Best and Worst Landing Spots for Top 2024 NFL Offseason Trade Targets
The NFL trade market may be closed for business and the 2024 offseason may still be months away, but it's never too early to start thinking about some landscape-shifting deals that could go down once player movement opens back up. There are several high-profile stars who stick out as potential trade targets for a variety of reasons, including the usual salary-cap constraints and contract situations that tend to influence these types of swaps.
If these elite talents are made openly available—and even if they aren't—there will likely be plenty of interest and calls being made from a litany of franchises. While their current employers will likely be happy to take the top offer on the table, that won't always be the best move for the player. There's a chance they get stuck on a roster or in a scheme that doesn't fit their skillset, an issue that has plagued plenty of trades in years past.
With that in mind, let's take a closer look at the best and worst possible landing spots for some marquee offseason trade targets.
Davante Adams, WR, Las Vegas Raiders
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The Las Vegas Raiders' decision to bring in Davante Adams last offseason hasn't panned out as the team had hoped. The 31-year-old is now catching passes from rookie fourth-rounder Aidan O'Connell, the fifth starting quarterback that Vegas has churned through since landing Adams last spring. With his prime is being wasted on a non-contender, the Raiders should explore trades this coming offseason to return maximum value.
Best Landing Spot: New York Jets
A reunion with Aaron Rodgers could be exactly what both the Jets and Davante Adams need. Rodgers declined noticeably after his top target left ahead of the 2022 season and could be rejuvenated when he returns from injury in 2024.
Adams was seemingly unstoppable during his final two seasons in Green Bay. During that time, the wideout accumulated an eye-popping 223 receptions for 3,069 yards and 25 touchdowns in 33 games. Both he and Rodgers are now well on the wrong side of 30, but the dynamic duo could rekindle their chemistry while taking the Jets to new heights.
Worst Landing Spot: Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals should be wary about trading for aging receivers after being disappointed by DeAndre Hopkins. The cost to bring Adams in would be similar if not pricier than the second- and fourth-rounders Arizona gave up for Hopkins and it's likely the results would be similar.
The Cardinals have too many question marks doting their roster to splurge on a player like Adams regardless. The team doesn't even seem secure under center despite giving Kyler Murray a blockbuster extension prior to last season. Murray had been performing poorly prior to suffering a torn ACL and hasn't looked too great since returning. Rather than hope he improves by mortgaging the future on Adams, the Cardinals should instead draft a blue-chip receiving prospect to develop along during their rebuilding process.
Brandon Aiyuk, WR, San Francisco 49ers
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The San Francisco 49ers will have some tough decisions to make regarding their offense next season. With Brandon Aiyuk heading into the final year of his rookie deal, the club could be forced to find a trade partner if it can't come up with a palatable way to stuff a market value extension under the salary cap.
Best Landing Spot: Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers cannot afford to head into 2024 without a legitimate No. 1 wideout on the roster. The team already squandered Bryce Young's first season by surrounding him with over-the-hill and ineffective pass-catchers that have resulted in this offense rating in the bottom-five for both passing yardage and points scored.
Aiyuk could be a game-changer in Carolina. The 25-year-old had his first 1,000-yard season in 2022—his third NFL campaign—and is on track to shatter his previous career high in receiving yardage after amassing 831 yards in the first nine games this season. He's piled up 22 touchdowns over his first 55 career contests and is averaging an impressive 13.6 yards per target this year, a big improvement over the 8.9 he put up last season.
Worst Landing Spot: Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns' quarterback situation is a downright disaster. Trading for Deshaun Watson and giving him a record-setting, fully guaranteed contract is already shaping up to be one of the biggest blunders in league history. Because of the uncertainty under center and the amount of cash tied up in Watson's deal, the Browns need to focus on retaining draft picks and getting the most value possible out of the limited dollars they have left.
Cleveland almost certainly won't be able to draft a high-end quarterback prospect in 2024 and are likely have issues at the position for several more years. It's a situation Aiyuk should hope to stay well clear of, while Cleveland shouldn't even consider giving up the capital it would take to acquire him anyway.
Justin Fields, QB, Chicago Bears
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The Chicago Bears punted on the chance to deal Justin Fields and draft another potential franchise quarterback leading up to the 2023 season. It's difficult to envision the front office taking that same path if given a mulligan on that decision.
Best Landing Spot: Las Vegas Raiders
The failed Jimmy Garoppolo signing has left the door open for the Raiders to go after another passer this coming offseason. While the 5-6 squad have been playing too well to land one of the top prospects in the draft, it could bring in a player looking for a fresh start only a few years into their NFL career. .
Fields could be rejuvenated by a change of scenery. He came into the year with hopes of furthering his development as a passer while retaining the signature rushing ability that made him one of the league's most exciting quarterbacks last year. Injuries and inconsistency have plagued the 24-year-old, however, and he publicly blamed the coaching staff for some of his woes.
