Despite a bevy of byes, the weekend provided some of the best action of the season, with eight of the 11 games played Sunday decided by one score. The week’s results, though, were remarkably consistent. The top half of last week’s power rankings went 11-2, with the only two losses coming to other teams in the top 16 (the Bills to the Jets and the Titans to the Chiefs). Maybe the league is finally dividing into the haves and have-nots.
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So with a little less movement in the rankings than usual, let’s focus on a different exercise. Because the trade deadline was one week ago, it’s time now for the hypothetical reverse trade deadline. If given the chance, what trade would every team in the league reverse today? As with any nonsense, we need rules:
• Draft-pick trades are eligible and include the players selected with the traded picks — no downstream effects of who picks were later traded for.
• This is about taking a player back now, not turning back the dial on a time machine.
• Every player sent away is eligible to return, even if they’ve already moved on to a different team. However, only players still on the roster of the recalling team are sent back in return (i.e., the Raiders can recall Khalil Mack, even though he has moved on from the Bears, and only need to send back the players acquired from that trade still on their roster today).
• For our purposes, future draft picks do not exist.
• If a draft pick was traded by multiple teams, the first choice for a recall is given to the team that most recently traded it away.
Away we go. All draft-pick trades are indicated by the round modifier.
1. Philadelphia Eagles (8-0)
(Last week: 2)
Trade recall: First-round pick Micah Parsons and third-round pick Chauncey Golston for first-round pick DeVonta Smith (trade with Cowboys, April 2019)
Apologies to the die-hard Eagles fans still wanting to right the wrong of the Ryan Bates-for-Eli Harold trade in the summer of 2019, but you take the opportunity to add the best young defensive player in football when it retroactively comes along in an imaginary exercise. Because the Eagles are more active in the trade market than most teams, they have other options worth considering. Before the season, they might have been willing to reverse their 2018 draft-day trade that landed the Ravens Lamar Jackson, for instance, but there’s no need for that now with Jalen Hurts playing like an MVP front-runner.
Up next: vs. Washington, Monday 8:15 p.m. ET
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2. Buffalo Bills (6-2)
(Last week: 1)
Trade recall: Wyatt Teller and seventh-round pick Jermar Jefferson for fifth-round pick Trevis Gipson and sixth-round pick Tyler Bass (trade with Browns, August 2019)
The real question here is whether the Bills opt to wind the clock back to their 2017 draft-day trade with the Chiefs that landed Kansas City Patrick Mahomes. But Buffalo has spent too long chasing Mahomes to cast Josh Allen aside now, even after his uncharacteristically sloppy game in the loss to the Jets Sunday. Plus, that would mean getting rid of Tre’Davious White, who was selected with one of the picks returned by Kansas City and is expected to return next week for his season debut. Instead, they bring back a Pro Bowl-caliber guard in Teller.
Up next: vs. Minnesota, Sunday 1 p.m. ET
3. Kansas City Chiefs (6-2)
(Last week: 3)
Trade recall: Third-round pick Mark Andrews and fourth-round pick Kenny Young for third-round pick Derrick Nnadi (trade with Ravens, April 2018)
A lot of options for another busy trading team. Patriots rookie fourth-round cornerback Jack Jones might already be better than Trent McDuffie, whom the Chiefs moved up to draft while also surrendering the picks that turned into Cole Strange and Matt Corral. Jordan Mailata would represent an upgrade at tackle over Andrew Wylie. Tyreek Hill is having the most productive stretch of his career, but that seems like the one major offseason wide receiver trade in which there’s no seller’s remorse. Instead, the opportunity to pair the two best tight ends in the league together is too enticing for Andy Reid to ignore.
Up next: vs. Jacksonville, Sunday 1 p.m. ET
4. Dallas Cowboys (6-2)
(Last week: 4)
Trade recall: Amari Cooper and sixth-round pick Michael Woods for fifth-round pick Matt Waletzko and sixth-round pick Devin Harper (trade with Browns, March)
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A trade that looked bizarrely lopsided the day it was made, this is the easy callback for a Cowboys team that could still use more juice in the passing game (see their pursuit of Brandin Cooks at the real trade deadline). Cooper has 39 catches for 553 yards and five touchdowns for the run-heavy Browns offense and ranks 11th among wide receivers with 2.2 yards per route run. Meanwhile, CeeDee Lamb ranks third in the league in the percentage of his team’s targets he’s accounted for (31.6 percent, behind only Cooper Kupp and Hill).
