The window for making trades closes in nine days. Most teams will play two games between now and then. And the outcomes of those games will help determine who does, and who doesn’t, get active in the trade market, as sellers or as buyers.
For potential sellers, the next two games are of critical importance. The Broncos, for example, went from having a potential fire sale at 0-4 to looking like fringe AFC West contenders at 2-4 to looking even worse than they did when winless on Thursday night against the Chiefs. Now 2-5 with a game next week at the Colts, Denver could be 2-6 next Sunday afternoon, with 48 hours left to make a deal or two. Or three.
For some teams, the SELL! light already is on, or should be. Winless Miami, obviously, wants to trade current assets for future picks. Washington at 1-5 should have the same mindset, but dysfunctional teams continue to do dysfunctional things. 0-6 Cincinnati likely will be willing to move players, too, with A.J. Green at the top of the list. Ditto for the Falcons, who are 1-5 and are staring at a pair of likely home losses against the Rams and Seahawks and possibly an interim head coach in the next seven days.
Plenty of other teams with two or fewer wins could have as many as four wins by next Tuesday -- or as many as six losses. Whether it’s the 2-4 Jaguars or the 2-4 Titans or the 2-4 Chargers or the 2-4 Giants or the 2-2-1 Lions or the 2-4 Bucs or the 2-3-1 Cardinals, the next two weekends will go a long way toward determining the players who are, and aren’t, in play for the trade deadline.