Trades and Roster Shake-Ups to Upgrade WWE Raw and SmackDown

As WrestleMania approaches, it becomes more and more apparent that WWE's Raw and SmackDown brands could use a little refreshing following the annual Showcase of the Immortals.

The brand extension setup allows the company to come up with trades in order to freshen things up and present new matches and feuds to fans. Or, in one case, the conclusion to a program that had the industry buzzing back at the Royal Rumble in January.

Which competitors should find new homes in the wake of this year's extravaganza?

Just four of the best and most respected.

Seth Rollins to SmackDown

Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns have unfinished business, as witnessed at the Royal Rumble. There, Rollins manipulated The Tribal Chief, using his emotions against him and getting him disqualified. It was Reigns' first pay-per-view loss in 734 days.

WWE has yet to follow up on that storyline despite the fact that it was critically acclaimed and led to one of the best plot twists in recent memory, with Rollins dusting off his Shield tactical gear to further play mind games with his friend-turned-enemy.

Reigns may be busy at WrestleMania with Brock Lesnar but the most intriguing match for him is the follow-up against Rollins, and that cannot happen without The Visionary being traded to SmackDown.

A post-Mania program between the two would allow the company to capitalize on the momentum it typically has coming off its biggest show and give fans the conclusion to a feud they were invested in not all that long ago.

With that said, bringing Rollins back into the fold would delay the main event run of a former WWE champion who would be best suited to return to the brand he once reigned over.

Drew McIntyre to Raw

Drew McIntyre has bided his time on SmackDown, feuding with Happy Corbin and Madcap Moss since being drafted to the Friday night show, but he has yet to make the jump into the main event scene. Most conclude that will happen after WrestleMania and that he and Roman Reigns will have a lengthy rivalry through the spring.

Considering Reigns' unsettled business with Rollins, McIntyre would be better served on Raw, where he could be the unquestioned top babyface.

The red brand lacks a legitimate No. 1 good guy. AJ Styles, Kevin Owens, Riddle and even Randy Orton are all popular choices, but they aren't guys WWE can build at the top of the card right now. McIntyre can be that guy.

With Bobby Lashley expected to miss four months after undergoing shoulder surgery, per Josh Nason of WONF4W, it is imperative WWE officials do something to bolster a roster that needs an injection of star power.

Move McIntyre over, let him run at the top of the card as he did during the dark days of the ThunderDome era and allow him to bask in the fan adulation he was not able to enjoy because of the circumstances. It does right by The Scottish Warrior and provides Raw a much-needed boost.

Most importantly, it allows McIntyre to be the top dog without having to continuously compete against a seemingly bulletproof Reigns.

Cesaro to Raw

What should have been a momentous occasion in the career of Cesaro was instead his peak as a singles competitor.

The Swiss Superman followed up last year's breakthrough victory over Seth Rollins at WrestleMania 37 with a Universal Championship feud with Roman Reigns. Despite showing up and showing out against The Head of the Table, he saw his push fade following the bout. Since then, he has been directionless, stuck on the losing end of going-nowhere midcard matches.

Would a jump to Raw solve that problem? No, but Cesaro has been a part of the Friday night brand for so long and has been through so many ups and downs that he needs a change of scenery just to freshen things up.

Imagine a series of matches between him and Damian Priest for the United States Championship. Not only would they be excellent, but working with Cesaro would provide Priest with the sort of credibility you only get from starring alongside savvy and respected in-ring veterans.

There would even be enough opportunity for Cesaro to flirt with the main event again, a spot he more than proved capable of excelling in.

AJ Styles to SmackDown

Tensions between AJ Styles and Paul Heyman hamper the possibility of The Phenomenal One being traded to SmackDown, but the greatest shot at a fresh main event program for a star deserving of greater opportunity than he has had of late lies on Friday nights.

In 2016, Styles challenged Roman Reigns for the WWE Championship.

Since then, the two have been mostly kept apart, making a prospective feud between The Tribal Chief and Styles not only fresh but something fans would be excited for. 

The chemistry was there six years ago, and Reigns has only gotten better in the intervening period. The matches would be extraordinary, and the storyline potential, with Styles claiming Reigns has beaten everyone but him because he has been ducking him for so long, would suck in fans.

It would have to wait until after Reigns and Rollins clash as a result of the other proposed trade, but Styles vs. Reigns is a match WWE has not explored nearly enough over the years.