Lions hand Vikings first loss, Russell Wilson cooks in Steelers debut
Mackenzie Salmon breaks down the top storylines from Week 7 in the NFL.
Sports Seriously
The NFL trade deadline isn’t typically one of the most exciting milestones on the league’s calendar, but teams have already shown a willingness to offload some well-known players ahead of it in 2024.
Namely, NFL teams have focused on targeting proven pass-catchers to join their offenses. The New York Jets got things started by acquiring Davante Adams from the Las Vegas Raiders ahead of Week 7. A few hours after that deal, the Buffalo Bills traded for Cleveland Browns receiver Amari Cooper to give themselves a true No. 1 target.
Ahead of Week 8, the Kansas City Chiefs pulled the trigger on a deal with the Tennessee Titans, adding DeAndre Hopkins to the fold to help replace the injured duo of Rashee Rice and Hollywood Brown.
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That has led many NFL fans to wonder which wide receivers could be next to be traded. There is no shortage of rumors surrounding players like Cooper Kupp and Mike Williams, and it may just be a matter of time before they find new homes for the rest of the season.
Who are the top receiver trade candidates, and which teams represent their best fits and landing spots? Here’s a breakdown of the NFL’s wide receiver trade market ahead of the 2024 NFL trade deadline.
The Steelers have one strong starting receiver in George Pickens, but they don’t have much beyond him. That’s why they were frequently connected to Brandon Aiyuk during the offseason amid the veteran’s contract dispute with the San Francisco 49ers.
Kupp is a great separator who plays in the slot, so that would make him an ideal complement to Pickens, who is a top-tier contested catch option on the outside. Kupp also has reliable hands and is a physical blocker, so it’s easy to imagine him succeeding as Russell Wilson‘s top middle-of-the-field target.
Consider the potential Kupp-Pickens 1-2 punch a less speedy but more physical combination of the Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf combination that Wilson so effectively utilized during his time with the Seattle Seahawks.
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Higgins is set to be a free agent after the 2024 NFL season, so if the Cincinnati Bengals can’t improve upon their 3-4 record before the NFL trade deadline, the 6-4, 219-pound wide-out could be on the move.
The Commanders would be a strong landing spot for Higgins. The have one high-quality receiver in Terry McLaurin but quarterback Jayden Daniels could use a physical counterpart to the speedy route-running technician. Higgins would check that box and it would be easy enough for Washington to afford him, as the Commanders have $121.45 million in cap space for 2025, per OverTheCap.com.
The Buccaneers had a formidable receiver duo of Mike Evans and Chris Godwin entering Week 7. Both of them got hurt in the team’s loss to the Baltimore Ravens, and Godwin is set to miss the season because of a dislocated ankle. Meanwhile, Evans is out at least through the team’s Week 11 bye, so Liam Coen’s offense could use a reinforcement at receiver.
Johnson was traded to the Carolina Panthers during the 2024 NFL offseason, but things haven’t worked out for the two parties thus far. The 28-year-old receiver has three games with at least six catches, 78 yards and a touchdown but also has four with 23 yards or less on three or fewer catches.
Still, Johnson has been a consistently productive receiver during his NFL career and would be one of Tampa Bay’s best possible replacement options for Godwin. Since Johnson is on an expiring contract, the Panthers probably wouldn’t be more open than usual to swinging a trade within the division given that they aren’t contending in 2024.
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The Jets’ acquisition of Davante Adams has pushed Williams into the team’s No. 4 receiver role. That could prompt the team to trade the former Los Angeles Chargers star as they look to shed the remained of his one-year, $10 million contract.
The Eagles could be willing to buy low on Williams. Jahan Dotson hasn’t been an impactful addition behind A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, so a healthy Williams could emerge as a solid No. 3 receiver for Philadelphia. Howie Roseman has never been opposed to adding depth and talent during his run as Eagles general manager, and this seems like a great opportunity to take a flier on a talented player.
The Jacksonville Jaguars are 2-5 and could decide to trade one of their receivers as they continue to remain out of contention. Jacksonville spent a first-round pick on Brian Thomas Jr. during the offseason and signed Gabe Davis to a three-year contract, so Kirk would be the most sensible one of their receivers to trade.
The Ravens have gotten strong performances out of Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman to start the 2024 season but could stand to add another receiving threat to Lamar Jackson‘s arsenal. Getting Kirk (5-11) would give Baltimore two sub-6-foot receivers among their top three – Flowers is just 5-9 – but the team has a powerful tight end room that can help compensate for that lack of size.
Add in that Kirk is an upgrade over the team’s current No. 3 receiver, Nelson Agholor, and won’t turn 28 until November and this looks like a good fit if the Jaguars move him.
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The 49ers don’t necessarily need a receiver even after losing Brandon Aiyuk for the season to a torn ACL. Deebo Samuel, Jauan Jennings and first-round rookie Ricky Pearsall form a formidable trio that should help Brock Purdy keep San Francisco’s offense moving well.
Still, the team’s depth beyond those three is unproven save for career-backup Chris Conley. That would make Slayton a solid target, as he could share time with Pearsall as the team’s No. 3 receiver and provide the team insurance in case of injury. After all, Samuel, Jennings and Pearsall have already missed time during the 2024 NFL season.
Slayton would add a speed element the team otherwise might be missing without Aiyuk. The long-time Giants receiver has caught 25 passes for 312 yards and a touchdown this season while largely working as Daniel Jones‘ No. 3 receiver.
