NFL Rumors: One trade 6 contenders need to make at deadline

The 2023 NFL Trade Deadline is on Tuesday, Oct. 31 at 4 p.m. ET. As of now, we haven't seen many big-time deals, thought he Seattle Seahawks did make some noise on Monday by trading for DT Leonard Williams from the Giants. But will that be the start of a trade frenzy, or the only whimper in an otherwise quiet trade deadline?

Frankly, we don't know. But recent history has show us that the contenders throughout the NFL have been more inclined to make big moves on the trade market for a second-half run in the regular season and into the playoffs. So perhaps that's the best indicator that we could see some of the top teams in the league make a deal at the deadline.

What deals could they make, though? Connecting some dots or just simply based on other reports, here are six trades, one for six separate contenders, that should go down before the NFL Trade Deadline and actually have a chance to happen.

NFL Rumors: Lions trade for Patriots EDGE Josh Uche

When you look at a Detroit Lions team sitting at 5-2 on the season coming into Monday Night Football in Week 8 against the Raiders, this is clearly a team capable of taking the NFC this season. It's also clear that Dan Campbell's group could stand to be upgraded, particularly in two key areas of the defense.

The Lions made efforts to improve their secondary this offseason, landing C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Emmanuel Mosley, and Cameron Sutton coming into the 2023 campaign. Gardner-Johnson and Mosley, however, have landed on IR with long-term injuries, which makes that a need. However, the other need on defense might be more easily addressed at the trade deadline.

While Aidan Hutchinson appears to have made a leap on the edge, the Lions pass rush has been inconsistent. They could use more juice opposite of the former first-round pick and the Patriots might have an answer for them in Josh Uche.

The former second-round pick is in the final year of his contract in New England and, according to a report from ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler, is a name gaining steam ahead of the deadline. That was furthered when Uche was a healthy inactive for the Patriots' Week 9 game against the Dolphins.

Since entering the league, Uche has proven to be a situational speed rusher who offers little upside elsewhere. That, however, could be exactly what the Lions need, especially as a complimentary piece for Hutchinson up front. More importantly, on an expiring deal, he might come at a reasonable price that could behoove Detroit further and help bolster the defense to a contender level for the stretch run.