NFL Trade Deadline Fallout, Perfect Picks and a Front Office on the Bench

I went 4–0 and gained absolutely nothing on Niko.

That is the kind of week we had on Far End of the Bench. Both of us ran the table, Cincinnati found another way to frustrate me, and we recorded a Broncos trade reaction that needed an update before everybody had finished listening.

Episode 296 gets into the NFL trade deadline, our Week 10 NFL picks, fantasy football, the Nuggets, the Avalanche and a Player of the Week argument between Wemby and Luka. By the end, I had benched a front office and Niko had benched an entire championship weekend.

First, an update on the Daiyan Henley trade

We recorded on Tuesday, November 10, while the deadline news was still moving. Denver had announced an agreement to acquire Daiyan Henley from the Chargers for a 2027 fourth-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick, pending a physical. On Wednesday night, the Broncos announced that the proposed trade would not be finalized.

That changes our Denver discussion. The episode captures why we liked the proposed fit. Henley never became the addition we were talking about, so Denver still has to answer those questions with the players it has.

The Bengals gave me a win and a reason to yell

I finally got to watch Cincinnati handle business in a standalone game. The Bengals beat Atlanta 34–17 in Madrid, Joe Burrow spent the morning taking apart somebody else’s defense and, unfortunately, my fantasy team caught some of the damage.

On the field, I liked what I was seeing. This team was 6–2 when we recorded. The defense was giving the offense a chance. Cincinnati was winning games it needed to win. Those are good reasons to be excited about where a season can go.

Then we got to the deadline.

The Bengals reportedly agreed to acquire Arnold Ebiketie from Philadelphia for a 2027 sixth-round pick before backing out over the compensatory-pick implications. Completing the deal would have cost Cincinnati its projected third-round compensatory selection tied to Trey Hendrickson’s departure, too. That is a real cost, and it belongs in the conversation.

My frustration is how you get that far before the cost changes your answer. You can explain why a third-round pick matters. I still want to know why a team with a chance to do something this season reached an agreement before sorting through that consequence.

I can like what the Bengals are doing on Sundays and still ask whether the people upstairs are doing enough to help them.

That is how the front office ended up as my Benchwarmer of the Week.

Denver’s defense keeps finding the play it needs

Niko had a fair question for Broncos fans who were ready to panic earlier in the season. What do you say now that Denver is 7–2 heading into its bye?

Our discussion kept coming back to the difference between a clean game and a winning play. Denver still has things to fix. The offense needs a running game it can depend on. Staying healthy matters. But when Carolina needed one more drive, Nik Bonitto helped make sure it never got there.

That strip-sack sent us straight into a Von Miller argument.

Niko saw the resemblance immediately. I wanted to pump the brakes on putting Bonitto in that company, even while appreciating the play. We actually pulled up the moments we were thinking of because, of course, we were arguing about different Von strip-sacks.

The Henley cancellation leaves a hole in the deadline optimism we had on air. It also makes the other part of the conversation more important.

How much can Denver get from the group already in the building?

Jacksonville made us look at the AFC again

The Jaguars’ additions of Jordan Davis, Jessie Bates III and Davon Godchaux were a major part of our deadline discussion. I liked the idea of reinforcing the defense around an offense that could already move the football.

Bates was the player I kept coming back to. There is value in a safety who can help organize the back end when everything gets moving quickly. Davis brings help up front, and the combination gives Jacksonville more ways to answer an opponent.

Niko’s question was whether those moves actually put Jacksonville ahead of the AFC teams it might have to beat in January.

That is where we had some room to argue. I liked what the Jaguars did. He wanted to see whether it was enough against the conference’s best.

We also got into Josh Downs heading to Kansas City and Kirk Cousins returning to Minnesota. With Cousins, the question was how much changing the quarterback could actually fix about that offense. Getting Justin Jefferson involved sounds simple until you watch a team struggle to do it.

Week 10 NFL picks after two perfect weeks

Niko entered the draft at 27–5. I entered at 18–14.

We both went 4–0 the previous week, which meant I had a perfect week and closed the gap by exactly zero games.

