8 Post-Draft NFL Trades That Make Too Much Sense to Actually Happen
At this point in the NFL offseason, the majority of player movement has already taken place.
There remain some quality veteran free agents available who will sign as we move deeper into the summer, and a trade or two may still take place. But most players know where they will be spending the 2024 campaign.
Of course, that doesn't mean there shouldn't be more trades. There are sellers out there with players who make more sense as trade commodities than taking up a roster spot, whether due to a surplus at a certain position, age or a franchise's competitive or financial realities.
There is also no shortage of buyers out there who should be willing to move draft picks to acquire veteran talent. For some, it's a matter of a glaring need at a certain spot; for others, it's a function of being in win-now mode.
The present matters more than the future.
Each of the proposed trades listed here makes sense for the team sending a player away, and they make sense for the team willing to exchange picks for that player. The deal even makes sense for the players involvedāthey end up in better situations, be it a matter of playing time or the opportunity to win.
That's the problem, though. Sometimes things make too much sense to actually happen.
The following deals qualify.
QB Justin Fields to Las Vegas Raiders
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Steelers Get: 2025 Round 3 Pick, 2025 Round 6 Pick
Raiders Get: QB Justin Fields, 2025 Round 6 Pick
This first trade brings with it a caveatābecause who doesn't like starting things off with a caveat?
The Pittsburgh Steelers completely overhauled the quarterback position this offseason.
Kenny Pickett is now on the other side of Pennsylvania backing up Jalen Hurts in Philadelphia, and the Steelers brought in two veteran starters in Russell Wilson and Justin Fields.
The thing is, teams can only have one QB on the field at a time. Head coach Mike Tomlin has been clear from the jump that Wilson will get the first crack at the starting job.
Mark Kaboly of The Athletic noted that the 35-year-old is attacking the opportunity to revive his career after a depressing two-year stint in Denver:
"One team source said the Steelers haven't seen somebody work as hard as Wilson at his craft since the early days of Antonio Brown, who was notorious for the effort he put into his game to become the best wide receiver in the league for a span of more than five years. Wilson has put together throwing sessions with receivers in California, attended every voluntary workout since mid-April and has been seen at Pirates games, Penguins games and other events around the city since joining the team."
If Wilson really is going to be "the guy" in the Steel City, then Fields becomes expendable. The nine-time Pro Bowler has never missed more than two games in a season in a dozen years in the NFL.
Aidan O' Connell can talk up the opportunity he's being given in Las Vegas, but the reality is that if his rookie season was any indication, he's a low-ceiling option under center. Gardner Minshew II is a fun player to watch, but he's a career backup.
If the Raiders are serious about competing in the AFC West this season, Fields would be a sizable upgrade at the game's most important position. Meanwhile, the Steelers can get substantially more back for the 25-year-old than they gave up for him.
Don't worry, we'll find a use for those extra picks.
WR Courtland Sutton to Pittsburgh Steelers
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Broncos Get: 2025 Round 3 Pick, 2025 Round 6 Pick
Steelers Get: WR Courtland Sutton, 2025 Round 5 Pick
As OTAs get underway across the NFL, one face in Denver has been conspicuously absent: No. 1 wide receiver Courtland Sutton.
With wide receivers across the league landing massive paydays, the 28-year-old wants a new deal. But the Broncos appear to be in no hurry to give him one.
After Denver traded Jerry Jeudy to Cleveland, it appeared Sutton would be going nowhere. But, as Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette noted, the situation may have changed:
"It's now uncertain how the Broncos will handle the future of Sutton, a wide receiver who reportedly wants a new contract and who has not been at voluntary offseason workouts since they began April 15. More certain is that the Broncos' receiving corps is looking much better than it did when Jeudy was traded, a move Sutton on social media did not like along with earlier announcements involving the exits of quarterback Russell Wilson and safety Justin Simmons. The Broncos later in March signed free agent Josh Reynolds. And in last month's draft, they selected Oregon's Troy Franklin in the fourth round and Utah's Devaughn Vele in the seventh."
Pittsburgh added Roman Wilson to the wideout room in the draft, but the Steelers need a more proven commodity opposite George Pickens.
Sutton also has a built-in rapport with Russell Wilsonāafter 14 touchdowns over his first five seasons, the receiver had 10 playing with the veteran signal-caller a year ago.
The Broncos are a rebuilding team that should be looking to stockpile picks. The Steelers have loftier expectations. And while Sutton may want another deal, he's under contract through 2025, so a restructure that puts a little more immediate cash in his account might be enough to mollify him for now.
RB Najee Harris to Dallas Cowboys
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Steelers Get: 2025 Conditional Pick
Cowboys Get: RB Najee Harris
OK, not all of these trades involve the Pittsburgh Steelers. But after picking them to win the NFL's toughest division, we need to tighten things up for the Terrible Towel crowd.
And sometimes, that means addition by subtraction.
