2026 NFL Trade Block

By
Logan Ulrich
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As far as we know, there’s no real-life NFL equivalent to the trade block that football fans are familiar with from fantasy football or franchise mode on Madden. So we’ve started making one each year here at NFL Trade Rumors. The following is a position-by-position breakdown of which players might be available for trade from each team. 

This list is compiled using reports from national and beat reporters, comparing depth charts to see where teams might have a potential surplus and some common sense dot connecting. Obviously not every player listed here is going to be traded, but at this point we’ve been doing this feature long enough to have a healthy track record of spotlighting players who will eventually be moved. 

Quarterback

Right now, Brissett is slated to be the starter for the Cardinals in 2026 in the first year of HC Mike LaFleur’s tenure. But he’s also not at OTAs with the rest of his teammates learning the new playbook, instead staying away while seeking a raise to reflect his status as the starter. There’s been persistent trade buzz around him this offseason and the Cardinals have alternatives after signing Gardner Minshew and drafting Carson Beck in the third round. Trying to forecast what this team will do is tricky but I don’t think they’re keen on paying Brissett a ton of cash in what seems like a bridge year to get to the 2027 class of quarterbacks. In the end, a split might make sense, particularly if another team ends up needing a starting option. 

The Colts and Richardson tried to find a fresh start this offseason but the market was cool. Richardson’s health remains a question mark and his $5 million salary is on the premium side for a backup. For now, it looks like he’ll play out the end of his rookie contract in Indianapolis, but if the opportunity to trade him comes along in the preseason, I don’t doubt the Colts will be ready to pull the trigger. 

Levis’ fate in Tennessee was sealed when the team drafted Cam Ward with the No. 1 pick last year, and his decision to get season-ending shoulder surgery last preseason felt like something of a burned bridge. However, he remains on the roster still. The Titans added Mitchell Trubisky and Hendon Hooker to the roster this offseason, so it’s clear they’re ready to move on. It’s just a matter of waiting for the right trade compensation to come along. 

McKee is in the final year of his rookie contract and the Eagles added Andy Dalton and fifth-rounder Cole Payton to the room this offseason, ensuring they have both a reliable short-term backup to step in and a longer-term developmental option. That said, Eagles GM Howie Roseman has indicated he’s not just giving McKee away. Training camp should provide some opportunities as teams get a more realistic indicator of where their quarterback depth charts stand. 

Drafted in the third round just last year ahead of Shedeur Sanders, Gabriel already seems on thin ice in Cleveland. He was a pet project of former HC Kevin Stefanski and the Browns added another developmental player, sixth-round QB Taylen Green, which probably pushes Gabriel to fourth on the depth chart. Teams don’t keep four quarterbacks on the roster but the Browns will claim they’re willing to make an exception to try and squeeze some value out of Gabriel. 

O’Connell is third on the depth chart behind Kirk Cousins and No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza in Las Vegas. He has 17 starts under his belt and profiles as a decent backup option, so the Raiders might be able to get something for him at some point with a few other backup spots unsettled around the league. As you can see, though, that market is oversaturated right now and most teams are trying to wait things out.

Rudolph is in a tricky spot, as he has the experience that could make him a more reliable backup than either Will Howard or Drew Allar. But that duo’s long-term potential and recent draft capital might push the veteran out. From there, he could have options with other backup-needy teams. Frankly, though, Pittsburgh has always had more interest in Rudolph than the rest of the league, so there’s a good chance the Steelers sign Rudolph back to the practice squad. 

Running Back

The Saints have been tiptoeing their way around Kamara in various comments over the course of this offseason. New Orleans has noted the signing of RB Travis Etienne to a major free agent deal doesn’t preclude keeping Kamara, but also hasn’t committed to him being on the team in 2026. The Saints also used an obscure salary cap mechanism to restructure his $10 million salary, clearing cap space, without actually committing to paying him that money. 

