The NFL trade deadline is tomorrow, and the Atlanta Falcons are going to be one of the more interesting teams to evaluate. This will mark Ian Cunningham's first trade deadline as a general manager, and since he has a solid track record with making trades, I'm sure he'll consider making sone more moves if the right opportunity to do so materializes.
Following a pathetic 34-17 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in Madrid yesterday morning, the Falcons are sitting at 3-6 and have lost four of their last five games. It hasn't been smooth sailing in Atlanta across these last couple of weeks, so you'd think they'd be sellers at the deadline, but maybe not.
Here's the thing though: unless teams are interested in players like Tua Tagovailoa and Mike Hughes (which I doubt), the Falcons don't have many tradeable assets to ship off to contending teams. But since the NFC South is so bad, they still have a chance to make up ground, so they could be buyers.
And if Cunningham has his team looking to be aggressive, we have you covered. With the deadline looming, these five targets would be ideal pickups in order to right the ship.
5 ideal trade targets the Atlanta Falcons should pursue before Tuesday
Baltimore Ravens WR Rashod Bateman
Surprisingly, the Baltimore Ravens are 4-5, and with both Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley out for the season, the Ravens could look to offload some assets at the deadline.
Among them is Rashod Bateman, who doesn't seem to firmly be in Baltimore's long-term plans after the selections of Ja'Kobi Lane and Elijah Saratt in the 2026 NFL Draft.
The Falcons could use additional receiver depth, especially on the outside, and given the success Atlanta has had with turning around the career of one former first-round pick in Jahan Dotson, so why not try their luck with another?
His acquisition could help them move Drake London around the formation more and bring in another downfield threat for Michael Penix Jr. at a semi-affordable price. He's averaging nearly 15 yards per reception this season and is only two years removed from a 756-yard, nine-touchdown campaign.
If Cunningham acquired the 26-year-old from his old friend and colleague Eric DeCosta, they'd only have to take on $1 million in dead cap this year despite being Bateman under contract through 2029, so he'd have the control to be a long-term fixture in red and black at a decently affordable price.
New York Jets EDGE Will McDonald IV
Even with James Pearce Jr. back, the Falcons should be in the market for additional help off the edge. According to Stat Rankings, Jeff Ulbrich's defense is near the top of the league in pressure rate, but they've cooled off of late, as their 23.9% pressure rate over the last three games is 26th in the NFL.
Enter Will McDonald IV, of the New York Jets another former first-round pick. Ulbrich was McDonald's defensive coordinator with the Jets for the first two years of his career and coached him up to a 10.5 sack season in 2024, and went for another eight sacks last year, so he's a proven commodity off the edge.
McDonald is entering a contract year, and since the Jets are likely sellers at the deadline, he could be on the move--and there's no guarantee he'd be an upgrade to Atlanta's current EDGE rotation at the cost of a Day 3 pick.
Tennessee Titans WR Calvin Ridley
Who doesn't love a good reunion? Although the circumstances of Calvin Ridley's breakup with the Falcons are about as ugly as it gets, it's no secret he could use a new start. Despite surpassing 1,000 yards in both 2023 and 2024, Ridley has caught just six passes for 91 yards this season.
Since the Titans seem to be prioritizing developing younger WRs like Chimere Dike, Elic Ayomanor, and Carnell Tate in the middle of their rebuild, he's become something of an afterthought for one of the NFL's worst offenses, so he's clearly expendable at the deadline--and given he's averaging 15.2 yards per reception, he's still a quality downfield threat who should intrigue the Dirty Birds.
His massive cap hit is the difficult part here, but if the Titans would be willing to take on some of the contract, it'd be worth picking up the 31-year-old for a cheap price.
Indianapolis Colts OT Bernhard Raimann
If the Falcons want to improve at the trade deadline, there's no position they could stand to upgrade more than offensive tackle. Jake Matthews is regressing in real time and it's obvious that Jawaan Taylor is nothing more than a one-year rental, so Atlanta needs to find longer-term options at tackle.
Perhaps they can take advantage of the Indianapolis Colts' firesale and land OT Bernhard Raimann. The Colts have already dealt Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner and are bound to enter a rebuild, so now that Chris Ballard (the person who signed Raimann to a $100 million extension) is gone, everyone is theoretically available at the right place.
According to Pro Football Focus, Raimann's 76.5 PFF grade and 78.2 pass blocking grade are both 14th-best among all offensive tackles and he's only given up one sack and been called for one penalty all season.
Bernhard Raimann is only 29, so he could be a long-term successor for Matthews at left tackle, although he would be a little expensive for a team that isn't expected to compete this season.
Los Angeles Chargers CB Donte Jackson
In addition to their need at wide receiver, the Falcons could use some help at cornerback. They have depth at the position, but a lot of their top guys have uncertain futures. A.J. Terrell is not the same guy, Mike Hughes could get moved, and C.J. Henderson is set to be a free agent after the season.
The only long-term piece the Falcons have in their cornerback room are Billy Bowman Jr. and Avieon Terrell, and if Hughes gets moved, they'll badly need another corner. Enter Los Angeles Chargers corner Donte Jackson, and the winless Chargers are almost certainly going to consider moving him.
Jackson is a free agent after the season, and the 31-year-old has 4.32 speed this secondary could use. He's quietly had some nice seasons with the Chargers, and just returned in Week 9 against the Texans, so he could make it that even if Hughes isn't moved, they'd have no further use for him.
It feels like fate that a longtime Panthers cornerback could be an option in Atlanta, and a guy with 110 career starts under his belt almost has to be under consideration to fill a hole in A-Town.
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