Sixteen Big-Name Trade Candidates To Watch This Offseason

This is March. 

And while yes, it’s the month of spring and college basketball, it’s also the start of the new NFL league year and free agency. In terms of signings and trades that move the needle, it’s the biggest roster-building month on the calendar. 

Starting on March 13 at 4 pm EST, teams can officially sign free agents. They can also officially process trades after that date, and there are a ton of potential blockbuster deals to be on the lookout for this coming offseason. 

We’ve already gone in-depth on the situations for Eagles DE Haason Reddick and Bears QB Justin Fields, looking at potential landing spots for both players. Here’s a more abbreviated look at 16 other big names floating around in trade rumors this offseason, breaking down why each player could be available, how much they’d fetch in a trade and some potential landing spots worth monitoring. 

Bengals WR Tee Higgins

The Bengals placed the franchise tag on Higgins at the very start of the window to do so, which is often a way for teams to signal that they don’t expect to reach a long-term deal with a player and are open to trade offers. In Cincinnati’s case, Higgins is looking to be paid like several other young receivers who cashed in on deals between $23 and $25 million a year entering the 2022 season. The cap has gone up since then and so has the likely price for Higgins. 

But the Bengals have to keep in mind the budget for QB Joe Burrow and fellow WR Ja’Marr Chase, taken the year after Higgins. Paying all three market-rate contracts would mean tying up over $110 million in average annual salaries. The cap is growing, but not fast enough to where that wouldn’t be taxing for whoever manages Cincinnati’s salary cap.  

That’s why there’s persistent speculation about Higgins as a trade candidate. If the Bengals can’t afford to keep him long-term, then at some point he’s going to leave, most likely after this upcoming season. Once he does, the Bengals get nothing except a potential third-round compensatory pick, and they have to lose more free agents than they sign to get even that much. If the Bengals traded him now, they could get a late first or early second from a receiver-needy team. 

The logic makes sense. The Bengals operate by their own rules, however. I would expect them to keep Higgins on the tag this year unless he makes a huge stink about it, preserving another year to chase a ring with the trio of Burrow, Chase and Higgins powering their offense. Then in 2025, they’ll re-evaluate, with a tag-and-trade still potentially on the table. 

In case I’m wrong though, here are some teams who could make a lot of sense for Higgins. The Cardinals have picks at No. 27 and No. 35 and could dangle one for Higgins. Arizona needs to continue to surround QB Kyler Murray with weapons, but if they use the No. 4 pick on a wideout, it makes more sense to diversify with other premium resources. 

The Panthers and Titans desperately need talent on offense and also have early second-round picks to use. Higgins went to college near Carolina while Titans HC Brian Callahan has coached Higgins his entire pro career until now. While it’s less than some other big trades for receivers, the depth of this class at receiver could offset that concern. The Patriots and Giants are two other teams with early second-round picks and a need for receiver talent. 

Panthers OLB Brian Burns

The Panthers turned down serious trade interest in Burns at the deadline two seasons ago, spiking an offer from the Rams of two first-round picks in 2024 and 2025 and a Day 2 pick in 2023. Since then, Burns’ camp has been emboldened by that offer and raised its asking price to $30 million a year, which has been too rich for the Panthers. Should they have considered that before turning down the trade? Probably, but nevertheless, here they are. 

With negotiations unfruitful, the Panthers suspended talks at the Combine and placed the tag on Burns. The inability to get a long-term deal done has sparked trade speculation. If the Panthers don’t want to pay Burns, it makes sense to trade him to a team that does. While the Panthers wouldn’t get the same haul the Rams put on the table, it’s not inconceivable they could get a first-round pick, which is convenient because they don’t have one after last year’s trade for the No. 1 pick and QB Bryce Young. 

For that reason, it’s hard to completely rule out a trade. That’s the tack reporters close to the team have taken as well. Burns’ camp can explore offers with other teams on the non-exclusive tag and get a sense of his market. I suspect he’ll have a hard time finding $30 million annually from another team coming off a season with just eight sacks but anything is possible. 

In my opinion as an NFL analyst and longtime Panthers fan, it would not be prudent to trade Burns. This team has shipped out a ton of talent over the past few years, and it needs to be in the business of acquiring and keeping good players. Burns is a good player. The tag is part of the negotiating process, and there’s still time for the two sides to work something out, either by July or even next year. 

Should the Panthers move to trade Burns, however, there would be interest. The Bears inquired about him as a part of the trade to No. 1 but were rebuffed. The Rams still need help at edge rusher and could have interest. The Texans have tons of cap space and could make a big swing this offseason. Both the Cardinals and Lions have cap space and picks to land a big fish like Burns as well. 

