We are past the days of the NFL trade deadline being a dormant period of inactivity.
In recent years, general managers and head coaches have clearly realized it isn’t that hard to integrate new players mid-season. If a good team needs pieces to make a real playoff or championship run, it usually sheds its inhibitions now. Heck, I certainly don’t blame the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers for going all out by adding Von Miller and Christian McCaffrey in 2021 and 2022, respectively.
All this to say: Expect more of the same at this year’s 4 p.m. ET deadline on Halloween. Squads are no longer apprehensive about adding talent where they can. And anyone willing to sell understands it’s worth getting pieces for the future rather than riding out a middling or lost season. That means more fireworks and more whirlwind fun to keep track of in the coming days.
Buckle up.
Below is a list of top NFL veterans who could be traded before Halloween. Some are more obvious — take a particular veteran running back, for example. Others will require some prudence and forward-thinking from organizations that should realize there’s nothing left to play for in 2023.
Note: This is not a ranking.