Raiders Rumors: Meyers, Stokes, JPJ
The Raiders have placed a high asking price on wide receiver Jakobi Meyers, but that hasn’t stopped other teams from inquiring about his availability before Tuesday’s trade deadline. Buffalo and Pittsburgh (previously reported) are among the teams that have called Las Vegas, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports.
Although Meyers will be a free agent after the season, the Raiders are seeking a Day 2 draft pick in return for the soon-to-be 29-year-old. Meyers set career highs with 87 catches, 129 targets, and 1,027 yards during a four-touchdown showing in 2024. His numbers have dipped this year with new starting quarterback Geno Smith running the offense. Six games into his season, Meyers has hauled in 29 of 43 targets for 329 yards and gone without a TD.
Despite Meyers’ drop in production, it’s hardly a shock that the Bills and Steelers have checked in on him ahead of deadline day. Both AFC contenders have been aggressively seeking wideouts.
Outside of slot target Khalil Shakir, Bills receivers have failed to step up. Meanwhile, the Steelers are lacking a proven WR2 behind D.K. Metcalf. The Bills ($1.67MM) and Steelers ($5.89MM) are low in available spending space, meaning either would have to get creative to add Meyers. He’s playing out the year on a $10.5MM base salary and a $14.962MM cap hit.
Aside from Meyers, Raiders cornerback Eric Stokes and guard Jackson Powers-Johnson have also drawn interest, according to Albert Breer of SI.com. Stokes is a pending free agent on a last-place team, but the Raiders have told inquiring clubs that they’re uninterested in trading him. The former Packer joined the Raiders on a one-year deal last March and has started in all six of his appearances this year. Stokes is second among Raiders cornerbacks in snap share, while Pro Football Focus ranks his performance a solid 38th among 113 qualifiers at his position.
The Raiders may be more amenable to moving Powers-Johnson, per Breer. While he’s not far removed from going in the second round of the 2024 draft, that was under the previous regime of general manager Tom Telesco and head coach Antonio Pierce.
A former Oregon Duck, Powers-Johnson won the Rimington Trophy as the best center in college football in 2023. Working at center and guard as a rookie last year, he started in 14 of 15 appearances. Powers-Johnson’s role has changed this season under new head coach Pete Carroll, who has used him exclusively at guard. The 22-year-old has started in five of six games, but Carroll benched him for Alex Cappa in a 31-0 loss to the Chiefs in Week 7. With the Raiders coming out of their bye and set to face the Jaguars on Sunday in their last game before the deadline, Powers-Johnson’s usage will be worth monitoring.
Tony Pollard, T’Vondre Sweat Among Titans Drawing Trade Interest
The Titans swung a noteworthy deal earlier this week in sending cornerback Roger McCreary to the Rams. With the 1-7 club potentially lining up for a fire sale, more players could follow McCreary out of Tennessee before Tuesday’s trade deadline.
Running back Tony Pollard and defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat are among the Titans generating the most interest around the NFL, according to Dianna Russini of The Athletic. The previously reported pass-rushing duo of Arden Key and Dre’Mont Jones are also on teams’ radars, per Russini. Albert Breer of SI.com adds tight end Chig Okonkwo to the list of Titans who have drawn interest.
With rookie quarterback and No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward at the helm, the Titans will “be careful about further gutting certain areas of the roster,” Breer writes. Having already fired head coach Brian Callahan last month, the Titans don’t want to further risk stunting Ward’s development. Trading Pollard and/or Okonwko would subtract from Ward’s weapons, though neither player has put up big numbers on a last-ranked offense this year.
Pollard, a former Cowboy, is in the second season of a three-year, $21MM deal he signed in March 2024. Previous Titans general manager Ran Carthon was at the controls then. The current regime of president of football operations Chad Brinker and GM Mike Borgonzi may be willing to part with Pollard, which would leave Tyjae Spears as the Titans’ No. 1 back. While Pollard is due to count $9.25MM against the salary cap in 2026, the Titans or another team could release him in the offseason and save $7.25MM.
After turning in his third straight 1,000-yard showing in 2024, Pollard has rushed for 424 yards and two touchdowns on a career-low 3.9 YPC this season. The 28-year-old also entered 2025 with four straight seasons of at least 39 receptions under his belt. With 18 catches through eight games this year, he’s on a similar pace.
Kansas City, New England, and the Los Angeles Chargers are among contending teams that are reportedly in the market for running backs. Pollard could be of interest to those clubs as a prominent name in a thin market for RBs, especially if they deem the Jets’ asking price for Breece Hall prohibitive.
