While nothing can become officially-official until the 2025 league year begins on March 12th, trade rumors across the NFL have already begun to heat up. Spotrac has identified a potential trade target from each NFL team in the coming weeks and months.
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Arizona Cardinals
RT Jonah Williams
Williams battled multiple knee injuries in 2024 and likely still isn’t 100% heading toward the 2025 league year. With that said, he’s an experienced book-end tackle that could be seen as a strong “fill-in” per his 1 year, $12.8M remaining contract. Arizona has a continued need to bolster their offensive line with this upcoming draft.
Atlanta Falcons
TE Kyle Pitts
Probably not enough meat on the bone to really attract a suitor, but Pitts has started to right the ship at least a little bit the past two seasons. He’s fully guaranteed on a $10.8M 5th-year-option through 2025 before free agency awaits in 2026. If the Falcons are willing to retain a portion of that salary, there may be a chance to snag a conditional draft pick this spring.
Baltimore Ravens
CB Marlon Humphrey
One of the NFL’s best slot corners has 2 years, $37.2M remaining on his contract, but has already voiced a desire to solidify a new deal that includes guarantees. With big deals forthcoming for S Kyle Hamilton & (likely) OT Ronnie Stanley this offseason, to name a few, Humphrey’s request might be too rich for Baltimore to grant. The Ravens can free up $8.7M of cap space by trading Humphrey this spring.
Buffalo Bills
DE Greg Rousseau
The Bills have 6 legitimate extension candidates this offseason, most of which will enter 2025 on expiring contracts. Rousseau, a 2021 1st Rounder, has compiled 25 sacks in his first 60+ NFL games, so there’s certainly a case to be made to keep him around long-term. However, the going rate for even a slightly above average edge rusher now starts at around $25M per year (especially with Micah Parsons and co. largely expected to push towards $40M per year in the coming months). The Bills may simply be priced out here, and if they feel as though they can replace him via trade/draft this spring, moving off of Rousseau’s $13.3M fully guaranteed salary makes some sense here.
Carolina Panthers
CB Jaycee Horn
Horn’s young career has been decimated by injuries, but he put together his most complete season to date in 2024. It appears as though the Panthers are motivated to extend the former #8 overall pick from 2021, but if he’s seeking top of the market money ($25M per year), those discussions could quickly fall apart, making Horn one of the more interesting trade candidates this spring. The 25-year-old holds a fully guaranteed $12.4M 5th-year-option salary in 2025. Carolina may need to approach $20M per year to keep him around.
Chicago Bears
RB D'Andre Swift
There’s a world where new HC Ben Johnson comes in excited to reconnect with Swift from his time in Detroit. There’s also a world where new HC Ben Johnson knows that Swift’s limitations might not make for the best-case scenario for this 2025 Bears’ offense under his tutelage. It’s a phenomenal year to draft a running back, so teams may be reluctant to give up draft capital for an $8M Swift ($6.1M of which is already fully guaranteed), but it only takes one team.
Cincinnati Bengals
WR Tee Higgins
The Bengals haven’t officially offered a 2nd franchise tag to Higgins just yet, but when they do (valued at $26,179,200), he’ll immediately become their top trade candidate. The last time a WR was tagged & trade prior to signing his 2nd contract was Jarvis Landry back in 2018. The Browns gave Miami a 4th and 7th round pick, then extended Landry out 5 years, $75.5M. It’ll take quite a bit more to pull Higgins out of Cincinnati in 2025, and quite a bit more to get him under contract long-term as well (currently projecting toward a 4 year, $120M contract).
Cleveland Browns
DE Myles Garrett
They say they won’t, but the player and a plethora of offers probably pressure Cleveland into making this move when it’s all said and done. Not to mention, the draft compensation that can ultimately be secured here will go a long way in helping repair the damage that the Deshaun Watson trade/signing has and will continue to do to the franchise. Garrett has 2 year, $44.8M remaining on his current contract, but is working his way toward a renegotiation that should start at around $35M per year. A 4 year, $150M contract with 3 fully guaranteed seasons shouldn’t be out of the question for the 29-year-old (even if he stays).
