The Cardinalsare interested in the Giants’ Azeez Ojulari, and Arizona’s search for a pass rusher has not stopped there. Per Dianna Russini of The Athletic (subscription required), the Cards have also reached out to the Titans to discuss a trade for defensive end Arden Key.
Key, 28, is under club control through 2025 and is due a manageable $6.5MM salary next season. So even though the 1-6 Titans are obvious sellers at this year’s deadline, they do not need to move Key if they do not get an offer to their liking.
That said, New York is setting a high price on Ojulari, which could in turn boost Tennessee’s leverage in any talks involving Key (although Big Blue is reportedly unlikely to recoup more than a Day 3 selection for Ojulari, regardless of any posturing to the contrary). Key, a former third-round pick of the Raiders, struggled to find his footing with the Silver-and-Black, but he established himself as a useful complementary edge defender by posting 11 sacks and 32 quarterback hits over the 2021-22 seasons, which he split between the 49ers and Jaguars.
He turned that performance into a three-year, $21MM contract with the Titans in the 2023 offseason, and he recorded six sacks and 12 QB hits in his first year in Nashville. This year, he has tallied three sacks and six QB hits through seven games, and Pro Football Focus has assigned him a strong 70.3 pass rush grade.
The 4-4 Cardinals, who surprisingly find themselves at the top of a muddy NFC West picture, have been hit hard by injuries along the defensive line, and GM Monti Ossenfort recently confirmed that he has explored deals that could bolster his club’s pass rush.
At the end of October, Lions head coach Dan Campbell indicated that Detroit could soon be making a move to address its EDGE corps, which has lost both Aidan Hutchinson and Marcus Davenport for the season. Armando Salguero of Outkick.com named Key as an “outside possibility” for the Lions, although Key’s performance in Tennessee’s recent loss to the Detroit – two sacks and six total tackles – could have caught the eye of Campbell & Co.
Murray suffered a torn pectoral in the Bears’ loss to the Commanders on Sunday, thinning out Chicago’s offensive line depth. He played 37 snaps at left guard in Week 5 in relief of an injured Tevin Jenkins, who left Sunday’s game with another injury. After full participation in practice last week, Larry Borom should be ready to be activated from injured reserve to reinforce the Bears’ offensive line before Week 9.
The Texans officially played Diggs on injured reserve after tests confirmed a season-ending ACL tear, a non-contact injury that occurred in Houston’s Week 8 victory over the Colts. With Nico Collins already on IR, C.J. Stroud will turn to Tank Delland Dalton Schultz to keep the offense afloat until Collins returns. Diggs’ injury could heavily affect his market in free agency after requiring the Texans to remove the final three years of his contact to facilitate his trade from the Bills.
Sutton is eligible to play for the first time this year after serving an eight-game suspension for violation of the NFL’s personal conduct policy. He was suspended after he was arrested for domestic battery by strangulation in March, leading to his release by the Lions. The Steelers then signed him to a one-year deal in June before the league handed down his suspension in July, forcing Pittsburgh to turn to Beanie Bishop at nickel.
Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams is serving a two-game ban for a PED violation, but it is possible the third-year player could face additional NFL discipline under the personal conduct policy. A murky situation has developed in Detroit.
Officers placed Williams in handcuffs and nearly booked him on a gun charge, according to WXYZ’s Ross Jones, who reports the former first-round pick was to be taken to jail before being released from custody shortly prior to being booked. This incident occurred after midnight Oct. 8. This has brought a belated charge against the wide receiver, but the matter took a circuitous route to reach this point.
Williams and his brother were pulled over in Detroit, and the stop led to Williams — the passenger in the vehicle — admitting he was in possession of a gun without a concealed pistol license, Jones reports. The arresting officer informed Williams he would be taken into custody. The officer’s bodycam footage includes Williams repeatedly saying he was a Lions player. “I play for the Lions, bro. I’m Jameson Williams,” the 23-year-old wideout said. While Williams was placed in the back of a squad car, he was not taken to jail. His Lions status appears to have indeed proved beneficial — at least initially.
A sergeant who arrived to back up the arresting officers soon made several calls to superiors asking if Williams needed to be arrested on this gun charge, Ross reports, adding that the sergeant’s cellphone wallpaper included a Lions logo. The sergeant is heard indicating Williams would indeed be taken to jail on the charge, but a lieutenant then called back to indicate no booking would be necessary. The sergeant thanked the lieutenant, per Ross, and took Williams out of handcuffs.