Up next: at Green Bay, Sunday 4:25 p.m. ET
5. Miami Dolphins (6-3)
(Last week: 8)
Trade recall: Minkah Fitzpatrick, fourth-round pick Kevin Dotson and seventh-round pick Tre Norwood for first-round pick Austin Jackson, fifth-round pick Jason Strowbridge and sixth-round pick Jonathan Marshall (trade with Steelers, September 2019)
The Dolphins rank No. 2 in offensive DVOA (defense-adjusted value over average) and No. 28 in defensive DVOA, so the task here is finding a way to best improve the side of the ball holding them back. Quantity over quality is an option in reversing their 2021 trade-up for Liam Eichenberg. That would bring back a young pass rusher in Azeez Ojulari and a capable cornerback in Cordale Flott. But rescuing Fitzpatrick from a Steelers season going down the drain and pairing him with Jevon Holland would give the Dolphins one of the league’s best safety tandems. Losing Jackson also hurts less with the return of another capable starting offensive lineman in Dotson.
Up next: vs. Cleveland, Sunday 1 p.m. ET
6. San Francisco 49ers (4-4)
(Last week: 5)
Trade recall: First-round pick Tristan Wirfs and seventh-round pick Raymond Calais for first-round pick Javon Kinlaw and fourth-round pick D.J. Wonnum (trade with Bucs, April 2020)
Kyle Shanahan’s obsession with selecting third-round running backs makes more sense when you realize he traded one that turned into Alvin Kamara during his first draft as a head coach. But with Christian McCaffrey now in town, the Niners take the opportunity to bolster their offensive line with the best young right tackle in the league.
Up next: vs. Los Angeles Chargers, Sunday 8:20 p.m. ET
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7. Baltimore Ravens (6-3)
(Last week: 6)
Trade recall: Second-round pick Xavien Howard for second-round pick Kamalei Correa and fourth-round pick Chris Moore (trade with Dolphins, April 2016)
Good time for the bye in Baltimore after its easy dispatching of the Saints Monday night. Maybe the Ravens will get Mark Andrews and Gus Edwards back by the time they return in two weeks, as Lamar Jackson continues his under-the-radar MVP quest/not-so-under-the-radar contract push. And with an extra shutdown corner like Howard to complement Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Peters? Well, they might not have blown so many fourth-quarter leads.
Up next: Bye week
8. Minnesota Vikings (7-1)
(Last week: 7)
Trade recall: Fourth-round pick Josh Sweat and first-round pick Derek Barnett for Sam Bradford (trade with Eagles, September 2016)
Za’Darius Smith is having a monster season for the Vikings, with 8 1/2 sacks that tie him for second in the league (along with Nick Bosa) behind Matt Judon (11 1/2). Danielle Hunter has five sacks opposite Smith but could probably use a breather — he has played 81.3 percent of the Vikings’ defensive snaps this season, which puts him among the top-10 edge rushers in the league in snap percentage played. Enter Sweat, who was once compared to Hunter and could bolster a defense that ranks 19th in overall DVOA, 16th against the pass.
Up next: at Buffalo, Sunday 1 p.m. ET
9. Seattle Seahawks (6-3)
(Last week: 9)
Trade recall: First-round pick Christian Darrisaw, third-round pick Wyatt Davis, first-round pick Garrett Wilson and Bradley McDougald for Jamal Adams and fourth-round pick Coby Bryant (trade with Jets, July 2020)
The Seahawks have a fun trade history, with some one-off opportunities to return players such as Jaire Alexander, Dallas Goedert, Jeremy Chinn and Fletcher Cox. But even with their impressive rookie tandem of starting tackles — Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas — they could find a way to line up with Darrisaw, who is emerging as a potential star in his second season at left tackle for the Vikings. But adding Wilson, who already looks like a star with 521 receiving yards in a passing offense that otherwise struggles, is what puts this one over the top.
Up next: vs. Tampa Bay (in Munich), Sunday 9:30 a.m. ET
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10. Cincinnati Bengals (5-4)
(Last week: 10)
Trade recall: First-round pick Vita Vea and sixth-round pick Ray-Ray McCloud for first-round pick Billy Price, fifth-round pick Andrew Brown and Cordy Glenn (trade with Bills, March 2018)
Another highly drafted offensive lineman who didn’t pan out for a Bengals team still trying to fix things up front, Price is long gone (as is Glenn). Vea, meanwhile, is a relative unicorn in that he’s a rare true nose tackle who also affects the passer, as he showed in the Bucs’ win over the Rams on Sunday. He might turn the Bengals from a top-10 defense (No. 8 in DVOA) to a top-five unit.