Dallas Cowboys
CB Trevon Diggs
Diggs is entering Year 3 of a 6 year, $99M total value contract in Dallas and is still trying to recover fully from a 2023 ACL injury. He’s a largely productive/impactful player when available, and the Cowboys don’t currently have a viable replacement on the books - but this is a Dallas team that desperately needs to rebuild through the offensive and defensive trenches this offseason. A Diggs trade can provide both cap/cash relief (only $1.5M of cap saved), and additional draft compensation. An acquiring team would essentially be bringing in Diggs on a 1 year, $10M contract as none of his 2026-2028 compensation is guaranteed.
Denver Broncos
DE John Franklin-Myers
The 28-year-old posted 40 tackles and 7 sacks in arguably his most productive NFL season to date. But the Broncos have identified a few studs on their D-Line/Edge, and both Zach Allen & Nik Bonitto are going to need new compensation in the coming months. Denver is likely to move on from Franklin-Myers this March one way or another, but it seems reasonable that they may be able to secure a draft pick for a 1 year, $8M contract ($1M of which is guaranteed).
Detroit Lions
WR Jameson Williams
The Lions may be hesitant to move on from any key offensive pieces as they usher in life without Ben Johnson, but it also might be the perfect time to sell high on Williams (58 catches, 1,001 yards, 7 TDs in 15 games). Is there a higher ceiling for the almost 24-year-old? Sure. But it’s also a down year both via free agency and the draft at the WR positions. Williams’ rookie deal still contains a fully guaranteed $3M in 2025, with a decision on his 5th-year option due May 1st. An acquiring team will need to give up a small ransom to drive Williams out of Detroit at this stage, but it’s exactly what the Lions might be looking for as their roster gets more and more expensive elsewhere.
Green Bay Packers
CB Jaire Alexander
Teams will probably just force Green Bay to release their former 1st round pick, but there’s an outside chance that someone swoops in with a trade offer to keep him off of the open market. Alexander’s contract holds $37M remaining over the next 2 years, and with none of it guaranteed, an acquiring team can treat this as a 1 year, $17.5M deal until further notice. Injuries have been the big story here, but when healthy - Alexander is still a legitimate starting CB.
Houston Texans
OT Laremy Tunsil
It’s not ideal to give away a 5-time Pro Bowl left tackle when you’re entering Year 3 of a rookie QB contract, but there are enough smart people alluding to this possibility to outright ignore it. Tunsil is entering Year 3 of a 4 year, $93.5M contract in Houston, with 2 years, $42.7M remaining ($10M guaranteed). The 30-year-old will be seeking a new deal sooner rather than later, and the Texans may be looking to reset the clock (and the finances) at this position. Gaining trade value now before decline starts to set in makes some sense (as long as they have a backup plan for 2025 of course). The Texans can free up $13.85M of cap space with an early trade.
Indianapolis Colts
DL DeForest Buckner
The incredibly durable former 1st round pick missed a few weeks in 2024 due to an ankle injury, but also showed he is still producing at a very high level. It’s a VERY strong draft for defensive linemen, and the Colts are in a bit of a give-and-take window with much of their roster right now. Moving Buckner for additional draft assets (and $12.2M of cap space) might make some sense this spring. An acquiring team would be taking on 2 years, $46M, including $23M fully guaranteed in 2025, and another $10M of 2026 salary that locks in next month.
Jacksonville Jaguars
TE Evan Engram
Engram is entering the final season of a 3 year, $41.25M contract in Jacksonville, set to earn a non-guaranteed $15.75M for the upcoming season. It’s likely too rich for an acquiring team (and might be too much for Jacksonville to keep as well), but there have been flashes of major impact over the past 3 seasons. Dropping Engram into a more stable offense (with more consistent QB play) could prove extremely beneficial, even on a 1-year overpay.
Kansas City Chiefs
CB Jaylen Watson
Watson started 6 games at RCB for Kansas City before breaking his leg and ending his season. The Chiefs have a lot of mouths to feed each of this and next offseason, including Watson’s counterpart CB Trent McDuffie, who is largely expected to help reset the market at the position in the coming months. Watson’s salary escalated to over $3.2M in 2025 thanks to a Proven Performance Bonus, and the 26-year-old is slated for free agency after the upcoming season. This might be one of those tougher moves that contending teams have to make before they want to make it to squeeze a little draft value out of a situation.
