The AFC East is a division of extremes. On one end, the Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots are each gearing up for what they hope is a deep playoff run. On the other, arguably the two saddest teams in the NFL *should* be in the process of complete overhauls.
And as the trade deadline approaches, these are the players that each team should be looking to replace, either with talent or with draft picks.
Buffalo Bills: Ed Oliver, DT
We could lend our voices to the likely throng screaming at Buffalo to take a big swing at a true 1A receiver for Josh Allen, but that likely won't happen. The Bills have finally leaned into their powerful run game, and both Allen and James Cook have absolutely feasted. Besides, the Saints and Dolphins seem reticent to let go of their big names, and adding the likes of Jakobi Meyers to the Bills' offense doesn't move me.
No, what the Bills need is some support on the interior defensive line. Especially with Ed Oliver out indefinitely after tearing his bicep against the Carolina Panthers in Week 8, the Bills are hurting for some inside defensive help. They've still allowed the second-most yards on the ground through eight weeks, and even though he's old as dust, Arizona's Calais Campbell would be a valuable stopgap at the very least.
New England Patriots: Antonio Gibson, RB
Fantasy football managers are intimately familiar with New England's running back room issues. Even before he went down for the season, Antonio Gibson had a condition for butter fingers, a condition shared with now-starter Rhamondre Stevenson. And while he's more secure with the ball in his hands, rookie TreVeyon Henderson simply isn't a good enough pass blocker to merit bell cow status.
The Patriots are suddenly staring down the barrel of a historic season. Drake Maye could legitimately receive MVP votes well ahead of schedule, his receiving corps is both surprisingly good and healthy, and the team is well-rounded on both sides of the ball. But they need a veteran running back who won't turn the ball over and is willing to block. They can't keep having just one of each.
New York Jets: Breece Hall, RB
And on the other hand of the running back spectrum, the New York Jets are simply one of those teams that are likely best served by hosting a massive fire sale for their veterans. And sadly, that includes who could be their best player.
Breece Hall, to put it simply, is wasted in New York. And while teams likely aren't going to pay up as much as they should for what amounts to a two-month rental, Hall could easily put a Super Bowl contender over the top (looking at you, Kansas City and New England). The Jets should receive high, if not top tier draft capital from moving on from Hall, and that sure beats him leaving for nothing. And judging by how the Jets have been since Hall was drafted, that seems like an inevitability.
Miami Dolphins: Bradley Chubb, EDGE
Take whatever I said about the New York Jets above and paste it down here, because Miami should also be hosting a fire sale. Their season is done, one half of what *was* perhaps the best receiver duo in football is injured for the season, and their franchise quarterback's career is likely over sooner rather than late. What remains is for the Dolphins to stand right back up and tear the rest of the roster down to the studs, including a surprisingly deep stable of pass rushers. This is especially relevant, as 2024 first round pick Chop Robinson has impressed thus far in his young career, but has only seen 40 percent of defensive snaps this season, relegated as he was behind Miami's veteran starters.
Jaelen Phillips is this year's marquee name and likely who would fetch the best return, but I'm more inclined to say that Bradley Chubb should be the one to get dealt away. Phillips is still young enough to be a part of the Dolphins' future plans (26) and Chubb will still demand solid draft capital for the Dolphins to build around.