2011 NFL Predictions: 6 Trades That Would Radically Alter the NFL Landscape

With the NFL regular season set to begin in less than two weeks, most teams have their rosters set, and general assumptions have been made on how their season will pan out. Well, what if we changed those assumptions? What if a trade took place that would shake up the landscape of the NFL?

The start of the preseason has silenced most trade talks, but there are still plenty of big-name players who could be moved before the season begins. Today we will look at six trades that would radically alter the NFL landscape.

Chris Johnson to the Dallas Cowboys

I'll start out with the most shocking of the trades. 

Chris Johnson wants to get paid a lot of money. So far, the Tennessee Titans haven't been willing to do that. 

Enter Jerry Jones and his very deep pockets.

Jones would certainly be willing to pay Johnson whatever he wanted because since Emmitt Smith retired, the Dallas Cowboys haven't had a real threat at running back.

With Johnson, the Cowboys would instantly become the team to beat in the NFC East and a favorite to win the Super Bowl.

Asante Samuel to the Houston Texans

The one thing the Houston Texans have been missing the past few seasons is a defensive secondary. They brought in Johnathan Joseph as a free agent, but they are still weak against the pass.

Imagine if the Texans traded for Asante Samuel and had a cornerback duo of Samuel and Joseph. That combination would catapult them into being one of the top teams in the AFC. They would most likely run away with the AFC South crown and challenge the New England Patriots as the best team in the conference.

With such a high-powered offense, Houston is only a defensive player away from being a true contender. If that player was Samuel, watch out AFC. The Texans are coming for you.

Osi Umenyiora to the Chicago Bears

Pretend you are Aaron Rodgers for a second. You are playing the Chicago Bears, and you snap the football. After taking a three-step drop, you see Julius Peppers and Osi Umenyiora coming straight for you.

Did anyone else just pee their pants in fear?

A combination of Umenyiora and Peppers would be catastrophic to every team the Bears played. They would absolutely dominate any offensive line and make Chicago's defense the most feared in the NFL.

Hopefully, this doesn't happen because as a Green Bay Packers fan, I appreciate Rodgers being alive. I don't see that lasting very long with Peppers and Umenyiora attacking him.

Frank Gore to the Indianapolis Colts

The last time the Indianapolis Colts had a running back with the talent Frank Gore has was when they had Edgerrin James back in 2005.

With Peyton Manning's return to the field in question because of his neck injury, the Colts could use another huge offensive weapon. Not only would Gore be a dominant force as a runner, but he would also help take a load of pressure off Manning's shoulders.

Adding Gore would be a huge score for the Colts and would allow them to continue their current stranglehold on the AFC South. It would probably propel Manning and the Colts back to the Super Bowl.

Matt Flynn to the Miami Dolphins

The title for the NFL's best backup quarterback is down to Matt Flynn of the Green Bay Packers and Brian Hoyer of the New England Patriots. Flynn has performed well for two straight years, so I'm going with him as a better option for the Miami Dolphins.

The Dolphins have some talent on offense but truly lack any skill at the quarterback position. Their defense was great last year and shouldn't see much of a drop-off this year.

If they had a talented quarterback to run their offense, they could challenge the New York Jets for a playoff spot. We all know Chad Henne isn't that quarterback but Flynn very well could be.

Tim Tebow to the Washington Redskins

This trade is the craziest of the trades.

It's obvious that Tim Tebow won't be starting for the Denver Broncos anytime soon, so why not ship him off to the Washington Redskins? The advantage for the Redskins is that they can throw him into the starting lineup right away and watch the fans pile into the stadium to watch him play.

While Tebow probably won't win any games for the Redskins, this move would shock the football world and prove how brilliant (or ridiculously stupid) Dan Snyder is.