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NFL trade deadline: Ranking 10 best players who still might be available
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- NFL trade deadline: Ranking 10 best players who still might be available
With the NFL trade deadline looming on Tuesday, there's still not much clarity on which players are truly available for contenders to pursue.
Much of the action ahead of the cutoff, of course, has already taken place. In recent weeks, several key players – including Davante Adams , Amari Cooper , DeAndre Hopkins , Joshua Uche , Cam Robinson and Diontae Johnson – have been sent to new surroundings. But even with the league postponing the deadline by one week this year, there are few indications as to which teams are truly willing to sell off pieces in an attempt to boost their draft capital and/or clear cap space. And several players who seemed like prime candidates for a deal, including wide receivers Darius Slayton ( New York Giants ) and Christian Kirk ( Jacksonville Jaguars ), recently suffered injuries that essentially removed them from the block.
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With that in mind, here are the top 10 players who still might be available ahead of the trade deadline.
1. Azeez Ojulari , OLB, New York Giants
Maybe a player who began the year as a seemingly superfluous piece of a highly powered pass rush doesn't seem like a natural candidate to lead this list. But with many of the marquee names already having been moved, Ojulari has firmed up his place here over the last month, recording five sacks in his last four games. At 6-3 and 240 pounds, he won't be a fit for every scheme. But his tenacity should no doubt carry over to his next team if traded, especially as he sets himself up for what could be a significant payday in free agency. With the Giants intent on keeping general manager Joe Schoen and coach Brian Daboll around for 2025 and the team's long-term edge rushing tandem of Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux in place, parting with Ojulari is the sensible way to fast-track a roster reset.
2. Za'Darius Smith , DE, Cleveland Browns
Once the Cooper trade materialized, all eyes turned to Smith as the next logical trade candidate to be sent out of Cleveland. The three-time Pro Bowler is in the final year of his contract and, at 32, very unlikely to be in the plans for a franchise facing a massive cap crunch for the foreseeable future. But Smith is still getting the job done, racking up five sacks this season as a fitting complement opposite Myles Garrett . Almost every contender could use more juice of the edge, so Smith should have no shortage of suitors, though he continues to be linked to the Detroit Lions .
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3. Jonathan Jones , CB, New England Patriots
For teams scrounging for a quick fix in the secondary, a functional solution might be more attractive than a flashy one. In that landscape, Jones should draw a good deal of interest. While the two-time Super Bowl champion was averaging a career-worst 116 passer rating allowed when targeted through his first eight games, according to Pro Football Reference, he has remained an even-keeled presence who doesn't often give up big gains. But prying him away from the Patriots could be difficult, as defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington indicated last week he doesn't expect the team to trade Jones.
4. Arden Key , OLB, Tennessee Titans
In parting with both Hopkins and linebacker Ernest Jones IV – the latter a late-August trade acquisition – general manager Ran Carthon seems to be indicating he understands how things are tilting this season in Tennessee and is prepared to act accordingly. If he continues to shed veterans who likely won't be roster staples in a year or two, one of his more intriguing pieces to offer could be Key, a supremely talented edge rusher who has come on strong with four sacks in his last three games. The 6-5, 240-pounder also wouldn't necessarily be a pure rental, as he's under contract for a reasonable base salary of $6.5 million – none of which is guaranteed.
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5. Chase Young , DE, New Orleans Saints
Chase Young #99 of the New Orleans Saints celebrates a stop on fourth down during the second quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at Caesars Superdome on September 22, 2024 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
After borrowing against their future for years on end, the Saints have a hefty bill coming due. But even at 2-7 and Dennis Allen's firing on Monday signaling substantial coming changes, New Orleans doesn't have many easy ways to alleviate its grim salary-cap outlook and stockpile more assets for the long term. Assuming the team might find it hard to ship off four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Marshon Lattimore , perhaps the most valuable chip at the Saints' disposal is Young, who once again could be on the move at the deadline after being dealt from the Washington Commanders to the San Francisco 49ers last year. The 25-year-old former NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year hasn't recaptured his peak form, but he still shows enough of a spark – including a six-pressure performance in the opener – for a contender to take a flier on him.
6. Dalvin Tomlinson , DT, Cleveland Browns
He won't generate the same level of buzz as his linemate Smith, but Tomlinson offers something that's not easy to find: a formidable presence on the interior who can help control the line of scrimmage while still disrupting the passing game. With teams investing high draft picks and investing top dollar in what has rather quickly become a premium position, Tomlinson – who is signed through 2026 – could be an attractive option.
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7. Mike Williams , WR, New York Jets
Pursuing Williams with the expectation that he fills a major role for a contender requires a leap of faith, as the former Los Angeles Chargers standout has just 12 catches for 166 yards in a season that has seen him get buried on the depth chart. Nevertheless, the 6-4, 218-pounder still figures to be an imposing matchup on contested catches and in the red zone. After the Jets revived their flatlining playoff hopes with Thursday's win over the Houston Texans , however, the organization might no longer be inclined to split with Williams given that Allen Lazard landed on injured reserve with a chest injury.
8. Kendrick Bourne , WR, New England Patriots
K.J. Osborn might be the more readily available option in the Patriots' receiving corps, but Bourne seems like the true prize for any playoff-caliber group. The 29-year-old has proven himself to be a trustworthy target, and he posted four catches for 41 yards Sunday in his best outing since tearing his anterior cruciate ligament last season. New England might be reluctant to say goodbye to one of the few reliable options for Drake Maye , but the thinned-out market for receivers could ramp the bidding up to a point that would be enticing for the Patriots.
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9. Calais Campbell , DT, Miami Dolphins
At 38, the six-time Pro Bowler is outpacing all reasonable expectations, posting the fourth-best pass rush win rate of all interior defensive lineman through eight weeks, according to ESPN . But with the Dolphins' season teetering at 2-6, taking the off ramp to this one-year partnership might be the best decision for all parties. Campbell still has plenty to offer for a title hunt in what could be his final NFL season, and there's little question that the former Walter Payton Man of the Year would strike the right tone in a new locker room. Miami, meanwhile, could recoup some modest draft compensation and turn the page on what is rapidly becoming a lost year.
10. Adam Thielen , WR, Carolina Panthers
He's 34. He's missed the Panthers' last six games due to a hamstring injury. So why the placement on this list? Simple: Thielen is still savvy enough to navigate the challenges of joining a new offense at midseason and be a reliable contributor to a group making a playoff push. So long as he's healthy, he should be a strong candidate to follow Johnson out the door and serve as a safety valve for a quarterback, much as he did in 2023 when he recorded 103 catches for 1,014 yards.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NFL trade deadline: Ranking best players still available in 2024