Okonwko, 26, has been a mainstay in Tennessee’s lineup since the team used a fourth-round pick on him in 2022. While the former Maryland Terrapin has played in 59 straight games since his pro career began, a trip to free agency is looming in the offseason. The Titans could move on via trade before then, leaving an acquiring team to take on the remainder of Okonkwo’s $3.41MM salary. Okonkwo leads the Titans with 27 receptions this season, putting him on pace for his third straight 50-catch campaign, but they have a successor in fourth-round rookie Gunnar Helm.
It’s fair to say Sweat would command the largest return of any of the Titans’ potential trade candidates. The 2024 second-rounder from Texas started in 16 of 17 games as a rookie and logged 51 tackles and a sack. An ankle injury has limited Sweat to three games (all starts) this year, but the 366-pounder is now healthy. He has already notched a personal-best two sacks in 2025.
The Titans, who understandably aren’t in any hurry to move on from Sweat, “would like to see if a new staff can reach him,” Breer writes. Interim head coach Mike McCoy replaced Callahan, but it’s unlikely the Titans will promote him to the full-time job after the season. If that’s the case, and if Tennessee keeps Sweat, a different Titans staff will be in charge of getting the most out of him in 2026.
Bills Rumors: Defensive Tackles, Olave
Although the Bills pulled off a dominant 40-9 win against the Panthers last week, they didn’t escape Carolina unscathed. The Bills lost their top defensive tackle and one of their most important players, Ed Oliver, to a torn biceps. In a best-case scenario, Oliver will return sometime during the postseason. That’s assuming the 5-2 Bills, who trail the division-leading Patriots in the AFC East, earn a playoff berth.
Oliver’s injury was the latest (and costliest) shot to the interior of the Bills’ defense. They were already thin at D-tackle before Oliver went down. DeWayne Carter suffered a season-ending torn Achilles in the preseason, T.J. Sanders went on IR with a knee injury on Oct. 11, and DaQuan Jones will miss his third straight game Sunday with a calf issue.
With two starters (Oliver and Jones) and a pair of reserves (Carter and Sanders) unavailable, fourth-round rookie Deone Walker, Larry Ogunjobi, and Jordan Phillips are the only healthy tackles on the Bills’ active roster. Zion Logue, who has already received the maximum of three standard gameday elevations this year, and Phidarian Mathis represent experienced options on the practice squad. Either could play in this week’s all-important clash with the Chiefs, though the Bills will have to sign Logue to their active roster if they plan on using him.
Thanks to their injury woes at the position, the Bills are “taking a hard look at what’s out there at defensive tackle,” Albert Breer of SI.com writes. The Jets’ Harrison Phillips (a former Bill) and the Browns’ Maliek Collins have been mentioned as potential fits for Buffalo.
Tuesday’s trade deadline is fast approaching, leaving Bills general manager Brandon Beane little time to find outside help to improve his team’s last-ranked run defense. The Bills also have other areas to address – including at wide receiver and safety – and under $2MM in available cap space. It’s a less-than-ideal situation for Beane.
In clear need of an upgrade at boundary receiver, the Bills have recently inquired about the Saints’ Chris Olave, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports. However, Russini is the latest to note that the Saints are expected to retain Olave, who’s under team control through 2026 on a fifth-year option. Barring a 180 from the Saints, Olave teaming with Bills quarterback Josh Allen looks unlikely to happen.
Giants’ Malik Nabers, Cam Skattebo Undergo Surgeries
Giants rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart has impressed since he took the reins from veteran Russell Wilson in Week 4, but injuries will deprive the first-rounder of a couple of key weapons early in his career.
Star wide receiver Malik Nabers suffered a season-ending ACL tear and a partially torn meniscus in Dart’s first start. Rookie running back Cam Skattebo, a fourth-rounder and a member of the same draft class as Dart, then went down with a brutal ankle injury in a loss to the Eagles last Sunday. Like Nabers, Skattebo is done for the year. Both players have taken important steps in their recoveries this week.
Nabers underwent knee surgery on Tuesday, Ralph Vacchiano of FOX Sports reports. The second-year man waited a month to have surgery, though Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes that’s common. The hope is the delay will lead to an easier rehab, per Rapoport, who says Nabers “should be good to go for next season.”
Even if New York is confident in an early 2026 return for Nabers, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the team make significant moves to address its receiving corps before then. Darius Slayton, who re-signed on a three-year, $36MM deal last March, joins Nabers as the Giants’ only proven receivers under contract in 2026. Wan’Dale Robinson is the leader among Giants wideouts in catches, targets, yards, and touchdowns in 2025, but he’s due to reach free agency in the offseason.
