We’re nearly through eight full weeks of the NFL season, and it makes sense that all most fans want to discuss is the October 29 trade deadline. It’s exciting to hear all the big names who are potentially available and to consider how one player moving from a bad team to a good one could potentially shift the balance of power of an entire conference. When we speculate about these trades, the focus is almost always on the likely playoff teams, but the fate of the non-contenders who are the sellers is just as important. Next season starts right now for a good chunk of this season’s struggling teams, and they must plan accordingly — every decision made before the trade deadline needs to impact the future of the franchise. That’s a lot easier said than done.



In MLB, oftentimes a team will trade a solid player for two minor league prospects that fans don’t know much about yet. Then two or three years later, those same prospects are helping the...