Reading between the lines, the Saints probably want Kamara to take a pay cut to stay in his age-31 season, and will move on from him otherwise. Kamara said last year he’d retire rather than play for another team, which is partially why he wasn’t dealt ahead of the midseason deadline, but he’s taken less of a hardline stance when asked about that this year. A release is the most likely outcome if he declines a pay cut but it’s not out of the question that the Saints find a trade partner. 

If Kamara stays, that could push out Miller. The former third-round pick is entering the last year of his rookie contract and faces a crowded depth chart that includes Etienne, Devin Neal, Ty Chandler and Audric Estime. 

There were high hopes for Benson taking a step forward and forcing more of a timeshare with veteran RB James Conner in Arizona last year. Instead, he had a meniscus injury that wasn’t supposed to be season-ending at the time, but proved to be as the year played out. The Cardinals’ moves at running back this offseason speak volumes about how they see Benson at this point. They kept Conner on a reworked deal, signed Tyler Allgeier to a healthy free agent contract and used the No. 3 pick on Jeremiyah Love. Benson may have two years left on his third-round rookie contract but he faces an uphill battle to make the team. 

Ford inked a veteran salary benefit deal as insurance for the Commanders in their backfield, which is deep on options but light on proven experience. Should he fail to crack the rotation, Ford’s resume is good enough to potentially latch on with another team and even spark trade interest if he has a strong preseason. 

Guerendo didn’t have a touch in 2025 and the 49ers used a third-round pick on RB Kaelon Black to go with last year’s mid-rounder Jordan James. His speed and size combination make him an option for teams looking to find a weapon for the NFL’s new dynamic kickoff. 

Wide Receiver

It feels like there’s a little bit of Brown fatigue given how prominent the trade discussions have been around him this offseason. Most treat it as inevitable that he lands with the Patriots, the only question seems to be the details, such as when exactly after June 1 a deal comes together and the assets involved. 

Boutte could be one of those going back the other way from New England to Philadelphia. Brown’s addition would make him extraneous in a Patriots’ receiving corps that would also include Romeo Doubs, Mack Hollins and Kyle Williams. He came up in trade rumors ahead of the draft for this reason and is in the final year of his rookie contract. Douglas could also be pushed out, as he’s primarily a slot receiver and the Patriots have some options there. He’s in the last year of his rookie contract, too. 

The Bills have got the word out that they turned down trade interest in Coleman and have been careful to support him since he caught some strays from owner Terry Pegula in a press conference at the end of last season. But time is running out for the former top pick. Buffalo added D.J. Moore and fourth-round WR Skyler Bell to the receiving room, making it even more crowded. Coleman has a unique skillset and could carve out a role despite all that, but he’s got to put it together. Otherwise, the Bills will start to be more receptive to any trade calls. 

Legette was taken a pick ahead of Coleman in 2024, and likewise his career is already on the ropes. The flashes were there as a rookie but the physically talented Legette couldn’t find more consistency in his second season. He fell behind Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker, who arrived the same year as Legette as an undrafted free agent. The Panthers drafted WR Chris Brazzell II in the third round this year and he’s even more of an athletic freak than Legette, so the pressure is on for the former first-rounder out of South Carolina. 

Tillman has had moments across his first few seasons, but they have unfortunately been too few and far between, and some injury issues haven’t helped. He’s in the final year of his rookie contract and the Browns drafted second-round WR Denzel Boston, who has a similar big-bodied, possession-type skillset. That makes Tillman a preseason trade candidate to keep an eye on from another team that may have liked him as a draft prospect. 

Jones’ biggest contributions in the NFL so far have come as a return specialist, with a return touchdown in each of his first three seasons despite just eight career catches. He has more pressure on his roster spot this year, the final year of his rookie contract, but that return ability might help Cincinnati flip him for something instead of cutting him for nothing. 

Hyatt is a former third-round pick who has hung on despite minimal contributions the last three years, almost certainly because GM Joe Schoen didn’t want to give up on one of his picks. That margin is probably gone with new HC John Harbaugh in town, and the Giants have added a battalion of new faces at receiver this offseason. 