Along with recording solid production on the ground (410 yards and five touchdowns on 101 carries), the hard-running Skattebo provided the Giants a viable pass-catching threat. He chipped in 24 receptions, 207 yards, and two more scores in his first eight games. Tyrone Tracy and Devin Singletary will have to pick up the slack in his absence.
In addition to dislocating his ankle, Skattebo fractured his fibula and suffered a deltoid ligament rupture, according to Rapoport. While that sounds catastrophic, he and the Giants avoided a worst-case scenario. The 23-year-old underwent successful surgery and should only require about six months to recover. That would put Skattebo on track for OTAs and minicamp, which would be a positive outcome for him and the team.
Latest On Bills’ Pursuit Of WR Help
The Bills were in obvious need of help at wide receiver leading up to last year’s trade deadline. General manager Brandon Beane addressed the position in mid-October, acquiring Amari Cooper from the Browns. While the five-time Pro Bowler didn’t end up as a major contributor in Buffalo, he at least gave the team another credible target. With Cooper as a role player in a high-powered offense, the Bills ultimately advanced to the AFC championship game before suffering yet another postseason loss to the Chiefs.
Although the Bills are off to a strong 5-2 start this year, the receiver position has been a glaring issue again. Dependable slot target Khalil Shakir is enjoying another productive year, but the Bills are lacking boundary threats. Cognizant of that, the Bills have been scouring the market for a “vertical deep route receiver” as the Nov. 4 trade deadline nears, Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network says.
Saints speedster Rashid Shaheed is a name to keep an eye on for the Bills, according to Wolfe. It’s not the first time Shaheed has come up as a potential target for Buffalo, whose lack of cap space could be a hindrance in landing a bigger fish.
The Bills rank last in the NFL with around $1.67MM in spending room, per Over the Cap. Shaheed, like Cooper was last year, is on an expiring contract. With a $4.2MM base salary and a $4.46MM cap hit, he’s reasonably priced.
After Shaheed averaged anywhere from 15.6 to 17.5 yards per catch in each of his first three seasons, that number has dropped to 11.1. However, with 39 catches and 431 through eight games, he’s easily on pace to surpass his current career highs of 46 and 719, respectively.
Sitting at 1-7 and set to hand the reins to rookie quarterback Tyler Shough, New Orleans is open to trading Shaheed. The 27-year-old has never paired with a high-level QB in the NFL, but that would change in Buffalo with Josh Allen at the helm.
Despite having the benefit of playing with Allen, Keon Coleman and Josh Palmer – the Bills’ top receivers after Shakir – have underwhelmed. Coleman dazzled with an eight-catch, 112-yard showing in a Week 1 win over the Ravens, leading to hope that the 2024 second-round pick was in for a breakout sophomore campaign. Since then, though, Coleman has totaled just 19 receptions and 155 yards in seven games.
Palmer, previously a Charger, didn’t rise to stardom playing with Justin Herbert from 2021-24. He still impressed the Bills enough to land a three-year, $36MM contract in free agency last offseason. While Palmer has averaged a robust 16.7 yards per catch in Buffalo, he has only hauled in 14 passes in six games. He missed the Bills’ win over the Panthers last week with a knee/ankle injury, an issue that could keep him out of a crucial meeting with the Chiefs this Sunday.
Aside from Shakir, Coleman, and Palmer, no other Bills receiver has more than five catches in 2025. Veterans Curtis Samuel and Elijah Moore, free agent pickups over the previous two offseasons, have been nonentities. Practice squad wideout Gabe Davis, a Bill from 2020-23 and a Jaguar last season, is the best hope for an in-house upgrade. Davis is now recovered from the meniscus surgery he underwent last year. While he could factor into the Bills’ receiving corps soon, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Beane bring in an outside reinforcement by Tuesday.
Raiders Open Practice Window For Aidan O’Connell
Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell has been out all season with a fractured wrist, but a return may be on the horizon. The Raiders opened the signal-caller’s practice window on Wednesday, Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports. They’ll have 21 days to activate O’Connell from IR.
A fourth-round pick from Purdue in 2023, O’Connell combined for 17 starts through last season under former head coach Antonio Pierce. O’Connell completed 62.6% of passes with 20 touchdowns and 11 interceptions during his first two NFL seasons, but that wasn’t enough to keep his starting job.
