Bills WR Amari Cooper
Bills WR Amari CooperNick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images
On Tuesday, NFL playoff contenders jump-started trade-deadline action. Two star wide receivers will suit up in new threads for the remainder of the 2024 season.
With the trade deadline still three weeks away, those moves may prompt a busy transaction cycle.
After the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets battled to the final drive in a tight Week 6 Monday Night Football matchup, both teams felt the need to upgrade their offenses.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Jets acquired Davante Adams from the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for a conditional 2025 third-round pick that can become a second-rounder if he makes first- or second-team Associated Press All-Pro and is on Gang Green’s roster for the AFC Championship Game or the Super Bowl.
The Cleveland Browns sent Amari Cooper and a 2025 sixth-round pick to the Bills for a 2025 third-round pick and a 2026 seventh-rounder.
What’s the short-term impact of these trades, and who may be on the move in the coming weeks?
Let’s break down the transactions and highlight players to monitor leading up to the November 5 deadline.
New York Jets Acquire WR Davante Adams
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Jets WR Davante Adams
Jets WR Davante AdamsJeff Bottari/Getty Images
Once Davante Adams provided an uncertain response to his future with the Las Vegas Raiders while on Up and Adams (h/t ProFootballTalk’s Myles Simmons), it seemed a matter of when, not if, the team would trade him.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Adams preferred to play elsewhere. The Raiders granted his wish and recouped a Day 2 pick in return, which is adequate for a receiver in his age-32 term.
Bleacher Report’s Kris Knox gave the Raiders a B-plus for getting decent value in the deal:
“This is about as good a deal as the Raiders could have hoped for, and the timing of the trade makes sense. Barring an injury to another star receiver, Adams’ price point was unlikely to rise ahead of the November 5 trade deadline—and it certainly wouldn’t be higher in the spring.”
While the New York Jets stand in front of an open window of playoff contention, they threw a Hail Mary pass, hoping to upgrade their 16th-ranked aerial attack.
Gang Green reunited quarterback Aaron Rodgers with his former Green Bay Packers teammate, which should spark the team’s mediocre passing offense.
Knox gave the Jets a C-plus for this trade. He views the move as desperate and one that won’t address all of their offensive issues, but he also sees the potential short-term gain:
“Of course, the Jets are desperate to win this season, as evidenced by the team’s firing of former head coach Robert Saleh roughly a week ago. While adding Adams won’t fix all of New York’s issues, it should boost the play of Rodgers and the offense overall.
“If Adams’ tenure with the Jets only runs through the rest of this season, New York will have overpaid. If the move helps spark a deep playoff run, no one in the organization will care.”
Raiders grade: B+
Jets grade: C+
Written by: Maurice Moton
Buffalo Bills Acquire WR Amari Cooper
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Bills WR Amari Cooper
Bills WR Amari CooperBrooke Sutton/Getty Images
According to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, the Buffalo Bills “monitored” Davante Adams’ situation with the Las Vegas Raiders. However, NFL insiders didn’t discuss them as aggressive suitors for the three-time All-Pro.
Hours after the New York Jets made their move for Adams, the Bills landed Amari Cooper.
Cooper is averaging a career-low 41.7 receiving yards per game. He played in a disjointed offense led by quarterback Deshaun Watson, who’s thrown for five touchdowns and three interceptions while completing 61.3 percent of his passes.
Cooper’s six-week stretch this year closely resembles his final season with the then-Oakland Raiders before they traded him to the Dallas Cowboys. He’s still a quality receiver with a poor supporting cast.
Like his move to Dallas, the 30-year-old should shine again in Buffalo with a Pro Bowl-level quarterback.
Unlike the Jets, the Bills didn’t give up a potential second-rounder, and they took on a less expensive contract compared to Adams’ deal, making a significant upgrade to their wide receiver corps, which makes sense with Khalil Shakir (ankle) banged up and rookie second-rounder Keon Coleman’s modest receiving production.
The Browns likely realized they won’t make the playoffs this season. So, general manager Andrew Berry moved a valuable asset for a Day 2 pick and swapped late-round selections between 2025 and 2026.
However, Cleveland could have avoided this situation if the coaching staff had benched Watson in hopes of unlocking the offense’s potential.
Yes, the Browns signed the 29-year-old to a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million deal in 2022, but he’s a big part of the problem in Cleveland right now. Because head coach Kevin Stefanski is unwilling to at least give Jameis Winston a shot to uplift the passing attack, the team has to sell its playmakers in a 1-5 start to the season.
Watson will likely continue to throw inaccurate passes behind a shaky offensive line as the Browns remain at the bottom of the standings. Running back Nick Chubb’s imminent return won’t salvage their offense.
Cleveland received decent draft capital for Cooper, but it created this problem with a questionable extension for Watson and unwavering faith in him to turn his season around.