Williams’ gun was soon returned as well, and no arrest warrant or police report initially emerged. An internal affairs investigation has since been launched, Ross reports, adding that a development last week has since resulted in Williams being hit with the gun charge he was set to face. This will ensure the Detroit pass catcher would be subject to another suspension, pending an NFL investigation.
One game remains on Williams’ PED ban. The Alabama alum has already run afoul of two NFL policies, having been popped under the gambling umbrella last year. Williams was found to have bet on non-NFL sporting events while on team grounds. A suspension under the personal conduct policy could now be in play.
Officers initially told Jones only one gun was found during the arrest, the one belonging to Williams’ brother, who had a license to carry. Police chief James White learning of the second gun — which resided under the passenger seat — led to portions of the bodycam video being shared, which has shed light on Williams’ actions that morning. The Lions released a statement indicating Williams informed them of the arrest, and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport adds the team notified the league soon after.
“Jameson made us aware immediately that he was a passenger in a routine traffic stop on October 8th,” a Lions statement reads. “We discussed the incident with him and have kept the league informed of what we know. We understand he was released without incident or citation. It is now our understanding that the Detroit Police Department is revisiting the matter. Jameson has hired an attorney, and we will not be commenting further out of respect for the legal process.”
Given a more prominent role on offense following Josh Reynolds‘ free agency defection, Williams has shown promise in his third season. The Lions’ No. 2 wideout is averaging 21.2 yards per reception (17 catches, 361 yards) and has caught three touchdown passes. It is not certain a suspension would come, and the nature of this internal investigation may well point to any potential NFL discipline taking place in 2025. Still, Williams facing three suspensions in three years would introduce more hurdles as he attempts to make a case for a long-term run in Detroit.
The Lions have won two games without Aidan Hutchinson, the most recent a dismantling of the Titans. Detroit holds the NFC’s best record and the tiebreaker over Minnesota by virtue of a narrow Week 7 win, but the team may well need another piece to help cover for losing Hutchinson, who went down with a broken leg while holding the NFL’s sack lead.
Detroit has notched five quarterback hits in each of its past two wins, turning four from the Minnesota matchup into sacks. The Lions notched one sack against the Titans. The team, however, is playing without Hutchinson and the player added to be his primary sidekick. Marcus Davenport, who came over after missing most of last season with the Vikings, is out for the year as well due to an elbow injury.
Considering the problems the Lions have run into finding an EDGE complement to Hutchinson since drafting the standout player in 2022, it would make sense for the team to bring in help before the Nov. 5 trade deadline. Dan Campbell offered a hint that will be coming. Acknowledging the deadline as a viable tool to address this prospective concern, the fourth-year Lions HC said (via the Detroit Free Press’ Dave Birkett) a move could be imminent when asked about a potential transaction.
A weekend report named the Lions as a team that would love to acquire defensive help, and after Za’Darius Smith made interesting comments about a Detroit fit, the NFC North leaders are believed to be interested in the ex-NFC North staple-turned-Browns trade chip. The Jets reached a resolution with Haason Reddick, whom the Lions checked in on. It is worth wondering, however, if New York — which faces Houston on Thursday — could revisit trade talks involving a player whose holdout produced a seven-game absence. The Jets sit 2-6 before that Texans matchup and may find themselves, even after the Davante Adams trade, in a strange position as a potential seller.
The Lions used journeyman Al-Quadin Muhammad as an EDGE starter Sunday. No one besides Hutchinson has more than seven QB hits on their roster, and no non-Hutchinson performer has produced more than 2.5 sacks. Among pure Lions edge rushers, no one has collected more than one sack. It would seem a move will happen, and given the Lions’ surge over the past two seasons, how they go about filling this need will be one of the trade deadline’s top subplots.
With the trade deadline nearing, more player movement can be expected during the coming days. Of course, a key factor in any deals will be the financial situation for contenders aiming to bolster their rosters for the second half of the campaign.
Just like last year, the 49ers find themselves with considerable cap space to work with. The team has several reasons to roll over as many funds as possible into the offseason, however, with Brock Purdyeligible for an extension and the likes of Charvarius Ward, Deommodore Lenoirand Talanoa Hufangaon track for free agency. Major investments including a commitment beyond 2024 would thus come as a surprise.
