We’re a long way from the NFL’s trade deadline, but if the start to the NFL’s offseason is telling is anything, it’s that blockbuster moves are always a day away. Now this piece isn’t to identify the blockbuster move for every NFL team, rather identify the players that might have the most trade value for every team. Believe it or not, every team has one and regardless of who they are, they could be on the move if an offer their team can’t refuse comes about. Here’s all 32 teams’ best trade chip and if they should part ways with them this offseason.
One trade chip for every NFL team
- AFC North
- AFC South
- AFC East
- AFC West
- NFC North
- NFC South
- NFC East
- NFC West
AFC North
Cleveland Browns: CB Denzel Ward
The Cleveland Browns shocked everybody with the Myles Garrett trade and there’s a chance they do it again with Denzel Ward. Ward has said he wants to stay in Cleveland, but if the Browns start to spiral before the trade deadline, he could very well be trade bait. The Green Bay Packers feel like the most obvious move here, but if the Browns decide to trade Ward, there won’t be a shortage of teams interested in landing him.
Should Cleveland trade Ward? Yes
Cincinnati Bengals: EDGE Myles Murphy
The Cincinnati Bengals don’t really have a lot of players worth trading. Like yes, they have Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, but neither is going to get traded. Myles Murphy probably has the most to offer on the Bengals for a couple of reasons. For one, they have a bit of a surplus of pass rushers, so if they needed to offload one of them, Murphy would be the better option available.
Should Cincinnati trade Murphy? Yes
Baltimore Ravens: WR Rashod Bateman
Rashod Bateman is giving off Hollywood Brown vibes. Not from a production standpoint, but from the fact that the hype was there, but the production didn’t match it. Just like Brown, that could very much get Bateman traded either later this offseason and preseason or before the trade deadline. The Ravens went and drafted two receivers in Ja’Kobi Lane and Elijah Sarratt. If either one of them works out, he could very much be out in Baltimore.
Should Baltimore trade Bateman? Yes
Pittsburgh Steelers: EDGE/LB Alex Highsmith
The Pittsburgh Steelers gave Nick Herbig a four-year, $100 million contract this offseason, meaning Alex Highsmith is as good as gone. The Steelers re-signed T.J. Watt last year, and with Herbig’s contract, Highsmith has to be the odd one. The good thing is finding a new home for a pass rusher that had 9.5 sacks in 2025 shouldn’t be difficult to do. I think Pittsburgh will wait until the deadline to trade him, but I would be surprised if he played all of 2026 in Pittsburgh.
Should Pittsburgh trade Highsmith? Yes
AFC South
Indianapolis Colts: QB Anthony Richardson Sr.
I feel like a broken record every time I speak of Anthony Richardson because it always centers around him getting traded. In this case, it doesn’t make sense for the Indianapolis Colts to trade anybody else, as they don’t have a first-round pick and could benefit from draft capital. The Colts clearly don’t have a future for Richardson, and they certainly didn’t show any patience with him. They need to trade him now and just end that relationship rather than let it linger just for the sake of it.
Should Richardson get traded? Yes
Jacksonville Jaguars
WR Brian Thomas Jr.
The Jacksonville Jaguars have long been linked to possibly moving on from Brian Thomas Jr. It started after the Jags drafted Travis Hunter and resurfaced after they traded for Jakobi Meyers and ultimately signed him to an extension. Thomas regressed significantly from his rookie season. In the 2024 season, he had 1,282 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. Last year, he had just 707 receiving yards and two touchdown catches. The Jags aren’t deep at receiver, so it might not be worth it, but they could try and get something for him if they don’t plan on extending him.
Should Thomas be traded? No
Houston Texans: DT Sheldon Rankins
The Houston Texans had one of the best defenses in the NFL last season, if not the best. They decided to add to that by drafting Kayden McDonald, Rankins’ replacement. Rankins is 32 years old and not a major part of this defense’s success. Not saying he’s easily replaceable either, but the Texans already handpicked who they want to succeed him. If he’s ready to start now, why delay his development?
