8 Bold Predictions for 2025 NFL Training Camp

The NFL offseason is full of surprises, even in the summer. As the training camp intensity ramps up, some teams will feel the urgency to address leftover roster needs.

The Cincinnati Bengals' ongoing contract talks with Trey Hendrickson could end in a compromise, but the All-Pro defensive end's demands could lead to a blockbuster trade.

The Pittsburgh Steelers made a splashy transaction, sending Minkah Fitzpatrick and a 2027 fifth-round pick to the Miami Dolphins for Jalen Ramsey, Jonnu Smith and a 2027 seventh-rounder. They may not be done with their win-now moves.

Every year, teams make surprising roster cuts. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have an underperforming starter who will be under pressure because of rookie competition at his position. He may be a cut candidate.

Let's dive into eight bold projections that include potential trades, signings, cuts and roster personnel moves that would cause a stir at training camp.

Cincinnati Bengals Trade Edge-Rusher Trey Hendrickson to Detroit Lions

AP Photo/Kareem Elgazzar

According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, the Cincinnati Bengals resumed contract talks with Trey Hendrickson after the team wrapped up mandatory minicamp in June.

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero appeared on The Rich Eisen Show and said Hendrickson isn't looking to reset the edge-rusher market on an extension, but his demand could change.

Following his first All-Pro season as the league leader in sacks, Hendrickson can push for at least $30 million annually on a new deal, which would make him one of the top-five highest-paid players at the position in terms of average annual salary.

The Bengals may not feel comfortable paying a 30-year-old edge-rusher entering his age-31 season that amount of money on a multiyear deal. At the right price, they would likely entertain trade proposals.

The Detroit Lions should offer a 2026 second-rounder and a 2026 fifth-rounder to go all-in on an attempt to make a deep playoff run after an early exit last season.

Aidan Hutchinson is cleared to participate in football activities, but Detroit needs a reliable pass-rusher opposite him on the defensive line.

Marcus Davenport has struggled with injuries throughout his seven-year career. He's missed 28 games over the last two seasons. Al-Quadin Muhammad has been mostly a backup for eight campaigns. Josh Paschal, a 2022 second-rounder, is going into a contract year without much pass-rushing production on his resume.

As Super Bowl contenders, the Lions should be aggressive in filling a glaring roster need.

Green Bay Packers Trade WR Romeo Doubs to Tennessee Titans

AP Photo/David Richard

The Green Bay Packers added rookie first-rounder Matthew Golden to a crowded wide receiver room. The Packers can go four deep at the position with Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs, Dontayvion Wicks and Golden. When Christian Watson returns from a torn ACL, Green Bay would have a five-man rotation.

The Packers also have budding tight end Tucker Kraft, who caught 50 passes for 707 yards and seven touchdowns last season.

Quarterback Jordan Love has plenty of hands to feed in the aerial attack, making it difficult to satisfy all his pass-catchers' target share demands.

Among the five wideouts, Doubs and Watson are on track to become free agents in 2026. Green Bay should look to deal one of them for draft capital, which would reduce the logjam at receiver.

Because of Watson's injury, he probably wouldn't fetch as much as Doubs, who had a decent 2024 campaign with 46 receptions for 601 yards and four touchdowns.

According to Sports Illustrated's Bill Huber, last season, Doubs skipped practices due to frustrations with his role in the Packers offense.  

Green Bay should offer Doubs to the receiver-needy Tennessee Titans.

Tennessee added veteran wideouts Van Jefferson and Tyler Lockett, but neither of the two moves the needle. Since 2022, Jefferson has made a minimal impact on three different teams. Lockett's receiving numbers have declined over the past three years.

Doubs can carve out a sizable role with the Titans as their No. 2 receiver behind Calvin Ridley. He has much greater potential on a squad that needs help at his position.

Daniel Jones Wins Indianapolis Colts' QB Competition by Wide Margin

AP Photo/Michael Conroy

Colts QB Daniel Jones (left) and QB Anthony Richardson Sr. (right)

In a bit of an upset, Daniel Jones will unseat incumbent starting quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr. for the lead position.

This offseason, the Indianapolis Colts signed Jones, who had a short stint on the Minnesota Vikings' practice squad and active roster after the New York Giants released him in November of last year. The seventh-year pro can turn this opportunity into a career rebirth.

Jones will have a stronger supporting cast in Indianapolis than he had with the Giants in recent years.

The Colts can go four deep at wide receiver with Michael Pittman Jr., Josh Downs, Alec Pierce and Adonai Mitchell. They added rookie tight end Tyler Warren to a well-rounded pass-catching group. All-Pro running back Jonathan Taylor can handle a massive workload on the ground.

Jones has led a team to the playoffs. In 70 games (69 starts), he's thrown for 70 touchdowns and 47 interceptions with a 64.1 percent completion rate.

Meanwhile, over the last two years, Richardson hasn't been able to get through a full season healthy. On the field, he's completed just 50.6 percent of his passes.

Richardson suffered a shoulder injury during organized team activities and missed mandatory minicamp.

The Athletic's James Boyd believes Jones has taken a "significant lead" in the quarterback battle. Based on Richardson's erratic performances and injury history, he's not going to retain his position.

Jones wins this battle in a landslide.

Las Vegas Raiders Move Tyree Wilson to Defensive Tackle

AP Photo/Rick Scuteri

The Las Vegas Raiders must get creative with their defensive line rotation if Christian Wilkins isn't able to return from a Jones fracture that sidelined him for 12 games last season.