San Francisco is among the teams to watch regarding an addition, and major injuries on both sides of the ball could lead to a stop-gap solution being targeted. The 49ers may also be open to moving away players before the deadline, though, with Ward being named as potential candidate to be dealt. Sitting at 3-4, the team’s bid to return to the Super Bowl has not gone as planned to date, but a notable midseason addition could certainly change things.
Having lost Aidan Hutchinsonuntil at least the Super Bowl, the Lions have an obvious need along the edge. Replacing his production with any one addition will not be feasible, but bringing in at least a rotational option would not come as a surprise. Indeed, Detroit has been involved in the edge market with respect to showing interest in some of the veterans who could be on the move.
That list no longer includes Haason Reddick, but the Lions have also been connected to Za’Darius Smith. The Browns have already moved Amari Cooper, so it would come as little surprise if the team were to deal away the three-time Pro Bowler in a move which would allow him to return to the NFC North. Smith certainly seems to be open to a trade, and Detroit would easily be able to absorb the remainder of his $1.2MM 2024 salary.
While Smith could be on the move, fellow Cleveland edge rusher Myles Garrettis (understandably) seen as untouchable. That is also the case for Raiders start Maxx Crosby, with owner Mark Davis making it clear a trade will not be considered before or after the deadline. Even though the Titans have been active already on the trade front, they too will not entertain a deal involving two-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons. While talks have taken place related to Cooper Kupp, the Rams do not expect to move on from the former Super Bowl MVP.
The Titans have already started pivoting to 2025, with the organization having dealt wideout DeAndre Hopkins and linebacker Ernest Jones over the past week. While the front office will likely continue to sell off players with an eye towards the future, one piece that is likely staying put is defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons.
According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, Simmons is considered “off-limits” in trade talks. The Titans believe the defensive lineman is a “big part of their future,” and the rebuilding squad presumably has Simmons penciled in to their future cap sheets.
The former first-round pick has spent his entire career in Tennessee, earning a pair of All-Pro nods while collecting 26.5 sacks. The lineman inked a four-year, $94MM extension with the organization prior to the 2023 campaign, but he was limited to only 12 games that season before landing on IR.
The 27-year-old has appeared in five of the Titans’ six games this year, collecting 17 stops and one sack. Pro Football Focus has ranked Simmons 18th among 119 qualifying interior defenders this season, including the third-best positional grade for run defense.
Naturally, a number of teams would love to add the six-foot-four, 305-pound lineman to their defense, with Russini specifically pointing to the Lions, Ravens, and Vikings. Those squads would also likely be eyeing Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby and Browns pass rusher Myles Garrett, although Russini echoes previousreports that those two players won’t be moved. Instead, the reporter suggests DL-needy teams could look to the likes of Jadeveon Clowney (Panthers), Preston Smith (Packers), and Za’Darius Smith (Browns).
The NFC North has been the best division in football this season. All four teams reside above .500 and carry a combined 19-7 record (.733 winning percentage) that far outpaces the other seven divisions’ marks.
If the season ended today, all four NFC North teams would make the playoffs, which would be the first time an entire division qualified for the postseason since the NFL added a third wildcard in 2020 (it was impossible for this to occur from 2002-19). But each team will be aiming to win the division, which would guarantee home-field advantage in the wild-card round and potentially beyond.
The Lions finished Week 7 atop the division at 5-1 with a plus-62 point differential that leads the NFC. Jared Goffis playing at an MVP level after signing a massive extension in May, leading an offense that ranks second in the league with 6.4 yards per play. Detroit has largely carried over its success under offensive coordinator Ben Johnson from last season after spending most of their money this offseason on internal extensions for Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Penei Sewell, and Taylor Decker. A two-game suspension forJameson Williamswill force other playmakers to step up in the coming weeks, but the backfield duo of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery has churned out almost 200 yards from scrimmage per game this season.
The Lions focused on defense for their external additions in the offseason, trading for Carlton Davisand signing D.J. Reader and Marcus Davenport in free agency. After giving up 24.3 points per game in 2023, the seventh-most in the league, Detroit has surrendered just 20 points per game this year, the ninth-fewest. Injuries have plagued the unit, however, with Davenport and Derrick Barnes suffering season-ending injuries and Aidan Hutchinson‘s Defensive Player of the Year campaign coming to a screeching halt with a broken tibia and fibula in Week 7.
