When the Indianapolis Colts elected to fire GM Chris Ballard, it felt as if a fire sale would soon follow, and sure enough, Quenton Nelson was traded to the Seattle Seahawks on Tuesday afternoon in exchange for two draft picks, and DeForest Buckner was traded to the San Francisco 49ers for another pick. The Colts are trying to stockpile future assets as they prepare for what could be a prolonged rebuild, and more deals could follow before the Nov. 10 NFL trade deadline.
The Colts won't be the only active team, either. Here's a look at FanSided's updated trade deadline big board, featuring 10 impactful players likely to be on the block and predictions regarding where they might end up.
NFL trade candidate honorable mentions: Kirk Cousins, Budda Baker, Josh Downs, Tony Pollard
10. DT Jeffery Simmons, Tennessee Titans
Potential landing spots: Bears, Giants, Lions
Tennessee Titans fans hoped to see their team take a step in Cam Ward's second season, but they've gone in the opposite direction. They're 1-6 on the year, and they've scored the second-fewest points per game. It's clear that the Titans are extremely far away from contention, which is why they should not only consider moving on from veterans on expiring contracts at this year's trade deadline, but moving on from veterans who might not be around when the team is ready to compete would make sense, too.
That's where Jeffery Simmons comes in. I don't know how willing the Titans would be to move on from Simmons, a franchise legend who recently signed an extension that keeps him under contract for several years and is still a very good player, but given the fact that he's 29 years old and the team is only trending in the wrong direction, there's a chance the Titans will get an offer that's too good to pass on.
9. DT Vita Vea, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Potential landing spots: Bears, Packers, Bills
Vita Vea demanded a trade away from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers over the offseason. He rescinded it when the two sides agreed on a one-year, $30 million contract extension, but how happy is he in Tampa Bay, knowing that he still doesn't have the kind of long-term security he coveted and is on a 2-5 football team?
Likely not very, which means another trade demand could be coming, and even if it isn't, it makes sense for the Bucs to move on. Vea is still a very impactful player, but he's also a 31-year-old whom the team clearly doesn't want to commit to long-term. If the Bucs can get a good offer for him, moving on would make sense.
8. WR Brian Thomas Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars
Potential landing spots: 49ers, Chiefs, Raiders
Brian Thomas Jr. has combined to record three receptions on eight targets for 25 yards in the Jacksonville Jaguars' last four games. He has just nine receptions for 105 yards in six games overall, and has played in just 43.2 percent of the team's offensive snaps. Thomas has been an afterthought all year, and he's only getting phased out of the team's offense more.
Given how well the offense has played for the most part, I'm not sure that'll change, either. With that, why not see what you can get for him on the trade market? Marvin Harrison Jr., a receiver who hasn't done nearly as much as Thomas at the NFL level, netted the Cardinals a second-round pick. Thomas can likely fetch at least that for a Jaguars team that can easily turn around and trade whatever they get for a win-now piece.
7. EDGE Josh Sweat, Arizona Cardinals
Potential landing spots: Cowboys, Patriots, Browns
Like Vea, Josh Sweat requested a trade away from his team after the Arizona Cardinals fired Jonathan Gannon, only to stick around for the first half of the season. The results haven't been great, as he has just 2.0 sacks in six games and his 58.2 PFF grade ranks 84th out of 112 edge rushers. It feels clear that Sweat wants a change of scenery, especially with the Cardinals sitting at 2-5 with an NFL-worst -66 point differential.
Why bother keeping Sweat? It's clear he doesn't want to be in Arizona, and it's clear that the team is nowhere near competing. Trading him now, rather than allowing him to further tank his value, would be best for this organization, which should be planning for 2027 and beyond.
6. DT Daron Payne, Washington Commanders
Potential landing spots: Bears, Panthers, Jaguars
The Washington Commanders had high hopes entering this season, but they're just 1-4-1, holding sole possession of the worst record in the NFC. Yes, the NFC East is a mess, but the Commanders, who play the Rams, Giants and Bengals in three of their next four weeks, have dug themselves a hole that feels too deep to dig out of. That means giving up on this year by the deadline is likely, which will presumably lead to Daron Payne getting dealt.