Landing in Sin City could help Fields turn things around. The team will have a new coaching staff that may be able to better utilize his unique skills, while the roster features one of the league's very best receivers in Davante Adams—although he'll be a top trade candidate this offseason—and a viable offensive line. Considering Fields has been sacked a whopping 81 times since last season began, this will likely be his best and potentially last chance to right the ship.
Worst Landing Spot: Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are in desperate need of a franchise quarterback to run their offense. The team has invested heavily into skill position talent in the last few drafts but has been unable to unlock their potential due to the lack of talent under center. With first-round pass-catchers like Drake London and Kyle Pitts woefully underperforming, the Falcons can't afford to take a chance on a quarterback who doesn't possess a top-notch arm.
Fields would be a terrible fit in Atlanta given his lack of accuracy and penchant for holding onto the ball. The team must find a field general who can keep the receivers and tight ends fed while still allowing the backfield tandem of Bijan Robinson—another early first-round draft selection—and Tyler Allgeier to see plenty of touches. Putting Fields, a player who has tallied up nearly 300 rushing attempts in his first 34 career games and completes a meager 60.4 percent of his throws, in the mix here would be disastrous.
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Jerry Jeudy, WR, Denver Broncos
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Jerry Jeudy has been surrounded by a constant swirl of trade rumors for much of his career. The Denver Broncos have been reticent to trade the 2020 first-rounder, but the squad has a logjam in the receiving corps and more pressing needs at other critical areas on the roster.
Best Landing Spot: New York Giants
Big Blue has been a wasteland for receiving talent over the last half-decade. The Giants haven't had a receiver eclipse the 751-yard mark since Odell Beckham Jr. posted the club's most recent 1,000-yard campaign all the way back in 2018. While the organization's most pressing issue is finding a franchise quarterback after Daniel Jones failed to live up to the pricy contract extension he signed this past offseason, it will also need to unearth a true No. 1 wideout to augment its passer of the future.
Jeudy hasn't yet had a 1,000-yard season, although he came close last year when he racked up 972 yards and six scores on 67 receptions despite playing in one of the league's most inept offenses while sharing the field with another potent pass-catcher in Courtland Sutton. Jeudy has flashed the capability to be a feature weapon in an offense and head coach Brian Daboll should be able to maximize those talents, just as he did for Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs during his stint as the Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator
Worst Landing Spot: Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions already have one of the NFL's most exciting passing attacks and would be frivolously throwing away draft capital by bringing in Jeudy. The Broncos reportedly rebuffed a second-round pick during the 2022 season and wouldn't consider anything less than a first-rounder this past offseason.
Detroit already has a bona fide No. 1 in Amon-Ra St. Brown and a prospect oozing potential in Jameson Williams. While Williams has yet to produce like a first-round pick, he's only been active for 12 professional contests. Giving up on him already would be a misstep for a franchise that has suddenly become a serious contender. With rookie tight end Sam LaPorta also heating up, there would be too many mouths to feed in the Motor City. Considering this offense already ranks top-five in passing yardage, the Lions should away from Jeudy trade talks.
Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans Saints
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Alvin Kamara has been a popular trade target for the last few seasons. Several teams were said to be interested in the dynamic New Orleans Saints star leading up to the 2022 deadline and his name once again cropped up in the rumor mill this year.
Best Landing Spot: Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills direly need a spark in their backfield. With James Cook looking average and journeyman Latavius Murray serving as the team's No. 2 RB, it's clearly time to explore a trade that could get a proven playmaker on this roster.
Kamara may have lost a step from his All-Pro seasons, but he's still able to make an impact on both the ground and through the air. He's already posted 388 yards and two touchdowns on 104 rushes and added 50 receptions for 305 yards and a score this season. He'd be an ideal passing downs target for Josh Allen out of the backfield and could help Cook shoulder some of the rushing load.
The Bills reportedly expressed interest in Kamara's services last year and should not hesitate to reach back out in 2024. He could end up being the missing piece this up-and-down offense needs to find consistency again.
Worst Landing Spot: Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a squad that seem to make sense for Kamara on paper, but a closer look reveals they should pass on an opportunity to trade for him. The club currently deploys a similarly shifty pass-catching back in Jerick McKinnon, but he's now 31 years old and declining fast. McKinnon is only averaging 1.9 yards per rushing attempt and has caught just 17 passes for 147 yards and three touchdowns over the first nine games of 2023 after he put up 56 catches for 512 yards and nine scores last season.
While the Chiefs could conceivably replace McKinnon with Kamara and upgrade the position, the team would be better served going with a younger, cheaper option. Kansas City has plenty of picks in 2024—including its own selections in Rounds 1-4 and some compensatory ones likely in the pipeline—making this an ideal time to draft a running back.
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