Tight End

Houston has a crowded tight end depth chart, with veteran Dalton Schultz locked in at the top and second-rounder Marlin Klein joining a room that includes Moreau, Jordan and 2024 fourth-rounder Cade Stover. Teams might be willing to roster more tight ends than usual this year with multi-TE formations shaping up to be trendy in 2026, but five could still be pushing it. That opens up the possibility of a trade and Jordan or Moreau would probably be at the bottom of the pecking order. Jordan is more of a move tight end who’s battled injuries and doesn’t profile as well as a blocker as the others. 

The Bengals are another team with five tight ends and an open question about whether they will use that many roster spots on the position. Hudson has hung around the last few years and has regularly appeared on this column, so there might not be much trade interest in him from other teams. Still, he has a lot of snaps under his belt and could be appealing for a team that ends up in a pinch. 

Offensive Tackle

Little was extended by former Jaguars GM Trent Baalke in one of his final major moves before he was pushed out for the new regime. Since then, he lost his starting role at left tackle, and while he can play guard, the Jaguars seem to have other options they like more. Plus they just drafted G Emmanuel Pregnon in the third round. As much as teams value depth on the offensive line, Little is making $11 million in guaranteed salary this year and the Jaguars would probably like to shed that in an ideal world. They also won’t just give him away and that tab is a lot for another team to take on at this point in the calendar, so this is a tricky trade to navigate on a few counts. 

Miami reworked Jackson’s deal to keep him in the fold in 2026 instead of cutting him along with the other veterans they purged. Right now he’s slated to start at right tackle. However, the Dolphins used a first-round pick on OL Kadyn Proctor, and while he’s set to start out at left guard, that’s not where they drafted him to play long-term. There’s a scenario where the Dolphins want to get Proctor to tackle sooner rather than later, and either move him to the right side or kick him to left tackle, which would send OT Patrick Paul over to the right side. 

Jackson is in a contract year and a decent starter if healthy (which has proven to be a major caveat throughout his career). Miami would have lost cap space by trading Jackson but that restriction won’t apply after June 1. If a chance comes up for the Dolphins to add more picks to their rebuild by trading Jackson, that shouldn’t be ruled out. 

Jones has shown tantalizing promise in his first few years, but the 6-8, 375-pounder is verging on too big to succeed. Injuries have been a major hindrance his first three years and the Browns just negotiated a pay cut with him. Cleveland added first-round OT Spencer Fano and third-round OT Austin Barber in the draft after trading for RT Tytus Howard in free agency. So not only is he almost certainly locked out of a starting job, a role as the swing tackle might be a tall task. That, plus his contract status, makes him a trade candidate, and with the reworked contract he’s more appealing from that perspective as well. 

The Raiders drafted Glaze in the third round in 2024 but that was one GM and two coaching staffs ago. New Raiders HC Klint Kubiak will put his stamp on the offensive line and there could be some shakeups. Glaze will be pushed by third-rounder Trey Zuhn and last year’s third-rounder Charles Grant, and if he loses the competition, a trade isn’t out of the question given the lack of allegiance from the current regime. 

One of the biggest questions for the Bears in 2026 is who will play left tackle following the unfortunate patellar tendon injury to 2025 second-rounder Ozzy Trapilo that will likely sideline him most to all of the season. They kept Braxton Jones on a prove-it deal and also added Jedrick Wills after his year off from football to recover from a gnarly bone surgery. They’ll compete with Theo Benedet, a former UDFA who had beaten out Jones for snaps at one point last year, and Amegadjie, a third-round pick in 2024. Of the group, Amegadjie has the least investment from HC Ben Johnson, which makes him the most likely odd man out. His athleticism and pedigree as a former Day 2 pick might spark trade interest. 

Fisher was a second-round pick in 2024 who started 10 games last year. Houston’s aggressiveness this offseason in adding Braden Smith and Trent Brown as free agents should be telling about how well they think those 10 starts went. He’s still hanging on as the fourth tackle on the roster but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Texans flip him if they get an offer they think is halfway decent. He does still have two years left on his rookie contract, so at minimum, he’s cheap depth. 