Chiefs CB L’Jarius Sneed

The third of three potential tag-and-trade candidates, the difference with Sneed is the Chiefs are actively shopping him and likely know they can’t keep him long-term, while the Panthers and Bengals are holding on a little more tightly to their franchise players at the moment. Sneed was projected to hit the free agent market as one of the top players available, but instead the Chiefs retained his rights with the tag at a cost of $19.8 million. 

Kansas City guessed the market for Sneed would be strong enough that there would be a team willing to fork over a market-rate contract — probably north of $20 million per year — and give up a pick better or comparable to the compensatory pick losing Sneed would put the Chiefs in line for. It also gives them a chance to steer his destination a bit, at least out of the AFC West.

So far there’s been quite a bit of interest in Sneed with seven teams being linked to him. That list includes the Colts, Falcons, Jaguars, Lions, Patriots, Titans and Vikings. All of those teams have a significant need at cornerback. Most are in a good enough position with the cap and available draft assets to be able to swing a major trade like this.

Of the group, the Colts, Jaguars and Lions stand out to me as potential suitors for Sneed. The Colts have a huge need at cornerback and GM Chris Ballard came up from the Chiefs as an executive, so he sees players similarly in some ways. The Lions and Jaguars are going to play aggressive, man-to-man focused systems in 2024 and Sneed is a great fit in that kind of scheme. Both teams will be looking for upgrades at corner as well.

The Falcons have also come up a lot around Sneed but they have to first worry about figuring out their quarterback situation and dedicating resources to that. There’s a long-term deal for CB AJ Terrell to consider too, as he’s entering the final year of his contract. 

I think the Chiefs would be thrilled to get a second-round pick for Sneed, and it does seem like that could be their initial asking price based on some of the reports floating around. Personally, I think a second on top of a huge contract would be a lot to give up for Sneed, but he is far and away the best cornerback available right now and a real impact player as long as he can stay on the field. It does seem like the Chiefs have a real market to try and leverage to their advantage. 

And if not, they can always just keep Sneed and try and chase a Super Bowl again. 

49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk or WR Deebo Samuel

San Francisco is in an interesting position because they have an uber-talented team but a lot of big-money cap hits currently dedicated to players about to be or in their 30s. The roster will be due for a rebalancing in the next few years, and current starting QB Brock Purdy has just one more year as the best bargain in sports before he’s due for a well-earned raise. 

That’s the context in which the 49ers will be negotiating with Aiyuk this offseason as he enters the final year of his rookie contract on the fifth-year option. They have already paid big money at the position to Samuel, not to mention market-rate contracts for TE George Kittle, LT Trent Williams and RB Christian McCaffrey. This doesn’t include big deals on defense to DE Nick Bosa, DT Javon Hargrave, DT Arik Armstead, CB Charvarius Ward and LB Fred Warner. 

Frankly speaking they can’t afford all of these players plus Purdy. There are two ways this could play out. The 49ers could start making moves now with the idea of creating sustainability in the future. San Francisco could probably net a first-round pick or a high second from a receiver-needy team willing to pay Aiyuk the contract he’s in line for. They could then turn around and invest that pick in a receiver-rich draft class to try and replace Aiyuk for far less and start the process of rebalancing the roster with more rookie deal contributors. They could also try and trade Samuel, though his value would be a lot less since he’s older, is owed $22 million in 2024, has a lengthy injury history and is a unique scheme fit. 

The other tack is 49ers GM John Lynch and HC Kyle Shanahan could decide to let Future John Lynch and Future Kyle Shanahan handle these problems. The 49ers have a wide-open Super Bowl window still with the roster as it’s presently constructed. They can create some more cap space to make more moves with extensions for Aiyuk and McCaffrey and a couple of restructures. If the salary cap growth this past year is any indication, another huge jump could be coming in 2025 which will increase the margins the team is working with. Trading a player like Aiyuk now would mean taking a big hit to their chances of winning that in the end might not be necessary. 

However, if the 49ers do decide to move Aiyuk, there will be no shortage of suitors, particularly with the proliferation of the Shanahan coaching tree around the NFL. San Francisco could get a late first or early second from a team willing to pay Aiyuk in the range of $25-$28 million a season. A non-exhaustive list of suitors could include the Panthers, Patriots, Titans, Giants, Texans, Jets or Falcons. 