Up next: Bye week
11. New York Jets (6-3)
(Last week: 15)
Trade recall: First-round pick Quenton Nelson, second-round pick Braden Smith, second-round pick Dallas Goedert and second-round pick Rock Ya-Sin for first-round pick Sam Darnold (trade with Colts, March 2018)
Best not to stare at that ledger too long, Jets fans. Instead, savor that awesome win over the Bills — probably the franchise’s most significant in a decade. The Jets are ninth in overall DVOA (20th on offense, seventh on defense) and have a 69.8 percent chance of making the playoffs, per Football Outsiders.
Up next: Bye week
12. Tennessee Titans (5-3)
(Last week: 12)
Trade recall: A.J. Brown for first-round pick Treylon Burks and third-round pick Jeremy Ruckert (trade with Eagles, April)
Duh. Heck of a performance by the Titans at Arrowhead, though, as Mike Vrabel’s ability to get the most out of his largely anonymous roster continues to impress. Just imagine if they had a wide receiver worth throwing to.
Up next: vs. Denver, Sunday 1 p.m. ET
13. New York Giants (6-2)
(Last week: 11)
Trade recall: First-round pick Justin Fields for first-round pick Kadarius Toney, fifth-round pick Jamar Johnson, first-round pick Evan Neal and fourth-round pick Daniel Bellinger (trade with Bears, April 2021)
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Maybe this depends on your evaluation of Neal, but it would definitely be better for the NFL public if Fields played for a coaching staff that took a little less time to build things around his skill set. The Giants’ wide receivers might not be too much better than the Bears’, but Fields sharing a backfield with Saquon Barkley is tantalizing, and we’d all probably have a better evaluation of him as a passer at this point. Second place goes to the Giants’ minor trade-up for Aaron Robinson in 2021 that cost them a better cornerback, Paulson Adebo.
Up next: vs. Houston, Sunday 1 p.m. ET
14. Los Angeles Chargers (5-3)
(Last week: 13)
Trade recall: First-round pick Arik Armstead, fourth-round pick Blake Bell and fifth-round pick Ronald Blair for first-round pick Melvin Gordon (trade with 49ers, April 2015)
A good trade to exemplify the age curves at different positions. The 28-year-old Armstead is still a force (albeit injured) for the Niners’ defense, while the 29-year-old Gordon might not be in the league much longer as he wallows on the Broncos’ bench. Meanwhile, the Chargers escaped with a win in Atlanta despite missing Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, but they remain maddeningly mediocre on both sides of the ball.
Up next: at San Francisco, Sunday 8:20 p.m. ET
15. New England Patriots (5-4)
(Last week: 14)
Trade recall: Second-round pick DK Metcalf for third-round pick Chase Winovich and fourth-round pick Hjalte Froholdt (trade with Seahawks, April 2019)
Another team with a long list of options given their propensity to move around during draft weekend. Unless you want to stand on the table for bringing back Jimmy Garoppolo, this one probably comes down to Metcalf and Mailata. Maybe the real Bill Belichick would opt for the lineman, but Mac Jones and the 26th-ranked passing offense by DVOA might be better served with someone who can win some jump balls.
Up next: Bye week
16. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-5)
(Last week: 16)
Trade recall: First-round pick Josh Allen for first-round pick Vita Vea, second-round pick M.J. Stewart and second-round pick Duke Dawson (trade with Bills, April 2018)
Sorry, Tom.
Up next: vs. Seattle (in Munich), Sunday 9:30 a.m. ET
17. Atlanta Falcons (4-5)
(Last week: 19)
Trade recall: Fifth-round pick Stefon Diggs and sixth-round pick Tyrus Thompson for fifth-round pick Grady Jarrett (trade with Vikings, May 2015)
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Hard to imagine there have ever been two better fifth-round picks from the same draft-day trade. Jarrett has been an awesome franchise mainstay for the past eight seasons, but it’s not like the Falcons’ 29th-ranked defense by DVOA can get a whole lot worse. Diggs is third in the league with 857 receiving yards and second in yards per route run (2.95). Just imagine how frustrated Falcons fans would be with another dynamic weapon on the outside to ignore in the passing game. Not a lot to choose from on this one.
Up next: at Carolina, Thursday 8:15 p.m. ET
18. Cleveland Browns (3-5)
(Last week: 20)
Trade recall: First-round pick Dexter Lawrence, third-round pick Oshane Ximines and Jabrill Peppers for Odell Beckham Jr. (trade with Giants, March 2019)
Lawrence is one of the best nose tackles in the league and would help a run defense that ranks 30th in DVOA, while Ximines is a fine rotational pass rusher and Peppers would help the secondary depth. If this were about sleeping better at night, Cleveland might take back a different trade.
