Before training camp has even started, the NFL trade landscape has been buzzing. Jalen Ramsey went on the move from Miami to Pittsburgh, with Jonnu Smith joining him. Going back further, the Steelers also sent George Pickens to Dallas after the draft. But the fate of some players, guys like Bengals star Trey Hendrickson or perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate T.J. Watt or Commanders wideout Terry McLaurin, are up in the air amid contract disputes.
Ultimately, it feels like Pittsburgh and Washington iron out deals with Watt and McLaurin, respectively. At the same time, though, that doesn't meant that the NFL trades will dry up before we get to Week 1. There could still be some impactful players that are being pushed off the roster or are entering a contract year (or both) that teams look to deal before the start of the regular season.
We can't guarantee anything because, hey, this is the NFL and guaranteeing anything is brutally foolish. However, reading some of the writing on the wall, I'm confident enough to predict that these six players will be traded before Week 1 — and for good measure, I think the trade destinations for these players should be obvious too.
6. RB Travis Etienne, Jacksonville Jaguars
It remains to be seen if Liam Coen and the Jacksonville Jaguars will keep Travis Etienne on the roster, but it has to seem unlikely at this point. Yes, it was a previous regime with which the former first-round pick seemed to fall out of favor with, but with Tank Bigsby back in the fold and drafting Bhayshul Tuten in the fourth round of this year's draft, it could make sense to move Etienne as he enters a contract year to get something back in return for a player who might be in a time-share at best.
Etienne's workload severely declined last season, going from 325 touches in 2023 to just 189 touches a year ago. He was still productive, averaging 4.9 yards per touch for his career, but you have to wonder if the Jags simply prefer something different at this point. The return may not be more than a late-round pick, but there still should be teams calling Jacksonville for a player who certainly could have a role to play in a contender's backfield.
Predicted Trade Destination: Baltimore Ravens
No one is going to reasonably say that Derrick Henry isn't the workhorse in Baltimore. But while the Dallas Cowboys have been a popular trade connection for Etienne, the Ravens might actually make more sense. Behind Henry is Justice Hill and Keaton Mitchell, both of whom have struggled to stay healthy and, frankly, who do what Etienne offers but slightly less reliably. The former first-rounder being the lightning behind Henry could make the Lamar Jackson-led offense even more dangerously dynamic.
5. TE Darnell Washington, Pittsburgh Steelers
The moment that the Pittsburgh Steelers added Jonnu Smith into the Jalen Ramsey trade, the writing was on the wall for me that former third-round pick Darnell Washington could be on the move. After all, what path to seeing the field all that often does he have now that both Smith and Pat Freiermuth are pretty clearly ahead of him in the Arthur Smith offensive hierarchy?
Make no mistake, the 23-year-old hasn't flashed all that much in his first two seasons. He has just 26 receptions for 261 yards and one touchdown despite playing in 34 games. And yet, how could potential trade suitors not be enticed by the potential of the 6-foot-7, 264-pound tight end as a blocker and a potential red-zone or short-yardage threat in the passing game. There's simply no room left for him on the Steelers, and trading him to recoup draft assets would make more sense.
Predicted Trade Destination: Dallas Cowboys
Both Jake Ferguson and Luke Schoonmaker have been fine in the Dallas Cowboys receiving game, but they've left a ton to be desired as a blocker. With a young offensive line in Brian Schottenheimer's offense, taking a flier with a team that Dallas has already traded with this offseason on Washington to come in and help add extra protection on the edge would make a great deal of sense, especially if the aim is to also improve the ground game.
4. EDGE Kayvon Thibodeaux, New York Giants
There are two sides of the coin for the New York Giants. On one hand, they could simply roll out a rotation of Brian Burns, first-round rookie Abdul Carter, and another former first-round pick in Kayvon Thibodeaux as an elite pass-rushing core. At the same time, with Thibodeaux eyeing an extension soon, they could instead move off him in exchange for draft capital to set the future of the defense and the edge position with Burns and Carter.
The latter, with the current state of a Giants roster that doesn't look ready to compete to me on the whole, seems more attractive. Committing money to Thibodeaux or risking losing him for nothing doesn't make a ton of sense in my book. With the addition of Carter on four years of a rookie contract and with Jaxson Dart in the fold, the future returns of trading Thibodeaux are the most valuable commodity for Joe Schoen and company right now.
