NFL Trades: 5 Deals We Would Like To See Before Week 1

Football is finally back with the NFL set for opening weekend starting Thursday night with the kickoff game between the Chiefs and Ravens. After 18 NFL trades this preseason, we think there’s room for more. 

Here are five NFL trades we’d love to see before Week 1, with names to watch ahead of the midseason trade deadline.

Saints trade CB Marshon Lattimore to the Rams 

We’ve had our eyes on Lattimore as a trade candidate since the summer, and while nothing has materialized yet it’s still a situation worth monitoring. Health has been the big question for Lattimore over the past two years, as well as buy-in with the coaching staff under HC Dennis Allen, and Lattimore missed another significant chunk of training camp this year with a soft tissue injury. With Alontae Taylor, Paulson Adebo and second-rounder Kool-Aid McKinstry, New Orleans has enough at cornerback to get by without Lattimore. 

The next piece of the puzzle would be another team with a big enough need at corner to put an offer on the table that the Saints feel is good value. The best candidate for that is the Rams. Los Angeles is a contending team but big questions remain on defense where the unit is trying to move past the loss of DT Aaron Donald and DC Raheem Morris. There is a void for signature talent and Lattimore would help address that, particularly in the secondary. 

The Rams tapped into the veteran well by signing both Tre’Davious White and Darious Williams this offseason. However, both are older and in the case of White had a significant injury history. Lattimore would allow Williams to move to the slot in nickel sets and provide another layer of quality in the secondary should injuries strike. When healthy and on top of his game, Lattimore is one of the best cornerbacks in football and would give the Rams a bonafide No. 1 corner. 

As far as compensation, the Rams have a history of trading for help at cornerback, acquiring guys like Marcus Peters and Jalen Ramsey in past seasons. They gave up premium draft capital in both deals but due to the circumstances, they might not have to give up as much for Lattimore. Between his injury history and the $15 million in cash he’s owed for 2024, a conditional fourth that could become a third if Lattimore and/or the Rams hit certain benchmarks could get the job done. The contract contains no guarantees after this season, so Lattimore could be a short-term rental like Peters or he could end up sticking around a little longer like Ramsey — all depending on how he plays. 

Ultimately that might not be enough for the Saints to part ways with Lattimore in a pivotal year for a lot of people in New Orleans. Allen and the Saints need to win to stave off major changes, and trading someone with Lattimore’s pedigree might not help that. But given the history between the two sides and the rest of the depth chart at cornerback, it’s a possibility that remains nonetheless. The Saints owe Lattimore a roster bonus of over $13 million between now and Week 1. Once it’s paid, Lattimore becomes far more attractive as a trade asset to other teams. 

Jets trade DE Haason Reddick to the Cardinals

The Jets and Reddick continue to be locked in an intractable standoff, with Reddick racking up a bill of fines and lost earnings approaching $5 million as he seeks a new contract. If he continues his holdout into the regular season — which is where things seem to be headed — the bill will get even higher once he starts forfeiting game checks from his $14.25 million base salary. 

Both sides are playing hardball. Reddick is holding out until the Jets address his contract, while the Jets refuse to discuss anything with Reddick until he reports back to the team. With so much pride on the line, it gets harder and harder to see this resolving amicably the longer it stretches. A separation could be best for both parties, allowing each to save face and say they didn’t back down. 

While the Jets almost certainly won’t recoup the third-round pick they gave up for Reddick, they could land a mid-rounder from a pass-rush-needy team. The Cardinals stick out as a potential suitor. They already know Reddick well, as he was a first-round pick by Arizona in 2017 before being miscast as an off-ball linebacker. Cardinals HC Jonathan Gannon was Reddick’s defensive coordinator in his first year in Philadelphia when he had a monster season, so there’s another layer of familiarity. 

The Cardinals are looking to take a step forward as a team this year and one of the biggest glaring weaknesses remaining is at edge rusher. Currently, Arizona will be trotting out a pass-rushing group of Zaven Collins, Dennis Gardeck, Victor Dimukeje, Xavier Thomas and Jesse Luketa. Reddick is far more established than anyone on this list and would give Arizona a true No. 1 pass rusher. Most importantly, they have the salary cap space to take on the remainder of his contract. 

Panthers trade for Lions OLB James Houston and Texans WR John Metchie

Carolina’s roster is a long way from being ready to contend and that was apparent by how the Panthers essentially redid their depth charts via waiver wire claims at cornerback and edge rusher. This team needs to be on the lookout for talent upgrades however possible, and it might require getting creative. 

Receiver and edge rusher are two premium positions where the team still needs help long-term (and short-term). Metchie is a former second-round pick who was a teammate of Panthers QB Bryce Young at Alabama but has been buried on the depth chart in Houston after missing his rookie season due to leukemia. If the Texans are willing to take a mid-round pick swap for Metchie, it could give Carolina a long-term option at slot receiver behind Adam Thielen and Diontae Johnson, neither of whom are guaranteed to be on the team past this season. 

Houston had a remarkable rookie season with eight sacks on less than 100 pass rush snaps, but missed nearly all of last year due to injury and hasn’t been able to regain his standing with the coaching staff. Current Panthers DL coach Todd Wash was Houston’s position coach his rookie year in 2022, so that connection could help get the most out of Houston should Carolina swing a trade. The Panthers are in desperate need of help at edge rusher after trading OLB Brian Burns this offseason even after signing OLBs Jadeveon Clowney and D.J. Wonnum, as the other starting spot is going to be some combination of DJ Johnson, Eku Leota, K’Lavon Chaisson or recently-claimed Jamie Sheriff until Wonnum is healthy. 

Detroit is unlikely to need much in a trade for Houston if he’s falling down the depth chart, and the Lions have made significant strides with their roster in the past couple of years. This could be an opportunity for the Panthers to bolster their edge rusher rotation at a discount. 

Cowboys trade for Texans RB Dameon Pierce

Dallas has been trying to cheap out on its backfield this year, signing veteran RB Ezekiel Elliott to a cheap deal to go alongside last year’s top backup RB Rico Dowdle. Elliott is making $2 million this year and Dowdle is under contract for around the veteran minimum. The risk the Cowboys are running is getting what they paid for. Elliott’s career is on its last legs and while Dowdle has shown some juice in limited appearances, he has a long injury history dating back to college. The Cowboys were concerned enough about their backfield to sign RB Dalvin Cook to the practice squad, and he’s coming off a year where he averaged 3.2 yards per carry. 

Odds are the Cowboys are going to be on the lookout for help at running back at some point this season, so they might as well be proactive about the situation — even if we know proactive and Dallas don’t necessarily go together. Pierce had a worse season than Cook last year but he was legitimately good as a rookie, rushing for nearly 1,000 yards for the Texans in 2022. 

Houston’s switch to more of an outside zone-based run scheme hurt Pierce last year, as did some of their struggles blocking in the run game. He’d be a better fit on both accounts in Dallas, and his hard-charging run style is similar to former Cowboys fan favorite RB Marion Barber. Pierce is still just 24 years old and brings more juice and upside than anyone else in the Cowboys’ backfield currently. 

The other perk is that it likely wouldn’t cost much for Dallas to acquire Pierce. There’s been some talk he could fall behind newly-acquired RB Cam Akers in the pecking order in Houston and the Texans likely would be grateful to get a late-round pick for a running back. Pierce is also still on his rookie contract for this year and next, which makes him a fit for Dallas’ budget at the position.