Up next: at Miami, Sunday 1 p.m. ET
19. Denver Broncos (3-5)
(Last week: 23)
Trade recall: First-round pick Charles Cross, second-round pick Boye Mafe, fifth-round pick Delarrin Turner-Yell, Noah Fant, Shelby Harris and Drew Lock for Russell Wilson and fourth-round pick Eyioma Uwazurike (trade with Seahawks, March)
I haven’t worked out the cap ramifications of returning players to sender, but no team has an easier decision. That’s just how good Fant is. Ride let’s, Country Broncos.
Up next: vs. Tennessee, Sunday 1 p.m. ET
20. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-6)
(Last week: 29)
Trade recall: Jalen Ramsey for first-round pick K’Lavon Chaisson, first-round pick Travis Etienne and fourth-round pick Robert Rochell (trade with Rams, October 2019)
Etienne has been awesome this year. His 1.7 rushing yards over expected per attempt, per NFL’s Next Gen Stats, are fourth in the league, while he ranks fifth in total rushing yards with 680. Only Nick Chubb has been more productive and better on a per-carry basis. And that says nothing of Etienne’s 174 receiving yards. But the impact of a shutdown corner is different from a really good running back and, frankly, the Jaguars don’t have much else to choose from. Maybe you really like Lions rookie linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez and take him (and Eagles tight end Grant Calcaterra) back for running back Snoop Conner.
Up next: at Kansas City, Sunday 1 p.m. ET
21. Washington Commanders (4-5)
(Last week: 24)
Trade recall: Second-round pick Dante Pettis and fifth-round pick D.J. Reed for second-round pick Derrius Guice and third-round pick Geron Christian (trade with Niners, April 2018)
Trent Williams would probably help the most on a short-term basis, but he’s made it clear he’s never putting that uniform on again. Reversing the Carson Wentz trade might be best for morale, which is at an all-time high for Commanders fans following the report of the Snyders considering selling the team. Who cares about blowing a late lead to your former quarterback when the long-term state of the franchise is at stake? Anyway, Reed is playing at a high level for the Jets and would help a pass defense that ranks 26th in DVOA (while sporting the No. 1 DVOA run defense).
Up next: at Philadelphia, Monday 8:15 p.m. ET
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22. Los Angeles Rams (3-5)
(Last week: 18)
Trade recall: First-round pick Corey Coleman, second-round pick Austin Johnson, second-round pick Derrick Henry, third-round pick Shon Coleman, first-round pick Corey Davis and third-round pick Jonnu Smith for first-round pick Jared Goff, fourth-round pick Nick Kwiatkoski and sixth-round pick Temarrick Hemingway (trade with Titans, April 2016)
What better way to bounce back from failing to land Christian McCaffrey than landing Henry and everything else that comes with him? Anything to help a woeful offense that registered just one first down on its final five possessions in the painful (to watch) 16-13 loss to the Bucs.
Up next: vs. Arizona, Sunday 4:25 p.m. ET
23. Arizona Cardinals (3-6)
(Last week: 21)
Trade recall: Seventh-round pick Jordan Mailata for Marcus Cooper (trade with Chiefs, September 2016)
The Cardinals threw in this pick to acquire Cooper, a journeyman cornerback who started 13 games for Arizona in 2016 and has been out of the league since 2018. The pick then traveled from Kansas City to New England to Philadelphia, which moved up for the gamble on the former rugby player that has turned into one of the league’s best stories of player development. He would give the Cardinals their, like, third good player.
Up next: at Los Angeles Rams, Sunday 4:25 p.m. ET
24. New Orleans Saints (3-6)
(Last week: 22)
Trade recall: C.J. Gardner-Johnson for nothing (trade with Eagles, August)
No matter how big of a headache the Saints considered Gardner-Johnson, the compensation (a 2023 fifth and a 2024 sixth for Gardner-Johnson and a 2025 seventh) can’t make up for a player who now leads the NFL with five interceptions at his new full-time safety position. Especially for a defense that could really use some help at safety.
Up next: at Pittsburgh, Sunday 1 p.m. ET
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25. Chicago Bears (3-6)
(Last week: 28)
Trade recall: First-round pick Solomon Thomas, third-round pick Alvin Kamara, fourth-round pick Tedric Thompson and third-round pick Fred Warner for first-round pick Mitchell Trubisky (trade with Niners, April 2017)
Ouch. Five years later, the Bears feel better about their quarterback situation than at any point since following Fields’ eye-popping scrambles (15 carries for 178 yards, including a 61-yard touchdown) in the 35-32 loss to the Dolphins. The defense, meanwhile, ranks 31st in DVOA. Warner would help.
