Seth Walder
NFL groups nonetheless have an opportunity to make last-minute enhancements to their rosters earlier than the 2025 season kicks off on Sept. 4. Whereas the overwhelming majority of offseason selections are within the rearview mirror, there are all the time a number of trades throughout coaching camps.
In that spirit, I am proposing a number of hypothetical trades that will make sense for each — or in a single case, all three — groups. Forecasting trades within the NFL is tough due to the sheer variety of potentialities, however the mixture of positional wants, surpluses, participant analysis, contracts, cap house and contender standing can provide some clues.
May the Giants discover a strategy to transfer on from Kayvon Thibodeaux after drafting Abdul Carter at third total in April? May the Chargers add operating again depth as Najee Harris recovers from an eye fixed harm? What in regards to the Dolphins, who lack cornerback choices?
Let's dive into 5 commerce proposals that would make sense over the subsequent couple of weeks.
Extra: Which gamers are literally value a first-round decide?
Packers enhance move rush with Thibodeaux
Packers obtain: Edge Kayvon Thibodeaux, 2026 fifth-round decide
Giants obtain: 2026 second-round decide
There may be nothing inherently incorrect with having three gifted gamers at edge rusher, as a result of it is a premium place and the Giants can rotate snaps. However it is smart for them to divest from Thibodeaux. That is as a result of they're nonetheless in a rebuild and noncontenders in 2025; they're extraordinarily invested on the place after spending top-five picks on Thibodeaux and Abdul Carter and after buying and selling for and handing an enormous contract to Brian Burns. They've loads of holes to fill in 2026, the earliest they might feasibly contend.
The Packers are pure commerce companions right here. It is a workforce in competition now, however with a serious want at edge. Inexperienced Bay's present grouping of Rashan Gary, Lukas Van Ness, Kingsley Enagbare and fourth-round decide Barryn Sorrell most likely is not chopping it — the workforce ranked twenty sixth in move rush win fee final season. Thibodeaux would definitely assist the trigger.
Who, precisely, Inexperienced Bay can be getting stays a query. Thibodeaux hasn't fairly lived as much as his predraft hype. He has 21.0 sacks in three seasons with the Giants, together with a 16% move rush win fee at edge that is basically common for a starter on the place. However given his draft pedigree and younger age (24), he completely nonetheless presents star-level upside. Plus, he is been on a nasty workforce the previous two years — it is undoubtedly more durable for move rushers to generate huge numbers when trailing.
When it comes to contract, Inexperienced Bay can be getting Thibodeaux at an excessive cut price in 2025 ($1.1 million) and a light-weight cut price in 2026 ($14.8 million).
Cardinals add WR depth with Wicks
Cardinals obtain: WR Dontayvion Wicks
Packers obtain: 2026 fourth-round decide
On this second commerce, the Packers might mitigate the price of the Thibodeaux transfer by dealing from their very own place of surplus. Even with Christian Watson presumably sidelined for the start of the season after tearing his ACL in January, the Packers' depth chart nonetheless boasts Jayden Reed, first-round decide Matthew Golden, Romeo Doubs, rookie third-round decide Savion Williams and Wicks.
Thus, they will afford to half with Wicks, a 2023 fifth-round decide who hasn't put all of it collectively regardless of displaying potential. Over his first two seasons in Inexperienced Bay, he has recorded 996 receiving yards (1.8 yards per route run). That places him behind Reed (2.3 yards per route run in the identical span) and Watson (2.0) however forward of Doubs (1.6).
Arizona is within the reverse scenario. After Marvin Harrison Jr., the Cardinals' broad receiver room options Zay Jones, Michael Wilson and Greg Dortch — a reasonably lackluster group. Trey McBride emerged as one other high choice final season, however one other broad receiver might complement (and hopefully assist unlock) Harrison, who had a mediocre first season within the league relative to his predraft hopes.
Wicks' uncooked numbers undersell his upside for my part, and Arizona can be betting to that impact. In ESPN's receiver scores final 12 months, Wicks recorded an 84 open rating however a zero catch rating — the bottom one can have — after an astounding 10 drops on 76 targets.
If I am betting on a type of two numbers to maintain into the longer term, it is the open rating over the drops (openness is extra steady from year-to-year than catch rating). There are not any ensures, nevertheless, so Inexperienced Bay would go for a future asset as an alternative of letting Wicks' improvement play out on its roster. In the meantime, Arizona would wager that Wicks can hit the next gear and enhance the offense over the subsequent couple of seasons.
Raiders take swing on CB Newsome
Raiders obtain: CB Greg Newsome II, 2027 seventh-round decide
Browns obtain: 2026 seventh-round decide
Newsome is due a completely assured $13.4 million in 2025 on his fifth-year choice, and I might argue it is an open query whether or not that makes him a optimistic or detrimental asset — therefore the near-zero compensation listed right here.
Newsome posted career-worst numbers final season by way of yards per protection snap (1.4), EPA allowed (plus-10) and goal fee (15%, although this was solely a minor uptick). However there was a purpose Cleveland picked up his choice in April 2024, as he recorded better-than-average yards per protection snap numbers in each 2022 (0.7) and 2023 (0.9).
