The NFL trade deadline is a month away and while some players will be on the move for greener pastures, others probably wish they could be in a better situation based on how the first two months of the season has gone. And then there are the moves we wish could happen that would create absolute chaos in the NFL.
Imagine if one of the best EDGE rushers in the NFL landed on a legit contender that was an elite defensive player away from being legit; or a team that has everything it needs except a legitimate quarterback to lead them to glory. There are tons of hypothetical trades that could be made that could ultimately change the trajectory of an NFL team’s season.
Here are some theoretical trades that would turn the NFL into a frenzy for the second half of the season.
5. Myles Garrett leaves Cleveland to land with Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Honestly, you could pick and choose any of the top teams for Myles Garrett to land with, but for the sake of argument, let’s have Garrett reunite with his former Cleveland Browns teammate, Baker Mayfield in this hypothetical move. Garrett with a Todd Bowles, aggressive, nasty and blitz-heavy defense, would give him the ring he’s so desperately wanting.
The Bucs offense, even with the injuries, somehow looks better than the Cleveland Browns at full strength, which would be a massive upgrade for Garrett. The Browns have the third-best defense in the NFL and the worst offense; even if the offense played slightly better than it has, Cleveland might have more than just two wins.
Garrett has talked tremendously about wanting to win, yet he took a lucrative extension to stay with a losing team. This dream trade would not only give Garrett what he wants, but makes the Bucs defense nearly bulletproof. Garrett is fresh off a career-high, five-sack game against the New England Patriots, need I say more of his impact in South Florida?
4. Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott traded to the Houston Texans
C.J. Stroud had a phenomenal rookie season, but has since cooled off from the hot start. This season, he’s playing mediocre and the Houston Texans, though not completely out of the playoff picture, could use a boost in the quarterback category. If they landed Dak Prescott in a QB swap plus maybe another player or so (only in our dreams), it might take them to the top of the NFL. Dallas has a miserable defense, while Houston, on the other hand, is averaging 14.7 points against, the fewest in the NFL this year.
If Prescott even had half the defense Houston has, the Cowboys might be atop the NFC. Prescott has 2,069 passing yards with 16 touchdowns and five interceptions – his passing yards and passing touchdowns are both third in the league.
3. Justin Jefferson goes from Minnesota to Buffalo in blockbuster move
I feel bad for Justin Jefferson because the Minnesota Vikings screwed him over with their quarterback fiasco. In this hypothetical series, it’s time to give him a real quarterback and send him to Buffalo. Could you imagine what Josh Allen would do with a weapon like Jefferson?
The Bills need a real receiver and Jefferson needs to get out of Minnesota. This would almost instantly make the Bills Super Bowl contenders. Right now, the Bills don’t have a receiver with over 300 receiving yards. Jefferson has 602 receiving yards already this year. This would never happen, but what if it did.
2. Derrick Henry stays in AFC North in move from Baltimore to Pittsburgh
Derrick Henry is being wasted in Baltimore at this point. The Ravens season is in purgatory and if they were to move on from him, there wouldn’t be a list long enough of the teams that would want to land him. On that list would be division rival Pittsburgh Steelers. In no world would the Ravens trade Henry, let alone to their division rival, but if they did, it might just give Aaron Rodgers his final curtain call.
Considering the Steelers are atop the AFC North, they have the fourth-worst rushing offense in the NFL. Landing a running back of Henry’s caliber would finally take the pressure off 41-year-old Rodgers and give him a backfield worth using. The Steelers will need to make a move for a running back in the next few days anyway, if only they could land their most ideal candidate.
1. Brian Burns is saved from the Giants by a real contender in the Colts
The New York Giants were supposed to be one of the top teams in the NFC and NFC East this year, yet they look like the same ol’ Giants, and now they might benefit from selling instead of buying. Brian Burns is probably untouchable, but if he wasn’t the Indianapolis Colts would have that elite EDGE rusher to truly be a Super Bowl contender.
Despite leading the NFL with seven wins and just one loss, they have given up the third most passing yards this year. To be fair, they are also tied for the second most interceptions by a team this year. Imagine if their defense not only added the NFL’s sack leader, but also continued to be one of the stingiest defenses.