The Giants won Sunday with Devin Singletary carrying the ball 21 times for 31 yards. They’re 5-2-1, leading the NFC East, and are a prime candidate to go out and get themselves a star running back. To make things even more enticing, Jonathan Taylor's supposedly available.

But apparently, the Colts' price for him was too high. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that their offer of a second-rounder, a fifth-rounder, and a player wasn't enough to get the deal done.

That’s a pretty good introduction to this deadline.

The trade deadline is where obvious needs meet very non-obvious deals. A team might need a running back, have one they could make a move on, and still find themselves miles away from an agreement. That’s where the Giants are right now.

The prices some teams have already been willing to pay show why this isn’t as simple as matching a team with a need to a player who fits it. Chicago gave up two first-round picks in the Jeffery Simmons package. Seattle got Quenton Nelson for just a third and a fifth. And San Francisco got DeForest Buckner for a single fourth-round pick. Contract length, age, salary, and the long-term plans are all clearly at the front of these general managers' minds. A Pro Bowl resume doesn’t come with a standard price tag.

Everybody’s got until Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET to figure it out. After that, the biggest holes on these rosters become problems coaches get asked to scheme around for another two months.

Some can. Some are already asking too much of one or two guys.

The Contenders Have Pretty Clear Shopping Lists

Kansas City: Get Mahomes Somebody Who Can Get Open

The Chiefs beat the Jets 35-12 to move to 6-2, but Xavier Worthy left with a hamstring injury. A comfortable win doesn’t make the receiver situation any less urgent. It just makes the hole a little easier to ignore for one afternoon.

Josh Downs feels like the most logical answer — if Jacksonville isn't willing to help an AFC rival and send Brian Thomas Jr. their way. Ian Rapoport reported Monday that Kansas City's interested, and the Colts have already told teams they’ve received a fourth-round offer after initially asking for a third. So there’s a real negotiation here.

Downs has 33 catches for 354 yards and a touchdown so far this season for a struggling Indy offense. He also caught seven passes for 72 yards against Kansas City in September, so the Chiefs have already seen what he can do up close. His quickness inside would give Patrick Mahomes another answer against pressure and another receiver who can separate before a play turns into backyard football.

The catch is that Downs isn’t the big outside receiver people keep picturing. There’s some overlap with Rashee Rice’s role, and Downs had two drops Sunday. You’d be buying a role player who could fit better in Kansas City’s offense — who also has free agency coming up — not paying for someone to carry the passing game.

Kansas City also has some financial work to do. Right now, they only have around $1.1 million in space. The picks aren’t the only thing that needs to be worked out.

Brian Thomas Jr. is the more exciting possibility. Jacksonville hasn't wanted to move him, but Rapoport said Monday that the Jaguars could try to recoup something around a second-round pick after bringing in Jessie Bates. I just find it hard to believe they'd be willing to help someone they might have to face in the playoffs.

Thomas would bring a different kind of help, though: an outside receiver with the size and speed to threaten defenses downfield. He’s also under his rookie contract through 2027, with a fifth-year option decision still ahead. That kind of control makes a higher price easier to understand. The bigger question is why a talented young receiver has become so disposable to Jacksonville’s offense.

Buffalo: Josh Allen’s Already Doing His Part

The Bills have the league’s highest-scoring offense and a defense giving up 25.9 points per game. So, yeah, there have been plenty of afternoons when Josh Allen has had to make sure the other team runs out of possessions first.

Riq Woolen makes sense opposite Christian Benford. He’s got the length and recovery speed to give Buffalo another option on the boundary, which could give the safeties a little more freedom than they’ve had when a corner needs constant help.

There’s risk, though. Woolen allowed a 108.3 passer rating when targeted through Philadelphia’s first seven games, according to Next Gen Stats. The physical tools are still obvious. The coverage just hasn’t consistently matched them.

That’s why this feels more like a late-round conversation. Maybe a fifth-round pick, or a fourth with a sixth or seventh coming back, depending on the money. Woolen’s on a one-year deal, and Philadelphia would still be responsible for the bonus-related cap charges. Buffalo would have to fit the remaining salary.

Woolen wants to stay in Philadelphia, and that matters to him. But Howie Roseman still has to decide whether keeping an expiring veteran does more for a 2-7 team than adding another draft pick would.

Minnesota: There Are Ways to Help the Offense Without Replacing the Quarterback

The Daniel Jones reunion can come off the board. Tom Pelissero reported that the Colts told Jones they aren’t trading him. Carson Wentz struggled mightily against Buffalo on Monday with Kyler Murray out because of his hamstring, but Minnesota doesn’t need to turn every offensive problem into another quarterback search.

Taylor is the obvious bigger move. Minnesota came into this week ranked 27th in rushing EPA. Through Week 8, Taylor had already ripped off 18 runs of at least 10 yards. He also ran for 95 yards and a touchdown against the Vikings themselves. They’ve seen firsthand what he can do.

A back who can turn a blocked run into 18 yards gives this offense some breathing room. It means there won't be as many drives where the quarterback has to manufacture everything, and more chances to punish defenses that want to keep extra attention on Justin Jefferson.

But Taylor isn’t an expiring rental. He signed a two-year, $44 million extension in August and is under contract through 2028. That's $16 million in 2027 and $18 million in 2028. Those are real future commitments a buyer has to weigh along with the picks.

I’d at least discuss a first-round pick if the Vikings believe that pairing him with Murray would put them over the top. Indianapolis has already rejected a second-round-plus package, so it seems like it'd take at least that to get the, to really listen. Pelissero reported Saturday that keeping Taylor was still the likeliest outcome unless someone makes a blockbuster offer. There’s enough uncertainty here that calling a trade inevitable would be a stretch.

