There are 17 days until the trade deadline, and some general managers are getting antsy.

Many of the teams most likely to become sellers are reluctant to seriously engage with three weeks of games still to go before November 10. So the teams that might be buyers are largely plotting and waiting for the market to begin moving—which could happen as soon as next week.

Some programming notes: We recorded a new on Friday after I returned from a few days in New York City covering the NFL’s fall meetings. Sheil, Billy, and I are planning to record together in Los Angeles during trade deadline week, which should be a blast (and hopefully busy!). Also, for paid subscribers, keep an eye out for an email this coming week about our trade deadline mailbag, where you’ll be able to ask all your questions and I’ll do my best to get you answers.

In the Week 7 edition of The Sweep, we’ll cover:

• The Colts’ plan after firing Chris Ballard

• Lamar Jackson’s status as he recovers from an injured ankle

• Baker Mayfield’s impending return

• What I’m hearing about Arch Manning, Brendan Sorsby, and the rest of the potential 2027 QB draft class

• J.J. McCarthy’s starting debut in New York, and more

As always, this dispatch is based on conversations with sources in and around the NFL.

The Colts at a Crossroads

The Colts have received strong trade interest in guard Quenton Nelson and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner in recent days, and no player is expected to be off-limits—if they decide to sell before the November 10 trade deadline. That includes running back Jonathan Taylor, who also figures to be the subject of calls over the next couple of weeks.

After firing GM Chris Ballard on Monday in what she called “a deliberate decision” that doesn’t affect the team’s goals for this season, Colts owner and CEO Carlie Irsay-Gordon wants to see how the team responds before greenlighting any major moves. It’s not an easy stretch: After facing the 5-0 Vikings on Sunday, the Colts will be on the road again November 1 against the 4-2 Jaguars and then host the 2-4 Cowboys two days before the deadline.

Nelson, 30, and Buckner, 32, are both older players with expiring contracts, fitting the mold of many deadline trade targets. Taylor is 27 and just signed a two-year, $44 million contract extension in August, but the Colts have paid out less than $18 million and they would gain significant cash and cap flexibility by moving him now.

At this time last year, the Colts were buyers and Ballard made one of the biggest deadline moves, sending 2026 and 2027 first-round picks and receiver Adoni Mitchell to the Jets for cornerback Sauce Gardner. Any deadline trades this year could help replenish some draft capital for the next GM. With the likes of Nelson or Buckner, it’s a choice between a pick now or possible compensatory picks in 2028 if they leave in free agency. With players under contract, such as Taylor, the question then becomes whether the Colts could get better value now or later.

It’s worth remembering what happened last year in Miami after the Dolphins and GM Chris Grier parted ways four days before the trade deadline. The interim regime traded pending free agent edge Jaelan Phillips to the Eagles for a 2026 third-round pick. But they rejected other trade offers—including one from the Bills that would’ve sent Jaylen Waddle to Buffalo for a 2026 third-round pick and a 2027 first-rounder, because they wanted a 2026 first-rounder instead. Four months later, the Dolphins’ new GM, Jon-Eric Sullivan, traded Waddle to the Broncos for a package including Denver’s 2026 first- and third-round picks (nos. 30 and 94).

The Buzz on Arch Manning and the 2027 QB Class

Scouts haven’t seen as much of Arch Manning outside of games since Texas informed NFL teams on September 28 that practice would soon be closed to them for the rest of the season. But what they’ve seen from Manning on Saturdays is emblematic of a vaunted class of QB prospects for 2027 that seems to be deteriorating by the week.