Predicted Trade Destination: Carolina Panthers
Carolina's defense should be improved from a season ago, but let's not pretend that this is a group that's scaring anyone yet. Rookies Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen have upside to unseat veterans Patrick Jones II and D.J. Wonnum eventually. But with the progression of Bryce Young at the end of last season and a wide-open NFC South, the Panthers could be motivated to push for winning now, not eventualities. Acquiring Thibodeaux, which they have plenty of room to do, would make a ton of sense in that regard.
3. QB Will Levis, Tennessee Titans
If anyone in Nashville says that the Titans are having a quarterback competition, they're lying. No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward is the new head man in Tennessee, which leaves Will Levis in a proverbial no man's land right now. His showings on the field have obviously been less than stellar, which is why the Titans had the opportunity to pick first overall and select Ward. Having said that, the former second-round pick could still have trade value on the open market as a developmental project.
That feels even more prescient given what Tennessee has done with the QB depth chart. They signed a pair of veteran backups in Brandon Allen and Tim Boyle this offseason. While neither offers the hypothetical upside of Levis, they're surer bets if Ward were to miss any amount of time and the backup needed to play. Thus, it's ultimately in the Titans' best interest to move on from Levis for whatever they can get in return, much like we saw the Patriots do with Mac Jones last offseason.
Predicted Trade Destination: Jacksonville Jaguars
Also like the Mac Jones trade, let's send Will Levis to Jacksonville! Not only is the mayo king built for Duval in a big way, the match now makes more sense than Jones did. Liam Coen was Levis' offensive coordinator in college, which ultimately helped raise his draft stock to land him in Tennessee. Nick Mullens is the current Jaguars backup behind Trevor Lawrence, so reuniting Levis and Coen could be a more attractive option for the organization.
2. WR Romeo Doubs, Green Bay Packers
For as much as the Green Bay Packers can publicly maintain that they won't be moving anyone from the wide receiver room this offseason after adding Matthew Golden, Savion Williams and Mecole Hardman this offseason, I'm not buying it. There's too many mouths to feed and that's eventually going to be a logjam they have to clear up with a trade. Romeo Doubs, to me, is the most likely option to be moved given the homogenous position group and the fact that he probably could net the best return for Brian Gutekunst.
Doubs has played in 43 games in his career and has been productive when on the field, averaging 58 catches, 672 yards and six touchdowns per 17-game season over that span. At the same time, he's not separated himself as a true No. 1 option and, with Christian Watson's uncertain health, the upside with Doubs could get Green Bay a Day 2 pick if they find the right trade partner. To avoid having too many mouths to feed, this could be the best course of action for the Packers to take at the position.
Predicted Trade Destination: Pittsburgh Steelers
The wheeling-and-dealing Steelers are the most obvious option for a Doubs trade. With the arrival of Aaron Rodgers, Omar Khan's actions have indicated that the franchise is all-in on trying to make a Super Bowl run this season. To do that, though, I'd still argue that they can't go into the year with Calvin Austin III as their second receiving option. Doubs would be a dream opposite DK Metcalf and, if Pittsburgh is willing to part with more draft capital, he seems attainable.
1. EDGE Trey Hendricks, Cincinnati Bengals
Much to Joe Burrow's chagrin, I truly don't see a path forward for Trey Hendrickson and the Bengals at this point. The star pass-rusher is absolutely right in his stance that he deserves to be compensated for his production and the market value. At the same time, I'm also acutely aware of the fact that Cincinnati as an organization has never been too keen on spending money of that caliber, especially when it's the same offseason in which they just paid both Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
Especially when you then factor in the rookie contract drama with Shemar Stewart, this situation feels far too messy to just end up with Hendrickson back with the Bengals. Eventually, cooler heads are going to prevail and, to me, that means the franchise simply accepting they won't meet Hendrickson's asking price and will be better off trading him to a contender, even if that would hamstring the defense in an awful way.
Predicted Trade Destination: Green Bay Packers
And here come the Green Bay Packers ready to make that call. This defense under Jeff Hafley made strides but the most glaring need still there is a pass rush on the edge that has Rashan Gary and question marks. Green Bay would obviously have to get aggressive, especially if they're going to outbid the rival Lions. But for a move that could be a separator between playoff team and Super Bowl contender for the Packers, wouldn't making such a deal be well worth it?