One move each AFC West team should make before trade deadline

After six weeks of the season, most NFL teams know if they’ll be buyers or sellers before the trade deadline. 

Here’s one move each team in the AFC West should make before the Nov. 5 trade deadline at 4 p.m. ET:

Denver Broncos: Acquire Jacksonville Jaguars RB Travis Etienne Jr. 

Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix is second on the team in rushing yards (180 in six games) behind starting running back Javonte Williams (213 in six games). Clearly, Denver (3-3) doesn’t want Nix to keep putting himself at risk and should upgrade its backfield. 

On Monday, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio suggested the Jaguars could put Etienne on the trade block after a 1-5 start. Etienne seems expendable with the emergence of second-year RB Tank Bigsby, who leads Jacksonville in rushing yards (297 in six games). 

Etienne, 25, could provide the jolt Denver’s ground game needs. The former first-round pick surpassed 1,000 rushing yards in each of his first two seasons in the NFL. In 2024, he has 230 rushing yards and two TDs on 56 carries in six games.

Kansas City Chiefs: Trade for Tennessee Titans WR DeAndre Hopkins

On Monday, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid told the media WR Rashee Rice — who leads the team in receiving yards (288 in four games) — recently underwent surgery on his knee. Reid added Rice’s injury is similar to an ACL tear, so he will likely miss the rest of the season. 

The Chiefs also recently placed on injured reserve WR Marquise “Hollywood” Brown (shoulder), who probably won’t play during the regular season. Landing a five-time Pro Bowler in Hopkins would bolster K.C.’s injury-riddled receiving corps. 

In a recent column, CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin predicted Tennesee (1-4) would send Hopkins to the Chiefs. Entering the final year of a two-year, $26M deal, Hopkins may be a one-year rental for K.C. Still, he could help the Chiefs (5-0) become the first team to win three straight championships in the Super Bowl era.  

Las Vegas Raiders: Trade edge-rusher Maxx Crosby

The Raiders look like a train wreck after a 2-4 start. That’s probably why star wideout Davante Adams recently requested a trade. 

On a Monday episode of “The Pat McAfee Show,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter said a team recently offered a first-round pick for Crosby, but the Raiders rejected the proposal. 

However, Vegas should reconsider its trade stance on Crosby. The Raiders could acquire valuable draft capital if they send the three-time Pro Bowler elsewhere, easing a potential rebuild.  

Perhaps the Detroit Lions (4-1) would be willing to give the Raiders a massive package for Crosby. Per NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport, Detroit pass-rusher Aidan Hutchinson is expected to miss the rest of the season after suffering a fractured tibia and fibula in Sunday’s 47-9 road win over the Dallas Cowboys. 

Los Angeles Chargers: Acquire Cleveland Browns WR Amari Cooper 

Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert, who has eclipsed 200 passing yards once in five starts, clearly needs better weapons. 

In his recent mailbag, The Athletic’s Daniel Popper listed the five-time Pro Bowler Cooper as a potential trade target for L.A. (3-2). This offseason, Cleveland converted all but $1.21M of his salary into a signing bonus, making him an affordable trade candidate. According to The Athletic’s Zac Jackson, a team would take on less than $1M in salary if it acquired him before the deadline. 

Cooper, 30, has 24 receptions for 250 yards and two TD catches in six games. Browns QB Deshaun Watson is 1-5 in six starts and has logged an abysmal 21.5 QBR, so Cooper’s numbers surely would improve with Herbert.