With new head coach Pete Carroll at the helm, he reunited with ex-Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith in an offseason trade. The Raiders gave up a third-round selection for Smith and quickly signed him to a two-year, $75MM extension, making him the team’s unquestioned QB1.
Smith’s arrival left O’Connell as the Raiders’ backup, but his injury in their preseason finale threw a wrench into those plans. The Raiders subsequently traded for another veteran QB, Kenny Pickett, whom they acquired from the Browns for a 2026 fifth-rounder.
The investments in Smith and Pickett haven’t paid off for the Raiders, who are off to a 2-5 start and sitting in last place in an otherwise loaded AFC West division. With more interceptions (10) than touchdowns (seven), Smith ranks 30th in the league in QBR. The team pulled him for Pickett in a 31-0 blowout loss to the Chiefs in Week 7. Pickett attempted his first two passes of the year in that game and completed them for a total of eight yards.
With the Raiders now coming off their bye week, Smith is still the starter heading into Sunday’s game against Jacksonville. If Smith continues to struggle mightily over the next few weeks, perhaps Pickett or O’Connell (or both) will see time under center later in the season.
Broncos Sign Marcedes Lewis To Practice Squad
Tight end Marcedes Lewis is continuing his long-running career at the age of 41. Lewis has agreed to join the Broncos’ practice squad, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
With backup tight end Lucas Krull set to undergo foot surgery, the Broncos have been in the market for help at the position. They placed waiver claims on Brenden Bates and Ben Sims in recent days. Bates, whom the Texans waived, wound up with the Browns. The Vikings won out on Sims after the Packers cut him.
Unable to reel in either Bates or Sims, the Broncos brought in Lewis for a workout on Tuesday. Already the oldest tight end in NFL history, Lewis did enough to secure a practice squad spot and will now attempt to log his 20th season in the league.
After playing his college football at UCLA, Lewis entered the pros as a first-round pick (No. 28) of the Jaguars in 2006. He played with them through 2017, securing one Pro Bowl nod along the way, before stints with the Packers (2018-22) and Bears (2023-24). The 6-foot-6, 267-pounder combined for 437 catches, 5,155 yards, and 40 touchdowns with those three teams.
During the waning years of his career, Lewis has seen his impact as a pass catcher drop off significantly. He totaled just 11 receptions from 2022-24, but along with his blocking skills, Lewis is a durable option. He appeared in 17 games in each of the previous four seasons.
Having already missed the Broncos’ first eight contests this year, another 17-game slate isn’t in the cards for Lewis. Nevertheless, he could work his way into the mix for the AFC West contenders during the second half of the campaign. Lewis would give the Broncos a third tight end behind Evan Engram and Adam Trautman.
Steelers Amend Kyle Dugger’s Contract
The Steelers made a notable addition to their secondary on Tuesday in acquiring safety Kyle Dugger from the Patriots. While Dugger entered the day under contract through 2027, that is no longer the case. The last two years of his deal “have been wiped out,” according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. He’ll reach free agency after the season.
Then an important part of New England’s defense, Dugger inked a four-year, $58MM extension with the team in April 2024. Dugger remained a full-time starter last year, the lone season of the Jerod Mayo era. Things changed this season under new head coach Mike Vrabel, who demoted Dugger to a backup role.
Dugger, who entered the season with a $9.25MM base salary, is still owed around $5.4MM (plus $1MM in per-game roster bonuses). The Patriots will pay the majority of it, per Rapoport.
With Dugger now on track to hit the open market in the offseason, he’s a low-cost rental for the AFC North-leading Steelers. Not only did the Steelers (4-3) drop their second straight game in Week 8, but they lost starting safety DeShon Elliott to a knee injury. They placed Elliott on IR to make room for Dugger. Elliott is set to miss at least four games, which will leave Dugger, Juan Thornhill, Jabrill Peppers (previously teammates with Dugger in New England), and Chuck Clark as Pittsburgh’s healthy options at safety.
With 81 NFL games, 69 starts, and nine interceptions on Dugger’s resume, the Steelers are hopeful that he’ll aid their last-ranked pass defense. Dugger is in line to make his Steelers debut this Sunday against the 7-1 Colts, owners of the best record in the league and the top-ranked offense.
Bears Sign S C.J. Gardner-Johnson
Safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson is joining his third organization of the 2025 season. The Bears are signing the 27-year-old to their active roster, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Gardner-Johnson appeared in 16 of the Eagles’ regular-season games in 2024 and tied a career high with six interceptions. He was also part of the Eagles’ Super Bowl-winning playoff run, but they parted with him after the season.