The quieter option is Eagles guard Tyler Steen. Donovan Jackson’s torn meniscus created a need at left guard, and Steen could bring some experience and depth to the competition. He’s mostly played right guard, so moving to the other side could take some work. You can’t just update the depth chart and assume the footwork comes along with it.

Steen is in the last year of his contract, which makes him useful now without solving the position long term.

Jacksonville: Finish Fixing the Middle

The Jaguars already addressed safety Monday, picking up Jesse Bates for a 2027 second and a 2028 fifth. But DaVon Hamilton’s season-ending quad injury still leaves them with a problem up front.

Grover Stewart would help eat up blocks and keep the run defense from making the linebackers clean up every mess. He’d be a sturdy early-down addition, and the value would probably show up in somebody else’s stats just as often as his own.

I’d put the trade somewhere between a fifth- and fourth-round pick, depending mostly on how much salary Indianapolis is willing to eat. Stewart’s 33, his contract expires after the season, and his base salary is $11.74 million. That’s a lot of money left for a rental. Reports also suggest the Colts’ asking price has been higher than interested teams want to pay.

Jacksonville has a reason to be aggressive, but they also just gave up a second-round pick. There’s a pretty big difference between filling the hole left by Hamilton and paying for Stewart like he’s Jeffery Simmons.

The Teams That Need to Be Honest With Themselves

The Giants belong in the buying conversation. Their record and division have earned them that much. And to be fair, pulling back from the Taylor offer deserves some credit, too.

Cam Skattebo’s hamstring injury and Tyrone Tracy Jr.’s trip to injured reserve explain why they’re looking. They don’t mean New York has to keep bidding against their own impatience. John Harbaugh said Sunday that they weren’t ruling anything out, while also making it clear nothing looked especially close.

I’d keep the Taylor conversation open, but with a firm ceiling, and I’d spend some time looking into interior defensive help. You can make a division leader better without deciding every veteran out there is the missing piece. Singletary’s 31 yards are a problem. They’re not a reason to give Indianapolis whatever they want.

Dallas is a little tougher. The Cowboys are 4-5 after beating Indianapolis, and their best argument for buying is that the NFC East hasn’t completely run away from them. That’s a fair argument. It just needs to be more than one win over the Colts before it becomes a convincing one.

Josh Sweat is the obvious pass-rush target. Dallas defensive coordinator Christian Parker knows him from Philadelphia, and Sweat could give the Cowboys another edge threat, making it harder for offenses to send all their protection in one direction. He’s 29 and under contract through 2028.

The money needs a closer look than simply saying, “three years of control.” His base salaries jump to $17 million in both 2027 and 2028, with no guaranteed salary in either season. There’s some flexibility there, but keeping him would still mean spending real money. And he reportedly wants a new deal.

For Dallas, the question is whether Sweat makes the roster better enough over the next few seasons to justify the cost. Buying him just to try to save this season would be a harder sell. Jerry Jones doesn’t need another reason to believe he can make some magic this season. This division is filling his head with false hope.

The Rams have a more immediate decision to make. They’re 5-4 after three straight wins, and Myles Garrett just came back with three sacks. Now they’re expected to put Puka Nacua on IR after hurting his knee on the last play on Sunday. And Davante Adams isn't ready to come back yet either. Receiver help makes sense, but how much are they willing to pay in the middle of a season that's already started to go off the rails a bit?

The Sellers Don’t Have to Trade Everybody

Indianapolis is 2-7 and has already sent Quenton Nelson to Seattle and DeForest Buckner to San Francisco. If the return makes sense, they should keep selling. Downs and Stewart are on expiring contracts. Taylor's the bigger decision, and the new general manager will have to live with whatever happens there.

Philadelphia should be just as selective. Moving Woolen for useful draft capital makes sense. Moving Steen takes more thought because young, functional offensive linemen are exactly the kind of players you’re usually trying to find during a reset.

Tennessee already made their biggest move by sending Simmons to Chicago in a deal that included two first-round picks. Calvin Ridley's a receiver option out there for a team like San Francisco, who's been looking for help.

San Francisco just put Christian Kirk on injured reserve, so there’s a pretty clear reason to go shopping. Ridley could help them get through the shortage without costing a premium pick.

The football case is simple: take a cheap shot on a veteran route runner. The counterpoint is six catches for 91 yards this season. His contract runs through 2027 with no guaranteed salary next year, but a buyer would still inherit this season’s unpaid obligations.

And some names should come with a stop sign. The Chargers have said they aren’t moving Khalil Mack. Tennessee's been consistent about not trading Tony Pollard. The Jets haven't really listened to offers for Garrett Wilson or Breece Hall.

Will McDonald IV requested a trade Monday, but Aaron Glenn shut that down pretty quickly by saying:

Will’s going to be here.

A reduced role gives McDonald a reason to want out. It doesn’t give another team permission to bring him in.

The Three Moves I’d Watch Closest

Taylor to Minnesota would do the most to change what the Vikings are asking their quarterback to do. Downs to Kansas City would fill a real need without forcing the Chiefs to gut next year’s draft. Woolen to Buffalo would be the cheaper swing at fixing the side of the ball most likely to waste another great Allen season.

None of these moves is a sure thing. But each one has a clear football purpose, and you don’t have to spend five minutes talking yourself into it.

By Tuesday afternoon, we’ll know who was willing to push all the chips to the middle for a shot this year.

All stats courtesy of FantasyPointsData.com

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