Trade season continues! We’re almost at the halfway point of the 2024 NFL season, and some teams are desperate to load up on talent while others are looking to sell.

In this week's edition of The NFL From A to Z, we take a look at three teams that still need to buy before the trade deadline, and three teams that need to sell. Plus, we grade the Chiefs’ latest move to acquire Titans receiver DeAndre Hopkins. And, of course, we have Week 8 betting picks, injury updates and more news from around the league.

Like what you’re reading? Subscribe to our newsletter here!

—Wes Roesch, Newsletter Editor at A to Z Sports

---

SUBSCRIBE to our emails here:

^{By submitting this form, you hereby acknowledge and agree to receive email communications from A to Z Sports. We value your privacy and will handle your information with care. You will have the option to unsubscribe from our emails at any time through a link provided in each correspondence. Please review our Privacy Policy for more details about how we manage your information.}

---

Trade deadline approaching: 3 buyers and 3 sellers

The NFL’s trade deadline is November 5 at 4 p.m. ET. Below are some remaining teams who still need to buy, as well as a few squads who need to sell before time runs out.

Buyer: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Bucs may have been blown out by the Baltimore Ravens in Week 7, but they have enough impressive wins under their belt to be considered a top NFC competitor. The problem is WR Chris Godwin is likely out for the season and WR Mike Evans is out until Week 12 at the least.

There are still plenty of WRs that could be on the market. Rams’ Cooper Kupp is definitely on the market, though Kupp’s cost may be too high for Tampa Bay. Other options could include Jets’ Mike Williams, Panthers’ Diontae Johnson or Raiders’ Jakobi Meyers, among others. It seems smart for the Bucs to go after someone to remain competitive in a crowded NFC race.

Seller: Carolina Panthers

Speaking of Johnson, the 1-6 Panthers don’t have much to gain by hanging on to some of their higher-priced players. Johnson’s $10 million cap hit could be offloaded to one of these WR-needy teams, while right tackle Taylor Moton would also make sense to move given that he’s coming up on a contract year. Quarterback Bryce Young and running back Miles Sanders are options, too, though our writer John Sheeran suggests that Carolina should keep those two.

Buyer: Detroit Lions

Wideout and edge rusher are the two pieces that the Lions could go after. WR Jameson Williams has been suspended for a couple games, while defensive end Aidan Hutchinson is out for the year with a broken leg. The Lions could certainly go after Kupp, which would give them one heck of a receiving corps. On the defensive side, Browns DE Za'Darius Smith could make a lot of sense. Of course, Detroit could decide to stay out of the edge market altogether given that Hutchinson could possibly (and miraculously) return for the playoffs.

Seller: Jacksonville Jaguars

This season has not worked out for the 2-5 Jaguars, who have several talented players that could be moved before the deadline. The question is whether they actually want to move those guys and give up on the season. WR Christian Kirk is one piece they should probably trade given his age (28) and large deal (trading him would save $14 million). Defensive tackle Arik Armstead and RB Travis Etienne would also make sense to send off.

Buyer: Cincinnati Bengals

At 3-4, the Bengals are starting to come around after their 0-3 start to the season. The problem is their defense looked bad through the first five weeks, though it’s beginning to come around after the last couple of weeks thanks to some key pieces returning from injury. Still, adding another piece wouldn’t hurt, and our guy John Sheeran suggests they should go after New York Giants edge Azeez Ojulari:

Ojulari would immediately be one of the Bengals' three best pass rushers off the edge and would be an ideal complement to Trey Hendrickson. Joseph Ossai is also on an expiring rookie contract, and both Hendrickson and Sam Hubbard are facing uncertain futures after this season as well. The Bengals could get a great second half of the season out of Ojulari for the price of a low draft pick and maybe even reward him after the season.

—John Sheeran

Seller: New England Patriots

It’s honestly not much of a surprise that the Pats are among the league’s worst teams. At 1-6, New England also doesn’t have much reason to hang on to a few certain pieces. Some tradable assets include WR K.J. Osborn, edge Josh Uche, and QB Jacoby Brissett, though the latter only makes sense to move if there’s a QB-needy team willing to pay a little extra.

Honorable mention buyers: Denver Broncos, Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers

Honorable mention sellers: Las Vegas Raiders, Miami Dolphins, New York Giants

---

Chiefs trade for DeAndre Hopkins: Grading the trade for both teams

The rich get richer, as the Kansas City Chiefs have traded for Tennessee Titans WR DeAndre Hopkins. The Chiefs have been WR-needy after season-ending injuries to Marquise “Hollywood” Brown and Rashee Rice, plus a recent injury to JuJu Smith-Schuster.

What’s the compensation? In return for Hopkins, the Chiefs sent over a 2025 fifth-round pick which could turn into a 2025 fourth-rounder if the Chiefs make Super Bowl LIX and Hopkins plays 60 percent of the Chiefs’ offensive snaps in 2024.

How much will Hopkins cost? The Titans agreed to eat about $2.5 million of Hopkins’ contract, leaving the Chiefs with around $3.2 million of Hopkins’ contract for the remainder of the 2024 season. Hopkins will become a free agent in 2025.

Sam Phalen’s analysis of the Titans’ side: Our guy Sam Phalen graded the Titans’ side of the deal: “The fact that the Titans had to make this move is a failure…But given the situation Ran Carthon and the front office is now in, they got enough where it doesn't feel like a complete waste. Tennessee did right by Hopkins, giving him a chance to go win his coveted Super Bowl, and got something of value back in return. The deal makes sense. The returning draft capital makes sense. But Titans fans definitely won't be celebrating this one.” Grade: B

Wes Roesch’s analysis of the Chiefs’ side: The Chiefs didn’t have much of a choice — they needed a wideout. Hopkins is a great fit for the offense and makes sense for K.C. considering the team was interested in him a couple years ago. The compensation to acquire him was low, and getting the Titans to take some of the contract is a bonus. I am a bit worried about Hopkins’ MCL injury, though he appears to be playing through it just fine. Still, someone a bit younger and healthier (Diontae Johnson? Amari Cooper?) might have been worth paying up a little bit more. Grade: B

---

Only A to Z Sports newsletter subscribers get the rest of this email, which has 2025 NFL Draft projections, sports betting picks, injury news and the latest NFL news and notes.

Don't miss out on next week's full newsletter: SUBSCRIBE to our FREE weekly NFL newsletter to receive updates on your favorite NFL team and the rest of the league straight to your inbox.

^{By submitting this form, you hereby acknowledge and agree to receive email communications from A to Z Sports. We value your privacy and will handle your information with care. You will have the option to unsubscribe from our emails at any time through a link provided in each correspondence. Please review our Privacy Policy for more details about how we manage your information.}