The term NFL stands for Not For Long as teams churn their rosters each offseason. This offseason is no different, as NFL personnel have gathered in Indianapolis this week to meet with college prospects & player agents at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Indy is an ideal spot for player trade opportunities as teams drum up interest for their talent by pitting potential suitors against each other in a time-sensitive setting. Other offseason trade opportunities, like the franchise tag deadline, remain as well. That said, let’s look into the hottest player names who could be on the trade block.
Justin Fields
Bears GM Ryan Poles hinted at a potential Fields trade recently in his comments that, “if we go down that road, I wanna do right by Justin as well… no one wants to live in [the] gray… I know that’s uncomfortable…. we’ll move as quickly as possible.”
This feels like a situation that could play out rather quickly at the Combine this week as the Falcons, Steelers, and Raiders have emerged as prospective suitors for Fields. The Bears QB is the most likely player on this list to be traded during the offseason.
L’Jarius Sneed
L’Jarius Sneed was recently given permission to seek a trade with other NFL teams. A “tag and trade” scenario involving the Chiefs use of the franchise tag & later trade of Sneed was also discussed as a possibility that could benefit both team and player.
It’s not often that young superstar defensive backs such as Sneed reach the open market, but the Chiefs are in a unique situation as two-time Super Bowl champions trying to keep all of their in-house talent together in a parity-driven salary cap era. The Atlanta Falcons have emerged as a potential trade suitor for Sneed’s services.
Davante Adams
Now that Derek Carr is gone, why would Adams choose to stick around in Las Vegas? Adams is a great player and the team’s next starting QB would certainly benefit from having him around to throw to, but would Adams really be willing to waste more seasons of the prime of his career waiting for this team to become competitive?
Adams would love to be traded to the Jets in a move that could benefit all parties. The Raiders would get rid of a disgruntled player & get his contract off their books, while Adams would be reunited with Aaron Rodgers on a team built to win in 2024. This idea was initially proposed by the Jets leading into last season’s trade deadline.
Brian Burns
Brian Burns was a hot commodity at last season’s trade deadline, with at least five teams expressing some interest in trading for the two-time Pro Bowler’s services. He’s consistently proven himself as one of the best pass rushers in the league ever since the Panthers wisely elected to select him in the first round of the 2019 draft.
The Panthers are rebuilding once again after finishing with a 2-15 record in 2023. Could Burns, who is on the last year of his rookie deal, be traded to a contender? The Bears, 49ers, Falcons, Jaguars, & Ravens demand an answer to that question.
Patrick Surtain II
It’s no secret that the Broncos will be aggressive in their pursuit of a franchise QB. Trading Surtain II, a star player on the last year of his rookie contract, could prove beneficial in facilitating a potential trade up the draft board to get their prospect. Contending teams in need of a cornerback would be wise to chat with the Broncos.
The Sports Beacon 