Payne is in the final year of his deal and is 29 years old, making an extension unlikely given the situation Washington is in. He won't net a ton at the deadline, but the Commanders, who are one of the oldest teams in the NFL, need every draft pick they can get.
5. LB Tuli Tuipulotu, Los Angeles Chargers
Potential landing spots: Cowboys, Patriots, Browns
The Los Angeles Chargers are 0-6. They're the only remaining winless team. Yes, they have a lot of talent and can easily string some wins together, but making the playoffs after starting 0-6 is not realistically possible. As much as this organization does not want to come to that realization, they will, and they'll make players on expiring contracts available, at a bare minimum.
The list of expiring players includes Tuli Tuipulotu, a 24-year-old who made the Pro Bowl last season and whose 72.9 PFF grade ranks 30th among 112 edge rushers. Tulipulotu and the Chargers did not agree to terms on an extension in the offseason, making it unlikely that he'll be in L.A. past this season. Given his age and production, the Chargers can do well in a potential trade return.
4. WR Stefon Diggs, Washington Commanders
Potential landing spots: Rams, Chiefs, Steelers
Stefon Diggs is not the All-Pro wide receiver he was with the Bills, but he cleared the 1,000-yard mark just last season and has four touchdown receptions in five games this season with the Commanders. Diggs' production hasn't led to much winning, but it's clear that he can still be an impactful WR2 or WR3 on a contending team.
That team is not the Commanders, who, again, have the worst record in the NFC. Diggs turns 33 years old in late November and is on a one-year deal. Given those factors, Diggs likely wants to join a contender, and the Commanders should be eager to get whatever they can for a receiver unlikely to be on the team next season.
3. CB Riq Woolen, Philadelphia Eagles
Potential landing spots: Lions, Bills, Panthers
Riq Woolen has been a rare bright spot for a floundering Philadelphia Eagles team. Signed to essentially a one-year prove-it deal this past offseason, Woolen has a 70.5 PFF grade, the 19th-best out of 103 cornerbacks. He's been particularly dominant in coverage and would help many contenders in need of an outside cornerback.
The Eagles would presumably love to keep him around with how well he's played, but with the team having lost five in a row and with the need to pay corners Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean coming sooner rather than later, getting what they can for Woolen, a cornerback they can probably ill-afford to pay, makes sense.
2. EDGE Khalil Mack, Los Angeles Chargers
Potential landing spots: Bears, 49ers, Patriots
As mentioned above, the Chargers are in an absolute mess of a situation and should be eager to sell off any pieces that aren't part of their long-term plans. Khalil Mack is the headliner of that group, as a 35-year-old on an expiring contract. His age and contract situation limits the kind of return the Chargers should be expecting, but they can still do well in a deal.
This is because of how well Mack has played. The team around him has disappointed greatly, but Mack has 3.0 sacks and six QB hits in six games, along with a 75.2 PFF grade (23rd among 113 edge rushers). Mack would help a number of contending teams in a big way, and is arguably the most obvious trade candidate on this list.
1. RB Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts
Potential landing spots: Vikings, Broncos, Giants
The Colts' fire sale has officially begun. Gone are Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner, and again, I think more moves are coming. Now, both Nelson and Buckner are on expiring contracts, and Jonathan Taylor is not, so it's not as if Indianapolis must move on from him the way they had to move on from the other two veterans, but why hold on at this point?
The team is clearly preparing for the future, and by trading Nelson, the offensive line takes an enormous hit. Taylor's efficiency has already declined a bit with Nelson, so how effective will he be without him? Trading Taylor might be the Colts' best chance of picking up a first-round pick, which is sorely needed after they traded their own first-rounder for Sauce Gardner at last year's deadline. I understand how hard it is to move on from elite players with multiple years of control (he recently signed an extension that keeps him under contract through 2028), but this should be a no-brainer.
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