Should Rankins be traded? Yes
Tennessee Titans: DT Jeffrey Simmons
There’s been speculation as to whether the Tennessee Titans would explore trade options for Jeffrey Simmons or not. None of that materialized, which leads me to believe the Titans have no intentions of trading him. That said, he still is their best trade piece, especially when you look at what he can do as an interior defensive lineman. I doubt the Titans move on from Simmons when he’s too good and is young enough to still be productive once they get out of this rebuild.
Should Simmons be traded? No
AFC East
Buffalo Bills: WR Khalil Shakir
The Buffalo Bills have been desperately looking for receiver help since they traded Stefon Diggs to Houston. Keon Coleman hasn’t turned out to be the weapon they expected, and now D.J. Moore has the pressure of carrying this receiver room. That said, Khalil Shakir has been a welcomed addition and steady contributor to the offense. Buffalo needs perimeter weapons too badly to trade Shakir, but he is the one player with a lot of value on this roster aside from Josh Allen and James Cook.
Should Shakir be traded? No
Miami Dolphins: RB De’Von Achane
The Miami Dolphins just re-signed De’Von Achane to a four-year extension earlier this offseason. He is not getting traded anytime soon, but if he did, he would get a decent return. Achane has been one of the best receiving backs since he was drafted in 2023. There was speculation the Dolphins might have been forced to trade Achane, but they ultimately decided to give him an extension. For now he’s safe, but it doesn’t make him untouchable.
Should Achane get traded? No
New York Jets: RB Breece Hall
Breece Hall was another running back that had a lot of trade speculation amid the New York Jets not being in a position to extend a running back. The Jets franchise tagged him and then later gave him a three-year extension. He’s staying in New York/East Rutherford for a little bit longer, but the Jets are in a decades-long rebuild and may realize Hall is better off turning into draft capital rather than being on the roster.
Should Hall be traded? No
New England Patriots: WR Kayshon Boutte
The New England Patriots revamped this receiver room, turning to Romeo Doubs in free agency and A.J. Brown via trade. This offense shouldn’t be a problem now. That said, New England now has a logjam at receiver after their busy offseason, which is why Kayshon Boutte will probably end up dealt before the season starts.
Should Boutte get traded? Yes
AFC West
Denver Broncos: WR Courtland Sutton
Courtland Sutton has seen it all in Denver. As much as he has witnessed with this team and as important as he’s been, it might be time for Denver to move on from him. The Broncos traded for Jaylen Waddle ahead of the NFL Draft, and that should give them the true No. 1 target that Bo Nix needs. Now the Broncos just re-signed him last year, and he’s playing some of his best football. He probably won’t get traded, but if Denver felt the need to add draft capital, Sutton could ultimately be the option.
Should Sutton be traded? No
Los Angeles Chargers: WR Ladd McConkey
It was hard trying to find a trade chip on the Los Angeles Chargers. They don’t have an overwhelmingly deep roster, and at the same time, any position they’d want to upgrade would require them to make another one weaker. Trading Ladd McConkey just isn’t a good option for the Chargers. I don’t think they’d move him because this team has terrible weapons for Justin Herbert as is.
Should McConkey be traded? No
Kansas City Chiefs: WR Rashee Rice
The Kansas City Chiefs need to figure out their receiving core. That’s the only reason they’re going to keep Rice for the time being. He’s been more of a liability than reliable and might not ever reach the level he was in his rookie season. The Chiefs probably won’t get much from him which is why they’ll continue to be patient with him. But if some team comes along to bail them out of their Rice problem, don’t be surprised to see him on the trade block.
Should Rice be traded? No
Las Vegas Raiders: EDGE Maxx Crosby
The Las Vegas Raiders might not have a choice but to trade Maxx Crosby at the NFL trade deadline at the latest. The Raiders could absolutely benefit from having Crosby, but it feels like they’ll capitalize on the draft capital that can come from moving him. For now, the two sides seem keen on figuring it out. If the Raiders aren’t even division contenders by the deadline, it’s probably best they trade Crosby while he still has some value.