On one hand, running back Najee Harris has been a consistent performer for the Steelers, eclipsing 1,000 yards on the ground in all three of his professional seasons. On the other, he hasn't lived up to his status as a first-round pick, averaging a pedestrian 3.9 yards per carry for his career.
Pittsburgh recently passed on the 26-year-old's fifth-year option. Per Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Harris' trainer, Josh Scott, said that perceived snub is just one more log on the fire of motivation for Harris in this all-important season for his career:
"It's all fueling his fire to have an even better season than last year and prove a lot of people wrong. There's a lot of people that hate on him for whatever reason, but he's been as consistent as you can be. He's durable. I think he's going to continue with that. I mean, contract season, that pretty much speaks for itself."
The Steelers have another running back on the roster who has been consistently more explosive than Harris in third-year pro Jaylen Warren, who averaged north of five yards a carry last year. Veteran acquisition Cordarrelle Patterson could be used to spell Warren.
Simply put, Pittsburgh's offense would be better with Warren as the lead back.
The Dallas Cowboys brought back Ezekiel Elliott in the offseason, but after Tony Pollard's departure, they have a massive question mark in the backfield.
Harris may not be a game-changer, but he's a durable chain-mover. And given the Cowboys' win-now mentality, a conditional pick for Harris (that could escalate based on performance) is a reasonable costāeven if it's just a one-year rental.
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WR Treylon Burks to Buffalo Bills
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Titans Get: 2025 Round 5 Pick, 2026 Round 6 Pick
Bills Get: WR Treylon Burks, 2026 Round 7 Pick
Back in 2022, the Tennessee Titans made Arkansas wide receiver Treylon Burks the 18th overall pick. Since then, things have not worked out so good.
Burks has missed a dozen games, has found the end zone jut once in two years, has one career 100-yard outing and a career stat line (49/665/1) that looks like a so-so rookie season for a Day 2 pick.
With that said, new Titans head coach Brian Callahan told reporters that the 24-year-old is going to have a role on the Tennessee offense in 2024.
"The work that he's put in has been really impressive," he said. "I'm excited about what he can bring for us. We've told him that from the beginning he's going to play inside, he's going to play outside. He's going to carve out a role for himself."
It's hard to see where that role is going to come from, though. With DeAndre Hopkins, Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd all ostensibly ahead of Burks on the depth chart, he's at best the No. 4 option for a passing attack that ranked 29th in the NFL In 2023.
However, it's a much different situation in Buffalo. After trading Stefon Diggs and losing Gabe Davis in free agency, the Bills wideouts are a potentially glaring weakness. They signed veteran Curtis Samuel and used a Day 2 pick on Keon Coleman, but Samuel is a slot receiver and Coleman is unproven.
The Bills need a second boundary receiver to pair with Coleman. A rebuilding Titans team can use all the draft capital it can get ahead of what may well be a long season in Nashville. And Burks needs a fresh startāand a change of scenery.
The upgrade at quarterback from Will Levis to Josh Allen wouldn't hurt.
S Budda Baker to Detroit Lions
5 of 8![GLENDALE, ARIZONA - SEPTEMBER 27: Arizona Cardinals strong safety Budda Baker (32) attempts to disrupt the catch attempt by Marvin Hall #17 of the Detroit Lions] during an NFL football game against the Detroit Lions on September 27, 2020 in Glendale, Ariz. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)](https://legacymedia.sportsplatform.io/image/upload/v1716236838/hrpoow6axeyj4lph6rwl.jpg?w=684 "GLENDALE, ARIZONA - SEPTEMBER 27: Arizona Cardinals strong safety Budda Baker (32) attempts to disrupt the catch attempt by Marvin Hall #17 of the Detroit Lions] during an NFL football game against the Detroit Lions on September 27, 2020 in Glendale, Ariz. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)")
Cardinals Get: 2025 Round 2 Pick, 2026 Round 6 Pick
Lions Get: S Budda Baker, 2026 Round 6 Pick
It's no surprise Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker has spent a sizable chunk of the offseason as the subject of trade speculation. As Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports noted, much of it goes back to his own request for a trade a year ago:
"Baker briefly sought a trade last offseason before getting a slight raise from Arizona. The Cardinals can certainly afford his pricey deal with so much cap space, but they also have a younger Jalen Thompson on the back end of Jonathan Gannon's defense. If they can get a solid pick in return, they might prefer another younger investment on a seemingly ascending unit. Baker's versatility and physical punch, meanwhile, could be appealing to teams more suited to contend."
Let's be real, the Redbirds are most likely headed for a last-place finish in the NFC West this season. With Baker's contract up after the 2024 campaign, this could well be the five-time Pro Bowler's final season in the desert.
Meanwhile, the Detroit Lions are headed into one of the most eagerly anticipated seasons in franchise history. And while they don't have many obvious weaknesses, Baker would be a massive upgrade over Kerby Joseph opposite Brian Branch at the back end of the defense.
A second-round pick is more than Arizona would get in terms of compensation if Baker leaves in free agency next spring.