Rouse has hung around on the roster in Minnesota the last two years, but the Vikings aggressively attacked their tackle depth this offseason, using a third-rounder on Caleb Tiernan and signing Bills RFA Ryan Van Demark to an offer sheet. That probably pushes out Rouse. He’s more likely to be a waiver claim than a trade, but at that point you can’t rule out a conditional swap from a team looking to skip the line. 

Interior Offensive Line

It’s rare for players to be traded twice in the same year but not unprecedented with how many more trades are happening these days. The Bears acquired Bradbury for a fifth-round pick to give them a backstop after being left in the lurch by former C Drew Dalman’s retirement. Then they landed a long-term replacement in Iowa C Logan Jones in the second round, who could be ready to start sooner than later. The Bears could always keep Bradbury as depth, but there are some center-needy teams still that could help them recoup or even improve on their investment. 

The Raiders no doubt hope that one of the benefits of hiring Kubiak will be to help get the career of players like Powers-Johnson on track. But the vibes have been weird between him and the team since being drafted. He sees himself as a center but that door has been slammed shut with the big bucks paid to C Tyler Linderbaum. Powers-Johnson is also not assured of a starting spot at guard, as guys like Zuhn, Caleb Rogers and Spencer Burford will all be battling for the two starting gigs next to Linderbaum. If he loses the competition or it’s close, a trade shouldn’t be ruled out. 

Meredith re-signed as a restricted free agent and is making $3.5 million right now. It’s not a lot by itself, but it pushes Las Vegas’ total investment at center to over $30 million, which is A LOT actually for the position. A few other players have center flexibility, so the Raiders might be able to capitalize on a few other teams needing help at center still and find a trade partner for Meredith. 

The Cardinals overhauled both guard spots this offseason, signing Isaac Seumalo to a notable free agent deal and using an early second-rounder on Chase Bisontis. That leaves some uncertainty for Gaines and Adams, who combined for 16 starts last year. Both are still on rookie contracts and could be kept around as depth but teams can hesitate to keep too many guards, especially if there’s no position flex. Gaines can play center but is in the final year of his rookie contract. Adams is a guard only and was a third-round pick in 2024. The Bisontis selection might be particularly ominous for him with the new offensive scheme. 

Corbett and Cushenberry both were available for weeks for any team to sign, so it might be ambitious to list them here. However, both have a long track record in the NFL with plenty of starts under their belt, and several teams need help at center still. Buffalo’s set up a very competitive interior offensive line room heading into camp and there will be some tough cuts. 

Houston already traded away one center this offseason, sending Juice Scruggs to the Lions as part of the deal for RB David Montgomery. He started 20 games in his first three seasons. Patterson, drafted four rounds later by Houston in 2023, started 21. He’s behind Jake Andrews on the depth chart and both Texans first-round G Keylan Rutledge and fourth-round G Febechi Nwaiwu are candidates to switch to center as rookies. The Texans might finish the clean sweep and move on from him this summer too. 

Harbaugh has talked about giving Neal and Ezeudu, two of Schoen’s failed picks on the offensive line, a clean slate going into this year as they try to transition to guard — Neal as a last-ditch move to save his career, Ezeudu in a move to a position he probably should have been playing from the jump. The roster math works against them, though. All five starting spots are locked up. Lucas Patrick, Daniel Faalele, Marcus Mbow, sixth-rounder J.C. Davis, Aaron Stinnie and notable recent UDFAs like Jake Kubas and Ryan Schernecke are all competing alongside Neal and Ezeude for four or five remaining spots. However, a good camp and preseason might earn either player a look elsewhere with another team. 

Interior Defensive Line

I would call Barmore one of the most surprising names on this list to this point. However, that could change going forward. A couple of Patriots beat reporters have suggested he might not be in the best standing with the team, as he’s struggled to follow up on a breakout 2023 season that earned him a four-year, $84 million extension. He played just four games the following season due to a recurring issue with blood clots. Last year, Barmore had only two sacks in 17 games, then was caught up in domestic violence charges at the very end of the year. 

