After six weeks of the season, most NFL teams know if they’ll be buyers or sellers before the trade deadline.
Here’s one move each team in the NFC West should make before the Nov. 5 trade deadline at 4 p.m. ET:
Arizona Cardinals: Trade defensive back Budda Baker
Baker’s future with the Cardinals has been up in the air for a couple of years now, but as he gets closer to unrestricted free agency after this season, and as the Cardinals still do not look quite ready to contend, it might be time to finally make a move.
Baker is the heart and soul of the Cardinals’ defense, but that defense has been one of the worst in the NFL for the second year in a row, while Baker’s big-play ability has significantly regressed during that time. He has not had an interception, sack or forced fumble since the start of the 2023 season, while he has been credited with just a single pass defense in that time. He might still have some value for a contender looking for secondary help, and it might be in the Cardinals’ best interest to turn the page, start fresh and get something back while they can instead of losing him for nothing.
Los Angeles Rams: Trade defensive tackle Bobby Brown III
The Rams 2024 season has been a massive disappointment through the first five games as injuries at wide receiver and a poor performance on the defensive side of the ball have resulted in a 1-4 record entering play on Sunday.
The easy suggestion here would be to trade wide receiver Cooper Kupp. But his injury history over the past couple of years and his contract might make him nearly impossible to move. An underrated trade target on the team, however, could be Brown III, a massive run-stuffing presence in the middle of the defensive line.
He is not a flashy player who will put up big numbers or sack the quarterback, but he is a classic run-stopping lineman who is set for free agency after this season. The Rams already traded one key member of their defense before the season in linebacker Ernest Jones IV instead of re-signing him to a long-term deal, and they could do it again.
San Francisco 49ers: Trade for edge-rusher Josh Uche
The 49ers attempted to completely overhaul their pass-rush this offseason to give Joey Bosa some much-needed help. The early returns have not exactly been promising or what they had hoped for.
Despite their 3-3 record, this is still a team in Super Bowl or bust, win-at-all-costs mode, and they should be in the market for anybody who can help put them over the top.
Uche could provide some much-needed pass-rushing depth, and the Patriots are not in a position to turn down any meaningful offer for almost anybody on their roster.
Seattle Seahawks: Trade wide receiver DK Metcalf
This might be an unpopular move in Seattle, but it is one the Seahawks need to at least explore.
Or should explore.
For one, wide receiver is an in-demand position at the trade deadline with several high-profile trades already being made, with multiple teams (Kansas City, Pittsburgh) still potentially in the market for help. It is also a position the Seahawks have some depth at with Tyler Lockett and Jaxon Smith-Njigba on the roster. Metcalf also has a relatively affordable contract when compared to the rest of the top players at his position, and the Seahawks may not want to pay him what he wants in the future. This could be an opportunity to make a move and collect some more future assets for a team that still has a lot of long-term holes to fix.
