It’s trade rumors season! The NFL trade deadline is roughly a month away, which means teams will need to figure out how they can bolster their teams for a late season push.
It also means some unfortunate teams might be looking at selling off some of their better players at the deadline as they pivot to building draft capital ahead of next April. Here's all the latest from around the rumor mill, including who the Detroit Lions might be targeting to help their desperate secondary and the Colts possibly adding a former top-five pick at wide receiver — who just so happens to be the son of a franchise icon.
Detroit Lions need to get CB help before things get out of control
The Lions have to get help in their secondary as quickly as possible and one potential candidate is Kristian Fulton from the Kansas City Chiefs. He’s a low-cost move that ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reports should be available, especially if the acquiring team is willing to pay down some of his remaining $9 million salary. Regardless of the terms , the Lions can’t get held up on specifics; they need to make this move as quickly as possible. They’ve given the most passing yards of any team in the NFL this season (1,121) and are tied for the most passing touchdowns allowed (11) through four games.
Unfortunately, DC Kelvin Sheppard is the scapegoat for why things aren’t in a good spot right now. Detroit waived Terrion Arnold due to his ongoing legal issues, and they lost Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph to injury before the season started — all while the front office refused to show any urgency in getting help. This is the most important move for the Lions to make if they want to stay afloat in the NFC North.
You could argue doing nothing has worked so far, because they’re 2-2. That said, you can’t say it’s really sustainable either; their wins were home nail-biters against the Saints and Lions. The Chiefs have been rumored to be interested in moving on from Fulton, who's found himself as the odd man out, Detroit has to pull the trigger. If they do nothing, their secondary struggles will eventually doom them.
Marvin Harrison Jr.’s rumored change of scenery brings him “home”
Marvin Harrison Jr. was one of the most talked-about wide receivers leading up to the 2024 NFL Draft. He’s still one of the most talked about wide receivers two-plus years later, but for all the wrong reasons. The former Ohio State star is fighting weekly bust allegations, and there have been some rumblings Arizona might pull the rug on him before they get a chance to see if he can grow through his early-career struggles. What a turn of events it would be for him to land with the Indianapolis Colts, the same team his dad became a Hall of Famer with?
The Colts desperately need receiver help with Alec Pierce on IR and eating up $28 million a year against the salary cap. Harrison Jr. could benefit from playing with a team where the last name Harrison means something, and Fowler calls him "an obvious fit" as Indy monitors the trade market. When the younger Harrison was drafted to Arizona, the Cardinals weren’t in the best position. They’ve since parted ways with their quarterback and have been slowly trying to put together a respectable team.
His struggles aren’t completely on him, though the dropped passes and a seeming lack of effort are good reasons fans largely view him as a bust. Maybe a homecoming will finally help him reach the heights everyone expected when he was drafted. The question is: Will the Cardinals actually trade him and move on?
Raiders need to address last pressing need before trade deadline to bolster offense
The Las Vegas Raiders were one of the few undefeated teams going into Week 4 against the Chiefs, and though a 30-27 loss ended that run, they still have a great foundation moving forward. That said, there’s still one pressing need they have to address: The Raiders don’t have a true primary target for Kirk Cousins that’s not named Brock Bowers. A receiver like Brian Thomas Jr. or Jerry Jeudy could be an ideal player to turn to on the trade block in order to get a real perimeter threat on this offense.
The one rub here is that Fowler isn't totally convinced the Raiders want to be aggressive buyers just yet. They're still well ahead of schedule in year one under Klint Kubiak; we haven't even seen Fernando Mendoza take a meaningful snap yet. Then again, a 3-1 start is a 3-1 start, and doing nothing would be doing a disservice to a team that's played some very good football so far.
Teams are going to find out that if they take out Bowers, this Raiders offense becomes very limited. They don’t have to be aggressive buyers at the deadline, but they do have to find help for their passing offense. Otherwise they’re only going to be so good.
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