Less than one week before the 2019 NFL Draft the Kansas City Chiefs made a big-time trade sending a first, third and a 2020 second-round pick for franchise-tagged edge rusher Frank Clark. Clark was the team’s best edge rusher this past season and was a huge reason why they won the Super Bowl. Less than a week till this year’s draft multiple franchise players have been rumored to be on the trade block. Here are some trades that may seem unrealistic, but when the money and situation is accounted for, have the potential to happen this next week.
Rumors came out about a potential trade between these teams…but it got shot down, but it makes sense if it happened:
Minnesota Vikings receive: Odell Beckham Jr. and 10th overall pick
Cleveland Browns receive: Anthony Harris, Riley Reiff, 22nd overall pick, and 2nd round (58th) pick
Over the past two weeks, the Cleveland Browns have come out with some questionable rumors. After hitting it off this offseason nailing free agency by signing Austin Hooper and Jack Conklin, rumors have come out this past week that the Browns are interested in trading down from the 10th overall pick to select tackle prospect Ezra Cleveland. This feels like the most Browns things ever to want to trade out of the 10th overall pick where they will likely be able to select one of four elite tackle prospects to select a tackle that many believe is a mid-day two player named Ezra Cleveland. Not to bash the player, but he is a developmental prospect that has the potential to be a team’s starting left tackle, but will likely not play well early in his career. For an organization that is trying to win now that selection would be questionable.
Not to mention the second part of this deal for Cleveland. Odell Beckham Jr. trade rumors have returned and they seem as legit as they were when the Giants moved him less than a year ago. Beckham and Baker Mayfield never seemed to develop a chemistry, but after trading a first-round pick for him last year it’s not worth moving off of a talent like him this quickly. But speculation has grown that Odell could very well be moved at some point before next season.
The Vikings have 12 draft picks after moving disgruntled Stefon Diggs to Buffalo. The Vikings have the tools for a rebuild, but might move those assets to get player that could help them win now. The Vikings have still not come to an agreement with safety Anthony Harris and will be fielding calls this week to see if they could get a deal they like for the player. Besides defensive end, cornerback, and wide receiver the team has a need for a new left tackle, though they have Riley Reiff on their roster who’ll make $13.1 million next season.
If this trade were to happen Cleveland would gain assets to fill out this roster, trade back to a selection in the first round worth of taking Ezra Cleveland, have a tackle in place in Riley Reiff who could play if Cleveland cannot play right away, and a major upgrade and stable piece at safety. It would be sad to see Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry separate after being reunited for one season. But this trade could be worth it.
On Minnesota’s side they would have upgraded the wide receiver position going from Stefon Diggs to Odell Beckham and the 10th overall pick where they could select one of the top left tackles in this year’s class. Mekhi Becton would be a perfect fit in this offense because he is a fantastic run blocker and Minnesota will likely want to run the ball a lot again in 2020. After the draft, this trade would open up the Vikings to $31 million in salary cap space and they could sign veterans like Dre Kirkpatrick or Darqueze Dennard who fit their need at cornerback and could choose to resign recently cut Everson Griffen or bring in Jadeveon Clowney.
Another OBJ Trade because why not:
Cleveland Browns receive: 21st overall pick and Derek Barnett
Philadelphia Eagles receive: Odell Beckham Jr. and 3rd round (74) pick
At this point it is hard not to feel bad for Odell Beckham Jr., it seems like every year his name is thrown around trade conversations. It is frustrating to hear about him getting traded every year because it is hard to tell what rumors are legit and who is trying to make a story out of the superstar. It is easy to imagine it being more frustrating for Beckham not knowing when or if he will ever have a long term home in the NFL again. Being traded last season from the New York Giants was surprising especially since he had just signed a long term extension with the team. Whether he is the one instigating the rumors or not Beckham’s status on a team could be frustrating for himself and the team he currently resides on.
The Eagles have discretely made it to the playoffs three years in a row, not many in the NFC can say they have done that. Even though it seems like the Eagles won the Super Bowl forever ago it was recent enough for their team to still be viewed as a threat to return to the big stage too. Philadelphia has already splurged this offseason by signing Javon Hargrave and trading for shutdown corner Darius Slay. But the Eagles still have not addressed their major need at wide receiver.
The Eagles receiving core fell apart at the seems, which surprised some because they had so much potential. Alshon Jeffery has been the Eagles number one wide receiver for some time now. But this past season father time caught up with Jeffery as he has only regressed since joining the team and only played in 10 games and had 490 receiving yards this past year. The Eagles dream reunion with DeSean Jackson did not go as planned as he only played in three games this year before getting hurt. Nelson Agholor signed with the Raiders, but he regressed from the 2017 season and never played up to the first-round pick he was, he was not consistently reliable.