Up next: vs. Detroit, Sunday 1 p.m. ET
26. Las Vegas Raiders (2-6)
(Last week: 25)
Trade recall: Khalil Mack, second-round pick Cole Kmet and seventh-round pick Arlington Hambright for first-round pick Josh Jacobs, sixth-round pick Bless Austin, first-round pick Damon Arnette and third-round pick Bryan Edwards (trade with Bears, September 2018)
Mack turns 32 in February, so maybe this isn’t the kind of long-term move a 2-6 team should be making, but it also doesn’t seem like a roster put together with a rebuild in mind. And Mack would help poor Maxx Crosby, who has six sacks while the rest of the team has three combined. The Lions are the only other team without at least two players with two sacks.
Up next: vs. Indianapolis, Sunday 4:05 p.m. ET
27. Detroit Lions (2-6)
(Last week: 31)
Trade recall: Darius Slay for third-round pick Julian Blackmon and fifth-round pick Quintez Cephus (trade with Eagles, March 2020)
The Lions ended up using the Blackmon pick to move up for Jonah Jackson, who has been a Pro Bowl-caliber player, so they might not regret the deal entirely. But Slay is one of the best cornerbacks in the league and would pair with Jeff Okudah to boost the Lions’ 25th-ranked defense by DVOA. Plus, no one would have enjoyed celebrating the upset win over Aaron Rodgers more than Slay.
Up next: at Chicago, Sunday 1 p.m. ET
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28. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-6)
(Last week: 30)
Trade recall: Third-round pick Rasheem Green and seventh-round pick Alex McGough for third-round pick Mason Rudolph (trade with Seahawks, April 2018)
Under Kevin Colbert, the Steelers were one of the most trade-averse teams in the league. Omar Khan signaled those days might be over at the deadline this year in sending away Chase Claypool and acquiring William Jackson III, but the pickings here are slim. So welcome in Green, who has 3 1/2 sacks for the Texans this year after signing as a free agent.
Up next: vs. New Orleans, Sunday 1 p.m. ET
29. Carolina Panthers (2-7)
(Last week: 27)
Trade recall: Second-round pick Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and fourth-round pick Derrick Barnes for second-round pick Terrace Marshall and third-round pick Nico Collins (trade with Browns, April 2021)
If you want to roll the dice on a quarterback, Bailey Zappe is there for the taking or Teddy Bridgewater can be had. Trey Smith would help a beleaguered offensive line. But Owusu-Koramoah gets the nod as the lone potential difference-making young player for a team desperately in need of them.
Up next: vs. Atlanta, Thursday 8:15 p.m. ET
30. Houston Texans (1-6-1)
(Last week: 32)
Trade recall: First-round pick Jordan Love, first-round pick Trey Lance, second-round pick Jevon Holland, Johnson Bademosi and Julie’n Davenport for Laremy Tunsil, Kenny Stills, fourth-round pick Solomon Kindley and sixth-round pick Chris Evans (trade with Dolphins, September 2019)
As tempting as it is to wind the clock all the way to 2012 and bring back DeMeco Ryans to be the new head coach, the Texans get two free shots at a long-term quarterback answer here even if it costs Tunsil. Love vs. Lance, aside from being a lazy title for a Queen Guinevere move, would be the league’s best quarterback competition next summer.
Up next: at New York Giants, Sunday 1 p.m. ET
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31. Indianapolis Colts (3-5-1)
(Last week: 26)
Trade recall: Third-round pick Jonah Jackson and sixth-round pick John Penisini for third-round pick Julian Blackmon, fifth-round pick Danny Pinter and sixth-round pick Michael Onwenu (trade with Lions, April 2020)
The Colts need offensive line help so badly that they just hilariously hired an old one as their interim head coach. Not a sane place.
Up next: at Las Vegas, Sunday 4:05 p.m. ET
32. Green Bay Packers (3-6)
(Last week: 17)
Trade recall: Davante Adams for first-round pick Quay Walker and second-round pick Alec Pierce (trade with Raiders, March)
The ceremonial last-place slot goes to the team with somehow worse vibes than the one that fired its head coach a week after firing its offensive coordinator a week after replacing its veteran quarterback with a no-shot sixth-round pick. Not the best of times for the residents of former Titletown, now Nevergaveuptown.
Up next: vs. Dallas, Sunday 4:25 p.m. ET
(Top illustration: John Bradford / The Athletic; photo: Elsa / Getty Images)