In a trade that hasn’t worked out for either side, the Eagles sent Gardner-Johnson and a 2026 sixth-round pick to the Texans for offensive lineman Kenyon Green and a fifth-rounder in next year’s draft.
Green, who couldn’t crack the Eagles’ roster, is now a member of the Ravens’ practice squad. Gardner-Johnson lasted just three games in Houston before the team released him. He reportedly clashed with teammates and was unhappy with his role in the Texans’ defense.
After the Texans said goodbye to him, Gardner-Johnson joined Green on the Ravens’ practice squad. It was a short-lived stay, however, as the Ravens moved on a week later. Gardner-Johnson signed with Baltimore before the team acquired safety Alohi Gilman from the Chargers. With Gilman’s arrival blocking a path to playing time, Gardner-Johnson’s agent asked for his client’s release. The Ravens granted it.
After a couple of weeks on the open market, Gardner-Johnson will indeed find a clearer avenue to playing time on Chicago’s active roster. He’ll also reunite with defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, who coached Gardner-Johnson in New Orleans from 2019-21. Those were Gardner-Johnson’s first three NFL seasons, a 43-game span in which he picked off five passes. Allen left a positive impression on Gardner-Johnson.
“He got my career going. I appreciate him,” Gardner-Johnson told the CHGO Bears podcast last February.
While the 4-3 Bears have two established starting safeties in Jaquan Brisker and Kevin Byard, who lead their defense in snaps, their secondary is dealing with multiple significant injuries. Cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon are on IR. A groin injury has kept Johnson out since Week 1, while Gordon landed on the shelf with calf and groin issues before the Bears’ loss to the Ravens last Sunday. Gordon is Chicago’s top nickel corner, but the addition of Gardner-Johnson could help fill the void during his absence. The Bears plan to use Gardner-Johnson as a slot corner, head coach Ben Johnson announced (via Courtney Cronin of ESPN).
Steelers To Acquire S Kyle Dugger From Pats
The Steelers saw starting safety DeShon Elliott go down with a knee injury in a Week 8 loss to the Packers. They’re acting quickly to address the position. Pittsburgh will acquire safety Kyle Dugger and a 2026 seventh-round pick from New England for a 2026 sixth-rounder, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
This is the second trade of Tuesday for the Patriots, who previously sent defensive end Keion White and a seventh-rounder to the 49ers for a sixth-rounder.
At 5-2 and atop the AFC East, the Patriots aren’t in position to sell leading up to the Nov. 4 trade deadline. However, both Dugger and White fell out of favor this year under new head coach Mike Vrabel.
A second-round pick of the Bill Belichick regime in 2020, Dugger quickly emerged as a key cog in the Patriots’ defense. He started between 13 and 17 games in each season from 2021-24 and racked up nine interceptions during that span.
The Patriots handed Dugger a four-year, $58MM extension with $32.5MM in guarantees in April 2024, locking him up through 2027. Despite that expensive commitment, Dugger emerged as a trade candidate late last summer when it became clear he was no longer a clean fit in the Patriots’ defense.
The Patriots held on to Dugger for the first couple months of the season, but he experienced a significant dip in playing time during the team’s hot start. Before the trade, Dugger saw action in a meager 38.4% of defensive snaps while working behind starting safeties Craig Woodson and Jaylinn Hawkins. Pro Football Focus ranks Dugger’s 2025 performance 62nd among 88 qualifying safeties. With Dugger gone, Dell Pettus and Brenden Schooler are now the Patriots’ main reserves at safety.
The 29-year-old Dugger will now have a chance at a larger role with another division leader in Pittsburgh, which will place Elliott on IR, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Elliott will miss at least four games, which left the Steelers in the market for immediate help at safety. Pittsburgh will face four straight postseason contenders – the Colts, Chargers, Bengals, and Bears – with Elliott on the shelf.
The 4-3 Steelers have dropped two games in a row, largely as a result of an inability to stop the pass. Quarterbacks Joe Flacco (Bengals) and Jordan Love (Packers) combined to shred the Steelers for 702 yards, six touchdowns, and no interceptions over the past two weeks. Typically known for boasting a vaunted defense, the Steelers rank dead last in the league in passing yards per game allowed (273.3).
Dugger will now join a Steelers safety group consisting of Juan Thornhill, Chuck Clark, and former Patriots teammate Jabrill Peppers. He and Peppers often started next to each other in New England from 2022-24. Peppers has taken on a reserve role in his first season in Pittsburgh, but Dugger could regain a starting job now that he’s headed to the Steel City.