The NFL season is in the books (for most of the teams anyway). Teams will get their coaching staffs in order first, then it’s on to improving the roster. That can be through the draft, free agency, or trades. It’s always tough to forecast what players sign or get drafted by a certain team. Identifying players who can be traded this offseason is more difficult. Identifying the team that will trade for them… you’re throwing darts at a dartboard. If anyone says the saw AJ Brown getting traded to the Eagles in 2021, they’re either super tied in or lying. The point is, identifying players who can be traded this offseason is a tall task. But I think this will be a busy offseason for big named players moving on to different teams.
Last offseason there weren’t a ton of big names getting delt. But go back to the 2022 offseason and it was fast and furious. It was the offseason of wide receivers on the move; Tyreek Hill to Miami, Davante Adam to Las Vegas, and the aforementioned AJ Brown move to Philadelphia. Going into the 2024 offseason it feels like there are some big named players that could be delt. Teams are always looking to retool on the fly. And expiring contracts are a great asset to have to acquire future or immediate returns. Players could also be looking for a move in search of a new contract or to get on a team that is closer to winning it all. Here’s who I’ve identified.
QB Justin Fields (Chicago Bears)
(Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images)
This one all comes down to what the Bears decide to do with the #1 overall pick in the Draft. If the Bears keep it they will go with one of the quarterbacks coming out, likely Caleb Williams, and they will have to move Fields. Fields was the 11th pick in the 2021 draft so a team that acquires him will have to pick up his 5th year option on his rookie deal, and likely be signing up for an extension as well.
WR Stefon Diggs (Buffalo Bills)
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Diggs has been at the center of a lot of drama in Buffalo over the last two seasons. Especially last offseason. Diggs started 2023 off on a torrid pace. However once Joe Brady took over as OC, Diggs production dropped off tremendously. Diggs is still under contract for the next 4 seasons, so a team trading for him would be signing up for a long-term relationship. But there is an out in his contract after next season. Maybe this offseason the Bills come to the conclusion that the juice is no longer worth the squeeze.
WR AJ Brown (Philadelphia Eagles)
(Photo by Jane Gershovich/Getty Images)
This would shock the football world. But hear me out. The Eagles season ended in an all-time collapse. There was a ton of reports about the team being fractured at the end of the season. AJ Brown was visably frustrated multiple times on the side line. And reports after the season are saying that QB Jalen Hurts has lost part of the locker room. I am not saying AJ Brown is part of the locker room that doesn’t believe in Jalen Hurts anymore. But it also wouldn’t shock me if Brown was on that side of the room. He’s got 2 years left on his deal that he signed when he got traded to the Eagles 2 years ago.
QB Mac Jones (New England Patriots)
(Photo by Winslow Townson/Getty Images)
Mac Jones looked like a broken player in 2023. He looks like a shell of the player that came into the league and had a good rookie season. There will be a coach that looks at the 2021 tape and think they can get him back to that form and beyond. The reports out of Foxboro after the season are that Mac has lost the locker room. It would be great for all parties to make this offseason a clean break and move on.
WR Jerry Jeudy (Denver Broncos)
(Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Jeudy has not lived up to his draft position. After being selected 15th overall in the 2020 draft, Jeudy’s best year came in 2022 when he had 972 yards on 67 receptions and 6 touchdowns. Not great numbers for a guy taken in the 1st round. Especially when you look at how many 1,000 yard receivers there are in today’s football. He hasn’t had great quarterback play during his time in Denver, and I’m sure a team will see the talent he had coming out of Alabama and think they can get the best out of him.
DE Joey Bosa (Los Angeles Chargers)
(Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images)
Bosa is a great player when he is healthy and on the field. However that has not been the case the last two seasons. He has missed 20 of the Chargers 34 regular season games. Bosa has two years remaining on his contract, and with Jim Harbaugh calling the shots now it might just be time to move on. Especially since Bosa is an Ohio State alum.