Those were later dropped but it was not a good look, and the Patriots could be wary with so many negative off-field headlines in recent months. Realistically though, they probably care more about the lack of production compared to his ample contract, especially with $26 million a year also committed to DT Milton Williams. Barmore is due $12 million guaranteed this season, which isn’t too bad. Trading him would leave a void in the lineup next to Williams as well. However, this is a situation to watch moving forward, particularly since Barmore’s guarantees expire after this season and he’s owed $37 million in the final two years of his deal. 

Carolina signed Brown to a decent deal last free agency as a part of its defensive overhaul. He finished the season with 31 total tackles, three for a loss and half a sack, modest numbers. Brown’s impact as a space-eating nose tackle wouldn’t necessarily show up on the stat sheet, but PFF better measures subjective factors like that and ranked him just 74th out of 127 DTs last year. The Panthers also traded up to take DT Lee Hunter in the second round, adding more competition for snaps up front. With a few other young players possibly set to compete for snaps, Brown will face some pressure in camp and could be a trade candidate if the Panthers find another team willing to take his contract. 

Cincinnati’s high-profile addition of DT Dexter Lawrence will have some downstream impacts on the rest of the depth chart. Slaton’s the most prominent name on the chopping block, as he plays nose tackle the same as Lawrence and the team could free up $6.6 million in cash by cutting or trading him. He’s a normal nose tackle who specializes as a run defender. Jenkins was a second-round pick in 2024 but hasn’t found his groove through two years and will face pressure from seventh-round DT Landon Robinson to make the team. 

Grant was a first-round pick just last year but that was under a different GM and coaching staff. New Dolphins HC Jeff Hafley wants to be more attacking as a defense and it will probably become pretty clear early on in training camp whether the 6-3, 335-pound Grant can fit in with that. He had a tough rookie season, too. Miami drafted three defensive tackles last year actually, including Jordan Phillips in the fifth and Zeek Biggers in the seventh. All three could be on thin ice as Miami radically rebuilds its roster.  

Edge Rusher

The Giants held onto Thibodeaux through the draft despite some trade interest, and first-round LB Arvell Reese sounds like he’s going to start out playing more off the ball than edge rusher. Still, Thibodeaux is in the final year of his contract, is probably not re-signing with New York in 2027 and has some obstacles to a big role and major snaps with all of the team’s investments at edge rusher. Those factors mean a trade should not be ruled out. Perhaps injuries make another team that really liked Thibodeaux coming out as a prospect more desperate, or perhaps the Giants discover they really like some depth players and it makes them lower their asking price. 

The Cowboys have options as they continue to try to replace Micah Parsons. They traded for Rashan Gary and used a first-round pick on Malachi Lawrence to join a room that included 2025 second-rounder Donovan Ezeiruaku. Williams re-signed on a one-year prove-it deal after finding a cool free agent market, and Liufau is attempting a position change after starting out as an off-ball linebacker. New DC Christian Parker, who apprenticed under Eagles DC Vic Fangio, has significant influence on the defensive personnel with his scheme, so if Williams or Liufau aren’t fits, look for them to end up elsewhere. 

While the Chargers saw Odafe Oweh walk in free agency, they kept Khalil Mack and added first-round OLB Akheem Mesidor to go along with Tuli Tuipulotu, Dupree and Kennard. Undrafted rookie Nadame Tucker played for new DC Chris O’Leary at Western Michigan last year and led all of college football in sacks, so his chances of stealing a roster spot shouldn’t be discounted. That would probably push out one of either Dupree, a veteran going on his 12th season, or Kennard, a fourth-rounder just last year who only appeared in five games. 