Broncos WRs Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton

These two have been fixtures in trade rumor columns for the better part of the past two years. Buckle up for at least one more offseason. When Broncos HC Sean Payton took over last year, he kept a lot of key players even as the team was active in adding elsewhere in free agency. But with QB Russell Wilson on the way out and Denver eating an NFL record $85 million in dead money, the team could be entering some lean years as Payton recasts a vision for the Broncos. 

The best way to rebalance a budget in the NFL is to hit on draft picks, landing cheap rookies who provide a ton of value as starters or key role players. The best way to hit on draft picks is to have more of them. This is why the Broncos could consider selling off veteran players to restock their cache of picks, one that’s taken a significant hit due to trades for Wilson and Payton the past two offseasons. 

Jeudy and Sutton garnered quite a bit of interest last year. At one point, the Broncos reportedly turned down a third and a fifth for Jeudy. Unfortunately, that was the best window for the Broncos to accept a deal, and any offers this offseason will likely be less. Jeudy is due almost $13 million fully guaranteed in the final year of his fifth-year option. He’s been unable to put together a full season despite flashes of the ability that made him a first-round pick. Teams would treat a trade for him as more of a salary dump for that reason, especially with a deep class of receivers in the draft. A fourth-round pick as a return might even be too rosy to hope for. 

Sutton was far more productive, scoring 10 touchdowns last season. He’s also due $13 million in 2024, pretty similar to what he made on the books last year. The Ravens and Broncos were close to a deal for Sutton last year but Denver backed out. The price was probably around a fourth-round pick, and that should be the ballpark of his value in 2024 as he enters his age-29 season. 

That’s not a whole lot in terms of moving the needle for the Broncos aside from clearing cap space, and they’re already going to be under the cap. The other factor driving down the price is the deep group of receiver prospects in the draft. Most teams will prefer that route, it will only be the teams with gobs of cap space who view Jeudy and Sutton as options. The Patriots are one possibility, while the Jets are another. The front office thought highly of him as a prospect and there are some connections on the coaching staff. 

If all the Broncos are going to get are mid-round picks, there’s a case for Denver to just hold onto both receivers to wait for something to change their value or play the comp pick game — which applies more to Jeudy than Sutton. 

Saints CB Marshon Lattimore

At the Combine this past week, it was reported some teams view Lattimore as available in a trade, throwing some gas on a situation that first cropped up when the Saints restructured Lattimore’s contract late last season. Instead of converting his $15 million 2024 base salary into a signing bonus, which is standard procedure for restructures and something the Saints have done a ton of in recent seasons, New Orleans converted the money to an option bonus that is due a week before the start of the regular season. 

What this does is give the Saints cap relief on Lattimore’s deal while leaving open the possibility of trading him and having another team assume responsibility for that cash. The actual cap relief in 2024 would be minimal — in fact it would cost the Saints cap space to trade Lattimore before June 1. But the relationship between the two sides is starting to deteriorate, with some frustration from the Saints at how Lattimore has handled missing so much time due to injury. He’s played in just 17 of 34 possible games the last two years. 

Lattimore has been one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL when healthy, and there’s a shortage of quality cover guys available for needy teams this offseason. It’s why the Chiefs tagged Sneed because they knew there would be a market. Lattimore has no more guarantees on his contract past this season. If Kansas City can get a second-round pick for Sneed, the Saints should be able to get at least that for Lattimore, even with some of the injury concerns. 

This trade seems more likely to happen after June 1, which is not without precedent. A few years ago, the Falcons held an auction for WR Julio Jones because they knew they wanted out of his contract and the only feasible way was to do the trade after June 1 when the dead money hit would be split between two seasons. It did not impact their market and that should be the case for the Saints with Lattimore. Because of the option bonus, it should be easy for just about any team to fit him under the cap. 

Although the market of teams looking for cornerback help will be whittled down some by June, with one team landing Sneed and a few others taking prospects in the first round, the demand for quality corners always outweighs the supply. A team like the Lions makes tons of sense. Lions DC Aaron Glenn coached Lattimore when he was in New Orleans, and picking late in the first round they might not have access to a top prospect. There’s another coaching connection with Jaguars DB coach Kris Richard and DC Ryan Nielsen, both who were in New Orleans with Lattimore. The Jaguars have a major need at cornerback as well. 

Chargers OLB Khalil Mack, OLB Joey Bosa or WR Keenan Allen

The Chargers still need to shed around $30 million in cap space to get back in the black for the 2024 league year, at least at the time of writing this. Los Angeles hasn’t done anything with the big four contracts they have to address — Mack, Bosa, Allen and WR Mike Williams, though the latter is an expected cap casualty coming off a torn ACL to save $20 million. The injury means Williams won’t have a trade market. The other three should. 