Hutchinson does have an outside shot to return if the Lions make the Super Bowl, but he won’t play again in the regular season, depriving the defense of its most impactful pass rusher and run defender. Detroit has the third-hardest strength of schedule remaining; its remaining opponents have a combined .581 winning percentage. The Lions may need to look for edge-rushing help at the trade deadline to withstand the losses of Hutchinson and Davenport. They checked in with Haason Reddick‘s camp, before he ended his Jets holdout, and are believed to be interested inZa’Darius Smith.
The Vikings started the season as the NFL’s hottest team, stringing together five straight wins before back-to-back losses to the Lions and the Rams dropped them to 5-2 and second place in the NFC North. Minnesota underwent a minor roster overhaul this offseason, letting Kirk Cousins and Danielle Hunter walk in free agency and replacing them with less expensive options in Sam Darnold and Jonathan Greenard. The surplus money went toward Justin Jefferson‘s record-setting contract as well as veteran free agents like Aaron Jones, Andrew Van Ginkel, Blake Cashman, and Shaquill Griffin. The Vikings also traded up twice in the draft to select Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthywith the 10th overall pick, though a preseason meniscus tear prematurely ended his rookie year.
Kevin O’Connell is an early frontrunner for Coach of the Year after resurrecting the career of Darnold, the No. 3 pick in the 2018 draft. The Vikings’ offense ranks sixth with 26.9 points per game on the back of another dominant start from Jefferson, while Brian Flores‘ defense has allowed just 19.6 points per game with one of the league’s best run defenses and relentless blitzing against the pass. Their 0.545 strength of schedule remaining is the seventh-hardest in the league, but the easiest of the NFC North, giving them a solid chance at retaking the division lead by the end of the season.
The third-place Packers are also 5-2, with a loss to the Vikings already on their record. They managed to win two games with Malik Willis, whom they acquired via trade with the Titans in August, at quarterback after Jordan Love‘s Week 1 MCL sprain. Green Bay made Love the highest-paid player in NFL history in July, and he has delivered thus far with an average of 270.2 yards and three touchdowns through the air per game this year.
Love’s quick recovery from injury and return to high-level play bodes well for his long-term future as a franchise quarterback. The Packers also extended Kenny Clark and signed Xavier McKinney and Josh Jacobs to free agency contracts during the offseason as they moved on from veterans David Bakhtiari, De’Vondre Campbell, and Aaron Jones.
The Packers’ 11 turnovers committed this season rank are the fourth-most in the league, but their 6.1 yards per play and 26.6 points per game are both top-seven marks. If they can take care of the football, they should finish as one of the NFL’s best offenses. The defense, meanwhile, ranks in the top 10 of both points per game and yards per play allowed with a league-leading 17 turnovers. Green Bay’s .544 strength of schedule remaining is the fifth-hardest in the NFL, but the team has avoided major injuries to key players.
The 4-2 Bears represent one of the league’s biggest surprises after remaking their franchise overnight with the selection of Caleb Williams with the first overall pick. Williams withstood some early hiccups to rip off three consecutive wins with 71 combined points in the last two weeks. Chicago also invested in its wide receiver room, extending D.J. Moore, trading for Keenan Allen, and drafting Rome Odunze in the first round to give Williams a strong array of weapons to ease his adjustment to the pros. The Bears also signed D’Andre Swift to lead their backfield after rotating between three running backs last season. The offense has been inefficient with just 4.7 yards per play, the fifth-fewest in the league, but they have been clinical in the red zone with a 70.6% touchdown rate.
Chicago also invested in its secondary over the offseason with a major extension for Jaylon Johnson and the addition of Kevin Byard in free agency. The Bears have reaped the rewards with the fourth-fewest points per game (16.8) and the fifth-fewest yards per play (5.0) and per game (292.0) allowed.
The Bears have benefitted from an easy schedule, beating the struggling quarterbacks of the Titans and the Panthers as well as an injured Rams team and a slumping Jaguars squad in London. The rest of the season will be more difficult, with a league-high .613 strength of schedule remaining that will make the playoffs an uphill climb for Chicago. Still, even finishing above .500 would be a resounding success for the long-suffering franchise and a clear sign that this regime is on the right track.
How will this division’s historically successful start turn out over the next two-plus months? Vote in PFR’s latest poll and weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section.
