The 10 must-watch players and teams before the trade deadline, including the 49ers and Cowboys

https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/article/the-10-must-watch-players-and-teams-before-the-trade-deadline-including-the-49ers-and-cowboys-165138911.html

The trade deadline is looming in the NFL. The deadline is Nov. 4, and every team has to make a simple decision before then: buy or sell?

Some teams already have eyes on the 2026 NFL Draft with losses piling up, though teams out of the race don’t always make big moves. Plenty of teams should feel good about their status nearing the halfway point of the season and will be looking to grab a veteran.

With a little more than a week to go before the deadline, here are the 10 teams and players to keep the closest eye on:

Dallas Cowboys

After watching Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix throw for four touchdowns in a 44-24 win over his Dallas Cowboys, head coach Brian Schottenheimer had an observation.

“I know we didn’t get enough pressure on the quarterback, that’s very evident from watching,” Schottenheimer said, via Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News.

Trading away Micah Parsons has had a negative impact on the defense. Go figure.

The problem the Cowboys have is their defense is so bad it might not be fixable with one player. There will be plenty of fantasies about the Cowboys trading for Trey Hendrickson or Maxx Crosby, but one player — even a top pass rusher — is going to help only so much. (Hendrickson left Sunday’s game with a hip injury, which could quiet any trade chatter involving the star d-lineman.)

It might get the Cowboys to a below-average defensive level, but is that good enough for a 3-4-1 team to make the playoffs? We’ll see what Jerry Jones thinks about that question.

Jets RB Breece Hall

The value for Hall might never be higher. On Sunday, Hall had 133 rushing yards and two touchdowns and also threw a game-winning touchdown to beat the Cincinnati Bengals. The problem is it was the Jets’ only win of the season.

Hall is in the last year of his rookie contract and the team has to make a choice. The Jets could sign Hall to an extension, but if that’s not in their plans then it would make sense to trade him. Hall would be a tremendous piece for someone like the Chiefs. He’s probably not helping the 1-7 Jets get out of that hole, but they’ll have good memories of that first win of Aaron Glenn’s coaching career.

San Francisco 49ers

What do the 49ers do? They’re 5-3 but without star linebacker Fred Warner and star pass rusher Nick Bosa for the rest of the season. On Sunday the defense looked bad, allowing 475 yards to an offensively challenged Texans team. On one hand it’s a 49ers team that has to know it’s nearing the end of this era with several key veterans either past age 30 or getting there. A big trade or two could give the 49ers an outside shot at getting back to a Super Bowl. But would one trade help? Do they have to be prudent and start to worry about what happens in the future?

San Francisco has been aggressive in the past and maybe will be again for some defensive help, but it’s not so easy this time around. It’s hard to say if it makes sense for the 49ers to be serious buyers in the next week. They might be in the most difficult spot as the trade deadline nears.

Titans WR Calvin Ridley

Teams looking for a receiver could do worse than Ridley, as long as he’s healthy. Ridley missed Sunday’s game for the Tennessee Titans with a hamstring injury, but as long as he can return soon, he’s a receiver who had 1,000-yard seasons in 2023 and 2024 in less than ideal circumstances. The one-win Titans certainly aren’t going anywhere, and Ridley is 30 years old. The Titans seemed to hit on some rookie receivers in Chimere Dike and Elic Ayomanor in the draft. Ridley can still help a contender that is short at receiver.

Raiders WR Jakobi Meyers

If Ridley isn’t a team’s preference, maybe Meyers can be an answer. Meyers has wanted a trade since before the season began, and it’s not like the 2-5 Raiders would benefit much from having him in the lineup the rest of the season. Meyers had 1,027 yards last season and is a good, solid veteran for a team looking to add to its passing game. The only question is if the Raiders get a deal they find sufficient enough to trade him.

Could Trey Hendrickson be on the move before the NFL’s trade deadline? (Photo by Brooke Sutton/Getty Images)

(Brooke Sutton via Getty Images)

Bengals DE Trey Hendrickson

Every team can use another pass rusher. And a brutal loss to the Jets on Sunday should let the Bengals know this isn’t their season. Joe Flacco has brought the Bengals to a level of respectability, but he’s realistically not going to lead the Bengals to the playoffs. Hendrickson has plenty of trade value after back-to-back 17-sack seasons. He also isn’t coming cheap, so it would be a big investment in a defensive end who will be 31 years old by the end of the season.

Bengals LB Logan Wilson

On Sunday, Wilson played only 20 snaps on defense for the Bengals. He quickly went from being a productive off-ball linebacker (100 or more tackles in each of the past four seasons) to being pushed aside for a pair of rookies. That’s why Wilson made a trade request last week, and it makes sense for both sides. Another team could see Wilson as an upgrade at linebacker, and maybe the 3-5 Bengals will be selling. They have moved on from Wilson as a full-time player anyway.

New England Patriots

The Patriots seem to be a prime buyer at the deadline. It’s a team that is still building, but also should look at their 6-2 start and see the possibility of making the playoffs and perhaps beating the Buffalo Bills for the AFC East in the present. This is a team that could use help at receiver or running back. An edge rusher would give a boost to the defense. The Patriots were aggressive in roster building this past offseason. They are already seeing that pay off. Things could get very interesting in the AFC East if the Patriots use some of their salary cap space and extra draft picks to add a veteran.

Browns TE David Njoku

The Browns hit on a few rookies in the draft, including tight end Harold Fannin Jr. That gives the Browns two good tight ends, which seems unnecessary on a 2-6 team. Njoku is 29 years old and has been a productive tight end for a while. He scored a touchdown Sunday, his second in his past three games. Could a contender like the Rams or Seahawks use a boost at tight end? Sure. Maybe that’s why it would make sense for the Browns to move Njoku before the deadline.

Miami Dolphins

The main question with the Dolphins doesn’t seem to be if they’ll sell. It’s who will be leaving, and how many players will be gone. The Dolphins are 2-6 and in desperate need of a massive overhaul. Veterans like pass rushers Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips or cornerback Rasul Douglas could be easy to offload. Would Miami consider a move with receiver Jaylen Waddle? That seems unlikely since he’s just 26 years old, but nothing should be ruled out. The Dolphins could end up being the most active team before the deadline, starting what would be a long and complete rebuild.

https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/article/the-10-must-watch-players-and-teams-before-the-trade-deadline-including-the-49ers-and-cowboys-165138911.html