp effort to inject the Eagles’ hit-or-miss pass rush with life.

Za’Darius Smith to the Detroit Lions

Potential compensation: 2025 fifth-round pick

The Browns have every reason to be sellers, starting 1-5 but boasting a number of quality defensive assets, and Detroit has every reason to be buying at edge rusher, where star youngster Aidan Hutchinson is out indefinitely with a broken leg. Smith has already toured the NFC North, starting with the Packers and also suiting up for the Vikings, and while he’s better suited as a rotational rusher at 32, he’d represent a clear upgrade for a thin unit in Motown, where the Lions are bent on making another run at the NFC title.

Jonathan Jones to the Washington Commanders

Potential compensation: 2025 sixth-round pick

While Jones is easily the Patriots‘ most accomplished cornerback, new coach Jerod Mayo acknowledged recently that New England is just beginning a multi-year rebuild. At 31, approaching 2025 free agency, Jones therefore makes for a logical trade chip. While he’s been more solid than spectacular for years, his experience could be invaluable to Washington, which has a potential playoff contender thanks to rookie Jayden Daniels but has struggled mightily on the back end of Dan Quinn’s defense.

Budda Baker to the Houston Texans

Potential compensation: 2025 fourth-round pick

When at full speed, Baker is arguably one of the NFL’s top safeties. He briefly requested a trade out of Arizona prior to this season, however, while seeking a major pay raise, and missed multiple games in both 2022 and 2023. With the Cardinals struggling on defense and off to a 2-4 start, his relocation prospects could ramp up. And Houston has battled injuries on the back end, with Jeff Okudah and Jimmie Ward both banged up. As a rental for the rest of the season, he could help the Texans’ chances of a deep run.