7 teams that must make a trade before the deadline

As the Nov. 2 deadline approaches, there are several teams that could benefit from a trade to salvage what’s left of their roster — here are seven of them.

In Week 7, the winners and losers of the 2021 season are already beginning to take shape.

There are stacked teams set for playoff berths as they are, and there are the winning teams with more subversive claims to divisional clinches. Though their records won’t show it, some of the NFL’s best teams are facing glaring deficiencies that could hinder them come January.

Then there are the teams who are ready to have a fire sale because their franchises flamed out in the first half of the season. For some, it’s better to look past the postseason into building a better future and forget lofty notions of nabbing a Lombardi in 2022.

Whether on the buying end or selling end, here are seven teams who need to make a trade happen before Nov. 2 rolls around, or it could adversely affect the future of their franchise.

Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs are 3-3 and third in their division, and that’s only because the Broncos lost on Thursday. Come Sunday, they could easily be 3-4, especially with a run defense expected to stuff Derrick Henry.

Henry bulldozing aside, the Chiefs need to make key trades now if they want any chance of salvaging their season. Aside from Tyrann Mathieu, the Chiefs are lacking in their secondary, and a cornerback trade would uplift the team enough to give them a fighting chance in the postseason.

Injuries have also weakened the pass rush, which could have the team hunting for options from NFL teams who are already out of the race. The Chiefs could pick on Miami for Emmanuel Ogbah or the Texans for Whitney Mercilus. Whichever direction they go in, the Chiefs must create a defensive haven to give Patrick Mahomes some help on offense.