Four NFL Executives Stand Out as Trade Deadline Nears
On November 3, 2026, an NFL executive ranking highlighted four top general managers and named Brad Holmes and Brandon Beane among current executives with a chance to join them.
With the NFL trade deadline set for November 10, teams face decisions about adding players for a playoff run or trading players to build future draft capital. General managers shape rosters through the draft, contracts, trades and coaching hires, the ranking noted.
Its four all-time selections for the modern era, which it defines as 1994 onward, are Bill Belichick, Howie Roseman, John Schneider and Ozzie Newsome. Belichick’s record includes six Super Bowl titles as an executive with New England. Roseman helped Philadelphia win two Super Bowls under different coaches and quarterbacks, while Schneider built Seattle teams that won two championships in different eras.
Newsome helped Baltimore win two Super Bowls and became the NFL’s first Black general manager. The ranking also pointed to current executives who could eventually join the group, including Detroit’s Brad Holmes, whose major early move was trading Matthew Stafford for Jared Goff and draft picks. Detroit won consecutive NFC North titles in 2023 and 2024. Buffalo’s Brandon Beane, the Bills’ general manager since 2017, was also named as a potential future candidate.
Players: Matthew Stafford, Jared Goff