Should Crosby be traded? Yes
NFC North
Chicago Bears: TE Cole Kmet
It was honestly surprising to see Cole Kmet survive last season with the Chicago Bears. When Chicago drafted Colston Loveland, it felt pretty clear the Bears were keen on replacing Kmet immediately. They didn’t get it done in 2025, but they’re getting it done this year. Kmet had a decent role with the offense last year with 347 receiving yards and two touchdown catches. He’ll carve out a niche with another team this year, especially if the Bears want to upgrade their defensive line.
Should Kmet be traded? Yes
Detroit Lions: TE Sam LaPorta
Sam LaPorta isn’t on the trade block, so this isn’t happening. But if the Detroit Lions truly wanted to add an elite pass rusher next to Aidan Hutchinson, they could dangle LaPorta as a valuable trade asset in a deal. The same could be said if they want to add an elite cornerback in light of the Terrion Arnold legal situation. The Lions probably won’t trade any player of value, but if they did, LaPorta is the one I’d watch.
Should LaPorta be traded? No
Green Bay Packers: WR Matthew Golden
Crazy enough, Matthew Golden went from a potential long-term piece to a player that could be traded before his rookie contract is up. The Green Bay Packers extended both Christian Watson and Jayden Reed this offseason. That speeds up Golden’s timeline, and if he doesn’t show signs of progress, a team like the Chiefs could probe into Golden’s availability. I think the Packers will be patient with Golden, but his leash is a whole lot shorter going into 2026.
Should Golden be traded? No
Minnesota Vikings: QB J.J. McCarthy
J.J. McCarthy is going to be the most talked about backup quarterback aside from Ty Simpson at this point. McCarthy’s days are numbered in Minnesota. The Vikings even thinking about pursuing Anthony Richardson could very well be the end of McCarthy in the Twin Cities. It’s not a matter of if McCarthy will get traded, it’s when. Depending on how he plays this offseason, he’ll either get dealt before Week 1 or closer to the deadline.
Should McCarthy be traded? Yes
NFC South
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: WR Chris Godwin Jr.
This is a tricky situation for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Keeping Chris Godwin Jr. means you’re banking on him to be fully healthy and expecting him to play at the level he has when he is healthy. Trading him means they’re accepting the risk of him possibly being healthy with a contender. Either way, I think Godwin has to be on the move. If he’s healthy for the first half of the season, the Bucs can jack up the price on him. This team has had Godwin in the lineup for just 16 games across the last two years. It might be time to move on, even if he does bounce back in 2026.
Should Godwin be traded? Yes
Atlanta Falcons: QB Michael Penix Jr.
If the Atlanta Falcons were turning to Tua Tagovailoa, of all quarterbacks, to save this offense, that’s a sign to me that Michael Penix Jr.’s job security is near zero. He’s old considering he’s still on a rookie contract and he has a grocery list worth of injuries in his playing career. The Falcons put themselves in a tough position with Tagovailoa and Penix, two of the most injured quarterbacks in the NFL. But the Falcons chose Tagovailoa, which feels like a bad omen for Penix.
Should Penix get traded? Yes
Carolina Panthers: WR Xavier Legette
I’m not sure what type of value Xavier Legette has, but the Carolina Panthers need to take whatever they can get from Legette. Maybe there wasn’t as much pressure for him because he was a late Day 1 pick, but he’s still a player that’s been disappointing throughout his NFL career. In his first two seasons, he doesn’t have more than 500 receiving yards in either season and hasn’t had a season with at least 50 receptions. He just hasn’t had the impact Carolina has needed from him, and with Tetairoa McMillan stepping up to a bigger role, Legette could be the odd one out.
Should Legette be traded? Yes
New Orleans Saints: QB Spencer Rattler
There’s not much value out there for Spencer Rattler, but there’s certainly a market for quarterback scraps. Rattler could land with a team that would aid his development rather than hinder it, which is why he’s most likely out in New Orleans. The Packers are a team to watch for Rattler, as well as a team like the Cardinals or even the Falcons could be in play. Regardless of who it is, the Saints need to see who wants to bite on Rattler.
