10 Trades That Would Blow Up the NFL Landscape

We generally try to talk about trades that are at least reasonably likely to happen during the Halloween trade deadline portion of the NFL season.

But sometimes it’s more fun to posit trades that may be possible but are unlikely to occur — because when all is said and done, weird things happen in the NFL.

It’s likely at least one or two of the names on this list will end up on a different team come November 5.

Here are 10 (somewhat realistic) trades that would blow up the NFL landscape:

10. Brandon Scherff to the Seattle Seahawks

Perhaps not the most fantastical proposal to start this list off, Brandon Scherff was once regarded as the gold standard of guards across the National Football League. And despite hitting the ripe old age of 32, he is still considered among the better interior offensive linemen in the league. In the off-season ESPN poll, Scherff was one of the honorable mention vote-receiving players in their ranking of the top IOLs in the NFL. And his returns this season have been good despite the Jaguars offensive line as a whole not performing as well, garnering a very reasonable 65.6 PFF grade.

The Seahawks have a big Damien Lewis-shaped hole on their offensive line, with 2023 fourth-round pick Anthony Bradford not cutting the mustard so far. The addition of Scherff would go a long way to assuaging those O line issues and preparing a title run for a wide open NFC West.

9. Harold Landry III to the Kansas City Chiefs

For all the talk about how fantastic the Chiefs’ defense has been this season, and the way in which it has “carried” a team quarterbacked by Patrick Mahomes, the team has not been able to generate a consistent sack-producing pass rush — ranking 25th in sacks despite boasting the likes of George Karlaftis and Chris Jones on their defensive line. Adding someone like the Titans’ Harold Landry III, who has been one of the NFL’s most consistent, understated edge rushers over the past three seasons, to rush opposite Karlaftis and Jones could skyrocket Kansas City’s D to league-leading proportions.

8. Greg Newsome II to the Green Bay Packers

Outside of a quarterback who, while excellent, has a strong recent tendency toward minor injuries and throwing multiple interceptions a game, the Packers have almost no discernible weakness on their roster. If one was to pick out a problem, it would probably be at corner, where All-Pro Jaire Alexander is currently undergoing an MRI for his injured knee. Broadly good but inconsistent play from perimeter defenders Keisean Nixon, Carrington Valentine and former first-round pick Eric Stokes has left the Packers in need of a bona fide CB2. Although Newsome is primarily a nickel/slot cornerback, his abilities — and indeed desires — extend far beyond that. Green Bay could give Newsome some genuine opportunities to compete for and take an outside corner position opposite Alexander, and in return the talented Northwestern alum could help turn their secondary into one of the league’s absolute finest.

7. Diontae Johnson to the Commanders

Not the most “wild” trade on paper, Johnson has quietly had an impressively strong season in Carolina since Andy Dalton took over at QB, in an offense that has otherwise struggled considerably. The former Steeler put up 323 in 5 games with the former Bengals QB before missing Week 8 with a supposed rib injury. Terry McLaurin is back to his No. 1 WR days with by far his best quarterback yet in Jayden Daniels, but the need for a second legitimate option lingers, with Olamide Zaccheaus, Dyami Brown and Noah Brown (not related) the only other recognized receiving options on the team. Giving a high end No. 2 wideout to Daniels and the Commanders could help propel the already high-flying offense to Top 5 territory — and could be a critical addition for a potential deep playoff run.

6. James Conner to the Cowboys

Despite rumblings on social media and elsewhere, Dallas’ season is not totally finished…yet. Still a team with a talented roster and Pro Bowlers scattered across the depth chart, the Cowboys are looking to re-emerge after a tough 3-4 start and begin to compete in the NFC East. A spot in the postseason, however, could be contingent on making some in-season additions, most notably at the running back position, where Rico Dowdle and an aged Ezekiel Eliot have failed to make a major impact. Dallas ranks 32nd (last) in rushing yards/game — the only team to not average at least 75 per bout this season, and desperately need some inspiration for their ground attack. Conner has long been one of the better dual-threat receiving backs in the NFL, and despite being almost at the dreaded 3-0, is having one of the best seasons of his career — managing 557 rushing and 155 receiving yards, in addition to 4 total touchdowns. If the Cardinals are willing to part with their 29-year-old star, which may be a big ask considering their surprising position atop the NFC West, the Cowboys would be the dream destination.

