5 Moves That Should Be Made Before NFL Trade Deadline

Which teams will be active before the NFL trade deadline? We are seven weeks into the 2023 NFL season and teams now know whether they are in a position to compete or not this year. 

The NFL trade deadline arrives next week. That means that teams across the league will not be able to make any moves after the deadline closes at 4 p.m ET, Tuesday, October 31. The next few days signals the final chance that teams will be able to improve their rosters for the season. 

Will the likes of the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs bolster their roster to improve their Super Bowl chances? Could the Tennessee Titans and Carolina Panthers trade away some of their top players after their poor starts? 

Below I will take a look at 5 moves that should be made before the NFL trade deadline. 

What Moves Should Be Made Before NFL Trade Deadline? 

Plenty of trades should happen before the NFL trade deadline next week. Teams like the Chiefs, the Eagles, the Dallas Cowboys, the San Francisco 49ers and the New York Jets could all be in the market to improve their rosters. 

However, teams who have made poor starts to the season will also be active. They will be looking to offload some of their older stars in order to embrace the tank and build for the future. Teams like the Titans, the Panthers, the New York Giants, the Denver Broncos and the New England Patriots spring to mind when talking about sellers. 

Remember when the Miami Dolphins traded for Bradley Chubb at the deadline last season? How about when the Panthers realised their season was over early on last year and traded away Christian McCaffrey? Here are 5 moves that I think should be made before the NFL trade deadline. 

Titans RB Derrick Henry moves to the Ravens 

Derrick Henry or “King Henry” has been one of the top running backs in the NFL now for the past half a decade. He has rushed for over 1500 yards in three of his last four seasons and hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down. The 29-year-old is still averaging 4.34 yards per carry in 2023. 

After J.K. Dobbins tore his Achilles in Week 1, it was clear that the Ravens needed an RB. Gus Edwards and Justice Hill have been sharing the workload of late, whilst Lamar Jackson will always be a threat in the run game. 

However, an elite back would propel the Ravens’ prospects going forward. They are 5-2 through Week 7 and easily dispatched the Detroit Lions 38-6 on Sunday. With the Titans at 2-4 and it looking likely that they are set for a rebuild, Baltimore could be the perfect destination for Henry to land. Imagine a duo of Jackson and Henry? That would be pretty scary stuff.

Broncos WR Jerry Jeudy moves to the Chiefs 

The Broncos have looked, well, awful once again in 2023. They are 2-5 to start the season and not even Sean Payton has been able to spark a change in fortunes. Therefore, they should be a selling team before the NFL trade deadline. 

Rumours have been hotting up of late about the Chiefs wanting to improve their receiving corps. They are without a clear WR1 and need another reliable pass-catcher behind tight end Travis Kelce. 

Jeudy hasn’t exactly lived up to the hype after being drafted by the Broncos 15th overall in 2020 and it’s clear he needs to leave Colorado. With an elite quarterback throwing to him in Patrick Mahomes, Jeudy’s potential could finally be unlocked. 

Panthers DE Brian Burns moves to the Dolphins

Edge defender Brian Burns has been the talk of the NFL trade deadline now for the past two seasons. When the Panthers were selling some of their best players last season, Burns was a highly sought after prospect. The Los Angeles Rams offered two firsts and a third for Burns in 2022 but the Panthers turned down the offer. 

Nevertheless, the 25-year-old is one of the top pass rushers in the league and Carolina wanted to keep a hold of him. Now that Burns is in the final year of his contract, they could be forced to trade him before the deadline. The Panthers are currently 0-6 and it would certainly make sense to trade him, unless they can sign him to a new deal. 

Even if the Panthers are not expected to trade Burns before the deadline, they should still sell up. They could acquire some top draft capital and are still at least a few years away from competing. 

Although the Dolphins have some very good options in the pass rush in Chubb and Jaelan Phillips, adding an elite edge rusher in Burns could really elevate their chances at lifting the Lombardi trophy. 

Patriots OT Trent Brown moves to the Jets 

The Jets’ season was derailed from the off after the injury to Aaron Rodgers. In spite of all the talk of acquiring a quarterback such as Kirk Cousins or Ryan Tannehill to give the offense a shot, now could be the time for the Jets to improve what is an underwhelming offensive line. 

The O-line has been hit with injury issues again with the likes of Duane Brown and Alijah Vera-Tucker currently on injured reserve. Not a single one of the current starters has a PFF grade above 61.5 this season. Trent Brown is the second highest graded tackle in the NFL, according to PFF, so he could be an ideal target. 

With the Patriots at 2-5 and not looking likely to compete this season, they should think about selling up. Brown’s contract is up at the end of the year but he could enter the Jets offense straight away to make an impact, especially with rumours about Aaron Rodgers being healthy again before the season is over. 

Broncos CB Patrick Surtain II moves to the Cowboys

The Cowboys have been far from perfect this season and are currently 4-2. However, they are in a position to compete in 2023 and should bolster their roster before the NFL trade deadline hits. With Trevon Diggs landing on IR due to a torn ACL, the Cowboys should seriously consider improving their secondary. 

The Broncos should be sellers before the NFL trade deadline and another prospect they should cash in on is corner Patrick Surtain. Despite Surtain being one of the top corners in the league, they could receive a ton of draft capital for him. 

The sale of Surtain is unlikely but it wouldn’t be the worst move for Denver, considering how poor their situation looks right now. For the Cowboys, they would vastly improve their secondary and create an elite pairing with Stephon Gilmore.