NFL Teams Most Likely to Blow It Up at the 2022 Trade Deadline
The NFL trade deadline is just over a week away, which means it's decision time for many teams.
Franchises have had seven weeks to assess where they are and what they think they are capable of in 2022 and beyond. For those that believe they can win it all, it's time to start calling around in search of that missing piece to try to push their roster over the top.
For those whose hope is already lost, the trade deadline can be a time to take advantage of the market and get draft capital or young players to begin building toward success in 2023.
The following teams are all much more likely to field competitive teams in 2023 than turn things around this season. With that in mind, they might be in a perfect position now to make significant moves to either clear cap space or stockpile some draft picks.
Carolina Panthers
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The Panthers' inclusion on this list feels a little like cheating. They've already started to blow things up by trading away Robbie Anderson and Christian McCaffrey, but they might not be done quite yet.
Carolina's 2022 campaign was dead on arrival with Matt Rhule on the hot seat and Baker Mayfield failing to elevate an offense that doesn't really have an identity.
With Anderson and McCaffrey sent to the Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers, respectively, the Panthers' biggest potential trade chip now is D.J. Moore. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported the team has fielded "multiple trade calls" for the talented receiver, but they view him as a foundational piece.
Edge-rusher Brian Burns is another star teams have shown interest in, but he's only 24 years old and is under contract through 2023. Instead, it feels more likely that a veteran like linebacker Shaq Thompson or left tackle Taylor Moton could be on the move.
Both are 28 years old. Thompson has just one year left on his deal, so the Panthers would benefit from getting a pick now rather than relying on the compensatory formula later. Moton plays a premium position that several contenders could want to upgrade.
If teams are willing to part with a Day 2 pick for either of them, it could be worth it as the Panthers look to continue to stockpile picks in the 2023 draft.
Chicago Bears
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If the Chicago Bears blow things up at the trade deadline, it should really be considered a continuation of the work general manager Ryan Poles started in the offseason.
The new general manager let Allen Robinson II walk in free agency and traded away Khalil Mack, moves that were part of his effort to clear the books and reshape the team to his vision after taking over for former general manager Ryan Pace.
The results have not been pretty on the field, as the Bears sit at 2-4 heading into a Monday Night Football matchup with the New England Patriots.
The good news is the Bears still have some assets that should interest contending squads. Moving them sooner rather than later could bring back more picks to aid the rebuild.
Roquan Smith requested a trade this offseason amid stalled contract negotiations. The linebacker ultimately came back to practice and rejoined the team, but they still don't have a new deal.
Then there's Robert Quinn. The 32-year-old has been limited to one sack in six games after recording 18.5 last year. Jason La Canfora of Sportsline reported the Bears have been actively shopping him.
Trading away Smith, Quinn or both would serve two purposes. Chicago would likely get at least one valuable pick in return, an it would clear even more cap space. The Bears are already set up to have over $106 million to spend next offseason, per Spotrac.
In other words, the Bears are virtually guaranteed to look much different this time next season.
Denver Broncos
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Not much has gone right for the Denver Broncos after an offseason in which they hired Nathaniel Hackett as their head coach and traded for Russell Wilson.
The Broncos went all-in to acquire the former Seattle Seahawks quarterback, giving up first- and second-round picks in the 2022 and 2023 drafts as well as three players. It's safe to say they didn't envision a 2-5 start to the season.
With Wilson sitting out the Week 7 loss to the Jets because of a hamstring injury, the team in last place in the AFC West and the trade deadline quickly approaching, it would make sense if the Broncos decide to blow things up.
It would allow them to recoup some of the draft capital they lost in the blockbuster deal and give general manager George Paton an opportunity to build the team according to his vision.
Adam Schefter of ESPN reported the Broncos have received trade interest in wide receivers K.J. Hamler and Jerry Jeudy as well as edge-rusher Bradley Chubb.
Hamler was a second-round pick in 2020 but has just five catches this season. Jeudy, a former first-round pick, had one of his best games of the season on Sunday without Wilson when he recorded seven catches and 96 yards on 11 targets. That could be enough to get the Broncos at least a second-round pick.