If the Eagles were to do this trade they would finally be getting the last piece they would need to solidify themselves as Super Bowl contenders in 2020. As talented as the Eagles roster is, the Eagles can easily take on Beckham’s $14 million cap hit with their $26 million in cap space. Odell Beckham Jr. is better than any player the Eagles could draft at 21. It isn’t crazy to think that the top four receivers could be off the board at this point in the draft.
While the Browns essentially get a refund for their trade last season receiving a first-round pick in the range of the pick they gave up to acquire Beckham last year and a former first-round defensive end Derek Barnett who has not played fantastic three years into his career that could potentially rewrite his career in Cleveland and compete with Olivier Vernon for reps at defensive end. If the Browns get the 20th overall pick and select a tackle with their first selection a few names to keep in mind at 21 would be Kenneth Murray, Patrick Queen and Xavier McKinney who all fill holes on their defense.
Finally…The Trent Williams Saga is over:
Washington Redskins receive: 3rd round (77th overall) pick, Garrett Boles, Jeff Heuerman
Denver Broncos receive: Trent Williams
The situation between Trent Williams and the Washington Redskins has gotten past the point of calling it toxic. It has been at the point of no return for a while now. The Redskins simply can’t mend their relationship with Trent Williams at this point. Since Williams is about to enter the last year of his contract the time for the Redskins to receive more than a compensatory pick is slimming. They need to take advantage of his value and the fact that he is an elite left tackle in this league as soon as possible.
The Denver Broncos have a valid case or being a playoff team in 2020. Drew Lock went 4-1 in his first five starts last year giving the Broncos something that they haven’t had in years stability at quarterback. The Broncos have also added veterans like AJ Bouye, Jurrell Casey and Melvin Gordon to their already talented roster. the Broncos’ biggest needs are at wide receiver and left tackle, but cannot address both at number 15.
As crazy as is sounds, at this point Trent Williams’ trade value is a late day two pick. No team expects Williams to even consider playing for the Redskins ever again, let alone re-sign with them. Williams also hasn’t played football in a year and a half which means there could be some rust. If this trade were to happen the Broncos would be getting a lot better tackle than they could draft with that third-round selection. Williams would be an instant upgrade at the position and another win-now player that could help the Broncos make the playoffs next year.
Washington gets a third-round pick that would be higher than the compensatory one they would receive once Williams left in free agency. They also get former first-round pick Garrett Boles who has actually gotten better as a pass protector only giving up 4 sacks this past year, but was second in the league in penalties with 17. Boles has led the league in penalties since getting drafted in 2017. He is a low-risk high reward left tackle option for Washington. At best he fixes is penalty issues and he is resigned as the Redskins long term left tackle. At worst he starts for them for the last year of his contract and they draft a new one next year. They also acquire Jeff Heuerman who is an upgrade over what they have at tight end and could be their starter in 2020 as well.
The Cardinals just won the 2020 NFL Draft
Arizona Cardinals: Jamal Adams
New York Jets: 8th overall pick, Christian Kirk
The Arizona Cardinals have not been mentioned as a potential suitor for Jamal Adams, but they should be for the following reasons. Steve Keim showed the NFL that the has a plan for the Arizona Cardinals after drafting Kyler Murray a year after taking Josh Rosen. Murray won ROY and is likely only going to get better. Especially after trading for DeAndre Hopkins. The Cardinals have also tried to build up their defense adding DeVondre Campbell, Devon Kennard, and Jordan Philips to a disappointing unit with some star players like Chandler Jones, Patrick Peterson, and Budda Baker. After filling so many needs the Cardinals are likely to go best player available at eighth overall. Many think it would be Derrick Brown if he was available. But the Cardinals can possibly solidify their defense and trade for the real best player available if they do this trade. They also have the cap space to resign Adams long term which is the only reason why he is on the trade block to begin with. Even though the Cardinals wouldn”t be selecting until the third round, they had the best haul from the draft. Imagine drafting Jamal Adams in the first round and DeAndre Hopkins in the second round, that is essentially what they would be doing. The Cardinals can be slotted as a playoff team next season if this happens.
It would be extremely hard for the Jets to trade away their leader Jamal Adams. But the truth is that an elite safety won’t get the Jets any closer to a championship. Jamal Adams won’t make the Jets a contender the way that another offensive weapon for Sam Darnold can. The Jets can spend both the eighth and 11th overall pick on a left tackle and wide receiver for Sam Darnold and surround him with the pieces he needs to flourish and have an above-average offense. It would be sad for the Jets to get rid of a franchise player like Adams, but it could work out in the long run for them. They could add either Jedrick Wills, Mekhi Becton or Tristan Wirfs at 8 then draft CeeDee Lamb or Henry Ruggs III at 11. Also adding Christian Kirk deepens the Jets depth at receiver. Its been a while since the Jets have had extra depth at the position.