Las Vegas Raiders
WR Jakobi Meyers
Has Meyers been good stats on bad team guy for the past couple of seasons, or is he a legitimately talented, often undervalued player that just needs a better offense around him to be truly exposed. The Raiders have a lot of directions they can go in over the next few months, but with 28-year-old Meyers on an expiring 1 year, $11M contract (non-guaranteed), flipping him for additional draft capital probably makes some sense.
Los Angeles Chargers
G Trey Pipkins
The Chargers moved Pipkins inside to guard A) because they had a hole there, and B) to accommodate newly drafted OT Joe Alt. The move inside didn’t go particularly well for Pipkins, who now enters 2025 on a non-guaranteed 1 year, $6.75M deal. There are more than a few teams looking for short-term options at tackle this March, and Pipkins could very well be in those conversations.
Los Angeles Rams
QB Matthew Stafford
Is this a real request, or a “we don’t really want to overpay you but we will if we have to” request? More than a few teams have already reached out to the Rams about the possibility of acquiring Stafford (at least that’s what Stafford’s agents are leading us to believe in order to continue to drive his extension price up). Here’s the reality: Stafford did the Rams a huge favor when he A) didn't immediately require an extension upon his trade there from Detroit. B) Signed for “only” $40M per year after leading them to a Super Bowl victory in his first season. Should the Rams be back-paying their QB1 to account for what he left on the table? No - but they should be handsomely rewarding their still top-rated, 37-year-old QB who is leading a young, inexpensive team into playoff content annually. There are plenty of ways to make a 2 year, $100M extension work in an NFL salary cap world. LA’s going to need to find a way to do that, or else someone will.
WR Cooper Kupp
The 31-year-old has been told to seek out a trade this winter, furthering the narrative that his time in LA is likely coming to an end. Kupp has 2 years, $39.85M remaining on his contract, including $5M fully guaranteed for the upcoming season. The Rams may need to eat a portion of the $7.5M bonus due on March 16th to facilitate a trade, but could also just outright release Kupp at the start of the league year, taking on $22.2M of dead cap, freeing up $7.5M of space.
Miami Dolphins
WR Tyreek Hill
The Dolphins have already trimmed a few veterans from their roster as they work to become cap-compliant in March, but this offseason is about making an expensive football team more competitive in the AFC as well. Hill still has separation, speed, and a ton of ability - but for one reason or another, wasn’t given a lot of opportunities to put that on display in 2024 within this Miami offense. If a team or two is willing to overpay a bit on the trade market, the Dolphins seem open to having someone else take on the $28M+ owed to Hill in 2025 (even if a Pre 6/1 trade only frees up $401,250 of cap space).
Minnesota Vikings
NB Josh Metellus
If the plan is to bring back Byron Murphy this spring, there’s a significant chance that the Vikings look to get off of the $3.775M remaining on Metellus’ contract. The 27-year-old could easily slot into a starting spot elsewhere, and with a weak free agency class in the secondary this March, could draw trade interest from needy teams. Minnesota can free up $5.5M of cap by moving on.
New England Patriots
QB Joe Milton III
Yep, we’re going there. It’s a weird QB year from a lot of angles, but there are still plenty of teams who at least want to “consider” changing things up in 2025. Milton’s sample size is about as large as yours or mine, but there’s plenty of proof of concept from his college days at Michigan/Tennessee to understand what kind of ceiling we could be dealing with here. The 6th round pick last year holds a 3 year, $3.2M non-guaranteed contract through 2027.
New Orleans Saints
None.
Every contract even worth a small consideration for trade is currently carrying more dead cap than actual cap in 2025. And the Saints are currently -$50M in terms of Top 51 cap space heading toward March. If a trade is to happen, it’ll come after June 1st when most of the dust has settled with the slight SLIGHT exception of QB Derek Carr. The Saints can free up $11M of space by trading card in the coming weeks. But with a total of $40M practically guaranteed for the upcoming season, and plenty of other QB options set to become available, it’s a highly unlikely outcome.