Chubb would be the biggest trade chip. He's in the final year of his contract and providing good production at a premium position. His 5.5 sacks are 11th in the league, but the Broncos have Randy Gregory and Baron Browning and spent a second-round pick on Nik Bonitto this offseason.
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Houston Texans
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The positives for the Houston Texans have been few and far between this season. They've won just one game and have the third-worst point differential in the league.
Help is already on the way in the form of draft capital, as they still have multiple first-round and Day 2 picks they acquired as part of the trade that sent Deshaun Watson to the Cleveland Browns.
However, they still have players who could interest other teams.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network has already dropped Brandin Cooks' name. The speedy receiver has been traded three times in his career, and the Texans gave up a second-round pick to acquire him in 2020.
On the defensive side, Jerry Hughes would make a lot of sense. The 34-year-old has four sacks this season and is playing on a cheap two-year deal that won't cost a team much for this season.
Davis Mills earned a shot to prove himself as the starting quarterback, but he's 27th in QBR and the Texans continue to lose games.
The brightest developments for the Texans this season have come from rookies. Fourth-round pick Dameon Pierce looks like a force at running back, and first-round pick Derek Stingley Jr. has not allowed a touchdown pass.
There isn't much hope in keeping around the veterans when the team is this far from competing. They'd be better off continuing to sell off those pieces in favor of more ammo in the draft.
Pittsburgh Steelers
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The Pittsburgh Steelers aren't often the type of team to blow things up. Then again, they aren't generally 2-5, either.
The Steelers have been one of the most consistent franchises in the league for multiple decades, so it isn't often we see them in this kind of hole, but they could be in for a rare rebuild.
They're arguably already in the middle of one with rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett taking over the offense. However, it wouldn't hurt to continue to load up on draft picks to build around him.
Reports have already surfaced that receiver Chase Claypool could be on the trade block. Bill Huber of Sports Illustrated reported the Steelers are "open for business" but would expect a trade package along the lines of what the Panthers got for dealing Christian McCaffrey to the Niners, which included a second-, third- and fourth-round pick in the 2023 draft and a fifth-round pick in 2024.
Claypool is a talented player and that asking price might be exorbitant, but it could just be a starting point for negotiations.
With the emergence of George Pickens and Diontae Johnson's contract extension, it would make sense for the Steelers to part ways with Claypool.
Mitchell Trubisky and Mason Rudolph would also make sense as trade chips. The team has handed the starting quarterback job over to Pickett, and either would be a solid backup plan for any team that might not have confidence in its No. 2 QB.
Washington Commanders
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Carson Wentz was not the salve for the offense the Commanders hoped he would be. Now, the quarterback is out for at least the next three weeks after having surgery on his finger and going on injured reserve.
Taylor Heinecke led the club to a 23-21 win over the Green Bay Packers, but they've seen that movie before in Washington. He was at the helm for their 7-10 season last year and posted a QBR of 39.9. It doesn't help that the Commanders are currently 3-4 and at the bottom of what seems to be the toughest division in the league.
The biggest hurdle to the Commanders blowing things up would be head coach Ron Rivera. In his third season, he just might be coaching to save his job, and it wouldn't make sense for him to embrace a rebuild. That said, he's already acknowledged one could be coming.
"You can't be closed-minded," Rivera said of the team's trade-deadline approach, per Ben Standig of The Athletic. "So that's what I'm trying not to do."
There are a few assets that would make sense to unload on the defensive side of the ball. Defensive lineman DaRon Payne is in the final year of his rookie contract. At 25 years old, he's still squarely in his prime and has been a disruptive pass-rusher on the interior with 3.5 sacks already this season.
Then there's cornerback Williams Jackson, who has seemingly fallen out of favor. He's played in just four games this year, but the 30-year-old could be seen as a useful player to any contender that needs depth in the secondary. He has allowed fewer than 60 percent of his targets to be completed in each of the last four seasons.
Payne would be the most likely trade piece to bring back a high draft pick, but running back Antonio Gibson could also be an interesting candidate. The Commanders have given rookie Brian Robinson more touches since he made his season debut in Week 5, potentially making Gibson expendable.
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