The Athletic has live coverage of the NFL trade deadline including the latest deals, rumors and analysis.
The NFL trade deadline is Tuesday. The Atlanta Falcons have already made one in-season deal, acquiring wide receiver Van Jefferson from the Los Angeles Rams for a late-round pick swap in 2025. Jefferson made his first catch as a Falcon, for a 5-yard gain, against Tampa Bay on Sunday. He’s been helpful in giving Atlanta another deep option, coach Arthur Smith said, but it wasn’t exactly a blockbuster deal.
Could there be another on the horizon in the next week? Today, we look at that question and four more as the Falcons approach the trade deadline.
GO DEEPER
Lots of questions, few answers after another Falcons loss: 'We need to look in the mirror'
Will the Falcons be buyers or sellers?
Buyers, if anything. For starters, this team leads the NFC South and has the NFL’s easiest remaining schedule, according to Tankathon. Then there’s the fact this team quietly believes things are coming together.
The most interesting thing from Smith’s Monday meeting with the media was this: “The thing that you feel the best about is (opponents) can’t just play us a certain way right now.”
Advertisement
That might seem a strange sentiment from a coach whose team ranks 29th in the league in scoring (16.43 points per game), but the Falcons believe they are close to being a much more potent offense. They are 13th in the league in offensive success rate (41.4 percent) and next to last in the league in turnover margin (minus-7).
“We are finding new and unique ways to not score,” Smith said.
Eliminate the turnovers (they’ve had the fourth most in the league at 13), and the points will come, the thinking goes.
“You’re seeing a lot of (offensive) progress,” Smith said. “The ball can go anywhere. It’s starting to pay off. There are investments you make in the spring with the roster and schematically. You put a lot of work into thinking, ‘This is where we can take this thing.’”
GO DEEPER
Save your 'negative narrative': Falcons feel just fine in first place in the NFC South
Would they consider trading Kyle Pitts?
Settle down. We’re not suggesting they should trade Pitts, whom they took No. 4 in the 2021 draft. (All the folks suggesting they should have taken a quarterback instead need to look at the quarterbacks who went in that first round after the No. 1 pick.) They almost certainly should not trade Kyle Pitts.
But, if they did, what could they get for a player who might have more value in an offense that is not as balanced personnel-wise as Atlanta’s?
Not much, said Randy Mueller, The Athletic’s resident GM.
“It might surprise you who would be willing or not,” Mueller said. “It’s hard to draft a tight end that high, and then it’s hard to sell him if you ever wanted to get true value. I think he would command something but not anywhere near what they paid.”
Pitts is tied for 10th in the NFL among tight ends with 25 catches, but he’s not the most used tight end on Atlanta’s roster. That designation is still held by Jonnu Smith (28 catches, 309 yards), who was acquired via trade for a seventh-round pick in the offseason.
“I love Kyle Pitts,” Mueller said. “I thought he was a unicorn. I thought he was completely different. Everybody understands the talent. It’s just a hard position to value.”
Who’s the dream target in a trade?
Danielle Hunter. The Minnesota Vikings outside linebacker notched his NFL-leading ninth sack Monday night. The likelihood that the Vikings would trade Hunter also decreased Monday night because they beat the San Francisco 49ers to get their third win.
But if the Falcons could add Hunter to what is already an impressive defense without giving up too much in return, they should consider it. How much is too much? A first-round pick. However, if Hunter can be acquired for a second-round pick, even if it’s on a rental basis, that’s a deal the Falcons should make.
GO DEEPER
NFL Power Rankings Week 8: Chiefs, Eagles are 1-2, plus one question for each team
Which players might they trade away?
If the Falcons do make a deal that requires more than draft capital, do they have a valuable asset they can afford to move? Reserve safety Jaylinn Hawkins looked like the best bet for that, but he was released last week, a clear sign he didn’t have a lot of trade value around the league.
The next-best candidate is also in the secondary. Cornerback Tre Flowers held down the starting job for three weeks while Jeff Okudah recovered from injury, and Atlanta still has enough cornerback depth (with Mike Hughes and Clark Phillips III still on the roster) that it could be comfortable putting Flowers into a deal.
Advertisement
Do we expect a move?
Alas, no. Circling back to our first point about internal optimism, the Falcons are going to be very hesitant to do anything that upsets their long-term plan when they don’t think they need to.
(Photo of Kyle Pitts, left, and Jonnu Smith: Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)
“The Football 100,” the definitive ranking of the NFL’s best 100 players of all time, is on sale now. Order it here.