Insider notes on trade deadline: Maxx Crosby-Cowboys possibility, Breece Hall eyed by AFC West team, Jaylen Waddle linked to Super Bowl contenders

With a little more than 10 days left before the NFL trade deadline on November 4, the buzz is getting louder. Who will be buyers, and which teams will be looking to sell? For some franchises, that answer will be determined over the next two games.

Mark Andrews' future

During the preseason, there was talk that the Baltimore Ravens would look to cut tight end Mark Andrews, who is in the final season of the four-year extension signed back in 2021. It was a rumor I put to rest during the Combine, yet with the Ravens doing so poorly this season with a 1-5 record, sources tell me that the team could move not only Andrews but also other players in the final year of their contract. If they lose to the Chicago Bears this weekend, league insiders expect the Ravens to be sellers as the trade deadline approaches.

Conversely, the Pittsburgh Steelers, a divisional foe of the Ravens and the team presently on top of the AFC North, are in the market for another wide receiver and have been inquiring about players available at the position. The depth at wideout really falls off for Pittsburgh after DK Metcalf, who the team traded for in the offseason, as Calvin Austin III is the Steelers’ No. 2 receiver.

Steelers eyeing Jaylen Waddle and Calvin Ridley

Two names I am hearing as trade targets are Jaylen Waddle of the Miami Dolphins and Calvin Ridley of the Tennessee Titans. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Dolphins don’t plan on trading Waddle, but that could change if Miami continues to lose and the right deal is placed in front of them. Waddle’s contract, which has a huge number in 2027, could also be a hurdle teams must overcome. Ridley has not been very productive this season and won’t cost much in terms of draft picks.

The other name to keep an eye on is Jakobi Meyers, who wants out of Las Vegas and whose name has consistently been linked to the Steelers. Sources tell me there is legitimacy on a Meyers to Pittsburgh deal, though other teams have inquired about the Raiders wide out.

Maxx Crosby's stance on Cowboys rumors

While there were reports that the Dallas Cowboys inquired about Maxx Crosby, those close to the situation don’t expect the Las Vegas Raiders pass rusher to be traded to Dallas or any other team, for that matter. I’m told that although Crosby wants to win, he is happy in Las Vegas.

Breece Hall's future in NY

During the preseason, there was talk that the Jets would look to move Breece Hall at some point, and those rumblings have gotten louder as the team’s record stands at a league-worst 0-7. There is plenty of interest for Hall, who is in the final year of his rookie contract, but sources close to the team tell me that the Jets' lack of depth at running back has them hesitant to make a deal.

The potential of Braelon Allen being the team’s feature runner made moving Hall much easier to swallow, as I wrote about in the preseason, but that dynamic changed after the former fourth-round pick went on injured reserve. Allen sprained an MCL returning a kick during a Monday night loss to the Miami Dolphins at the end of September and is expected to be gone 8-12 weeks. This means Allen, who recently underwent surgery to repair the injury, won’t be back until the start of December, at the earliest, if he’s even back at all this season.

If they trade Hall, it would mean Isaiah Davis, the team’s fifth-round pick in 2024, becomes the feature runner. A solid pass catcher out of the backfield, Davis has carried the ball a combined 40 times the past season and a half. After Davis, next on the depth chart is Kene Nwangwu, who has struggled with injury since entering the league in 2021 and has 27 carries on his ledger. As someone said to me, “If they trade Hall, who are they going to hand the ball to?”

Najee Harris' future with Chargers

Sources tell me that it’s possible the Los Angeles Chargers trade for a running back if they can get one on the cheap. Najee Harris, who signed a one-year deal in the offseason, was lost to an Achilles tear in Week 3. First-round draft pick Omarion Hampton was placed on injured reserve after suffering an ankle injury in a Week 5 loss to the Washington Commanders. The earliest Hampton could return is November 9, when the Chargers host the Steelers for a Sunday Night contest.

Sources speculate that Hall to the Chargers with a one-year extension is not out of the question, though it may cost Los Angeles more draft capital than they want to part with.