For the Browns, an important a part of this deal can be shedding Newsome's wage. The Browns presently have $17.5 million in 2025 cap house, however they're already $35.4 million within the pink in 2026, per OverTheCap.com. In different phrases, they want the financial savings. Contemplating the workforce is a noncontender in 2025 and Newsome has only one absolutely assured 12 months left on his contract, it is smart for Cleveland to need to transfer on.
This commerce did turn into harder for Cleveland to swallow Wednesday morning, when Browns coach Kevin Stefanski introduced that cornerback Martin Emerson suffered a season-ending Achilles tear. Though that does not preclude a commerce, it does imply the Browns will doubtless rely extra on Newsome at exterior nook if they do not transfer him.
The Raiders spent the offseason stabilizing the group, bringing in Geno Smith at quarterback and Pete Carroll at head coach. The protection has potential with a stout defensive position, however cornerback is the workforce's largest weak spot. Las Vegas, with over $90 million in 2026 cap house (second most of any workforce), can afford to guess on Newsome. If Carroll can get probably the most out of the 25-year-old cornerback, he'll elevate the Raiders' 2025 outlook and will stick round for future seasons.
Bears, Chargers and Bucs make offers for RBs
Bears obtain: RB Rachaad White, 2027 seventh-round decide (from Chargers)
Chargers obtain: RB D'Andre Swift, 2026 sixth-round decide (from Bears)
Buccaneers obtain: 2026 fifth-round decide (from Bears)
Simply because we virtually by no means see three-team trades within the NFL doesn't suggest they can not occur. Plus, they're simply enjoyable to undertaking.
The foremost impetus for the deal right here is the idea that Bears coach Ben Johnson will place an identical emphasis on the operating sport as he did in Detroit, and that Swift merely is not adequate to hold that load.
Swift posted a remarkably poor negative-174 rush yards over expectation, per NFL Subsequent Gen Stats, which was the worst whole of any participant final season. It marked the third season out of the previous 4 wherein Swift recorded detrimental rush yards over expectation; he posted detrimental first downs over expectation in all 4 of these seasons.
White, in distinction, added 48 rush yards over expectation on 144 carries final season in Tampa Bay. And he is elite within the move sport, with the second-best total receiver rating over the previous three seasons mixed — behind solely Christian McCaffrey and one spot forward of Austin Ekeler. That sounds just like the form of participant Johnson might make use of to nice impact — like he did with Jahmyr Gibbs in Detroit.
White is a helpful participant for Tampa Bay, however Bucky Irving took the beginning job from him and is a powerful receiver in his personal proper. With Sean Tucker additionally on the Bucs and White within the ultimate 12 months of his deal, the latter turns into a logical commerce candidate.
The difficult half about making this deal is that Swift is owed $7.9 million in money ($7.4 million of which is absolutely assured) this season, greater than he is value primarily based on his manufacturing historical past. Thus, the Bears would discover themselves on the incorrect finish of a sixth- and seventh-round decide swap to deal him to the Chargers.
For Los Angeles, Swift would offer veteran depth behind first-round rookie Omarion Hampton and an alternative choice usually whereas Najee Harris recovers from an eye fixed harm. Plus, it will permit the Chargers to select up a bit draft capital in trade for a little bit of their cap house conflict chest. No workforce has extra mixed cap house between this 12 months and subsequent than the Chargers, per OverTheCap.com.
I virtually scratched this deal when the Chargers signed Nyheim Hines, however his final NFL look was in 2022. Swift can be a extra logical veteran backup within the occasion Harris missed a while.
Dolphins get CB depth with Williams
Dolphins obtain: CB Joshua Williams
Chiefs obtain: 2027 sixth-round decide
Miami's cornerback room was bleak even earlier than Kader Kohou suffered a season-ending knee harm earlier this week. With Kohou down, that leaves the Dolphins with a bunch that features newly signed Jack Jones, Cam Smith, Storm Duck, rookie fifth-round decide Jason Marshall Jr. and Ethan Bonner as choices to compete for outdoor nook (with one other latest signing, Mike Hilton, presumably Kohou's alternative within the slot). The group leaves lots to be desired.
Jones began 16 video games for the Raiders final season, however the defining trait of the remainder of the group is inexperience. Smith was a 2023 second-round decide who has performed simply 112 protection snaps in his first two seasons, permitting a excessive 1.7 yards per protection snap in that point. Duck is a former undrafted free agent who began three video games for the Dolphins (and performed 42% of defensive snaps in his 14 video games performed) final season. Bonner, too, is a former UDFA who has appeared in seven video games for Miami over the previous two years.
Williams is a depth nook for the Chiefs, who have already got Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson, Kristian Fulton (signed in March) and Nohl Williams (2025 third-round decide). Joshua Williams, who's scheduled to make $3.2 million this 12 months, was even left off ESPN's 53-man roster projection in the beginning of coaching camp.
Williams does have some encouraging numbers over his first three seasons. Throughout 769 protection snaps, he has allowed 0.9 yards per snap — higher than common — and 0.6 over the previous two years, albeit in a small pattern.
Miami seems to be extra like a workforce in flux than a franchise wanting so as to add expertise earlier than the season. However given the state of the Dolphins' cornerback group, a low-risk maneuver like this may make sense.
