Dolphins Took Calls On Jaylen Waddle; Broncos Showed Interest
Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle came up as a trade candidate in advance of Tuesday’s deadline. Ultimately, no deal came together for the 26-year-old, who will finish the season in Miami.
The Dolphins took calls on Waddle, but their asking price of a first-round pick and more was too high for other clubs, according to Connor Hughes of SNY.
With the Broncos in the market for a receiver, they were among a few teams to reach out to the Dolphins regarding Waddle’s availability, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reports. In the end, though, the AFC West leaders didn’t add Waddle or any other wideout on Tuesday. Head coach Sean Payton said the Broncos weren’t close to a trade, adding they’re content with their roster (via Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette).
Depending on how the rest of the campaign unfolds, it’s possible the Broncos (and other teams) will circle back to Waddle during the offseason. By then, the Dolphins will have a new general manager who could be amenable to moving Waddle. Even if the Dolphins promote interim GM Champ Kelly, who took over for the ousted Chris Grier last week, a deal may not be out of the question. Unlike Grier, Kelly was at least willing to listen to offers for Waddle.
If Waddle does stay with the Dolphins in 2026, which will be his sixth season, the former Alabama standout is likely to function as their No. 1 wideout again. Tyreek Hill was Miami’s leading receiver in each of the previous three years, but after suffering a season-ending knee injury in late September, he may have played his last game with the team. The Dolphins are expected to release Hill before the new league year begins in March.
Despite subpar quarterback play this season from Tua Tagovailoa, who may be playing for his job, Waddle is on pace for his fourth 1,000-yard showing. Nine games into 2025, Waddle has racked up 41 catches, 586 yards, and four touchdowns. With Waddle continuing to excel and under team control through 2028, Miami isn’t in any hurry to part with him.
Bills Eyeing Deebo Samuel, Von Miller?
Wide receiver and defensive line are among areas the Bills could address before the trade deadline. With 3 p.m. CT fast approaching, Commanders receiver Deebo Samuel and pass rusher Von Miller are names to watch for Buffalo, according to Tim Graham of The Athletic.
The Commanders were expected to remain NFC contenders this year after advancing to the conference title game last season. With an eye on bettering their chances in 2025, they swung an offseason deal with the 49ers for Samuel. Through his first eight games with the Commanders, Samuel leads the team in receptions (42) and yards (367, on just 8.7 per catch), and he has added four touchdowns.
Several months after trading for Samuel, the Commanders signed Miller to a one-year, $6.1MM contract over the summer. That came after the longtime Bronco spent three seasons as a member of the Bills, with whom he could reunite. Miller has only played 35% of defensive snaps for the Commanders, but the 36-year-old has collected four sacks in nine games.
Even though Samuel and Miller have been productive, the 3-6 Commanders may be ready to wave the white flag during an injury-plagued season. Quarterback Jayden Daniels suffered what could be a season-ending elbow injury in a loss to the Seahawks in Week 9. With little room for error left and Daniels out for the foreseeable future, it could lead to exits for Samuel and/or Miller.
The Bills rank toward the bottom of the NFL in spending space, though they did create $1.75MM in breathing room when they restructured cornerback Taron Johnson‘s contract on Monday. That could help them fit either Samuel or Miller under the cap. Samuel, like Miller, is due to become a free agent after the season. The 29-year-old is earning a $1.57MM base salary with a $5.16MM cap hit.
If he ends up with the Bills, Samuel will immediately become the most established member of their receiving corps. Slot target Khalil Shakir has been effective again in 2025. However, second-year man Keon Coleman has underwhelmed, Josh Palmer has been out since mid-October with a knee/ankle injury, and no other Bills wideout has caught double-digit passes.
The Bills released Miller last March to open up cap space and then quickly replaced him with another decorated pass rusher in Joey Bosa. That decision has worked out well for the Bills, who are off to a 6-2 start and have received strong work from Bosa.
While Injuries have been a problem throughout Bosa’s career, he has stayed healthy this season. The rest of the Bills’ D-line hasn’t been as lucky, though. Starting tackle Ed Oliver suffered a torn biceps in Week 8 and won’t return until the postseason (if at all). End Michael Hoecht went down with a season-ending torn Achilles in Week 9.
With Oliver and Hoecht unavailable for the second half, it could point the Bills back to Miller. In returning to Buffalo, he’d join a group of outside pass rushers that currently includes Bosa, Greg Rousseau, and A.J. Epenesa.
