2024 NFL Offseason Trade Ideas to Create the Next Super Bowl Contenders
Only two NFL teams still have a chance to win the Super Bowl this season, but all 32 of the league's franchises will head into the 2024 campaign with hopes of winning it all.
Of course, not all of these teams have a realistic shot at lifting the Vince Lombardi Trophy. Many are in various stages of rebuilding and lack the star power and/or depth to make a deep playoff run.
Others, however, appear close to becoming legitimate Super Bowl contenders and are just a piece or two away from fielding a championship-caliber roster.
Let's focus on the latter group, highlighting some potential trades that could push these fringe contenders over the edge during the 2024 NFL offseason.
Davante Adams to New York Jets
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New York Jets Receive: WR Davante Adams
Las Vegas Raiders Receive: 2024 first-round pick (No. 13 overall)
The New York Jets may have had their Super Bowl hopes dashed when Aaron Rodgers was lost to a torn Achilles just minutes into the 2023 season, but they should be back with a vengeance next season.
As much as the veteran quarterback's presence alone will massively upgrade what ended up being one of the league's most anemic offenses, he'll need more help to solidify Gang Green's contending status.
Enter Davante Adams, the superstar wide receiver who made five of his six career Pro Bowl trips during his Green Bay Packers tenure with Rodgers as his quarterback.
The 31-year-old has remained a force since being traded to the Las Vegas Raiders two years ago—amassing an impressive 2,660 yards and 22 touchdowns on 203 receptions in that span—but a lack of team success has kept him from returning to the playoffs since 2021.
With Adams lacking a Super Bowl ring and unlikely to compete for one on a still-rebuilding Raiders team in 2024, he could position himself to make a run by landing with the Jets this offseason.
ESPN's Dan Graziano reported that the Fresno State product hasn't officially requested a trade, but he could eventually decide it's best to move on and is an "obvious" candidate to be dealt this offseason.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, New York previously expressed interest in bringing Adams to the Big Apple, reaching out to the Raiders regarding a potential trade before being rebuffed at the deadline.
While it may take coughing up a first-round pick and some salary-cap finagling for the Jets to get this deal done, the move would be worth it to propel this group to what could well become the league's No. 1 offense.
If New York's defense can continue its strong play, adding a healthy Rodgers and Adams into the fold will make for a well-rounded force that will be near-impossible to stop when firing on all cylinders.
Jonathan Allen to Houston Texans
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Houston Texans Receive: DT Jonathan Allen
Washington Commanders Receive: 2024 second-round pick (No. 59 overall) and 2024 fourth-round pick (No. 123 overall)
In the span of a single season, the Houston Texans went from a league laughingstock to, arguably, the most exciting squad of the 14 that made this edition of the NFL playoffs.
The emergence of No. 2 overall pick C.J. Stroud as a bona fide franchise quarterback sped up the club's rebuilding process, but a blowout divisional-round loss to the Baltimore Ravens showed there is still a long way to go.
Improving the defense, specifically by adding a star in the defensive trenches, could fast-track a franchise-first Super Bowl appearance.
Houston did well against the run in 2023—ranking No. 6 after giving up just 96.6 yards per game—but it had issues consistently getting after the quarterback and applying pressure from the interior of the defensive line. The Texans ranked in the bottom 10 for pass defense and collected a middling 46 sacks on the campaign.
Bringing in a stalwart defensive tackle like Jonathan Allen would instantly bolster their ability to disrupt in the backfield. While the 29-year-old is coming off a down year—his 5.5 sacks were his fewest since 2020—along with plenty of his Washington Commanders teammates, he's still a reliable defender who can both rush the passer and stop the run at a high level.
Given Allen hasn't hidden his desire to contend and the possibility that the Commanders "strip things down to the studs," as ESPN's Jeremy Fowler suggested the new regime may do this spring, there is a chance Houston could poach the veteran for a handful of mid-round draft selections.
That move alone won't make the Texans a Super Bowl favorite, but it would significantly move the needle in the right direction and set this squad up for continued success in 2024.
Joey Bosa to Detroit Lions
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Detroit Lions Receive: Edge Joey Bosa
Los Angeles Chargers Receive: 2024 first-round pick (No. 29 overall)
The Detroit Lions fell just short of making the franchise's first-ever Super Bowl appearance. Now left to pick up the pieces and assess what can be done to improve next year, the team's brass will likely conclude it needs to bolster its pass-rushing capabilities.
The Lions struggled to get after opposing quarterbacks for much of the 2023 campaign. Aidan Hutchinson was the only player to tally more than five sacks on the year for a club that ranked in the bottom 10 in that category.
While Detroit did have a playoff-best eight sacks over the first three rounds—led by Hutchinson's three quarterback takedowns—this unit could be even more dangerous with another star on the edge.
Joey Bosa would be the perfect target for Detroit. He's not only an elite pass-rusher who has racked up a commendable 67 sacks across his first 93 career games, but he's also a tough, hard-working talent who would be an ideal cultural fit among the gritty group head coach Dan Campbell has assembled.