Our draft makes us choose different games. Once one of us takes a matchup, the other has to find another one. Here is where we landed.

Those are straight-up winner selections. And yes, all eight are road teams.

We realized that after making the picks, which is an excellent time to start feeling completely comfortable with your decisions.

I led with Jacksonville. If you want people to take your deadline moves seriously, go handle the division game in front of you. Niko led with Buffalo and also liked that matchup for his survivor selection.

Now we find out which road trip makes us regret our confidence.

Fantasy Boom/Bust and the lineup mistake I earned

Kenneth Walker III was my Boom of the Week. Niko went with Bucky Irving. Those are the performances that can carry a lineup through a few disappointing spots.

I also earned my own frustration by leaving Tyler Loop in my lineup while he was injured. That zero belongs to me. If you are going to complain about what your quarterback gives you, you should probably make sure your kicker is actually playing.

We talked through disappointing quarterback returns, New England’s defense and Josh Jacobs, too. The useful question is what comes next. One rough week can hurt you without becoming a reason to tear up the whole roster.

For Week 10, these were our main calls at recording time.

My Seattle argument connected both sides. I liked Charbonnet getting more comfortable in the offense, and I did not like Jeanty’s matchup against that defense.

Niko liked Gordon’s opportunity and wanted more consistency before trusting Johnson.

Those were our calls when we recorded. Later injury and availability updates still belong in your final lineup decision.

Jamal Murray can look good while the Nuggets worry us

I wanted to give Jamal Murray credit for the way he had started. Niko wanted to talk about how much Denver was asking Murray and Nikola Jokić to cover up.

That is the Nuggets conversation right now. When your best players produce and you still spend the night wondering where the rest of the help is, individual numbers only make you feel so much better.

We talked about Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun and the concern around the supporting group. It is early enough to improve. Niko also made it clear that “it’s early” was wearing thin as an explanation.

The Avalanche discussion starts in net

On the hockey side, Niko liked what he was seeing from Mackenzie Blackwood. That led us into the value of keeping a dependable goaltending tandem and how much risk comes with moving one part of it.

We also talked about Colorado’s depth, Gabriel Landeskog bringing some edge and the importance of keeping Cale Makar healthy.

I want to see the Avalanche defend each other. I also want the guys who can change a playoff series available when that series arrives.

The NHL rumor discussion was exactly that, a discussion of rumors. The part that mattered most to our Colorado outlook was what the Avalanche were getting from their own lineup.

Wemby or Luka for Player of the Week?

I took Victor Wembanyama. Niko took Luka Dončić.

Wemby’s ability to change what happens at both ends was enough for my ballot. Niko’s case centered on how much of the Lakers’ offense Luka was carrying and the scoring run he was putting together.

This is one of those awards where I want somebody else to cast the third vote. You can make a pretty convincing argument for either guy.

I am still keeping Wemby on my ballot.

Niko’s Benchwarmer was a farewell to championship weekend

Niko’s choice of college football conference championship games needs some context. He was frustrated about losing them as the playoff expands, and about what that change does to the stakes of November football.

The CFP has approved a 24-team field beginning in 2027–28. This season remains a 12-team playoff, and decisions about conference championship games belong to the individual conferences. The SEC has announced that its 2026 championship game will be its final edition.

We agreed that we wanted more time with the 12-team format. Niko put more emphasis on what disappears when a conference title game goes away. I could see value in more playoff opportunities and games on campus, even while questioning how quickly the sport keeps changing.

What does a huge regular-season win mean if both teams are safely getting in anyway? And how many teams in a given year have a real chance to win the whole thing?

Those are questions worth answering before celebrating a bigger bracket.

Pull up a seat for Episode 296

Which of our eight road picks is going to hurt us first? Are you voting Wemby or Luka? And would you have made Cincinnati’s trade once you knew the full cost?

Watch or listen to Far End of the Bench, Episode 296, with Jimmy Pallotto and Niko Bryant. Subscribe to @FeOTBpod and follow All Gloves Off Sports Media for more from the network.

Find the show at feotbpod.org.