Jimmy Garoppolo, Marlon Mack, Allen Robinson and more: Shoppers' guide to offensive players at NFL trade deadline (2024)

It’s trade deadline season in the NFL. Teams have until Tuesday, Nov. 2 at 4 p.m. ET to strike deals.

So our team of football writers has scoured the NFL rosters for some of the best available bargains teams might be able to load up on as the push for the playoffs gets closer.

MORE: Shoppers’ guide to defensive players at NFL trade deadline

Quarterbacks

Player: Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans

Why he’s available: Watson was disgruntled with the general direction of the franchise and requested a trade soon after Texans chairman Cal McNair did not involve him in the team’s search for a general manager as much as he anticipated. Things then got more complicated, as more than 20 women filed civil suits accusing Watson of sexual misconduct and sexual assault. He’s yet to be deposed in those civil suits, and he’s also under investigation by Houston police and the FBI, but the NFL has not suspended him or put him on the commissioner’s exempt list. For now at least, Watson is eligible to play, but will another team acquire him with so much uncertainty surrounding his future? The Texans still want three first-round picks plus more for him. — Aaron Reiss

Player: Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco 49ers

Why he’s available: We should state right off the bat that this is unlikely. The 49ers’ initial plan was for Garoppolo to be their starter and to bring rookie Trey Lance along slowly, and it’s hard to see that strategy changing before the trade deadline. Still, the team’s dreams of a Garoppolo-led playoff berth grow more dim with every loss, and the 49ers would love to recoup even a fraction of the draft capital they sent to Miami for the ability to draft Lance No. 3 overall. It’s hard to think that the 49ers wouldn’t at least listen to an offer or two. — Matt Barrows

Player: Nick Foles, Chicago Bears

Why he’s available: Well, he’s the third-string quarterback and could probably be more helpful for a quarterback-needy team. His contract isn’t one that a team would be excited to inherit. There have been opportunities for Foles to be on the move, yet there he is each week inactive as the No. 3 quarterback. Foles’ 2020 tape isn’t going to send GMs running to pay him big weekly checks, either. However, if a starter goes down and a team is desperate, the Bears would have to listen. Sure, they value his presence for Justin Fields, but this is already a team lacking draft picks. — Kevin Fishbain

Player: Bryce Perkins, Los Angeles Rams

Why he’s available: Actually, I am not convinced the Rams would want to let him go after spending 2020 developing him, and after the command of their offense he showed in the preseason. They even are keeping him on the active roster, because they don’t want to expose him to other teams via the practice squad. But if a team needed a really promising and versatile young quarterback who knows the Shanahan/McVay system, and offered the right terms, I’d imagine general manager Les Snead would at least pick up the phone. There are some in the league who legitimately believe that Perkins’ ceiling is as a starting quarterback. — Jourdan Rodrigue

Player: Drew Lock, Denver Broncos

Why he’s available: Lock lost a starting battle with veteran Teddy Bridgewater in the offseason, falling short of his final opportunity to show he could be Denver’s quarterback of the future. Lock looked ill-prepared during his one relief appearance this season, a Week 4 home loss to the Ravens, and the Broncos opted to start a clearly banged-up Bridgewater last Thursday in Cleveland instead of going with a healthy Lock. The Broncos have said they believe Lock can help them win games in the same way Bridgewater can, but their actions have shown they have already moved on from their 2019 second-round pick. The Broncos are probably more likely to move Lock in the offseason, but the process could be expedited if general manager George Paton can discover a favorable return. — Nick Kosmider

Running backs

Player: Marlon Mack, Indianapolis Colts

Why he’s available: With Mack stuck behind Jonathan Taylor and Nyheim Hines on the depth chart, he and the Colts agreed in recent weeks to explore the possibility of a trade. Then something funny happened: Mack started seeing snaps and started playing well. He had 49 rushing yards in the Colts’ Monday night loss to Baltimore in Week 5 when he gave the offense a second-half spark. He looks to be regaining that burst he lost after the torn Achilles tendon that ended his 2020 season one week in. The more Mack plays, and the more he plays well, the less inclined I am to believe the Colts will look to trade him.

Note: Contending teams dealing with injuries at the running back position would be wise to give Mack a long look. He’s playing better as the season progresses, and he’s a former 1,000-yard rusher on a one-year deal. He could be the perfect midseason addition. If the Colts get the right offer (likely a late-round pick) they’ll make the deal. — Zak Keefer

Player: Benny Snell Jr., Pittsburgh Steelers

Why he’s available: The Steelers used their first-round pick on Najee Harris and have played him more than 90 percent of the snaps so far. That leaves little room for anybody else. Snell proved to be a valuable backup the past two years and was pretty successful when asked to fill in for the oft-injured James Conner. But Snell has fallen out of favor as the backup. With Kalen Ballage around and Anthony McFarland back from injured reserve, there’s no room for Snell. His rookie deal goes through the end of the 2022 season, which makes Snell an affordable and valuable insurance policy to the Steelers. — Mark Kaboly

Wide receivers

Player: Allen Robinson, Chicago Bears

Why he’s available: Trading Robinson would be a long-term move with short-term implications. He’s the Bears’ No. 1 receiver, but his numbers don’t show it. Rookie quarterback Justin Fields has a better connection with second-year receiver Darnell Mooney. The Bears have to build around Fields. The issue with Robinson is whether a long-term contract can be worked out. It didn’t happen this year, and Robinson, who signed his contract after receiving the franchise tag, wasn’t happy about it. The free-agent market awaits Robinson after this season. The compensatory pick formula matters here, too. A second-round pick might just do it for the Bears. — Adam Jahns