And while it's a relatively steep price to pay for what may be a one-year rental, it will be worth it if Baker helps the Lions to a deep postseason run.
CB Marshon Lattimore to Jacksonville Jaguars
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Saints Get: 2025 Round 3 Pick, 2026 Round 5 Pick
Jaguars Get: CB Marshon Lattimore
There has been a fair amount of trade speculation involving New Orleans Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore, talk that ratcheted up when they used a second-round pick in the 2024 draft on Kool-Aid McKinstry.
While addressing reporters recently, head coach Dennis Allen said the pick did not necessarily mean the 28-year-old was on the block.
"I had a conversation with him probably two or three weeks ago, I thought it was a positive conversation. And so, yeah, we're moving forward," he said.
Of course, teams say one thing and then do another all the time, and there are reasons for the Saints to at least explore trading the four-time Pro Bowler.
The biggest is the perennially precarious financial position the Saints find themselves in. As they are currently composed, they are a cap-strapped borderline contender. Lattimore's cap number this season is a reasonable $14.6 million, but thanks to the annual financial machinations in the Big Easy, next year that number balloons to over $31 million.
Meanwhile, the Jacksonville Jaguars are sitting on $31.2 million in available cap space, per Over the Cap, third-most in the NFL. They are desperate to erase the stench of a second-half collapse last year that saw them go from 8-3 and in first place in the AFC South to 9-8 and out of the playoffsāa collapse brought on in no small part by the team's 26th-ranked pass defense.
The Jaguars would be addressing a major need, and the Saints would be taking a step toward the sorts of changes that the franchise likely should have begun making the moment Drew Brees called it a career in 2021.
Edge Matthew Judon to Kansas City Chiefs
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Patriots Get: 2025 Round 4 Pick, 2026 Round 5 Pick
Chiefs Get: Edge Matthew Judon
When the New England Patriots opened their latest round of voluntary workouts, veteran edge-rusher Matthew Judon was not on the field.
That might be partly the result of the torn pectoral muscle that limited him to four games in 2023. But it may also be partly due to an expiring contract that will pay him just $6.5 million this season, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN:
"Newly appointed Patriots executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf has been checking off items on his contractual "to-do" list, most recently extending starting center and team leader David Andrews' deal.
"So perhaps the most significant item remaining is with veteran outside linebacker Matthew Judon, who is scheduled to earn a base salary of $6.5 million in the final year of his contract. That is well under the market for a player of his caliber, and it's hard to imagine Judon agreeing to play under those terms. At the same time, Judon's return from a torn biceps that limited him to four games last season, coupled with his age (32 in August), add layers of note in any negotiation."
The reality is that the Patriots are in the opening phases of an extensive rebuild. This team isn't going to contend in 2024 or 2025. Aging players such as Judon have more value as trade chips than on the field.
The Kansas City Chiefs are at the opposite end of the NFL spectrum and are attempting to win three consecutive Super Bowls.
And while they have a rising star on the edge in George Karlaftis, batterymate Charles Omenihu's status for early in the season is in doubt after an ACL tear in last year's AFC title game.
The Chiefs get a sizable upgrade on the edge, with this move, and the Patriots get more picks to help with their rebuild. And Judon, 31, gets the opportunity for the one thing that has eluded the four-time Pro Bowler to date: A real chance for a ring.
WR Terrace Marshall Jr. to Los Angeles Chargers
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Panthers Get: 2025 Round 7 Pick
Chargers Get: WR Terrace Marshall Jr.
A second-round pick for the Carolina Panthers back in 2021, Terrace Marshall Jr. was profiled entering the league as a big-bodied boundary receiver with the ability to take the top off a defense.
However, three years into his professional career, he hasn't taken much off the top of anything. He has yet to catch 30 passes in a season, has just 64 receptions for 767 yards and a touchdown for his career.
According to Joseph Person of The Athletic, the 23-year-old could be headed out the door in Charlotte this summer:
"Marshall was already on shaky ground heading into the offseason. There's a reason the former second-rounder requested to be moved before last year's deadline. But trading for (Diontae) Johnson and using the 32nd pick on (Xavier) Legette will likely have Marshall fighting to hang on to one of the roster spots among the receivers, especially if an undrafted free agent such as Holy Cross' Jalen Coker or Coastal Carolina's Sam Pinckney sticks."
If that's the case, the Panthers would be well-served to get what they can for Marshall while they canāand all it takes is a quick look around the NFL to see that the Los Angeles Chargers are a team that could be willing to take a flier on him.
The Chargers used a Day 2 pick on Ladd McConkey in this year's draft, but their other two starters at wideout are a player who has been a reserve most of his career (Joshua Palmer) and 2023 first-round pick (Quentin Johnston) who was a disappointment as a rookie.
The Chargers also added veteran DJ Chark in free agency, but this is a team that needs quantity as much as quality in its options for Justin Herbert.
Maybe a new team (and vastly better quarterback play than he had in Carolina) will unlock some of Marshall's potential.
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