Jets RB Breece Hall Wants Trade
After already swinging two jaw-dropping trades on Tuesday, the Jets are attempting to make yet another move leading up to the 3 p.m. CT deadline, veteran insider Jordan Schultz reports. The Jets previously said goodbye to two defensive cornerstones, cornerback Sauce Gardner and lineman Quinnen Williams, in blockbusters with the Colts and Cowboys.
With Gardner and Williams gone, running back Breece Hall wants a trade, per Schultz . Despite Hall’s wishes, expectations are that the Jets will retain him, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
While Hall is due to reach free agency in the offseason, making him a pure rental for an acquiring club, the Jets are requesting a third-round pick in return, according to Dianna Russini of The Athletic. Although contenders like the Chiefs, Chargers, and Patriots have come up as speculative fits for the 24-year-old, no one has met the Jets’ asking price. However, there are offers on the table for Hall, Connor Hughes of SNY relays.
If a Hall trade doesn’t come together, it’s possible the Jets will make an attempt to re-sign the fourth-year man and former second-rounder between now and the offseason. Hall has won over rookie head coach Aaron Glenn, who said in mid-October there were no plans to trade him (there probably weren’t plans to trade Gardner or Williams then either). One of the few bright spots on a 1-7 team, Hall has rushed for 581 yards and two touchdowns on 5.0 YPC this season.
With the Jets seemingly unafraid to part with anyone, Hall will continue to be a name to watch going up to the deadline. The same goes for EDGE rusher Jermaine Johnson, who’s reportedly generating second-round offers.
Jalen Ramsey Sticking At Safety In Week 10
Jalen Ramsey has starred at cornerback since entering the NFL as the fifth overall pick of the Jaguars in 2016. Nine years later, a position change may be in store for the seven-time Pro Bowler.
After Ramsey lined up at free safety in a 27-20 win over the Colts last Sunday, he’ll work “exclusively” at the position as the Steelers prepare to face the Chargers on Sunday, according to head coach Mike Tomlin (via Brooke Pryor of ESPN). The Steelers have updated their depth chart, placing Ramsey as the starting free safety, Kyle Dugger as the No. 1 strong safety, and Brandin Echols as their top slot cornerback, per team correspondent Mark Kaboly.
When discussing Ramsey this week (via Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette), Tomlin said that his ability to handle multiple positions “will provide opportunities for Brandin Echols to step up, which he did, and play more nickel. It will give guys like James Pierre more reps outside. We have more depth at corner than we do safety right now. We’re simply pivoting and doing what’s required to keep the train rolling.”
As Tomlin alluded to, the Steelers were severely shorthanded at safety against the Colts’ top-ranked offense, necessitating Ramsey’s switch from corner. DeShon Elliott, Jabrill Peppers, Chuck Clark, and Miles Killebrew were all out with injuries and/or illnesses. Meanwhile, Dugger played his first game as a Steeler after they acquired him from the Patriots last Tuesday. Ramsey (78) and Dugger (77) ended up among Pittsburgh’s leaders in defensive snaps during a six-turnover, five-sack performance.
Just months after trading safety Minkah Fitzpatrick to Miami in a June blockbuster that delivered Ramsey (and Jonnu Smith) to Pittsburgh, the Steelers are now relying on Ramsey to help strengthen the position. As Pro Football Focus’ 32nd-ranked corner out of 107 qualifiers, Ramsey has been a bright spot on a struggling Steelers defense this year. While the team is 5-3 and atop the AFC North, its pass defense ranks last in the NFL.
Unless the Steelers move Ramsey back to corner, he’s in line to join Peppers, Clark, Dugger, and Juan Thornhill as their choices at safety for the rest of the season. Elliott and Killebrew (primarily a special teamer) are on IR with knee injuries and questionable to return in 2025. Ramsey said back in 2021 that he’d one day like to emulate Charles Woodson, a Hall of Famer who made a successful transition from corner to safety late in his career. Four years later, Ramsey may be getting his wish.
Bears To Acquire Joe Tryon-Shoyinka From Browns
The Bears entered deadline day eyeing help along the defensive line. With the deadline approaching, Chicago has agreed to acquire pass rusher Joe Tryon-Shoyinka from Cleveland, Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports reports.
The Bears will also receive a seventh-round pick, while the Browns will nab a sixth-rounder, per Adam Schefter of ESPN. The seventh-rounder originally belonged to the Eagles, according to Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal. The Browns acquired the selection from the Jaguars last month in the teams’ Greg Newsome–Tyson Campbell trade.
