Week 10 of the 2024 NFL season has arrived, and league insiders Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano are here to break down the biggest questions, latest news and notable buzz heading into the slate of games. Plus, they pick out which players should -- or shouldn't -- be in your fantasy football lineups.
But this week, Jeremy and Dan are focusing mainly on the aftermath of Tuesday's trade deadline. What was most surprising about the deadline action, and what were the most important deals? They also break down the buzz from the Saints' Monday firing of coach Dennis Allen. It's all here, as our insiders answer big questions and empty their reporting notebooks with everything they've heard heading into Week 10.
Graziano: For me, it was the teams that didn't make any moves. The Giants got calls on edge rusher Azeez Ojulari and wide receiver Darius Slayton but didn't move either. Teams that checked in on Ojulari said Giants general manager Joe Schoen was asking for too much and never really moved, as he was only going to deal if he got his price. Given how much the Giants have invested in edge rushers Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux, it seems unlikely they'll sign Ojulari, who's eligible for free agency at the end of the season. But this is the same team that didn't trade Saquon Barkley at last year's deadline even though it wasn't going to sign him in free agency.
Fowler: Ojulari, in particular, would have required at least a fifth-rounder, and the Baron Browning trade (from Denver to Arizona for a fifth-rounder) diluted the market a bit. But the overall lack of splash in the final hours was noteworthy.
Fowler: Carolina getting a fourth-rounder from Dallas in exchange for Mingo was a shocker. Former Day 2 picks who are out of the lineup typically don't garner that. The Panthers were eager to deal him. Yes, contractual control was a factor in his value. Mingo is in the second year of his rookie deal, meaning Dallas has him under contract for the next 2½ seasons for slightly more than $4 million in total. The Cowboys felt they had to pay a premium for that, and Mingo does have some upside. But Carolina didn't have much leverage here. On a day that mostly followed a well-worn script, this move was off script.
Graziano: Yeah, Dallas wasn't going to trade players and wasn't going to make a move for a rental. The Cowboys liked Mingo when he came out in the 2023 draft, where he was the No. 39 pick, and they felt they needed some size in their wide receiver corps. Having Mingo under contract for two more years after this season justifies the price in their eyes; basically, they didn't think they'd get anyone they liked better with that fourth-round pick.
Fowler: Cam Robinson to the Vikings. Minnesota's ready-made offense had a major hole to fill when left tackle Christian Darrisaw -- who was well on his way to the Pro Bowl -- suffered a season-ending knee injury. This left the Vikings in a precarious spot, since quality left tackles are scarce and coveted. One of the only teams with three quality tackles was Jacksonville, which had just fallen to 2-6 at the time Minnesota consummated the deal with a fourth-round pick. Robinson is an eight-year starter with pedigree. Now, the Vikings keep their playoff plan intact with capable play on the left side at a reasonable price.
Graziano: I like that pick a lot. Robinson is certainly not Darrisaw, but given how difficult it is to find starting-caliber offensive linemen at any time of the season, you have to admire the Vikings for getting out there and trying to plug a hole they absolutely had to plug.
I hate to go the obvious big-name route here, but it's pretty hard to have watched Monday night's game and not consider DeAndre Hopkins as the answer. He gives the Chiefs a reliable No. 1 wide receiver. It's clear Patrick Mahomes already trusts him, which is amazing given that they've only practiced together for a week and a half. It's a game-changing move by the undefeated two-time defending Super Bowl champs. Hopkins provides exactly what the Chiefs' offense was missing.
Fowler: Hopkins was awesome Monday. He might be a half-step slower than he was in his prime, but his feel for the game, instincts and reliable hands have instantly elevated the Chiefs. Staying in the receiver lane, the Ravens got incredible value with Diontae Johnson, trading a 2025 fifth-round pick for a sixth-rounder and a 28-year-old wideout who can beat one-on-one man coverage. Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta always seems to make smart moves, and here's another.
While the Panthers got great value for Mingo, they probably should have gotten more for Johnson, showing their hand by making him inactive in Week 7. Plus, Baltimore can enjoy the built-in motivation for Johnson to face the Steelers -- his old team -- twice.
Graziano: Yeah, Johnson has had a weird career path of late, right? Pittsburgh traded him away in his prime even though it isn't exactly loaded at that position. Then Carolina ditched him for a relatively low return after having him for seven months. He obviously has a chance to shine with the Ravens, who are now equipped to expand their offensive formation repertoire around Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry.
Graziano: I found it interesting that the Colts and Panthers got calls on benched quarterbacks Anthony Richardson and Bryce Young, the fourth and first picks, respectively, in the 2023 draft. I found it even more interesting that those teams were told "no" -- that the Colts and Panthers weren't ready to give up on their first-round quarterbacks just yet. Young has started the past two games while Andy Dalton has nursed a thumb injury, but it remains to be seen whether Young reclaims the job now that Dalton is healthy. And no one knows when Richardson might get a chance to take over again for Joe Flacco. But the Colts and Panthers wanted to make it clear they haven't ruled out the possibility that those guys could still turn out to be their franchise QBs.
Fowler: Unless the compensation is significant, it's not worth completely giving up on players who could resurface as capable starters, either in the short term or down the line. Minnesota's Sam Darnold and Tampa Bay's Baker Mayfield have drawn the blueprint for once-failed top picks who rediscovered their games.