5. Deebo Samuel to the Falcons

Perhaps the least likely out of all the suggested trades on this list; it would no doubt take a lot to part 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan with one of his prized offensive possessions. Although route-running ace Brandon Aiyuk received much of the plaudits in 2023’s run to the Super Bowl, Deebo Samuel is one of the most explosive players in the entire league and routinely lies at the peak of yards-after-catch (YAC) specialists in the NFL. If, however, San Francisco feels they cannot afford all of Samuel, quarterback Brock Purdy, and the recently extended Aiyuk, he could end up on the market, with a contract that is set to expire at the conclusion of the 2025 season. The Falcons have their WR1 in Drake London, but a secondary all-purpose weapon could certainly drive a strong but not elite offense into new heights — and possibly an NFC South division title.

4. Matthew Stafford to the Vikings

Because of the general contentedness amongst genuine contenders around the league with their quarterback situation, a Stafford trade only comes in at No. 4 on this list. And, of course, Sam Darnold has played very well! Fourteen touchdowns and a 107 passer rating is nothing to sniff about, but a nagging feeling that the Vikings’ offensive personnel — including arguably the league’s best offensive line — and excellent play calling from head coach Kevin O’Connell could lead them to make a temporary change at quarterback if given the opportunity. The win-now Vikings do not see themselves holding onto the still-young Darnold for the long term with rookie first-rounder J.J. McCarthy in their back pocket. And on the flip side, the rebuilding Rams would prefer to have a younger, if perhaps less accomplished, cheap QB they can build around as they attempt a third Super Bowl run.

3. Cooper Kupp to the Los Angeles Chargers

A win against the Minnesota Vikings has the Rams very much back in contention, lying just half a game behind NFC West leaders the Arizona Cardinals. But, if the team loses in Week 9 at the Seahawks, and Kupp feels like very much the No. 2 receiver now that sophomore stud Puka Nacua has returned, LA may consider trading their former OPOY across conference — and indeed town. An easy move for Kupp, LA would love the opportunity to secure the services of a true No. 1 receiver to accompany the excellent auxiliary pieces of Ladd McConkey, Joshua Palmer and the streaky Quentin Johnston. The Chargers have few true weaknesses beyond the lack of an elite, dependable, Top 15 wideout and in a weakened AFC conference have an opportunity to secure a high playoff seed with such an addition.

2. Maxx Crosby to the 49ers

Maxx Crosby is not for sale — reportedly. Yet, we all know that owners and GMs will say all sorts of things to drive up the price of a prized asset, especially if a team comes in with an offer too good to refuse. The 49ers have been unable to find the missing piece of their defensive line since the departure of Chase Young in free agency: an elite edge defender opposite Nick Bosa. A Bosa/Crosby tag team would be truly unstoppable for opposing defenses and would undoubtedly be the greatest edge rushing duo ever to play alongside one another. The Raiders at 2-6 do not look like they are going everywhere, and have holes at every single position on their roster. A chance to sell expensive assets at their peak value and reinvest those draft picks and salary cap space into young, fresh talent could be too tempting to pass up.

1. Myles Garrett to the Lions

Although the Browns did beat the Ravens in Week 8 with backup quarterback Jameis Winston, the season is still far from looking up. At 2-6, the Browns would have to be practically flawless to make the playoffs in a crowded AFC North division. Cleveland is already in salary cap hell going into 2025, projecting to start at $40 million over the cap, the second worst in the NFL, despite only having 41 players under contract. Trading Garrett could be a smart way to start over with a fresh team, under what will likely be a brand new QB going into 2025. As for the Lions, a major injury to Aidan Hutchinson puts the immediate future of their pass rush in jeopardy, and the addition of Garrett would greatly improve the short and long term prospects on the edge as they seek to win a Lombardi trophy for the first time in franchise history.

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