The 2023 NFL Draft came and went with only one major trade for a veteran player. However, that doesn’t mean that every single established veteran is going to stick with their current team. Some trades will go down over the next few months, and these players are most likely to find a new home.
Top 5 NFL Trades That Could Happen This Offseason
1. Dalvin Cook
This one is all but inevitable. The Minnesota Vikings are still fielding calls for Dalvin Cook, and the team has no reason to keep him around. While he is still a good player, he’s due a massive cap hit, and the Vikings re-signed Alexander Mattison and selected DeWayne McBride in the NFL Draft. Minnesota needs more spending money, and with the adequate existing depth on the roster, why wouldn’t the Vikings trade away a solid player at an expendable position? It shouldn’t be long before an NFL team that could use a starter trades for Dalvin Cook.
Team Fits: Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens
2. Trey Lance
Brock Purdy is the San Francisco 49ers starting quarterback when healthy, but the recent acquisitions of Sam Darnold and Brandon Allen imply that Trey Lance isn’t even in the running to be the backup. The former third-overall pick has yet to see any meaningful action in the NFL, so some team will take a risk and trade for the talented yet untested product. It just might take an injury or two before Lance earns that opportunity.
Team Fits: Whichever team’s quarterback suffers an injury in the offseason
Former third-overall pick Trey Lance is done in San Francisco
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) March 3, 2023
3. Jonah Williams
Once viewed as a can’t-miss prospect in a loaded draft class, Jonah Williams hasn’t played up to the billing and clearly wants out after the Orlando Brown signing. While Williams isn’t the All-Pro most people thought he would be, he’s still a solid starter that could start for quite a few tackle-needy teams.
Team Fits: New Orleans Saints, New England Patriots, Los Angeles Rams
4. Budda Baker
Budda Baker is among the best safeties in the league, but does he have a future on the rebuilding Arizona Cardinals? It’s clear that the team is not going to be competitive in 2023, so perhaps Arizona continues to load up on picks and clear cap space for their eventual rebuild. The team is already in good position for the 2024 NFL Draft thanks to their trade with the Houston Texans, but if they can get another first-round pick for Baker in a trade, that’s going to be hard to turn down.
Team Fits: Green Bay Packers, Baltimore Ravens, Carolina Panthers
5. Devin White
Linebacker Devin White wants a new contract or a new team, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in no position to grant that request. After (successfully) going all-in for the final years of Tom Brady’s career, Tampa Bay is loaded with dead money and is staring down a long, grueling rebuild with no quarterback of the future. Devin White is a young player, but is he a foundational fixture that justifies top dollar? Maybe he’s not to the Buccaneers, but some team out there probably values him like that.
Team Fits: Los Angeles Chargers, Denver Broncos, Pittsburgh Steelers
Main Photo: Jeffrey Becker – USA Today Sports