One interesting note is that Pittsburgh really did scour the earth for receiver help. Steelers GM Omar Khan cracked every window before zeroing in on Jets wideout Mike Williams. I believe Pittsburgh was one of the teams to check on Seattle's DK Metcalf, which was a nonstarter for the Seahawks. The Steelers also looked into potentially trading for the Giants' Darius Slayton. This comes on the heels of a near deal for Christian Kirk before his injury and attempts to acquire Davante Adams and Brandon Aiyuk. After an exhaustive search, the Steelers were determined to walk away with help at a key position.
Graziano: Outside of the Za'Darius Smith move to the Lions, if you'd asked me Tuesday morning what I was most confident about happening, I'd have said the Steelers coming away from deadline day with a new receiver. Williams was a guy they poked around on in free agency, so we know they believe he fits in there. They needed another playmaking option besides George Pickens, and as you mention, they kicked over every rock they could find looking for one, dating to this past spring. Pittsburgh doesn't usually make a lot of trades at the deadline, but it is in first place in the AFC North and determined to cash in on that hot start.
The Steelers probably didn't feel like a team that would be adding at the deadline when the season began. The Commanders are similar, and snagging cornerback Marshon Lattimore from the Saints feels like the kind of move that can energize and invigorate a locker room. The Commanders feel very good about their roster, their young quarterback and the way things have come together in a very short period under Dan Quinn. They know the Eagles are right behind them. The Commanders are legitimate contenders, and adding a premium player such as Lattimore can only help with that effort.
Fowler: What's funny is I don't think the Commanders expected to be contenders. They did not inherit a great roster. Multiple people around the league have pointed out how well Quinn has done with a defense that isn't bursting with high-level talent. The new regime has been all but allergic to Ron Rivera's old players. This was supposed to be the bridge season to something greater. But rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels' brilliant play -- coupled with good coaching, a few quality supplemental moves and the infectious nature of winning -- has Washington believing in something greater. So, I don't think the Lattimore move was telegraphed. The Commanders got involved late in the process. After all, they essentially needed nine weeks to realize what they had.
Fowler: The loss to the Panthers was so bad, so inexcusable, that even some people with Carolina were lamenting after the game how badly the Saints dropped the ball. The loss was indicative of a downward trend. The Saints hadn't lost six in a row since 2005, when the team was in exile following Hurricane Katrina. This team is at seven defeats in a row. Allen clearly wasn't maximizing his talent -- though, as many within the team have noted, the Saints' injury woes were also historically bad.
But Allen entered this season with baggage in his own locker room. The issue of Saints players feeling Allen didn't have their back by apologizing to then-Falcons coach Arthur Smith for running up the score was real and tangible. Those things -- issues of trust -- can have a cumulative effect on winning and losing. There's also the basic argument that Allen has proved to be a very good coordinator but not a great head coach. Sometimes it's that simple.
Graziano: It is, and you can't say Allen didn't get a chance. What's interesting about the Saints as we turn to the future is how different things are going to have to be now. When Sean Payton surprised them by stepping away after the 2021 season, they decided to try to impose as much continuity as possible. They elevated Allen from defensive coordinator to coach, kept the same staff on the offensive side of the ball and brought in quarterback Derek Carr, who was Allen's signal-caller when he was the coach of the Raiders. The Saints also continued their annual tradition of restructuring big contracts and inflating future cap numbers to keep their roster together.
But the Lattimore trade is interesting because it cuts against all of that. The Saints will take on about $31 million in dead money salary cap charges in 2025 because of the deal. That could be an indication that they're ready to stop kicking contract cans down the road and swallow the bitter dead money pill teams have to endure when they decide it's time to tear down the roster and rebuild it. The recent signing of running back Alvin Kamara to another extension is evidence that they haven't necessarily learned their lesson, but maybe we look back on that one as the last of the put-off-the-pain moves.
The Saints have a chance to look a lot different in 2025. Carr has $10 million in guaranteed money next season, so it's not out of the question he'll be back. But with a new coaching staff coming in, odds are they take a loss there too and move on.
Fowler: The Saints have held one of the league's oldest rosters for years, so getting younger and more explosive will be paramount. The Lattimore trade did seem to signal the Saints' willingness to embrace that route.
The Saints are projected to have minus-$68.4 million in 2025 cap space, worst in the league. I tend to see the cap as malleable -- something the Saints can bend to their will with a series of moves. They've been doing it for more than a decade. But that formula is predicated, in part, on restructuring contracts of players who remain impactful. That's harder to do when those players get old and underperform. The Lattimore trade is a start. And if Carr is in the 2025 plans, reworking his $51.4 million cap hit would give New Orleans immediate space.
This won't be a one-year fix, though. For now, the Saints and interim coach Darren Rizzi are simply trying to figure out how to regroup. Rizzi is evaluating the whole operation to give coaches and players a fresh start. The offense, when healthy, feels like it can still score efficiently. So, the next eight games will be a chance to evaluate future pillars. One is cornerback Alontae Taylor, who takes that mantle from Lattimore.
Graziano: No doubt, and the future of the Saints beyond 2024 depends entirely on who the new coach is and what they do at quarterback. Even if they do bring back Carr next season, they have to be thinking about a future beyond him. Is their roster too bloated and cap-imperiled to attract top head-coaching candidates? There are a lot of questions to answer in New Orleans.
Graziano: If Christian McCaffrey plays for the 49ers this week, start him without any reservations. Sometimes you want to wait a week when a guy comes off an injury after not playing in a while, but Kyle Shanahan's history with McCaffrey tells us that if his star running back is available, he is basically going to get all of the backfield work. The Niners wouldn't bring McCaffrey back from Achilles tendinitis if they weren't sure he could handle his normal workload. Also, the Buccaneers are allowing the fifth-most fantasy points per game to running backs and third most over the past four weeks.