Since Wilkins went down with a foot injury last October, he's yet to return to the field in full capacity.

According to Las Vegas Review-Journal's Vincent Bonsignore, Wilkins had a setback with his foot injury, though the Raiders expect him to be ready for training camp.

Head coach Pete Carroll didn't have a glowing update on Wilkins' recovery as the team went through OTAs in May.

"He's not ready to get back out," Carroll said to reporters. "We're in the midst of a long, challenging process. Fortunately, there's a lot of time, and we're going to take every bit of it."

If necessary, the Raiders can look in-house to fill a void on the interior of their defensive line.

At 6'6", 275 pounds, Tyree Wilson has lined up inside in a pinch over the last two years. If he bulks up, the versatile defensive lineman can take on more snaps on the interior. The Raiders can experiment with his role to get more production out of the 2023 first-rounder.

In 33 games, Wilson has recorded 56 tackles, eight for loss, eight sacks and 28 pressures. Because of his gradual development and the return of Malcolm Koonce on the edge, he may have more opportunities at defensive tackle.

Los Angeles Rams Sign WR Amari Cooper

AP Photo/Adrian Kraus

The Los Angeles Rams can maximize Matthew Stafford's late career years with an established group of wide receivers.

This offseason, the Rams signed Davante Adams to a two-year deal after they released Cooper Kupp. Puka Nacua and Adams have taken snaps out of the slot, which leaves a spot open for another splashy move at the position.

Though Los Angeles re-signed Tutu Atwell to a one-year, $10 million deal, the club still has $20.2 million in cap space.

At 31, coming off a down year, Amari Cooper isn't going to break the bank in his first offseason as a free agent. As a perennial postseason contender, the Rams could appeal to the five-time Pro Bowler who may want a chance to play in the Super Bowl at this stage in his career.

In Los Angeles, Cooper would join a playoff-caliber team that has a well-respected quarterback under center. Nacua, Adams and Cooper would be one of the league's top receiver trios.

Spencer Rattler Beats Out Tyler Shough for New Orleans Saints' QB Job

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Saints QB Spencer Rattler

The New Orleans Saints had to pit their inexperienced quarterbacks against each other after Derek Carr retired because of a degenerative issue with his shoulder.

Because the Saints hired offensive-minded head coach Kellen Moore, and the team selected Tyler Shough in the second round of the draft, many believe he's the favorite to win the job.

Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener are holdovers from the previous coaching regime.

However, keep in mind that Rattler has more playing experience than Shough going back to their college years.

On the collegiate level, Rattler started for a year-and-a-half at Oklahoma and then started two full terms at South Carolina.

Due to injuries, Shough only started one full collegiate campaign at Louisville.

As a rookie, Rattler started six games last year. Although the Saints went 0-6 in those contests, five against playoff teams, he had some bright moments despite playing without wide receivers Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed for most of those outings and without Alvin Kamara in the last three weeks of the season. As a fill-in starter, Rattler nearly led the Saints to an upset victory over the Washington Commanders.

Rattler threw for 1,317 yards, four touchdowns and five interceptions with a 57 percent completion rate. His 2024 passing numbers aren't good enough to give him the upper hand in this competition, but when you consider the circumstances in his starts, he has the potential to perform at an optimal level with a healthy supporting cast.

Even though Shough spent six years in college, he may need time to grasp the speed of the pro game.

Rattler was the primary backup over Haener last season. He'll stay ahead of him on the depth chart and beat out Shough for a second chance to showcase his talent in a starting role.

Pittsburgh Steelers Sign WR Keenan Allen

AP Photo/Abbie Parr

As ESPN's Peter Schrager pointed out, the Pittsburgh Steelers are making win-now moves.

This offseason, they have added multiple veterans with decorated resumes, signing quarterback Aaron Rodgers and cornerback Darius Slay, and acquiring wideout DK Metcalf, cornerback Jalen Ramsey and tight end Jonnu Smith via trades.

The Steelers should make another move for a wide receiver to help Rodgers. Keenan Allen could fit within their receiver rotation.

Allen is capable of lining up on the perimeter or the inside, allowing him to coexist with Calvin Austin III, who made big plays out of the slot last season.

In 2024, Allen finished second on the Chicago Bears in catches (70) and receiving yards (744) and led the team in touchdown receptions (seven), showing he can still play at a high level.

With Metcalf and Austin as the big-play receivers, Allen would be the trusted chain-mover in the Steelers' revamped passing attack.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Cut CB Jamel Dean

AP Photo/Paul Sancya

Early in the offseason, Jamel Dean generated buzz as a possible trade candidate. Now, he lands on the potential cuts list as a mild surprise given his status as a full-time starter over the previous four seasons.

Dean has underperformed since he signed an extension during the 2023 offseason. His subpar production and spotty availability (missed nine games over last two seasons) likely factored into the Buccaneers' draft plans.

Tampa Bay double-dipped at cornerback, taking Benjamin Morrison and Jacob Parrish in the second and third rounds, respectively. Both have experience lining up on the boundary.

General manager Jason Licht believes Morrison will be ready to participate at training camp following hip surgery.

If Morrison or Parrish shines in the summer, the Buccaneers may see Dean as an expendable veteran, especially with his current contract situation. Tampa Bay would save $12.9 million in cap space if it cuts him, per Over the Cap.

Dean's short-term future in Tampa Bay may hinge upon the performances of two rookies at his position.