NFL trades have been a larger part of the offseason than free agency with blockbusters happening on a near never-ending loop.
From Russell Wilson and Deshaun Watson to Tyreek Hill, some of the NFL’s biggest names have been dealt as teams attempt to replicate the success the defending champion Los Angeles Rams have had in this regard.
As we head to draft season, there’s a darn good chance that more big-time NFL trades will be the name of the game moving forward. Below, we look at six deals the NFL world would love to see moving forward in the offseason.
Cleveland Browns trade Baker Mayfield to the Seattle Seahawks
This has been bandied about a whole lot since Cleveland made the blockbuster trade for Watson. Mayfield had requested a trade even before that deal went down. Unfortunately for the former No. 1 pick, the market has thinned out considerably. In fact, there’s mutual disinterest between Mayfield and the Carolina Panthers. That’s intriguing given Carolina’s QB situation (more on this below).
As for the Seahawks, they want us to believe that they’re willing to ride with Drew Lock next season after trading Wilson to Denver. That’s laughable. Head coach Pete Carroll is too old to waste a season with Lock under center. Meanwhile, Mayfield could likely be had for pennies on the dollar. Despite his obvious limitations, Mayfield would be a marked upgrade over Lock. It’s not close. This is one of the NFL trades we expect to happen in short order.
New York Giants trade Saquon Barkley to the San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers have been largely idle thus far this offseason with their biggest move being the signing of Kansas City Chiefs star cornerback Charvarius Ward. General manager John Lynch and Co. can’t sustain this if they want to actually compete with the Los Angeles Rams after losing to their division foe in the NFC Championship Game.
One move that would make sense is a trade for Barkley. San Francisco lost Raheem Mostert to the Miami Dolphins in free agency and has a thinning running back depth chart.
As far as NFL trades go, this would be a pretty ideal fit. Barkley’s dual-threat ability would be great in Kyle Shanahan’s system — creating yet another dynamic threat to go with the likes of Elijah Mitchell, George Kittle, Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk. Barkley could also likely be had for a mid-round pick. The only issue here is his $7.22 million cap hit for an acquiring team. San Francisco is up against the NFL salary cap with Jimmy Garoppolo still on the books.