The closer the NFL calendar creeps to the Nov. 10 trade deadline, the clearer it becomes which teams are buying and which are selling. Three weeks out, there is already a divide between contenders and pretenders, so playing the role of matchmaker provides a myriad of potential trade pairings.

A sweep across the league shows how Super Bowl contenders with roster holes, like the Seattle Seahawks and their running back position, match perfectly with downtrodden teams that own tradeable veterans, like the Philadelphia Eagles.

Sometimes the obvious trade proposals never come to fruition. But in a lot of cases, if it makes sense on paper, then it makes sense in practice. There are a number of reunions, like Khalil Mack's potential return to the Chicago Bears, that just feel right.

Here are 10 of those trades that feel so fitting that it would be a shame if they did not go through.

Saquon Barkley to Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks ought to have extreme seller's remorse as they field a bottom-tier rushing attack and watch Kenneth Walker III run wild in Kansas City. Much of their disappointing 3-3 start can be attributed to an offense that ranks second-worst in EPA per rush, which leads one to wonder how much they regret letting Walker go in free agency. 

He is very much the missing piece, and they will rely on Zach Charbonnet and Jadarian Price to fill that gap when they return from injured reserve. Neither is an established No. 1 running back, though, so Seattle would benefit from admitting it needs a high-caliber starter, then placing Charbonnet back in his more natural secondary role and allowing Price to develop as a rookie third option.

They would have to pay a hefty price to pry Saquon Barkley away from Philadelphia because of his immense value and his giant cap hit, but with the Eagles poised to watch this season wither away in the wake of countless personnel losses, they should be willing to at least field calls on their superstar running back. Seattle is in as much of a win-now mode as any team in the league and thus is in a position to give up premium draft capital for a player who can help it return to the Super Bowl.

Josh Sweat to Cowboys

If Jerry Jones cannot turn the Dallas Cowboys into a winning football team, he is at least going to go down swinging. The Joey Porter Jr. trade earlier this season was one big move, but the defense clearly needs more blockbuster additions in order to climb out of the depths. Since Jones addressed the back end of the unit with the Porter deal, it may be time to turn back toward the line of scrimmage and address, again, an edge rusher group that is still lost without Micah Parsons.

While Arizona Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort said in August that he has "no interest" in trading Josh Sweat, there might not be a more obvious trade candidate on a team that is not built to contend for anything in 2026. Sweat denied any displeasure with his contract, but there was offseason smoke that he sought a restructured deal or a trade. 

He is an expensive veteran for a franchise attempting to build a young core and boasts the kind of perennial sack production and team contract control that a competitive team would pay a premium for. If the Cowboys moved a couple of draft picks to land Sweat, this would be a win-win.

Jonathan Taylor to Vikings

The NFL's stingiest defense is to credit for the Minnesota Vikings' perfect start. The margins in those five victories were nail-bitingly slim, though, because the offense has only done just enough to capitalize on Brian Flores' coaching masterclass on the other side of the ball. 

The passing game is what it is. There is no in-season upgrading over Kyler Murray, and the wide receiver group will always be in good shape so long as Justin Jefferson is there. The main area that needs improvement and, more importantly, can be improved, is the rushing unit. Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason (once healthy) are a serviceable tandem, yet the attack has accounted for only three touchdowns and ranks in the bottom quartile in EPA per rush. An infusion of stardom would take this offense to another level and make the Vikings true Super Bowl contenders.

Enter Jonathan Taylor. Whether the Indianapolis Colts would part with their best player just over two months after they signed him to a two-year contract extension (the third-largest deal for a running back in NFL history) is unknown, but with general manager Chris Ballard fired and coach Shane Steichen potentially on his way out the door, too, this franchise could be headed toward a tear-down. Teams will call about Taylor. Minnesota needs to make sure it is in the conversation.

Khalil Mack to Bears

If there is one trade that is most likely to be completed by the deadline, a Khalil Mack reunion in Chicago has to be at the top of the list. The pairing almost makes too much sense. The Bears need pass-rushing help. Mack remains productive in the latter years of his career, albeit not quite at the All-Pro level of his Chicago heyday. The Los Angeles Chargers are prime candidates to sell expiring contracts, considering their 0-6 record. Everything points to these teams working together to send Mack back to his old home.

The lift Mack would provide for an offense-first team could be a difference maker that sparks a deep postseason run. Now that Caleb Williams is healthy again, the Bears have the potential to score at will. The defense lags behind just enough to warrant a splashy trade deadline move, and this one is just waiting to be completed.

Chris Godwin Jr. to Steelers

There is a wide receiver injury crisis in Pittsburgh. Aaron Rodgers was on a hot streak until health issues depleted his supporting cast. In order to maximize the supposed last year of his career and stay in contention for the AFC North crown, the Steelers need to plug some immediate help into Rodgers' receiving room. 