The 49ers make sure that they stay on top of the NFC
San Fransisco 49ers: Jamal Adams, 3rd round (68th overall) pick, and 4th round (120th) pick
New York Jets: Dee Ford, Jaquiski Tratt, Marquise Goodwin, and the 31st overall pick
The New York Jets could be looking to move Former All-Pro safety Jamal Adams for assets that could help them fill their offensive personnel. While yesterday it was reported that the San Fransisco 49ers are trying to trade some on their talented, but replaceable players for more draft capital because after their first-round picks they don’t select again until the fifth round. Along with these players, the 49ers are expected to trade down from the 31st overall selection for the same reason.
The San Fransisco 49ers were a deep pass away from being Super Bowl Champions. But this hasn’t stopped the 49ers trying to retool their roster to be better equipped for this coming season. They would be clearing up a lot of cap space and adding another elite defensive back to their defense in Jamal Adams. If Adams was to join a unit like this he would without a doubt sign an extension with the team almost immediately. They would also receive two draft picks in-between their first-round and fifth-round selections.
The New York Jets could fill a lot of needs on their roster by trading for the 49ers ‘scraps’. Dee Ford would fill their need for another edge rusher opposite Jordan Jenkins, Marquise Goodwin is a very good wide receiver who can stretch the field and be a nice weapon for Sam Darnold. The receiving core of Jamison Crowder, Breshad Perriman and Marquise Goodwin can all stretch the field and is an upgrade over what Darnold has had to work with in recent years. Jaquiski Tratt cannot replace who Jamal Adams was on the field, but can start for the Jets at strong safety next season easily. The most ridiculous part of this trade is the fact that the Jets could take on all three players’ contracts and still have some cap space remaining. The Jets have some options with the 31st overall pick, they could package it with their second-round pick to move up and select somewhere in the mid-teens to get a tackle like Austin Jackson or Josh Jones, or keep the pick and draft a day one starter like Kristian Fulton, Jeff Gladney, Brandon Aiyuk or Tee Higgins.
A Trade Born from Desperation
Jacksonville Jaguars receive: 3rd overall pick
Detroit Lions receive: Leonard Fournette, Yannick Ngakoue, and 20th overall pick
Both the Jacksonville Jaguars and Detroit Lions are organizations that have a reputation for being below average and rarely talked about as potential playoff teams and Super Bowl Contenders. Both are trying to rid themselves of that reputation and might be willing to perform a blockbuster deal to do so.
The Jacksonville Jaguars have started to rebuild their franchise, trading away notable players like Nick Foles, AJ Bouye, Calais Campbell and Jalen Ramsey in recent months. It is clear that they want to rebuild from the bottom up. Unfortunately for the veterans on their roster, they might not want to be a part of a rebuild. Two veterans who have been vocal about wanting to be on a competitive team are Yannick Ngakoue and Leonard Fournette. Ngakoue has taken to twitter to how he does not want to be in Jacksonville any longer and wants to get traded after being franchise tagged. Fournette has taken to twitter about how he is sad that the team is trading away his “friends” and feels all by himself. After making comments about how he would want the team to sign Cam Newton to compete with starting quarterback Gardner Minshew, Fournette’s name appeared in trade rumors. Both players have decreasing value the longer they sit on the roster so the Jaguars should try to move them right away.
The Lions have been vocal about the fact that they are fielding calls for the 3rd overall selection in the draft. Reports have come out that they will look into it until the afternoon before Thursday’s draft. Many have them selecting cornerback Jeff Okudah with the third overall pick, but could trade down and likely still get him. Teams in need of a quarterback like The Miami Dolphins and Los Angeles Chargers have been rumored to be interested in trading up to 3rd overall. But what if someone else offered the Lions a better deal than them in order to grab someone else.
If this trade were to happen The Jaguars would likely select Jeff Okudah to replace Jalen Ramsey. The Jaguars have a gaping hole at cornerback and Okudah is the best cornerback prospect to come out since Ramsey in 2016. When looking at what the Lions have at cornerback as nice as it would be to have Okudah, they don’t need him. They already have a formidable group of cornerbacks in Desmond Trufant, Darryl Roberts, Justin Coleman, and Amani Oruwariye. They would also fill their needs at running back and edge rusher. Leonard Fournette could be the best running back the Lions have had since Reggie Bush and Joique Bell split their backfield. While the combination of Yannick Ngakoue and Trey Flowers could reck offenses across the NFC. Two are elite-level edge players that play extremely different. Offenses wouldn’t know who to double team. The Lions have third-most cap space remaining in the league with $28.5 million and could easily take in and extend both Fournette and Ngakoue. The 20th overall selection could be used on an interior offensive lineman like Cesar Ruiz or defensive tackle like Ross Blacklock.