The NFL’s trade deadline is inching closer by the hour.

So, before this weekend’s games commence and before an expected flurry of moves ahead of the Nov. 4 deadline, what’s the latest? We gathered intel and insight from The Athletic’s beat reporters on what teams are eyeing, planning to do and planning not to do.

Advertisement

What are our writers hearing about the players who may be on the move? What swerves or surprises could be on the horizon? Read below for more.

Atlanta Falcons

Kirk Cousins remains the biggest name in the news for the Falcons ahead of the trade deadline, but several factors make a deal for the veteran quarterback unlikely.

First, Cousins made his first start of the season in Week 8, replacing the injured Michael Penix Jr. and having a solid, but mediocre game (21-for-31 passing for 173 yards) in a terrible 34-10 loss to the Dolphins. Is there a team out there willing to give up a Day 2 draft pick for a 37-year-old quarterback with two-plus years and $115 million of cap hits remaining on his contract? Probably not.

Second, even though Cousins told Falcons owner Arthur Blank during an offseason meeting that he wanted to be traded to a team with which he could start again, Atlanta kept him on the roster. And while Cousins has reportedly reiterated his desire to be moved in recent weeks, given what the Falcons would get in return — a late-round pick — it seems likely they’d rather stand pat and keep him as insurance for Penix. — Josh Kendall

Baltimore Ravens

Despite their litany of issues over the first two months of the season, the Ravens have consistently expressed confidence that they will turn things around, that better days are ahead and that their season goals are within reach. It always felt unlikely that general manager Eric DeCosta would have directed a roster-wide teardown before the trade deadline — even with the team carrying roughly two-dozen pending free agents. DeCosta and the organization’s top decision-makers are uber competitive, and selling off pieces and essentially waving the white flag on a season that once held great promise would go against everything the Ravens preach. — Jeff Zrebiec | Read more

Advertisement

Buffalo Bills

The Bills have some decisions to make about which positions to address at the deadline — though they’ll have to do so on a tight budget. Saints wide receiver Chris Olave is legitimately a perfect fit for the Bills schematically as the locked-in Z receiver. He can challenge all three levels of the defense as an outstanding separator and target earner, and he still has a ceiling to reach in his game. If added, he would become a go-to target for Josh Allen.

The trouble is, the Saints know how good Olave is and, at least at this point, it seems more likely they extend him than move him. The cost to acquire would be high, too. But if there’s a significant move to make, this is the one, given what it could do for the offense. — Joe Buscaglia | Read more

Carolina Panthers

The Panthers believe they’re building something with third-year quarterback Bryce Young, second-year head coach Dave Canales and several core players they’ve signed to long-term extensions (Derrick Brown, Chuba Hubbard, Jaycee Horn, Taylor Moton). So, while teams might ask about the availability of an in-his-prime, Pro-Bowler like Brown — as the Cowboys did when GM Dan Morgan called about Micah Parsons — Morgan isn’t going to undermine the building process by shipping off one of the foundational blocks.

I’