Mack turned back the clock and had 17 sacks in 2023. Even if you take out the six-sack game against the Raiders and fourth-round QB Aidan O’Connell in his first ever NFL game, it’s still an impressive number. Allen had a vintage season, recording 108 catches for 1,243 yards and seven touchdowns. In terms of yards per game, it was actually a career-high. Bosa had another frustrating year with injuries, playing just nine games and notching 6.5 sacks. 

All three have major inhibitors to their trade stock, however. We’ve already mentioned the injuries for Bosa which have been an unfortunate theme throughout his career. He’s played three full seasons out of eight and just 14 games the past two seasons. The Chargers owe him $22 million in 2024, none of which is guaranteed. He’s the youngest of the three at 28, however. 

Mack is 33 and owed $23.25 million in 2024. It also happens to be the final year of his contract. Allen turns 32 in April and os owed $23.1 million in 2024, which also is a contract year. All three players have significant roster bonuses due early in the league year, March 16 for Mack and Bosa and March 18 for Allen. 

The hard truth is that just about any player making over $20 million would have a limited trade market, let alone one over the age of 30, even coming off a great season. A third-round pick for any of these three would be a surprise. Depending on the situation, a fourth or fifth could make sense, but it would require a team having plenty of cap space to absorb the initial hit and be more like a salary dump from the Chargers’ perspective. 

Of this trio, Mack and Allen played too well last season to cut. Combined with their contract status, the best course of action could be an extension with limited additional guarantees hampering the Chargers in future years. The Chargers need to tread cautiously and not overpay for past production. Mack had just eight sacks in 2022 and last year was his first of more than 70 total pressures, per PFF, since 2019. Age is often not kind to receivers, even for receivers whose games are not predicated solely on athleticism like Allen. 

Bosa is younger and has been a difference-maker when healthy, but the injuries are a major drain on his value. Still, teams are always looking for edge-rushing help, and about half the league right now could absorb his cap hit in a trade without having to clear space, though of course it wouldn’t stay there. The Rams need help at edge rusher and just hired Bosa’s former DL coach, Giff Smith. The 49ers have both Bosa’s brother and former HC Brandon Staley, though they’d need to clear considerable space. They could ask the Chargers to eat some of Bosa’s salary, but that defeats the purpose of trading him. 

There aren’t a lot of clear solutions here for the Chargers but it is a situation worth watching as the March deadlines approach. 

Commanders DT Jonathan Allen

There isn’t much in terms of concrete rumors regarding a potential trade for Allen, other than Washington rebuffing interest in the veteran defensive tackle at the deadline last year. But it’s possible to connect some dots. The Commanders are starting completely over with a new regime — coaching staff, general manager, ownership, everything. Allen’s held in high regard around the whole league but big shifts like this tend to spark big changes. 

The other factor is his contract. Allen has two years left on a deal that paid him $18 million a year in 2021, with no more guarantees. Since then the market for defensive tackles has grown exponentially, with top options making between $22 and $25 million a year. Allen doesn’t have a lot of good options to force the team to address his deal, but discontentment is a factor that can drive a trade. 

The last note is that Allen is one of the best trade chips on Washington’s roster right now. He would command a second-round pick easily in a deal, perhaps even a late first in the right situation. At 29 years old, it’s worth it for the team to ask where it’s going to be over the next two years of Allen’s contract. The Commanders have a ton of needs to address and this does not look like it’s going to be a quick rebuild necessarily. Does Allen fit their window? New owner Josh Harris and his background with The Process with the Philadelphia 76ers could be relevant here. 

Some teams with at least a second-round pick and ample cap space with a need at defensive tackle include the Texans, Browns and Raiders. Some under-the-radar suitors could include the Falcons and Steelers. Falcons assistant GM Kyle Smith was a key part of the front office in Washington when Allen was selected, and Steelers DL coach Karl Dunbar was Allen’s position coach his senior year at Alabama. 

Steelers WR Diontae Johnson

Johnson is an interesting player to watch going into this offseason, as he’s been vocal at times about his frustrations with how certain things have played out in Pittsburgh, including decisions at quarterback and how his contract was handled. Johnson is in the final year of a two-year, $36 million extension he signed with the Steelers in 2022. Pittsburgh has a skimpy history of signing receivers to second contracts, let alone first-time extensions, so his future is in some doubt. 