New Bills DC Jim Leonhard is changing things up in a big way schematically for Buffalo this year, which will make training camp and the preseason interesting to follow. Right now the Bills have six edge rushers with pretty credible cases for the 53-man roster, and teams typically just carry four or five. Assuming (as I think is safe) that Gregory Rousseau, Bradley Chubb and second-rounder T.J. Parker are locks, that leaves Solomon, Hoecht and Michael Danna, who just signed in May after the draft. Danna’s trade value is likely minimal because otherwise he would have signed sooner, so that leaves Solomon and Hoecht as candidates to dangle. Solomon is a smaller, quicker, subpackage-type rusher, while Hoecht converted from defensive tackle to edge rusher. He played just two games last year due to a suspension for PED use and a torn Achilles in his second game back. 

Anudike-Uzomah was a first-round pick in 2023 who missed all of last season with an injury. He has just three sacks in two seasons and is probably close to his last chance in Kansas City. Despite the minimal impact so far, his pedigree as a former first-rounder could garner interest. 

Braswell is in a similar boat with slightly less regard as a former late second-round pick. He has two years left on his rookie deal, but the Buccaneers made a concerted effort to get better at edge rusher this year and that could push him out. He has 2.5 sacks in his first two seasons. 

Linebacker

Washington sunk a ton of resources into improving at linebacker this offseason, signing Leo Chenal to a three-year, almost $25 million deal and drafting Sonny Styles with the No. 7 overall pick. They join a room that already includes Luvu, so it’ll be interesting to see how Commanders HC Dan Quinn and DC Daronte Jones balance roles and snaps for everyone. It’s not impossible given how multiple they want to be schematically (Jones previously worked under Vikings DC Brian Flores) and how diverse the skillsets are for Styles, Chenal and Luvu, but there’s definitely a needle to thread. Luvu turns 30 in September and is in the final year of his contract, which is worth noting. 

Miami might have one of the worst rosters in football on paper but the Dolphins are actually deep at linebacker. Dodson and LB Jordyn Brooks were two of three Dolphins defenders to play more than 900 snaps last year, and they double-dipped in the draft with second-rounder Jacob Rodriguez and fourth-rounder Kyle Louis. Gay could barely find snaps last year and his situation hasn’t improved, though it should be noted he was a free agent this spring and chose to re-sign in Miami. 

Brooks would be another big name that the Dolphins could look to trade, as he’s in a contract year, but so far the front office has downplayed that idea. Dodson is also in a contract year, is a solid starter and is on an eminently affordable salary, so he stands out as the most likely trade candidate if Rodriguez is as hard to keep off the field as Miami thinks he will be. 

Werner’s name bubbled up in trade rumors ahead of the deadline last year, and while he remained in New Orleans, that’s worth filing away for 2026. His contract was already restructured for 2026, so there’s no cap or cash savings by trading him. But if one of the young linebackers behind him seems ready for a bigger role, the Saints might be able to flip Werner for a pick to accelerate the rebuild. 

It was eye-catching how the Falcons overhauled the linebacker room this offseason. Atlanta DC Jeff Ulbrich was a linebacker during his playing days and will probably have more ownership of the scheme under new HC Kevin Stefanski than he did under former HC Raheem Morris. They double-dipped in both free agency and the draft, opting to let veteran Kaden Elliss walk. Andersen and Bertrand are the holdovers from the last regime who are probably first on the chopping block, even if things still have to play out in camp.

Bertrand was a fifth-rounder out of Notre Dame in 2024 who flashed as a rookie, but did not play well when he had an opportunity again last year. Andersen is a former second-round pick out of Montana State who is a terrific athlete but hasn’t put it all together. His contract tolled after he missed the entire 2025 season with an injury. 

Sewell started nine games for the Bears after injuries hit the linebacker group hard. But the Bears signed three free agents and drafted fifth-rounder Keyshaun Elliott, indicating they want more out of the group in 2026. Sewell’s competition for a roster spot will be fierce this year, but he might be able to parlay those snaps from last year into a shot with another team. 

Sanders’ athleticism prompted the Broncos to roll the dice on him in the third round in 2023 but he’s been limited to four games the past two years due to multiple injuries and Denver has waffled on where his best position is. The early signs are he might be heading back to edge rusher, but whether it’s there or off-ball linebacker, there’s a lot of competition for a roster spot. 

