NFL trade deadline: Mike Williams, Za'Darius Smith and Azeez Ojulari among potential trade candidates

nfl Tuesday 5 November 2024 14:03, UK

The 2024 NFL trade deadline is here! But who could be on the move as teams load up in view of a playoff run?

The New York Jets, Buffalo Bills and Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs have all acquired veteran wide receivers to boost their respective offenses, while the Minnesota Vikings addressed a marquee injury on their offensive line as they seek to continue their impressive year.

Dan Campbell's Championship-chasing Detroit Lions meanwhile moved quickly on Tuesday to bolster their pass rush amid a 7-1 start to the campaign as one of the NFL's leading contenders.

Teams across the NFL will have until 4pm Eastern Time (9pm UK and Ireland) on Tuesday November 5 to agree and file trades with the league office.

They will then be unable to make further trades until the new league year officially begins at 4pm ET on March 12, 2025.

Last year saw as many as 15 players shipped to new teams ahead of the trade deadline, the window representing an opportunity for winning sides to load up ahead of the postseason and for losing franchises to strip down their rosters in early preparation for an offseason rebuild.

Montez Sweat was among the marquee movers in 2023 as the edge rusher left Washington to head to the Chicago Bears, while the Commanders also traded Chase Young to the San Francisco 49ers, the Green Bay Packers traded cornerback Rasul Douglas to the Buffalo Bills and the Tennessee Titans sent safety Kevin Byard to the Philadelphia Eagles. Mecole Hardman was also notably traded back from the New York Jets to the Chiefs, for whom he caught the game-winning touchdown in overtime against the 49ers at the Super Bowl.

The Jets made arguably the biggest move of the window as they acquired veteran wide receiver Davante Adams from the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for a 2025 conditional third-round draft pick, reuniting him with former Green Bay Packers team-mate Aaron Rodgers.

Elsewhere in Arrowhead, the defending champion Chiefs addressed their injury-hit receiver room by trading for five-time Pro Bowl receiver DeAndre Hopkins from the Titans after losing Rashee Rice for the season. They would later strengthen on defense by adding former New England Patriots linebacker Josh Uche for a 2026 sixth-round draft pick.

The Ravens strengthened their aerial attack once again by parting with a 2025 fifth-round pick to add wide receiver Diontae Johnson to Lamar Jackson's options, while the Bills took advantage of the Cleveland Browns' struggles by snapping up veteran wideout Amari Cooper having lost Stefon Diggs in the offseason.

Having seen left tackle Christian Darrisaw suffer a year-ending injury, the Vikings traded for Jacksonville Jaguars offensive tackle Cam Robinson as they look to maintain their playoff hopes behind the rejuvenated Sam Darnold. They had also already introduced former running back Cam Akers, bringing him back from the Houston Texans as support for Aaron Jones.

Browns defensive end Za'Darius Smith had been touted among the notable names to find a new home, and did just that on Tuesday as he was traded to the Lions, who secured his services after recently losing star edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson for the rest of the year. Smith has five sacks, 23 tackles and six tackles for loss so far this season having been traded from the Vikings to the Browns in March 2023.

New York Giants pass rusher Azeez Ojulari has become another possible trade candidate while in the final year of his contract, the 2021 second-round pick managing six sacks through nine games in 2024. Uncertainty over his future comes in light of the Giants having splashed out to pay edge rusher Brian Burns and with the injured Kayvon Thibodeaux primed to enter a contract year in 2025. Ojulari is still just 24 and has 22 sacks across four seasons hindered by injury.

Mike Williams' limited days with the Jets may already be numbered following his arrival in the offseason, the former Los Angeles Chargers star having made just 12 catches for 166 yards this season while falling further down the pecking order as a result of Adams entering the fold alongside Garrett Wilson and Allen Lazard.

Eyes meanwhile turn to New Orleans after the Saints fired head coach Dennis Allen as a consequence for the team's seven straight defeats. While a fire sale has seemingly been played down, veteran cornerback Marshon Lattimore is one name to keep an eye on.

The Pittsburgh Steelers could yet be in the market for a wide receiver following their offseason interest in Brandon Aiyuk, with Giants receiver Darius Slayton and Carolina's Adam Thielen appearing feasible options should they make a move.

The Los Angeles Rams had reportedly been fielding calls for veteran wide receiver Cooper Kupp earlier in October, but speculation has since cooled with Sean McVay's side still firmly in the playoff race amid a wide-open NFC West.

Trades have warranted mixed results over the years; while certain teams have successfully patched up weaknesses, others have been guilty of panic moves.

Christian McCaffrey is perhaps the most famous example of recent trade success when the 49ers acquired him from the Panthers just a couple of weeks before the window closed in 2022. He went on to manage 1,210 scrimmage yards and 10 touchdowns in 11 games over the second half of the campaign, before leading the NFL with 2,023 yards and 21 touchdowns from scrimmage as Offensive Player of the Year to steer San Francisco to the Super Bowl last year.

Hall of Fame-bound edge rusher Von Miller was traded by the Denver Broncos to the Rams days out from the deadline in 2021, before going on to win the Super Bowl later that season. Cornerback Jalen Ramsey was also part of the Rams team that beat the Bengals to lift the Lombardi Trophy after arriving in a trade from the Jaguars midway through the 2019 season.

Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was traded by the Patriots to the 49ers in October 2017, before leading the 49ers to the Super Bowl during the 2019 season. And in a case study closer to home, British running back Jay Ajayi was traded by the Miami Dolphins to the Eagles in October 2017 before winning Super Bowl LII against the Patriots at the end of the season.

Watch the New York Giants take on the Carolina Panthers live from Munich, Germany on Sky Sports NFL from 1.30pm this Sunday; Get Sky Sports.