Player: Josh Reynolds, Tennessee Titans

Why he’s available: Reynolds can’t get on the field with the Titans, at least not when most of the rest of the receiver room is healthy. He signed a one-year deal. Then the Titans traded for Julio Jones. Then Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Marcus Johnson and Chester Rogers outperformed Reynolds in camp. Reynolds has also struggled at times with what he called “Achilles stuff.” He’s healthy now and still can’t make an impact, a surprise considering what he did as a No. 3 receiver for the Rams. Trading him may be less likely now that the Titans have lost Cam Batson to a knee injury, but Reynolds is still just their No. 6 option and could be higher on other depth charts. — Joe Rexrode

Player: Jamison Crowder, New York Jets

Why he’s available: The former Washington receiver has been the Jets’ most reliable offensive player over the last two-plus years. So why trade him? Because Crowder is in the final year of his contract, and after drafting Elijah Moore in the second round this year, it’s highly unlikely he returns next season. Bonus: Trading Crowder now will allow Moore to play his more natural slot position. He’s played outside the first portion of this season because Crowder occupies the slot. — Connor Hughes

Player: N’Keal Harry, New England Patriots

Why he’s available: Harry has been passed on the depth chart by Nelson Agholor, Jakobi Myers and Kendrick Bourne. The Patriots’ offseason spending spree prompted Harry, a 2019 first-round pick, to request a trade through his agent in July. Injuries have hurt his development in his first few seasons, so a team may be willing to offer a Day 3 pick to see if Harry can salvage any of the potential he had coming out of Arizona State. — Matthew Fairburn

Player: Simi Fehoko, Dallas Cowboys

Why he’s available: The wide receiver position is the deepest on Dallas’ roster. Already having Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb, Michael Gallup, Cedrick Wilson and Noah Brown, there just aren’t any reps available for Fehoko, a fifth-round pick in last year’s draft. The Cowboys would prefer to keep him for the future, but they’d have to listen if an intriguing offer came their way. Fehoko has only played four offensive snaps this season. — Jon Machota

Player: Michael Thomas, New Orleans Saints

Why he’s available: Thomas was the subject of endless trade speculation this summer after he and the team had a public tiff over the timeline of his ankle surgery. Thomas did not practice last week when he became eligible to return to practice after starting the season on the physically unable to perform list. There would be a lot of layers involved with this that make it a longshot idea: What would the cap implications be for the Saints? Can Thomas pass a physical? — Katherine Terrell

Tight ends

Player: Jordan Akins, Houston Texans

Why he’s available: Though new Texans head coach David Culley retained offensive coordinator Tim Kelly, the team has changed the way it plays without Deshaun Watson under center. The Texans are a run-heavy team that utilizes 13 personnel (one running back, three tight ends) at one of the league’s highest rates. That doesn’t suit Akins, a tight end who is best split out wide or in the slot and able to show off his yards-after-the-catch ability. Trading the 29-year-old Akins, who is in the final year of his rookie deal after playing minor league baseball, would open up snaps for rookie tight end Brevin Jordan, a fifth-round pick who has yet to be active. — Aaron Reiss

Player: Evan Engram, New York Giants

Why he’s available: It just hasn’t worked out for Engram in New York. The 2017 first-round pick has flashed potential throughout his career, but consistency has been elusive. Engram has been plagued by injuries and drops, which has turned him into a lightning rod among Giants fans. Still, the athletic tight end has a skill set that could be utilized in the right offense. Adding a late-round pick for Engram before the trade deadline would be better for the Giants than getting nothing if he leaves as a free agent after the season. — Dan Duggan

Player: Hayden Hurst, Atlanta Falcons

Why he’s available: The 2018 first-round draft pick isn’t going to be a big part of Atlanta’s offense with rookie Kyle Pitts emerging as the first, second and third option at tight end. The Falcons also have veteran tight end Lee Smith, who is on pace for the best receiving season of his career. He can take up more slack if Hurst is dealt. — Josh Kendall

Offensive tackles

Player: Andre Dillard, Philadelphia Eagles

Why he’s available: The Eagles invested in Jordan Mailata as their left tackle of the present and the future, making Dillard, the 2019 first-round pick, expendable. He still provides quality depth and has been called upon to play this season, so the Eagles won’t give him away. But for a team that’s clearly in transition, the Eagles would have a hard time saying no to valuable draft capital (a Day 2 pick, perhaps) for a player who’s a reserve. — Zach Berman

Interior offensive linemen

Player: Josh Andrews, Atlanta Falcons

Why he’s available: Andrews, a fifth-year pro out of Oregon State, was set to be Atlanta’s starting left guard but suffered a hand injury in camp and spent the first five games of the season on injured reserve. While Andrews was out, rookie Jalen Mayfield seemed to secure the left guard spot because Andrews pronounced himself ready to play a full game Sunday against Miami but didn’t see a snap. — Josh Kendall

Player: Halapoulivaati Vaitai, Detroit Lions

Why he’s available: He’s never going to live up to the five-year, $45 million deal that former Lions GM Bob Quinn handed him, but Vaitai has been a mauler in the run game this season. The 28-year-old also has experience starting at both guard and tackle — he filled in at the latter spot for the Eagles during their 2017 Super Bowl run. — Chris Burke

Player: Brandon Brooks, Philadelphia Eagles

Why he’s available: Brooks is 32 and expensive, and the Eagles’ season is spiraling away. When he’s healthy, Brooks is one of the NFL’s best interior linemen. He was a Pro Bowler from 2017-2019. But he missed all of last season with a torn Achilles tendon and has been out since Week 2 with a torn pectoral. The Eagles considered dealing Brooks last offseason, so it’s not out of the question they do it again. —Zach Berman

MORE: Shoppers’ guide to defensive players at NFL trade deadline

(Top photo of Jimmy Garoppolo: Darren Yamash*ta / USA Today)