As Week 9 comes to a close, teams across the league are beginning to take shape. By now, teams have a general idea about their chances of competing for a postseason berth. The few teams that have a legitimate chance of making it to Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans don’t want to squander the opportunity.
Playoff contenders can use the trade market to bolster their roster for a postseason run, especially since teams that have fallen out of contention could be willing to part with some of their talented players in an attempt to shed salary.
Nine teams haven't been able to win more than two games through Week 9 of the 2024 season, and all of them have received calls inquiring about some of the talented players on their roster.
Here’s a look at some of the players that could be moved before the trade deadline at 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, November 5.
One player each of the 9 obvious sellers should deal away at NFL trade deadline and where
Giants: LB Azeez Ojulari
It’s clear that the New York Giants’ season isn’t heading anywhere after they suffered their fourth consecutive loss on Sunday. New York fell to a 2-7 record after their crushing 27-22 loss against the Washington Commanders.
The Giants have reportedly attempted to trade linebacker Azeez Ojulari, who has recorded six sacks this season. Ojulari is still young enough to get better with each snap he takes, but the Giants are already paying outside linebacker Brian Burns and have a looming contract for outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux.
Trading Ojulari now would make sense. The 24-year-old is in the last year of his contract, and he’s likely to leave in free agency after the season if New York doesn’t trade him. This could be the team’s last opportunity to get some value for the young pass rusher.
The Cincinnati Bengals improved to 4-5 after their 41-24 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 9, but they could still use some help across from defensive end Trey Hendrickson, who has accounted for most of Cincinnati’s sacks this season. Ojulari had a stellar performance against the Giants earlier this season when he recorded two sacks, two tackles for loss and two quarterback hits against the Bengals. Maybe that was enough to catch Cincinnati’s attention.
Azeez Ojulari trade landing spot: Cincinnati Bengals
Browns: DE Za'Darius Smith
The Cleveland Browns entered the 2024 season with high expectations after their magical 2023 campaign, but Cleveland’s postseason hopes were crushed by quarterback Deshaun Watson’s disastrous performance. The Browns fell to a 2-7 record after their 27-10 loss against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 9, making them ideal candidates to sell any veteran pieces they have available.
While there are plenty of teams that would love to get their hands on defensive end Myles Garrett, it’s unlikely that the Browns will be willing to part with the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Instead, teams seeking a pass rusher will have to settle for Browns defensive end Za'Darius Smith.
Smith would be an ideal addition for the Detroit Lions, who are hoping to make a postseason run after improving to a 7-1 record in Week 9. Detroit has looked like the best team in the league this season, but the loss of star defensive end Aiden Hutchinson has left the Lions in need of a pass rusher.
Smith is 32 years old, but he has registered five sacks in nine games this season. The veteran pass rusher has spent time with four different teams during his 10-year career, so it likely wouldn’t take him long to get comfortable in Detroit’s defensive scheme.
Za'Darius Smith trade landing spot: Detroit Lions
Raiders: LB Robert Spillane
The Las Vegas Raiders suffered a humiliating 41-24 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals and fell to a 2-7 record on Sunday. Their struggles shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise after they entered the season with uninspiring quarterback options, but they certainly should have been better than they have been.
The Raiders already traded wide receiver Davante Adams to the New York Jets. There has been plenty has been plenty of speculation around defensive end Maxx Crosby, but the Raiders are unlikely to trade the heart and soul of their team.
However, the Raiders could opt to move on from some other defensive players after firing their defensive coordinator on Sunday night. There has been speculation that Las Vegas could trade linebacker Robert Spillane. Spillane has emerged as one of the defense’s leaders, but he is on the last season of his two-year deal. The Raiders have to re-sign linebacker Divine Deable, so moving on from Spillane could make sense.
The 29-year-old linebacker could draw interest from the Buffalo Bills, who have needed help at the position ever since linebacker Matt Milano suffered a torn bicep during a practice in August.
Robert Spillane trade landing spot: Buffalo Bills
Dolphins: DT Calais Campbell
The Miami Dolphins saw their campaign get derailed when quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered a career-threatening concussion against the Buffalo Bills in Week 2. Despite having their franchise quarterback in the lineup for Week 9, Miami dropped their second game against the Bills in a 30-27 loss and fell to a 2-6 record.
Miami could shed some salary by trading defensive tackle Calais Campbell. The 38-year-old veteran signed a one-year deal with the Dolphins this offseason and has emerged as one of the bright spots on the team. With Miami unlikely to make a postseason berth, Campbell could be in line for a reunion with the Arizona Cardinals.