New York Giants
LB Micah McFadden
McFadden quietly had a career year opposite Bobby Okereke in the middle of the Giants’ defense. He’s entering a contract year in 2025, set to earn $3.2M thanks to a Proven Performance Bonus. With Okereke accounting for $9M cash this coming season, NY may simply want to give a more inexpensive player a chance to develop into the role going forward.
New York Jets
RB Breece Hall
The Jets have a nice setup at the running back position with Hall, Braelon Allen, & Isaiah Davis - the latter two of which are under contract through 2027 on rookie deals. Hall is entering a contract year, and has salary escalated north of $3.2M thanks to a proven performance bonus. If he’s not in the Jets’ long-term plans, trying to find trade value this offseason makes sense.
Philadelphia Eagles
WR Jahan Dotson
Probably wishful-thinking here but the Eagles would probably love to have a portion of the 3rd & 2 7th round picks that they set to Washington to secure Dotson back. Was he the most ineffective WR3 in football last season? No, but the Eagles are certain to decline his 5th year option for 2026 this May, putting him on a 1 year, $2.75M fully guaranteed contract. It’s possible that Philly can find a team to swap a late round pick for a flier at that price.
Pittsburgh Steelers
WR George Pickens
The Steelers don’t have anything close to a viable replacement for Pickens in their system (yet), but it still feels as though a divorce could be imminent. Despite some internal struggles, Pickens has been largely productive (as per usual with Steelers WRs drafted in the 2nd or 3rd round). It stands to reason that Pittsburgh can shop the nearly 24-year-old this March, and use the compensation they receive to draft his replacement in April.
San Francisco 49ers
DE Leonard Floyd
If you’re wondering why this didn’t say Deebo Samuel, we’re just following the money here. The 49ers would LOSE $15.12M of cap space by trading Deebo before June 1st. He’s a release candidate until he’s not this March.
Floyd posted 9 sacks in 2024 and has averaged 10 sacks per year over the last 5 seasons. He’s also bounced around quite a bit, and is largely expected to play elsewhere in 2025 as well. With a non-guaranteed $7.95M remaining on this contract (plus incentives) it stands to reason that a cap-loaded team could find use for a player that has reached the QB so consistently throughout his career.
Seattle Seahawks
WR D.K. Metcalf
With Tyler Lockett certain to fall off of this roster in 2025 (at least under his current contract) it might seem reckless to consider the Seahawks moving on from Metcalf as well. But the 27-year-old is entering a contract year in 2025, set to earn $18M (non-guaranteed). He’s in the market for a $30M+ per year extension, and if Seattle is looking to reset the clock here, and give a larger role to Jaxon Smith-Njigba, there’s likely a hefty trade package to be had by shipping Metcalf out this March.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
RB Rachaad White
A 3rd round pick back in 2022, White was on track to be the primary back for this franchise after a stellar 2023 (1,500 yards from scrimmage, 9 TDs). The 5-tool player is entering a contract year in 2025, set to earn $3.2M thanks to a proven performance bonus. With Bucky Irving clearly in the driver’s seat going forward (and less expensive), there’s a team or two willing to listen on upgrading their RB-room with a versatile weapon such as White.
Tennessee Titans
OLB Harold Landry
The 2nd rounder out of Boston College is entering Year 4 of a 5 year, $87.5M total value contract in Tennessee and has reportedly been given the opportunity to seek a trade this March. The contract carries 2 years, $35M remaining, none of which is guaranteed, and Landry is coming off of a 9 sack, 71 tackle season for the Titans. There’s a multi-draft pick offer or two out there - especially if Landry doesn’t immediately require an updated contract.
Washington Commanders
DL Jonathan Allen
A #17 overall pick back in 2017, Allen is the longest-tenured member of this Commanders franchise not-named Tress Way, but that could be coming to an end in the next few weeks. The 30-year-old is entering a contract year in 2025, set to earn $16.3M against a $22.3M cap hit, and Washington has given his team permission to seek out a trade this March. With just $6M of dead cap on the books, Washington can free up (even more) significant cap space for league year.