Months after the Buccaneers won Super Bowl LV, they used the 32nd overall pick in the draft on Tryon-Shoyinka in 2021. The former Washington Huskie spent his first four years in Tampa Bay, where he started in 45 of 66 appearances and collected 15 sacks. That wasn’t enough to prevent the Buccaneers from allowing Tryon-Shoyinka to walk in free agency last winter.
Tryon-Shoyinka’s first trip to the open market led him to Cleveland on a one-year, $4.75MM pact. Despite appearing in all eight of the Browns’ games this season, Tryon-Shoyinka wasn’t much of a factor before the trade. The 26-year-old combined for just 89 snaps between defense and special teams. The majority of his snaps (58) came as part of the ST unit. He totaled nine tackles and no sacks with the out-of-contention Browns, who are now moving in another direction.
The Bears, 5-3 and in playoff contention, are unsurprisingly adding to their defensive line after losing end Dayo Odeyingbo to a season-ending Achilles tear in a 47-42 win over the Bengals in Week 9. Considering Odeyingbo led Bears D-linemen in snaps, it’s possible the Bears will aim for further additions before the deadline.
With the Bears ranking toward the bottom of the league in sacks (17), 26th in total defense, and 29th in points per game allowed, Tryon-Shoyinka may not move the needle much for Chicago. Nevertheless, the Bears will hope Tryon-Shoyinka can make more of an impact in their uniform than he did with the Browns. If Tryon-Shoyinka does prove to be a solid buy-low pickup for the Bears, they could re-sign him before he returns to free agency next offseason.
Cowboys Eyeing Further Defensive Additions
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said on Monday that the team would make at least one trade before Tuesday’s deadline. Jones delivered, acquiring linebacker Logan Wilson from the Bengals for a 2026 seventh-round pick. With just a few hours left until the 3 p.m. CT deadline, Jones may not be done yet.
Despite dropping to 3-5-1 with a 27-17 loss to the Cardinals on Monday, Jones hasn’t ruled out further additions. Jones told 105.3 The Fan that there are potential trades available that could benefit the Cowboys now and in the future (via Jon Machota of The Athletic). It doesn’t seem that the Cowboys have any interest in trading away anyone from their roster, however, per Machota.
Speaking to the media after Monday’s loss, Jones said, “I like our nuts and bolts a lot.”
If that’s true, the Cowboys may be less likely to move on from defensive tackle Mazi Smith, who’s reportedly a trade candidate. Smith was a 17-game starter last year, but he has mostly disappointed since Dallas took him 26th overall in the 2023 draft. The former Michigan Wolverine hasn’t started in any of his five appearances this year, and he has totaled just 89 defensive snaps and three tackles. The Cowboys made him a healthy inactive against the Cardinals.
Regardless of whether a change of scenery is in store for Smith, it seems likely that any more additions on Tuesday would come on the defensive side of the ball. The Cowboys’ defense has been the worst in the NFC this year, and the Wilson pickup alone likely won’t be enough to orchestrate a dramatic turnaround. Cognizant of that, the Cowboys are continuing to work the phones looking for more defensive help, Jay Glazer of FOX Sports relays.
A report on Monday connected Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson and Dolphins linebacker Bradley Chubb to the Cowboys. As a pending free agent, Hendrickson would be a pure rental, though the Cowboys have the cap room to re-sign the pass-rushing menace to a lucrative multiyear deal. Chubb is under wraps through 2027, meaning he’s technically not a rental, but none of the $39.5MM he’s owed over the next two seasons is guaranteed.
There are other possibilities beyond Hendrickson and Chubb, and Jones previously indicated the Cowboys would consider adding players under control beyond 2025. With Jones willing to deal draft capital from the Micah Parsons blockbuster he pulled off with Green Bay before the season, Dallas remains a team to watch leading up to the deadline.
Commanders Not Making Defensive Staff Changes
Even before quarterback Jayden Daniels suffered a serious elbow injury in the fourth quarter on Sunday, the Commanders were in the late stages of a nightmarish showing against the Seahawks. Seattle jumped out to a 24-point halftime lead and coasted to a 38-14 victory, handing Washington its fourth consecutive loss.
The Commanders were one of the NFL’s pleasant surprises during a 12-win season in which they advanced to the NFC title game last year. Now 3-6 in 2025, they’ve already surpassed last season’s loss total. The Commanders’ defensive drop-off has contributed to their decline.