Should Rattler be traded? Yes
NFC East
Washington Commanders: DT Daron Payne
The Washington Commanders have been linked to possibly trading Daron Payne at one point, though those murmurs have quieted since. That said, if things either spiral out of control or the Commanders find out they can get a decent return for Payne, they could revisit those once-rumored possibilities. Payne has a hefty salary cap hit at nearly $28 million. The Commanders spent a lot this free agency, so if they did want to increase their cap space, it could be a move to watch at the deadline.
Should Payne be traded? No
Dallas Cowboys: DT Kenny Clark
The way the Dallas Cowboys constructed this defense, I’d be shocked to see Kenny Clark traded at this point. Clark can still be a key player on this defense, so trading him doesn’t seem like the best move. He would probably be the only other player aside from George Pickens who could yield a really good trade deadline return. The Cowboys didn’t trade Clark earlier this offseason, which leads me to believe they’re going to hold onto him for now.
Should Clark be traded? No
Philadelphia Eagles: DT Jalen Carter
If the Philadelphia Eagles wanted to trade Jalen Carter, it would have already happened by now. That said, that doesn’t mean he’ll survive the NFL trade deadline. He still wants a long-term deal, and the Eagles probably view him as a key part of their future on defense. The problem is they aren’t close to a deal yet, which is why if things don’t progress, a trade could be the ultimate move.
Should Carter be traded? No
New York Giants: EDGE Kayvon Thibodeaux
The New York Giants have had a Kayvon Thibodeaux problem for quite some time. If they didn’t, they wouldn’t have drafted both Abdul Carter and Arvell Reese in consecutive drafts. Sure Reese is probably an interior linebacker for New York, but the fact that he could be both a pass rusher and off-ball linebacker proves just how much faith they have in Thibodeaux. He’ll probably get traded before the season and certainly won’t survive the trade deadline.
Should Thibodeaux get traded? Yes
NFC West
Arizona Cardinals: QB Jacoby Brissett
There’s no need to have a contract dispute with a quarterback you’re not committing a long term to. If Brissett wants to hold out, they might as well trade him to a team that could use him. The used quarterback market is always plentiful in the NFL. The Arizona Cardinals don’t need a massive return from Brissett, they just need to end this saga. He’s right to demand more money, but Arizona is right to simply trade him away too.
Should Brissett be traded?: Yes
San Francisco 49ers: QB Mac Jones
The longer the offseason drags on and the closer the preseason gets, the more likely it is that the San Francisco 49ers should explore Mac Jones trade options. They have every right to hold on to him because Brock Purdy does have back injury luck. But it feels like any quarterback that makes it to the 49ers ultimately shines, so replacing Jones won’t be a problem. The good thing about Jones too is the 49ers could possibly get something as high as a third-round pick for him, which isn’t a bad return for a free agent signing.
Should Jones be traded? Yes
Los Angeles Rams: QB Stetson Bennett IV
Stetson Bennett might be the only player on the Los Angeles Rams roster that could be on the trade block, and even that’s a maybe. The Rams have one of the most complete rosters in the NFL, and there’s nothing they can really give up that wouldn’t dent their playoff hopes. There’s probably not much the Rams are going to get in return for Bennett, but it’s better than nothing. For now, Bennett probably stays put as the Rams figure out what Ty Simpson will become.
Should Bennett get traded? No
Seattle Seahawks: CB Devon Witherspoon
It’s a long shot, probably not likely, but also possible. The Seattle Seahawks and Devon Witherspoon have yet to agree on his rookie extension, which could prompt Seattle to send Witherspoon to a new team before the deadline. The Seahawks lost Riq Woolen to free agency this offseason so losing another cornerback on a team that just won the Super Bowl isn’t ideal, but it could be the only solution if Witherspoon doesn’t sign an extension soon.
Should Witherspoon be traded? No
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