The change in system is also noteworthy with the Steelers bringing in former Falcons HC Arthur Smith as their new play-caller. Smith operates a creative, run-first offense, and in his time in Tennessee and Atlanta he tended to prefer bigger, power forward-sized wideouts as opposed to the smaller, shiftier players. Johnson belongs in the latter bucket. It’s worth wondering how he’ll handle being asked to block more and be less of a featured player in the offense. Pittsburgh’s locker room was an issue last season, and the Steelers could try to get ahead of things this offseason. 

Johnson is due $10 million in 2024, with $7 million of that as a base salary and $3 million in the form of a roster bonus which is due on March 16. He’s a more attractive trade option for $7 million instead of $10 million obviously, but if he’s cheaper, the Steelers can probably get a better pick. Some teams could view a third-round pick for Johnson as worthwhile since he’s much more of a known quantity than a rookie, even if it’s a strong draft class. If the Steelers were willing to take a fourth, there would definitely be plenty of interest. 

Johnson’s played long enough that most receiver-needy teams could have some interest. There are some interesting connections to note with the Falcons and Panthers. Atlanta hired Ike Hilliard as WR coach this offseason and he was Johnson’s position coach early in his career. With Smith gone, the Falcons need more help to round out their receiving corps alongside WR Drake London and TE Kyle Pitts. Panthers WR coach Rob Moore was the Titans WR coach when they hosted Johnson for an official visit in 2019. That doesn’t mean Moore was a big fan, but it’s worth noting especially because the Panthers need receiver help badly. 

Cardinals S Budda Baker

Baker probably didn’t have the year he envisioned in 2023 after agitating for a new contract with two years left on his former deal. He missed five games due to injury, and when he was on the field he was not his normal play-making self. Baker didn’t record a splash play like an interception, forced fumble, sack or even a pass deflection all year. Still, he was selected to the Pro Bowl last year. 

Now he’s entering the last year of his contract and slated to make $14.2 million, none of which is guaranteed. I thought that made Baker an interesting candidate to watch as a potential cap casualty, but as a former All-Pro, he could have a trade market, especially because Arizona has a new regime with no prior attachments to him. 

The catch will be the safety market is incredibly saturated this year. Teams will have tons of options to address any needs, and the supply will push down the demand. Baker’s resume stands out but does it stand out enough for a team to take on over $14 million and give up a draft pick? I have some doubts. 

Seahawks WR Tyler Lockett

Lockett is another player I thought could be in danger as a potential cap cut. Lockett turned 31 last September and he acknowledged in the offseason that the grind of keeping his body prepared for the rigors of the NFL was becoming harder to stay on top of. In 2023, he played all 17 games but his production took a step back. He caught 79 passes on 122 targets for 894 yards and five touchdowns, snapping a streak of four straight 1,000-yard seasons and registering a career-low yards per target. 

In 2024, Lockett is due $17 million in cash and will count $27 million against the cap. Seattle would only save about $7 million in cap space by cutting or trading Lockett, and it would leave a major hole in their receiving corps. So this is a situation that still feels very much up in the air. Seattle has made several high-profile cuts so far, but no word regarding Lockett. 

A trade would be a way to soften the blow with additional compensation coming back to the Seahawks to try and find a replacement. The catch is finding a team willing to pay Lockett $17 million in 2024. Maybe the Panthers and a reunion with HC Dave Canales, who was Lockett’s position coach for a stint with the Seahawks, could make sense. That would be an old room with veteran WR Adam Thielen, however. 

Cowboys QB Trey Lance

When Dallas traded a fourth-round pick for Lance during the preseason last year, they basically were making a long-shot futures bet on Lance somehow getting a chance to see the field and somehow showing he had some legitimate value as an NFL quarterback. He played less in Dallas than he did in San Francisco, and now he has one more year left on his rookie contract after the Cowboys almost assuredly decline his fifth-year option. 

The Cowboys could let it ride and see what happens in 2024, or they could try and cash out the bet, probably for less than they paid at the moment. There are enough teams with unsettled situations at quarterback looking for a long-term successor that if Dallas made Lance available for a trade, someone would probably be willing to offer a late-round pick. The Vikings are a team to know since they showed some interest in Lance at the Combine last year. It’s not known how much — it’s probably telling that Lance is in Dallas right now and not Minnesota. 

Still, Lance remains an intriguing mystery box who has not yet really gotten a full chance to show what he can do in the NFL. I for one would love to see him get that chance somewhere.