After finishing seventh in total defense and 10th in scoring under the first-year duo of head coach Dan Quinn and D-coordinator Joe Whitt Jr., the Commanders have plummeted to 25th and 22nd in those categories this season. Nevertheless, Quinn said Monday that he won’t make any changes to the defensive staff (via John Keim of ESPN).
Whitt, who calls the plays, will move to the field from the press box in Week 10, Quinn revealed. It remains to be seen whether that will make Whitt’s job any easier against a formidable Detroit offense. He’ll likely have to go without linebacker Frankie Luvu after the NFL issued him a one-game suspension on Monday for hip-drop tackle violations. Luvu is appealing the ruling.
The Commanders will enter the Lions game having dropped three straight contests by at least 21 points. Their most recent lopsided defeat continued a rough start for a pass defense that ranks 29th in the league. Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold, who completed his first 17 passes, saw his MVP odds climb after finishing 21 of 24 for 330 yards and four touchdowns. While the Commanders did intercept Darnold once, they’ve forced just six turnovers this year. Only the Jets and Packers have generated fewer takeaways.
Adding to the Commanders’ adversity during a season loaded with it, cornerback Marshon Lattimore tore his ACL in Week 9. Lattimore, who ranks first among Commanders corners in snaps, will miss the rest of the campaign as a result.
Washington opened 2025 with Lattimore and defensive ends Deatrich Wise and Dorance Armstrong among its starters, but all three have since suffered season-ending injuries. The Commanders’ defensive staff will remain intact, though, and it’ll have to continue to make do with a shorthanded group of players during the last couple months of the season.
Cowboys’ Stephen Jones Backs Matt Eberflus
Despite boasting one of the NFL’s most productive offenses, the Cowboys entered Monday’s game against the Cardinals with a lackluster 3-4-1 record. A struggling defense has been the main culprit. The Cowboys are 31st in the NFL in both points and yards allowed per game, beating out only the Bengals’ historically bad stop unit in those two categories.
While things have gone poorly under under first-year defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones is hopeful he’ll return as the team’s DC in 2026 (via Jon Machota of The Athletic).
“(We hope) the situation is going to continue to evolve, which I know it will. Coach Eberflus has been a high-end coach,” Jones told 105.3 The Fan last Friday. “I know right now he’s not satisfied with where we are. We all have to be better as a team, all our players, all our coaches, all our executives, ownership, everybody needs to look in the mirror and see where they can be better.”
This is the second time in recent weeks that Dallas higher-ups have spoken well of Eberflus. Owner Jerry Jones and head coach Brian Schottenheimer publicly backed Eberflus on Oct. 14. The Cowboys were then coming off a 30-27 loss to the Panthers in which they surrendered 410 total yards, including 216 rushing. Dallas went into Monday hoping to bounce back from a 44-24 loss to Denver in Week 8. The Broncos amassed 426 yards, 179 on the ground, and quarterback Bo Nix torched the Cowboys for four touchdown passes.
Regardless of how the Cowboys’ defense fares against the Cardinals, it seems the Eberflus-coached unit is poised to add outside reinforcements before Tuesday’s trade deadline. Doing so should make his job easier. Jerry Jones said Monday that the Cowboys had already agreed to one trade – presumably a move on the defensive side – and added that they “possibly could make two more.” A report has since linked the Cowboys to two Bengals defenders, end Trey Hendrickson and linebacker Logan Wilson, as well as Dolphins linebacker Bradley Chubb.
As an elite pass rusher, Hendrickson would be the highest-impact (not to mention the most expensive) acquisition of the three. He’d also help the Cowboys replace departed superstar Micah Parsons, whom they traded to the Packers before the season.
On the heels of a 14-32 stint as the Bears’ head coach, Eberflus has drawn plenty of criticism in his new post with the Cowboys this year. However, the team’s decision to jettison Parsons in late August hasn’t done Eberflus any favors. Having successfully coordinated the Colts’ defense from 2018-21, the Cowboys aren’t ready to give up on the 55-year-old. Depending on how the deadline unfolds, Eberflus could have more talent to work with when the Cowboys come off a Week 10 bye.
