1 blockbuster trade all 32 NFL teams can make to improve in 2024
NFL teams are setting their sights on free agency and the draft to set themselves up for success in 2024. Another often overlooked path to improvement still exists, though: trades! Today we'll look at one trade each team can make to instantly improve.
Houston Texans trade for Kyle Pitts
No team saw a bigger leap in performance this past year than the Houston Texans. Led by new head coach DeMeco Ryans and Offensive Rookie of the Year C.J. Stroud, Houston went from a team that held the No. 2 pick in the draft to winners of the AFC South and a playoff game.
With their quarterback situation all figured out, the Texans now have a wide-open window where they can make a push for a Super Bowl. Stroud's rookie deal is one of the best bargains in the NFL, so look for Houston general manager Nick Caserio to spare no expense in building the team around him.
Stroud isn't the only exciting young piece on this offense. Nico Collins emerged as a legit No. 1 receiver, and rookie Tank Dell was one of the most explosive deep threats in the league before fracturing his fibula in December.
Tight end Dalton Schultz is a free agent, though he has expressed a desire to stay in Houston. Whether he stays or goes, though, a trade for Kyle Pitts could take this offense to a new level. Pitts has underwhelmed since the Atlanta Falcons drafted him with the No. 4 overall pick three years ago, though how much of that is his fault and how much blame should be placed on Arthur Smith is hard to say. What is true is that Pitts still has the tools to be one of the most dynamic tight ends in the league, and with Stroud he could finally flourish.
The Falcons have Jonnu Smith on the roster, and the former Tennessee Titan and New England Patriot posted an almost identical stat line to Pitts, so it's not inconceivable that Atlanta would look to move one of their two tight ends to improve elsewhere. Pitts' pedigree and upside gives him the higher market value, and with Atlanta's desire to upgrade at quarterback, they could use any pick received from the Texans to either draft a new QB of the future, or trade towards one. For Houston, sending a second-round pick, plus Robert Woods, who can provide a reliable veteran presence to a young Falcons receiving corps, is the way to go.