5 NFL Teams in Need of a Splashy Acquisition Before 2023 Training Camp
At this point in the NFL offseason, top free agents will decide where to start a new career chapter while general managers look at the open market and potential trade targets in preparation for training camp.
The Tennessee Titans made pre-training camp headlines, coming to an agreement with three-time All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, per ESPN's Turron Davenport. He may be the first domino to fall in what could be a series of transactions across the league.
Among the biggest names available, running back Dalvin Cook, edge-rusher Yannick Ngakoue and cornerback Marcus Peters will generate the most buzz until they sign with a team. In addition, we'll continue to hear trade speculation around notable players who are disgruntled or the odd man out on their club's depth chart.
As training camps open, we'll match prominent players with teams that should make a big move to fill a roster void.
Chicago Bears: Sign DE Yannick Ngakoue
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The Chicago Bears finished the 2022 season with the second-lowest pressure rate (15.9 percent) and the fewest sacks (20), but they haven't made a big splash in free agency or the draft to address their subpar pass rush.
Heading into training camp, DeMarcus Walker and Trevis Gipson are set to start at defensive end.
Walker recorded a career-high seven sacks with the Tennessee Titans last year, though he's only started in 13 out of 66 games, and his track record lacks consistency. Before 2022, Walker had 12.5 sacks in six seasons.
In 2021, Gipson showed flashes as a pass-rusher, logging seven sacks and 17 pressures. In the following term, he saw a drop-off in his ability to get the quarterback on the ground, registering just three sacks and 18 pressures.
The Bears need an established edge-rusher, and they can find him on the free-agent market.
During a segment on 670 The Score's Bernstein & Holmes Show, Bears general manager Ryan Poles hinted at a potential pass-rushing addition.
"There are some options, potentially trade options," Poles said. "There's also some guys on the street still that could potentially come in and help us. Maybe something will happen sooner rather than later."
Yannick Ngakoue has at least eight sacks in all seven of his pro seasons. Though he's probably going to command north of $10 million per year with well-known agent Drew Rosenhaus as his representative, Chicago can afford to pay him with about $32 million in cap space.
Las Vegas Raiders: Sign CB Marcus Peters
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Thus far, the Las Vegas Raiders have had an offseason of uncertainties. With quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and rookie first-round edge-rusher Tyree Wilson on the mend from foot surgeries and franchise-tendered running back Josh Jacobs still unsigned, they're in need of a big move before training camp.
The Athletic's Vic Tafur and Tashan Reed shared a positive development that favors the Raiders defense, which gave up the fourth-most passing yards and tied the New York Giants for the fewest interceptions (six) last season.
"…The Raiders seem likely to sign veteran cornerback Marcus Peters before training camp," Tafur wrote.
As a career ballhawk who excels in man coverage, Peters can provide much-needed help in the secondary.
Sure, Peters had a down 2022 campaign, allowing a 113.7 passer rating and seven touchdowns in coverage, but he had to bounce back from a torn ACL while learning a new scheme under Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Mike MacDonald.
In defensive coordinator Patrick Graham's man-heavy coverage scheme, Peters could rebound from a forgetful year and start for a defense that needs his veteran savvy on the boundary.
If Peters can still find the football in coverage, he's an ideal free-agent target for the Raiders, who have logged just 12 interceptions over the last two years.
Minnesota Vikings: Trade for S Budda Baker
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The Minnesota Vikings must iron out an in-house contract situation with defensive end Danielle Hunter before they acquire a top-tier safety who gave his team an expensive ultimatum.
According to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, Hunter doesn't see "eye-to-eye" with the Vikings on a new deal.
While Hunter could report to training camp and hold-in for a new deal, Minnesota can solve that issue with a pay raise. The Vikings have $18 million in cap space, and they can free up an additional $10 million by restructuring Pro Bowl offensive tackle Brian O'Neill's contract.
With that much cap space at their fingertips, the Vikings could come to a middle ground with Hunter and still acquire Budda Baker.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Baker told the Arizona Cardinals that he wants to be the highest-paid safety or suit up elsewhere.
It seems as though Baker wants more money to play with a bottom-tier team that won't have its starting quarterback for the start of the 2023 season. He may not demand to reset the safety market with a playoff contender. Perhaps the Vikings can satisfy him with a decent pay raise.
If Baker is willing to work with his new team financially, Minnesota can make a strong attempt to acquire him for a defense that ranked 28th in scoring while allowing the second-most yards last year.
Of course, the Vikings should take care of their disgruntled player before acquiring another unhappy camper, but they can get the job done with their cap resources.
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New England Patriots: Trade for WR Courtland Sutton
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Despite months of trade rumors, Courtland Sutton is still a Denver Bronco, but that could change before Week 1 of the regular season.
In May, The Athletic's Nick Kosmider answered a mailbag question about Sutton's future, and his response left the door open for ongoing trade speculation.
"The Broncos are not actively shopping any of their wide receivers. But I don't think that completely closes the door on a potential move being made at some point between now and the start of the season. With Denver picking up the fifth-year option on Jerry Jeudy's rookie contract, the Broncos are currently set to have one of the highest-paid groups of receivers in the league in 2024. That's not typically how Payton-coached teams have operated."
To be clear, Sutton isn't a disgruntled player. He wants to stay in Denver, but the Broncos selected wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. in the second round of this year's draft and exercised the fifth-year option in Jerry Jeudy's rookie deal. With Tim Patrick back in the fold after missing the 2022 campaign (torn ACL), Mims could replace Sutton in three-wide receiver sets.
According to 9News' Mike Klis, the Broncos wanted a second-round pick for Sutton. Because the New England Patriots missed out on DeAndre Hopkins, they may be willing to pay a high price for another starting-caliber receiver.
Moreover, the Patriots may have concerns about wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster, who, according to NFL Network's Mike Giardi, wasn't 100 percent at mandatory minicamp because of a lingering knee injury from last season.
The Patriots could try to acquire a lead wide receiver in exchange for a second-round pick—a quality addition that would aid third-year quarterback Mac Jones' development.
Washington Commanders: Sign RB Dalvin Cook
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In a down year for the running back market, Dalvin Cook could sign a respectable deal.
In June, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero had some positive news about Cook's market value.
"Dalvin Cook has multiple offers right now, and he's going to command a significant contract," Pelissero said on The Rich Eisen Show (h/t Bleacher Report's Tyler Conway).
Per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, the Miami Dolphins have offered a deal to Cook.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport mentioned Miami, along with the New York Jets and Denver Broncos as potential landing spots for the four-time Pro Bowl running back.
While Cook may be enticed by those teams, he may consider a dark-horse squad that needs an offensive spark.
The Washington Commanders have a pair of running backs in Brian Robinson and Antonio Gibson, but the latter saw a sharp decline in his rush attempts (258 to 149) between 2021 and 2022. On top of that, Gibson averaged a career-low 3.7 yards per carry while seeing a slight increase in targets last season.
With journeyman Jacoby Brissett and second-year pro Sam Howell battling for the starting quarterback job, the Commanders can adopt a run-heavy approach to help their signal-caller.
Cook, who's a big-play running back averaging a career 4.7 yards per carry, can complement Robinson on the ground while Gibson continues his transition into the primary pass-catching role as a replacement for J.D. McKissic.
Keep in mind that Commanders offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy is a former NFL running back who may see great value in Cook for his system.
NFL team cap space information is provided by Over the Cap.
Maurice Moton covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @MoeMoton.
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