NFL Rumors: Cowboys dream trade, Vikings two trade plans, Steelers whiff again

The NFL trade deadline is right around the corner on Nov. 5, which means front offices are hard at work behind the scenes. We have seen several trades focused on the WR position so far — Amari Cooper to Buffalo, Davante Adams to New York, DeAndre Hopkins to Kansas City — but be warned, other positions are also eligible for trade conversations.

Those three trades were just the appetizer for what promises to be a flurry of moves prior to the final buzzer in a couple weeks. We are already approaching Week 8, folks, which means we are almost halfway through the season. It happened just like that. We generally know the contenders from the pretenders at this point. Let that inform what to expect from your team's front office.

Here are a few fresh NFL rumors to chew on in the meantime.

NFL Rumors: Steelers could whiff on Cooper Kupp after DeAndre Hopkins miss

The Pittsburgh Steelers weren't able to land Davante Adams. Their backup plan, DeAndre Hopkins, also fell through. GM Omar Khan has evidently been hard at work looking for WR upgrades, but the Steelers haven't been able to push anything over the finish line. Their next target could be a rather ambitious one, per Dianna Russini of The Athletic.

"Steelers add Cooper Kupp, sending the Rams a 2025 second-round pick," she posits. "Yes, if Kupp doesn’t head to Tampa, Pittsburgh GM Omar Khan should make the call. He has a history of trading with the Rams (2023 deals for Kevin Dotson and Allen Robinson) and reportedly tried to send a similar package for Aiyuk this offseason. Kupp would give them the perfect complement to George Pickens in OC Arthur Smith’s play-action-heavy offense."

There is a key phrase buried in there: "if Kupp doesn't head to Tampa." Yes, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers appear to be the relative favorites to land Kupp, the 2021 Super Bowl MVP, ahead of the trade deadline. Tampa lost both Mike Evans and Chris Godwin to severe injuries on Monday Night Football. Kupp won't come cheap — his cap hit is $29.5 million — but if the Los Angeles Rams absorb some of that salary, Tampa could find the motivation.

Atlanta's loss on Sunday keeps the NFC South wide open, and Kupp would meaningfully improve Tampa's offense on short notice. One of the most versatile and dynamic pass-catchers in the game when healthy, Kupp shouldn't have a problem picking up a new scheme and finding ways to fit in. Baker Mayfield has been throwing the football well (mostly) all season, so it's a great pairing.

That puts Pittsburgh in second place. Again. Russell Wilson looked excellent in his season debut over the weekend, but if the Steelers can't add more firepower around him, odds are Pittsburgh will come up short in the postseason. Again.

NFL Rumors: Vikings approach intriguing crossroads at trade deadline

The Minnesota Vikings are 5-1, essentially tied for first place in the stacked NFC North. There hasn't really been a better team this season, aside from the Detroit Lions, who outlased Minnesota for a thrilling 31-29 victory on Sunday. That battle could define the division and the entire NFC. That is, if Green Bay doesn't play spoiler.

It's time for the Vikings to get serious. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has been one of the best GMs in football over the last few years. He navigated the Kirk Cousins fallout with aplomb, nailing the replacement plan with Sam Darnold. While most fans want Minnesota to stock up on offense — the Cooper Kupp conspiracies are flying — their more pressing needs reside on the defensive end.

Over at The Athletic, Alec Lewis sees two possible pathways for Minnesota at the trade deadline.

"It depends on what type of store the Vikings want to shop in. Do they want to pay bargain prices, or do they want to splurge? If it’s the former, Minnesota is likely to pursue a guard, a cornerback or maybe even a short-term defensive tackle who can both stop the run and rush the passer. If it’s the latter, maybe the Vikings swing aggressively for a high-end cornerback or defensive tackle worth allocating some of their future cap space to."

Minnesota will need to get create with limited draft capital, but one would hope that the Vikings shop in the latter store — going all-out in pursuit of that elusive Super Bowl. These windows don't stay open forever. Odds are Darnold isn't even on the roster a year from now. The Vikings may only have one shot at this thing before the offense passes to an unproven rookie in J.J. McCarthy. Might as well win while the gettin' is good.

Cornerback is the primary weak point in Minnesota's defense, although an elite pass-rusher would also be enticing. Let's see if the Vikings put their money where their record is.

NFL Rumors: Cowboys-Browns trade would land Nick Chubb in Dallas backfield

The Cleveland Browns are the NFL's foremost disaster, a comedy of errors with a dark underbelly. The Dallas Cowboys are just kinda lame, mainly because Jerry Jones talks a big game but never follows through. That has never been a more apparent display than this season, with Dallas stagnating after Jones' summer of inaction.

Rather than using up Dallas' plentiful cap space to improve the roster, Jones waxed poetic about the struggles of building a contender while waiting until the last possible second to extend Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb. Those contracts do complicate the Cowboys' financial plans, but not enough to justify eight weeks of Rico Dowdle and Ezekiel Elliott in the RB room.

For so long we have associated the Cowboys with a dominant run game. That crutch has not been available to Prescott this season, however, leaving the Dallas offense far too predictable and inconsistent. Over at The Athletic, Jeff Howe has a trade proposal that would light up the Dallas fandom like a kid opening his first present on Christmas morning.

He believes Dallas should send Cleveland third and fifth-round picks in exchange for Nick Chubb.

"The Cowboys are last in rushing yards, touchdowns and yards per attempt," writes Howe. "Why? Because they’re 30th in attempts. They don’t have the personnel, and Mike McCarthy hasn’t shown a lot of commitment to the ground game. Being completely out of balance has led to three of their games getting out of hand early. Chubb has the star power team owner Jerry Jones covets."

Chubb is coming back from a severe knee injury, so tread carefully, but he did score a touchdown in his first game back on Sunday. Just about anybody would be better than Dowdle or Zeke at this point, and the upside with Chubb is considerable if he can get back to anything approximating peak form. Is a third and fifth-round pick a bit much for a recently injured, 28-year-old running back? Perhaps, but it's time for the Cowboys to act with a bit of ambition for once.