Cornerback

Stevenson has had an up-and-down tenure with the Bears, starting 40 of 51 possible games in his first three years but getting burned with some high-profile lapses, none bigger than the Hail Mary against the Commanders in 2024. Entering the final year of his rookie contract, there’s a ticking clock for Chicago to figure out what exactly it has in Stevenson, and they’ve made some preparations behind him just in case, drafting fourth-round CB Malik Muhammad who they think has future starting potential. If Stevenson has a questionable camp or Muhammad is great from the jump, the future could be the present. 

The Giants were linked to a couple of high-profile additions at cornerback, including Trent McDuffie before he was traded to the Rams. New York tried to downplay that but the team did sign Greg Newsome to a notable one-year deal and drafted second-round CB Colton Hood at No. 37 overall. That’s bad news for Banks’ outlook but he was already skating on thin ice based on his tape from his first two years. 

The more notable and interesting implication is for Adebo, a big free agent signing just last year. But he missed five games due to injury, had just one interception and was fairly ordinary and didn’t seem to make a great first impression on Harbaugh by missing (voluntary) OTAs without providing a rationale. He has since reported to the team and the Giants have $17.25 million guaranteed reasons to want things to work in 2026. But assuming he, Newsome and Hood are outside-only cornerbacks, there are just two starting spots available for three players, and Adebo is the only one whom Harbaugh didn’t sign off on adding. 

San Francisco has been aggressive in adding to its cornerback room this offseason, signing Nate Hobbs and Jack Jones while drafting fourth-round CB Ephesians Prysock to join a room that already included Deommodore Lenoir, 2025 third-rounder Upton Stout and Green. The 49ers have said that’s not a sign Green is on the block but it’s tough to discount the imagery of HC Kyle Shanahan screaming at Green during the playoff loss to the Seahawks and benching him. Green still has two years left on his rookie contract and cornerback is an area where teams would much rather have too many options than too few, but it’s at least eyebrow-raising. 

The Falcons drafted CB Avieon Terrell in the second round following a semi-surprising draft slide, and he’s a strong candidate to immediately step into the starting lineup across from his brother AJ Terrell. That would push Hughes to the bench. He’s started 27 games the past two years for the Falcons and is making just $3.3 million this year, so another team in need of a decent starter at cornerback could show interest. The Falcons could also just keep as depth or veteran insurance but if he’s not in their long-term plans, it makes more sense to try and flip him for some kind of asset. They have other players who could serve as depth in 2026. 

Arizona has a little bit of a logjam at cornerback with all the picks and investments they’ve made trying to shore up the room the last couple of years. Thomas and Murphy-Bunting both missed all of last season with injuries but both have started stretches in the recent past. Jones was a third-round pick in 2024 who had a de factor redshirt year due to injury and had two pass breakups on limited snaps last year. Assuming a couple of these guys are squeezed out, they could draw interest on waivers or the trade market. 

Carson is set to be squeezed out after just two years, with the Cowboys changing schemes and making more additions to a revamped cornerback room. It’s unfair but how life goes in the NFL for mid-round picks. A good camp and preseason could put him on the radar for another team, helping him continue his career and potentially netting the Cowboys a pick. 

Safety

Safety is one of the positions where teams have the most success signing players off the street when the need arises during the season, which lessens the need to make a trade. That’s partially why there are so few options listed here. Another reason is more teams are using extra safeties to combat the various offensive trends trying to put defenses in a bind, so they’re less likely to trade those third and fourth guys on the depth chart. 

Houston is deep enough at safety that Stewart could be fifth on the depth chart, which might make them willing to part with him if another team is interested. Jaylen Reed and fifth-rounder Kamari Ramsey are young depth options behind Calen Bullock and Reed Blankenship. If they’re ready to play, that makes Stewart extraneous. 

Butler started 13 games back in 2023 and looked like he was on the cusp of being a bona fide player. In the two years since, he’s started a combined six games, and he played just two percent of the defensive snaps for Washington last year. It seems like the Commanders value him for his special teams contributions but Butler almost certainly wants another chance to prove he can be a full-time starter. 

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