The 28-year-old may have struggled with injury in recent seasons—he's missed 19 games over the last two years—but he's remained highly effective when available. He notched 20 tackles, 15 pressures, eight quarterback hits, 6.5 sacks and six tackles for a loss in the nine games he was able to suit up for in 2023.
A chance to win a Super Bowl is also something Bosa has openly pined for. The four-time Pro Bowler recently acknowledged that his championship window is shrinking and he doesn't care much for individual accolades at this stage of his career.
While the Chargers' chances of capturing a Lombardi Trophy do look improved after hiring coach Jim Harbaugh, the Lions appear even better equipped for several deep playoff runs in coming seasons.
Finances would be the biggest hurdle to clear for both sides. Bosa is due a hefty $32 million in salary over the next two seasons and has cap hits of nearly $25 million in each of those years, but it would hardly be a shock if he was willing to rework his deal in exchange for an improved chance at a ring.
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Stefon Diggs to Indianapolis Colts
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Indianapolis Colts receive: WR Stefon Diggs
Buffalo Bills receive: 2024 first-rounder (No. 15 overall) and 2024 fourth-rounder (No. 149 overall)
After yet another disappointing early exit from the playoffs, it may finally be time for the Buffalo Bills and Stefon Diggs to split.
The receiver has been a fixture in Buffalo's offense since he joined the team via trade ahead of the 2020 season, but he hasn't shied away from expressing his displeasure with the club and seems non-committal to remaining in western New York.
According to ESPN's Stephen Holder, Diggs recently said he's taking things "day by day" and noted there's "a lot of changes going on." Considering the Bills can save $19 million by dealing him this offseason, it's easy to see why he isn't sure where his future will take him.
If there is a breakup, one viable landing spot for the 30-year-old is with the Indianapolis Colts, a franchise that desperately needs to bolster its receiving corps for 2024.
With Michael Pittman Jr. hitting free agency and due for a major contract extension, the Colts may want to have a contingency plan in place via a Diggs trade in case their incumbent No. 1 receiver walks.
Even if Pittman remains in Indy, pairing him with Diggs would greatly elevate a passing attack that averaged just 215.6 yards per game and scored only 18 touchdowns through the air in 2023.
Third-round wideout Josh Downs flashed some potential—tallying 68 receptions for 771 yards and two scores in his rookie season—while 2022 second-rounder Alec Pierce had another pedestrian campaign and hasn't lived up to his billing. No other Colts wideout had more than 11 catches or 82 receiving yards last season.
Diggs would be a major upgrade for this group and should be attainable as long as Indy's brass is willing to part with a first-rounder and potentially toss in an early Day 3 pick to sweeten the deal. He's coming off his sixth consecutive 1,000-yard season and has made four-straight Pro Bowls, showing no signs of slowing down despite being on the wrong side of 30.
With quarterback Anthony Richardson set to return, this all-in move for Diggs could be well worth it. If everything goes to plan, the trade would lift a unit that narrowly missed the playoffs up to legitimate contending status
Justin Fields to Atlanta Falcons
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Atlanta Falcons receive: QB Justin Fields
Chicago Bears receive: 2024 second-round draft pick (No. 43 overall)
Over the last three years, the Atlanta Falcons have patiently assembled an offensive lineup rife with high-upside skill-position prospects. They haven't found a quarterback capable of unlocking the unit's immense potential, though, and this clear lack of passing talent has resulted in three consecutive 7-10 campaigns with zero playoff berths.
The time has come for the team to take a chance on a quarterback with a ceiling that matches that of Kyle Pitts, Drake London and Bijan Robinson.
While Atlanta could opt to fill its hole under center through the draft, its options will be limited at No. 8 overall. It is nearly certain that blue-chip prospects Caleb Williams and Drake Maye—the top quarterbacks on the B/R Scouting Department's big board and the first two players taken in their latest mock draft—will be long gone before the Falcons are on the clock.
Jayden Daniels, the B/R Scouting Department's No. 3 QB, is a dice roll to still be available without trading up—a move that would cost a large amount of draft capital. With lower-tier quarterback prospects like Michael Penix Jr. and Bo Nix disappointing at the Senior Bowl, making a run at Justin Fields is looking like Atlanta's best option for a quick turnaround.
The 24-year-old had a rough start to his highly anticipated 2023 campaign but righted the ship in the back half of the year. That resurgence has made this decision a tougher one, but Atlanta could capitalize if the Bears ultimately decide to tap a quarterback at the top of the upcoming draft.
Offering a second-rounder would likely be enough to get this deal done. Bill Barnwell of ESPN theorized that the Falcons could ship over pick No. 48—a selection the club would receive if Calvin Ridley remains with the Jacksonville Jaguars on a contract extension—or send over a pair of third-rounders.
It may not be much of a return on investment for the No. 11 overall pick in 2021, especially considering the Bears gave up an additional first-rounder to trade up to get Fields that year, but it would give Chicago and Atlanta the fresh starts these franchises both need.
If Fields finally lives up to his potential while playing with a stacked supporting cast, Atlanta could be a sneaky Super Bowl contender coming out of the wide-open NFC South.
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