Kyle Shanahan Gives Brock Purdy Vote Of Confidence
While 49ers backup quarterback Mac Jones continued a resurgent 2025 in a 34-24 win over the Giants in Week 9, he will not play his way into the team’s starting job. Head coach Kyle Shanahan made it clear on Monday that Jones will return to a No. 2 role when starter Brock Purdy is ready to come back from a toe injury.
Asked if Jones’ play has allowed the 49ers to be more cautious with Purdy, Shanahan said (via Matt Barrows of The Athletic): “They’re not related. This is Brock’s team. When Brock’s good to go and everything and can play like Brock, there’s no decision to be made.”
After going 15th overall to the Patriots in the 2021 draft, Jones finished second in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting and helped the Pats to a playoff berth. The Alabama product was unable to replicate his first-season output with the Patriots or the Jaguars from 2022-24, though, leading him to ink a two-year, $7MM contract with the 49ers last offseason.
Jones reportedly turned down richer offers to function as Purdy’s backup, but choosing San Francisco has worked out well for him and the team. With Purdy having missed seven of the 49ers’ nine games, including five in a row, Jones has led the 6-3 club to a 5-2 record in his starts. The 27-year-old has completed 67.2% of passes for 1,832 yards, 10 touchdowns, and five interceptions in the process. He ranks a solid 15th in the league in QBR.
After picking up his fourth win in Week 7, Jones earned $400K in incentives, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. He collected another $100K for the 49ers’ Week 9 victory, which will continue to be the case as long as he plays at least 25% of offensive snaps, according to Dan Graziano of ESPN. Jones will rake in another $550K if he plays 50% of offensive snaps this season and the 49ers earn a playoff berth.
It’s unclear whether Purdy will play this Sunday against the NFC West rival Rams (6-2), who lost at home to Jones and the 49ers in Week 5. Regardless, it’s unsurprising that Shanahan is continuing to back Purdy, one of the team’s greatest individual success stories during his eight-plus years as the head coach.
Purdy quickly went from Mr. Irrelevant – the last overall pick in the 2022 draft – to establishing himself as a high-end starter. The 49ers went 17-4 with Purdy at the helm through the 2023 regular season, which ended with an overtime loss to the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII.
San Francisco failed to make the playoffs during an injury-plagued 2024 in which Purdy’s numbers declined. However, that didn’t stop the 49ers from signing the 25-year-old to a mammoth extension last May. Just months removed from securing a five-year, $265MM deal that includes $181MM in guarantees, Purdy is in no danger of a demotion to clipboard-holding duties. The only question is when he’ll be healthy enough to start again.
Bills Restructure Taron Johnson’s Contract
With approximately $1.67MM available (per Over the Cap), the Bills entered the week with the least amount of cap space in the NFL. General manager Brandon Beane now has a bit more wiggle room ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline, though.
The Bills have restructured cornerback Taron Johnson‘s contract, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com. The team opened up $1.75MM in spending space by converting base salary into a signing bonus.
A fourth-round pick out of Weber State in 2018, Johnson has spent his entire career with the Bills and emerged as one of the league’s most respected nickel corners. The Bills made him the league’s highest-paid slot CB in signing Johnson to a three-year, $31MM extension in March 2024. Johnson’s payday is no longer at the top of the mountain for his position. Regardless, he’s under wraps through 2027.
Johnson missed a 28-21 win over the Chiefs on Sunday with a groin injury, but the Bills’ secondary delivered a strong performance in his absence. The Bills’ defensive backfield remains an area they could address before the deadline, though, especially with more cap room available.
With starter Taylor Rapp and backup Damar Hamlin likely done for the season as a result of knee and pectoral injuries, respectively, the Bills have reportedly been eyeing available safeties. Cole Bishop, who stood out against the Chiefs, and 34-year-old Jordan Poyer are now Buffalo’s top safeties. Cam Lewis and Jordan Hancock are the team’s primary depth choices.
While a safety acquisition is possible by Tuesday, the Bills likely have more pressing needs at wide receiver and along the defensive line as the deadline approaches. They’ve been frequently linked to both areas in the rumor mill, and the D-line has seen multiple important contributors go down in the past couple of weeks. Ed Oliver won’t return until the playoffs (if at all) after suffering a torn biceps in a win over Carolina in Week 8. Michael Hoecht then tore his Achilles on Sunday, ending his season.
The Bills were already in the market for D-line help before losing the versatile Hoecht, who shined over two games after missing the first six of the season for a PED suspension. Now armed with more cap space, Beane may attempt to bolster the Bills’ defensive front with at least one outside acquisition.