The NFL trade deadline is approaching soon, as teams have until November 5 at 4 p.m. ET to strike any potential deals. Multiple receivers who could find themselves on the move soon have been surrounded by trade buzz within the last couple of weeks. Here are three wide receivers that can potentially be dealt at the deadline to help elevate contending teams.
1. Davante Adams
It seems Davante Adams will have a new team sooner rather than later, as he recently requested a trade out of Las Vegas. Despite being 31, Adams is still an elite receiver and has largely suffered from subpar quarterback play while on the Raiders. In the past two seasons, Adams has posted at least 100-plus catches, 1100-plus yards, and eight or more touchdowns. This season, Adams has been off to a solid start in three games, posting 18 catches for 209 yards and one TD in three games, having missed a couple of matchups due to injury.
The most obvious trade destination for Adams is the New York Jets. Adams and Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers played together in Green Bay for eight seasons and shared many successful years. The duo won six playoff games and made two NFC Championship appearances in Green Bay. With Rodgers under center, Adams was a two-time first-team All-Pro and made it to five Pro Bowls. They have also both made it clear via social media that they would like to team up again before it is all said and done.
But the New Orleans Saints might make a sneaky move for Adams. Adams also has familiarity with Saints quarterback Derek Carr from their college days at Fresno State and in 2022 Adams joined the Raiders to play with Carr. In their one season together in the pros, Adams had arguably the best season in his career, totaling 100 catches for 1,516 yards and 14 touchdowns.
A dark horse team that may be in contention to acquire Adams would be the Washington Commanders. The Commanders have been one of the NFL’s pleasant surprises, sitting at 4-1 on the back of Jayden Daniels’ electric quarterback play. Through five weeks, the Commanders have the highest-scoring offense in football and trading for Adams would only help Washington’s offense reach new heights.
2. Amari Cooper
Amari Cooper has had a rough start to the 2024 season. Per PFF, Cooper has tied for the second most drops in the league with five. And through five games this season, he has accumulated just 20 catches for 208 yards and two touchdowns. The Browns sit at 1-4 — tied for the worst record in the NFL — and should be in a fire sale mode. Despite his modest numbers thus far, Cooper has had back-to-back 1,100-plus yard seasons and can still produce in the right circumstances. The Browns should be able to create a competitive market for his services.
The Back-to-back Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs should go all out in acquiring Cooper. After losing Rashee Rice for the season with a knee injury, the Chiefs wide receiver one position is vacant. Chiefs General Manager, Brett Veach, is no stranger to making a deal at the midseason deadline, as he traded for Kadarius Toney in 2022, which factored in helping them win Super Bowl LVII over the Eagles.
Another potential destination for Cooper is the Buffalo Bills. After trading Stefon Diggs this past offseason, the Bills have also had a WR1 void that the franchise has not addressed. Through five games this year, the Bills have yet to have a receiver record a 100-yard game. After dropping their last two games to the Ravens and Texans, where they averaged 15 points per game in these contests, the Bills sure could use some firepower at the wide receiver position to help out Josh Allen.
3. Deandre Hopkins
Deandre Hopkins, now 32 years old, may not be the same D-Hop we all grew up loving, but he can still be an effective receiver. He’s off to a slow start this season, having produced 10 catches for 121 yards and a touchdown in four contests. Let’s not forget, though, that Hopkins is coming off a solid 2023 season where he had 75 catches for 1,057 yards and seven scores.
A potential landing spot for Hopkins is the Baltimore Ravens. After starting the season 0-2, Baltimore’s season was in jeopardy. But they responded to adversity well with three impressive wins to not only keep their season alive, but their Super Bowl hopes as well.
Baltimore has a speedy receiver in Zay Flowers, who can stretch the field and make magic with the ball in his hands. The Ravens also have a receiver in Rashod Bateman who is a good route runner and can move the chains. But they’re missing that big jump ball receiver that can win one-on-one matchups in the red zone. Hopkins can fill that hole for Baltimore, rounding out the receiving room. Acquiring Hopkins can give Lamar Jackson all of the weapons needed to make a legitimate Super Bowl push.
But should the Dallas Cowboys make a move for Hopkins? The Cowboys are the 15th-ranked scoring offense through five games, averaging an unspectacular 23.4 points per game. Despite their middle-of-the-pack offense, they rank second in the NFL in passing yards per game. As you might’ve guessed, the Cowboys have had serious red zone woes that have plagued their offense this season. Hopkins can be that red zone threat giving Dak a big jump ball receiver that can high-point the ball in the endzone and help solve the team’s woes in that department. He can also solidify that WR2 position behind Ceedee Lamb that the Cowboys currently lack.