The NFL trade deadline is on October 31, between Week 8 and Week 9, of the 2023 season. While the pro football trade deadline is never as active as it is in the NBA or MLB, this year could be different. That’s why it’s time to look at a possible Saquon Barkley trade to the Buffalo Bills and two more shocking trade deadline blockbusters involving Hunter Renfrow and Chase Young that would break the NFL.
Ever since the Hershel Walker trade ruined the Minnesota Vikings for a decade and helped build the Dallas Cowboys dynasty, trades have been less common in the NFL than in other pro sports leagues. The value of draft picks, the way contracts, and the salary cap are structured, and the general conservatism of most front offices also play a role.
However, in recent years, general managers and team owners have taken more pages from the NBA playbook, and as such, trades are becoming more commonplace.
In 2021, some big names moved at or around the deadline, including running back Melvin Ingram, defensive end Von Miller, RB Mark Ingram, and quarterback Joe Flacco. A year later, even more name players switched teams. Last trade deadline week (or so), RB Christian McCaffrey, DE Robert Quinn, wide receiver Kadarius Toney, WR Chase Claypool, linebacker Roquan Smith, tight end TJ Hockenson, DE Bradley Chubb, and WR Calvin Ridley all switched teams.
So, why will the 2023 NFL trade deadline be even bigger and better?
This season, there is a clear divide between the haves and the have-nots. There will be plenty of sellers to go with plenty of buyers because, at the top, there is no dominant team. At least half the league thinks they can win the Super Bowl this season. And the upcoming draft is loaded with QB prospects, so lower-level teams will want to stock up on draft capital.
With all this in mind, let’s look at a few trades that could conceivably happen, and if they do, they will break the NFL (or at least NFL Twitter).
RB Saquon Barkley to the Buffalo Bills
Speaking of buyers and sellers, the Sunday night matchup in Week 6 between the Bills and Giants solidified the teams as buyers and sellers, respectively.
The Bills won ugly, keeping them in the mix in the AFC and AFC East, but it’s obvious there are some significant holes on the roster. The Giants dropped to 1-5, effectively ending their season and making planning for the future a top priority.
New York and Saquon Barkley openly feuded all Summer over his contract, and even though they got a short-term deal done, the relationship seems over. With the playoffs now basically out of the question, the Giants should trade Barkley and get what they can for him.
Buffalo’s running game is a mess, and even though that’s only partially due to the RB talent, that room needs an upgrade. James Cook and Latavius Murray are fine complementary backs, but neither is an RB1. Plus, Damien Harris suffered a scar neck injury Sunday night and could be out for a while.
Trading for Saquon Barkley would give the Bills Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs, and Barkley, who are three of the best 25 weapons in the league. This would be the modern-day version of Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin, and Emmitt Smith and propel Buffalo back into the Super Bowl favorite conversation.
WR Hunter Renfrow to the Miami Dolphins
We all know that Mike McDaniel loves speed. He already has the fastest WR duo in the league with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, and then the Dolphins added Chase Claypool, who brings size with speed.
How about speed and quickness, though? The Dolphins don’t really have anyone with lightning quickness to operate underneath and create even more space for Waddle and Hill.
Enter Hunter Renfrow from the Las Vegas Raiders at the 2023 NFL trade deadline.
Renfrow was a Pro Bowl player as recently as 21 but now has just nine targets, six receptions, and 59 yards in six games. He’s also only playing 36% of the Raiders’ offensive snaps. The former Clemson Tiger needs to go, and going to South Beach would break the NFL.
Miami is already making history with its offensive output this season. The team is currently outgaining the second-best offense in the league (Philadelphia Eagles) by 103.7 yards per game. That is the biggest gap between the Nos. 1 and 2 offenses in NFL history.
Adding a top slot receiver like Hunter Renfrow would give the Dolphins something they don’t have right now and make the unit even more unstoppable than it is now.
DE Chase Young to the Detroit Lions
At 5-1, the Lions are showing that they are true contenders in the NFC, right up there with the Eagles and San Francisco 49ers. The defense is coming on strong, T-11 for the fewest points allowed this season. And DE Aidan Hutchinson is having a Defensive Player of the Year candidate campaign so far.
Across the line from Hutchinson, though, no one has stepped up just yet.
So, with the 2022 No. 2 overall pick dominating on one side, how about adding the 2020 No. 2 overall pick on the other?
The Washington Commanders are 3-3, which keeps their playoff hopes alive, especially in the top-heavy NFC. However, after missing 22 games in the past two seasons with a knee injury, Chase Young is just not working out. He’s having a decent year, with 3.0 sacks in six games, but he’s not the dominant force the team hoped he would be back in 2020. Plus, he’s a free agent after this season.
Young will likely walk in the offseason if the Commanders don’t make a trade at the 2023 NFL trade deadlines, so he could absolutely be on the move. Sending him to the Lions would be a massive move that would not only make Detroit among the Super Bowl favorites but it would also give the Lions their best team (on paper) of all time, with all due respect to the 1991 Lions with Erik Kramer and Barry Sanders and the 1953 squad featuring Bobby Layne and Doak Walker.
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