Michael Pittman Jr. and Roman Wilson are on injured reserve, and Ben Skowronek has a calf issue. It is up to DK Metcalf, rookie Germie Bernard and a couple of practice squad elevations to keep the passing game afloat.

All of that makes the Steelers potentially desperate buyers at the deadline. Chris Godwin Jr. should be on their radar. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, whom they just defeated in overtime, are drifting further into the abyss and should be ready to sell. His three-year contract makes him an expensive asset who struggles to stay on the field, and that is a profile that the Buccaneers would seemingly want to part with. 

He is healthy now, though, and that is what matters to the Steelers. Plus, he should be a tremendous fit next to Metcalf. Godwin spent every year prior to this one on the other side of a towering No. 1 target in Mike Evans, so he would be right at home in the same lineup as a similarly sizable go-to weapon like Metcalf.

Budda Baker to Bills

The Buffalo Bills are winning games in one way and one way only: Scoring a boatload of points. They have to. The defense is a sieve, specifically in the back end. No matter how much pressure Greg Rousseau and the front provide, opponents are able to pick apart the pass defense to the tune of 285.8 yards per game — the second most in the league. The slot defensive back spot is the biggest weakness, and there is an obvious upgrade potentially sitting on the trade market in Cardinals safety Budda Baker.

Baker is versatile enough to play nickel or fall back deeper into coverage and would immediately be the best player in the Buffalo defensive backfield. He is the Cardinals' highest-paid player and remains under contract through 2027, but he carries a dead cap hit of only $3 million for next year, so moving on from him would not put Arizona in a long-term financial bind. That is an attractive proposition for a rebuilding team.

Jauan Jennings to 49ers

Jauan Jennings was in a 49ers uniform less than a year ago and would be a perfect fit back in one this season. He led all San Francisco wide receivers in catches and yards in 2024 and 2025 and knows the Kyle Shanahan offense front and back, so with the 49ers fighting through a litany of wideout injuries, why not reunite with someone who can slot right back into the lineup and deliver difference-making plays from Day 1? 

The primary reason he is not on the squad right now is that the 49ers did not want to pay him long-term money, but the Minnesota Vikings did not either, so San Francisco can have him back on an expiring $8 million deal.

Minnesota is clearly a horrible fit for Jennings, as he has been invisible in the offense with only five targets, two catches and 9 yards on the year. He is not part of the Vikings' plan, so they might as well get something in return for him before he inevitably walks away at the end of the season.

Jerry Jeudy to Chiefs

His usage is up over the last two weeks, but Jerry Jeudy still ranks only fifth on the Cleveland Browns in targets as the team prioritizes its exciting rookie tandem of KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston over the 27-year-old veteran. It appears as though he is being phased out of the offense. Coming off his best showing of the year — a four-catch, 69-yard effort — the time to move on from him is now.

The Kansas City Chiefs would be the perfect destination for Jeudy and are as needy at the wide receiver position as any team in the league. Not only could the former Pro Bowler carve out a top-three role in a receiving corps that lacks any reliability outside of Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy, but his transition to a new offense would be smoothed by the fact that wide receivers coach Chad O'Shea was the same wide receivers coach who oversaw his Pro Bowl campaign in Cleveland in 2024. Patrick Mahomes could use a gifted route-runner to go with his speedy weapons in Rice and Worthy, especially as this team barrels toward a potential Super Bowl run.

Riq Woolen to Lions

The defensive backfield situation in Detroit is bleak, and that might be putting it nicely. The NFL's worst pass defense is desperate for help at each secondary position, while Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph remain out with injuries at safety, and the cornerback unit still has not recovered from the loss of Terrion Arnold. 

Since the Lions keep scoring at an elite level and own plenty of pieces on the rest of the defense, there might not be a more glaring missing link for a postseason contender than their secondary. They will likely be aggressive at the trade deadline.

Riq Woolen should be there for the taking as the Eagles potentially tear everything down. He signed with them in March on a one-year contract, and given that he is still in his prime, it seems unlikely that he would re-sign with Philadelphia if they commit to a rebuild.

Brian Thomas Jr. to Raiders

Of all the high-upside wide receivers that figure to be available at the deadline, none have a greater delta between their ceiling and floor than Brian Thomas Jr. His 1,282-yard, 10-touchdown rookie campaign displayed All-Pro potential, but in the two years since, he slipped behind Parker Washington and Jakobi Meyers in the pecking order for targets in Jacksonville. The time for the Jaguars to move on from him is now, before his stock drops any further.

The ideal fits for Thomas are either a team that would benefit from his price as he remains on a rookie contract or a team that would make him a long-term centerpiece if he rekindles his 2023 success. The Las Vegas Raiders fit the latter criteria. Their wide receiver depth is nonexistent, and there is no clear No. 1 weapon in the room. That needs to change by the time Fernando Mendoza takes over at quarterback, or else they risk stunting the top draft pick's early-career development. It still feels early in the Raiders' trajectory to begin buying, but after a surprisingly competitive first six weeks, it might already be time to spend.