Bills grade: A
Browns grade: D
Written by: Maurice Moton
Minnesota Vikings Acquire RB Cam Akers
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Cam Akers
Cam AkersKen Murray/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
A pair of wide receiver trades officially kicked off the 2024 market, and the Minnesota Vikings went after a running back not long after Adams and Cooper were dealt.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Vikings acquired Cam Akers from the Texans in exchange for what essentially is a late-round 2026 pick swap. Houston dealt the 25-year-old and a conditional seventh-round pick for a conditional sixth-round pick.
In a vacuum, the move makes a lot of sense for both teams. Minnesota could use backfield depth because of Aaron Jones’ hip injury. The 29-year-old former Green Bay Packer suffered the injury against the Jets in Week 5 and is considered “week to week.”
“It looks like we’ve avoided a long-term injury, but I would classify him as really week to week at this point,” Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said on October 8.
Jones hasn’t been placed on injured reserve, so Akers figures to serve as a short-term insurance policy and valuable depth. It’s worth noting that Jones was limited to 11 games last season by knee and hamstring issues.
Minnesota acquired Akers from the Los Angeles Rams last September, and he appeared in six games before landing on injured reserve with an Achilles injury.
Akers’ experience in O’Connell’s offense should allow him to contribute immediately, which makes this a savvy trade for the Vikings.
This is a less-valuable move for the Texans, though not altogether puzzling.
Houston saw the return of Joe Mixon (ankle) and Dameon Pierce (hamstring) in Week 6, and both played extremely well—each topped 75 rushing yards and found the end zone. The Texans also have a capable. The Texans also have a capable third back in Dare Ogunbowale.
While a team with Super Bowl aspirations can rarely afford to dump experienced depth—Akers appeared in five games with two starts this season—keeping him on the active roster for the next 11 weeks might not have been feasible.
Viewing the trade through that lens, the Texans did well enough to get something for a player they might not have been able to retain.
Vikings Grade: B
Texans Grade: C
Written by: Kris Knox
Notable Players Who Could Be Traded Before the Deadline
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Titans WR DeAndre Hopkins
Titans WR DeAndre HopkinsJohnnie Izquierdo/Getty Images
DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Tennessee Titans
At 1-4, the Titans will likely look to acquire draft capital in exchange for their top talent as they look toward the draft for a franchise quarterback.
Last Sunday, wide receiver Calvin Ridley expressed his frustration with the Tennessee offense, but the club signed him to a four-year, $92 million deal this past offseason.
On an expiring contract, Hopkins could be a feasible trade target for receiver-needy teams that want an offensive spark in the second half of the season. The 32-year-old leads Tennessee in receiving yards (175).
Marshon Lattimore, CB, New Orleans Saints
Saints fans are probably tired of hearing about Lattimore trade buzz, but the team has dropped four consecutive games, and quarterback Derek Carr might miss a few more outings.
The Saints should be sellers before the deadline because their playoff hopes are quickly fading after a 2-0 start.
By the way, New Orleans has Lattimore’s potential replacement in rookie second-rounder Kool-Aid McKinstry.
Between 2022 and 2023, Lattimore missed 17 games due to injuries. The Saints should consider trading him while he’s healthy as they drop in the standings.
Haason Reddick, Edge, New York Jets
According to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, the Jets have granted Reddick permission to seek a trade.
Since the offseason, he has held out to get a new contract. The Jets haven’t budged, and Reddick hired super-agent Drew Rosenhaus after his former agency reportedly parted ways with him.
While general manager Joe Douglas has said the Jets won’t trade Reddick, he may backtrack on that statement. New York can use the draft capital in an offer for a cheaper starting-caliber edge-rusher if one becomes available before the trade deadline.
Rachaad White, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers could go through the season with a three-man backfield that features White, rookie fourth-rounder Bucky Irving and Sean Tucker.
Tampa Bay can also dangle White on the trade block and move forward with a tandem.
In Week 6, Irving and Tucker combined for 297 scrimmage yards and three touchdowns in a 51-27 win over the Saints.
After Week 3, head coach Todd Bowles told reporters that Irving earned more snaps. This week, he said, “It’s definitely worthy of him making it a three-headed monster,” when speaking about Tucker’s Week 6 performance.
White, who’s in the third year of his rookie deal, could draw interest from suitors looking for a running back with extensive starting experience.
Bryce Young, QB, Carolina Panthers
The Panthers benched Young before Week 3, and Andy Dalton has provided an offensive spark.
Since Carolina inserted the journeyman quarterback into the starting lineup, Young has only played late in a blowout Week 5 loss to the Chicago Bears.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter’s sources believe Carolina will trade the 2023 No. 1 overall pick in the offseason.
But if the Panthers are eyeing a top pick in the 2025 draft and receive a good offer for Young, general manager Dan Morgan may pull off a deal during the season to set the stage for the arrival of a new young quarterback.
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