For much of October, reports will tell of teams that could be willing to buy or sell waiting to see how the next few weeks will go. A potential seller wins a few games, and all of a sudden, maybe that team wants to keep more key players than originally thought. A couple of losses from a potential buyer could mean that team isn't so keen on making a win-now move. A lot can and does change in the NFL every week.

But now the end of October has arrived, and the trade deadline is two weeks away. Phone lines are buzzing, and Week 7 revealed some more notable concerns for potential buyers. Does that mean sellers will take advantage sooner rather than later? With big names such as Jonathan Taylor and Saquon Barkley being floated as potential trade targets this trade season, we play matchmaker for several top teams looking to patch up their rosters for the stretch run of the regular season and beyond.

Minnesota Vikings

The need: Help on offense
The solution: RB Jonathan Taylor

The NFL's only undefeated team, Minnesota, moved to 6-0 with a 16-10 win over the Colts. That sort of score has been the norm. The Vikings have 10 touchdowns this season, the fewest by any 6-0 team since the 1934 Lions. 1934!

The Kyler Murray experience has been a rough one. He'll produce a big play or two with his legs or his arm, but the down-to-down consistency hasn't been close to good enough. He is 27th in sack rate, 29th in passing success rate and 31st in touchdown rate.

Surprisingly, the Vikings score on 41.5% of their drives, 12th in the NFL, but that's been a lot of Will Reichard field goals. Taylor, meanwhile, is a scoring machine, and he'd provide explosiveness to the running game, too. The Vikings saw it up close and personal Sunday, with Taylor totaling 110 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown. Aaron Jones has been playing through a knee injury, which he aggravated Sunday. The Vikings can't risk wasting their Super Bowl-caliber defense. Taylor is the solution.

Cincinnati Bengals

The need: Running back
The solution: RB Saquon Barkley

The Bengals are up to 4-2 on the young season after a beatdown of the Ravens. Joe Burrow and co. don't particularly like running the ball, and perhaps the reason why is that the offense only averages 3.6 yards per carry.

It's been a disappointing year for Chase Brown. His -0.6 yards per attempt over expected is among the worst in the NFL, and it seemingly isn't clicking for him. Enter Barkley, who is actually producing 1.15 yards per rush over expected despite pretty much everything around him falling apart. Only four players — Kenneth Walker III, Jaylen Warren, Bijan Robinson and Kyle Monangai — have a higher rate. The Bengals made a blockbuster move for Dexter Lawrence this year despite concerns about his age and productivity, and it has been hugely successful so far. Barkley could be a similar spark, especially with defenses devoting so much attention to Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.

Buffalo Bills

The need: Another disruptor up front
The solution: DL Jeffery Simmons

Even with big leaps from defensive tackle Deone Walker and EDGE Greg Rousseau, the Bills are 24th in defensive rushing success rate, and with Ed Oliver's injury issues, Buffalo has been iffy up front outside of Walker. Buffalo has long maintained the status quo at the deadline, but this is the year to change that in a big way.

Simmons is a superstar — one of the best defenders on the planet, regardless of position. Could you imagine combining him with Walker? Legitimately terrifying. It would also help a leaky secondary. When opposing quarterbacks aren't pressured, the Bills are getting shredded: 30th in defensive EPA per play and dead last in defensive success rate. That has to change.

Kansas City Chiefs

The need: Downfield passing
The solution: WR Adonai Mitchell

The Chiefs fell from the ranks of the undefeated with a humbling 20-3 loss to the Seahawks that exposed multiple issues. One of the biggest was the complete lack of a downfield passing attack. Patrick Mahomes attempted three passes 20+ yards downfield and connected on zero of them. It was his most such attempts without a completion since Week 16, 2024.

Kansas City's downfield passing game has gone out the window ever since Tyquan Thornton's injury. Mahomes didn't even attempt a pass 20+ yards downfield last week against the Chargers, just the second time that's happened in his entire career. Thornton still has more than half of Mahomes' completions 20+ yards downfield this year (4) despite not having played since Week 4. No other Chiefs pass catcher has more than one.

As fun as it would be to send George Pickens to Kansas City, the Cowboys seem dead set on trying to win this year. Mitchell was actually off to a strong start this season before a finger injury. Omar Cooper Jr. has shined the past two weeks, and when Mitchell returned in Week 7, he only played 44% of the offensive snaps.

Green Bay Packers

The need: Interior defensive linemen
The solution: DL DeForest Buckner

Buckner made it clear last week he wants to play for a winner, and the Colts don't look like a winner any time soon. The Packers, meanwhile, are 4-3 and look like they could be a legitimate contender, especially when Micah Parsons returns. The defense has rounded into shape without him, and that's even with significant injuries on the interior of the line. Buckner has been a very good — and at times dominant — player this year. The Packers are down some draft capital after the Parsons trade last year, but Buckner, at 32 and in the last year of his contract, wouldn't be prohibitively expensive.

Detroit Lions

The need: Secondary help
The solution: CB Tariq Woolen

Woolen came to Philadelphia on a one-year deal to fill the hole at outside cornerback opposite Quinyon Mitchell, and he has done a decent job. Opponents are completing under half of their passes and averaging just 6.2 yards per attempt when Woolen is the primary defender this season. The Lions were in on Joey Porter Jr. before he ultimately ended up on the Cowboys. This could be another solid option for much, much cheaper. The Eagles figure to be sellers given the disastrous run of injuries on the offensive side of the ball.

Chicago Bears

The need: Help up front
The solution: EDGE Khalil Mack

Not all reunions make sense. This one does. The Bears actually rank seventh in pressure rate and third in sack rate this season, but they could still use some pass rush juice on the edge. Chicago is 18th in pressure rate when not bringing a blitzer from pass coverage. The Chargers are obvious sellers, and Mack is still effective: three sacks and seven quick pressures, which is more than any current Bears EDGE.

San Francisco 49ers

The need: More push up front
The solution: DL Daron Payne

The 49ers rank 29th in percentage of opponent plays that go for zero or negative yards. Enter the stout Payne, who not only remains a solid player himself, but would free things up for offseason acquisition Osa Odighizuwa on the interior. Payne's counting numbers aren't anything special, but he ranks 21st in PFF's run defense grade among 136 interior defensive linemen. Payne is in the final year of his deal, and Commanders GM Adam Peters used to be in San Francisco's front office. There's a deal to be made here.

New England Patriots

The need: Offensive line reinforcements
The solution: OL Kevin Zeitler

A longtime stalwart who was playing solidly as recently as last year, Zeitler signed with the Packers less than a month ago amid major offensive line issues in Green Bay. But he is yet to play an offensive snap and was a healthy scratch in Week 7. It just might not be working out, and if that's the case, Green Bay could be eager to recoup any draft capital for him.

New England, with injuries up and down the offensive line, could make sense as a buy-low candidate. Alijah Vera-Tucker (hamstring) is on IR, and Ben Brown (knee) missed Week 7. Mike Onwenu (ankle) is out for most, if not all, of the rest of the season. Onwenu's replacement, Greg Van Roten (thigh), is also on IR.