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- Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The 2022 NFL offseason has
already seen several trades occur, and more may very well be coming within the months ahead.
There are several high-profile
players who may very well be available after requesting a trade, falling out of favor
with their current teams or would return draft capital for a rebuilding
squad.
With that in mind, here’s a take a look at five top trade targets—listed in alphabetical order—and where they might land if dealt.
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Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty ImagesThe Dallas Cowboys receiving corps has been gutted this offseason. Trades, injuries and free agency took a toll on what was
one in every of the league’s deepest groups last 12 months.
While the Cowboys still have CeeDee Lamb as their No. 1 wideout
and promising rookie Jalen Tolbert behind him, there may be a critical lack of
depth. That might change if the club engineers a trade with the
Recent England Patriots to amass Nelson Agholor.
The receivers room in Recent England has gotten a bit crowded
this offseason after the franchise landed veteran DeVante Parker in a trade and drafted a promising second-round prospect in Tyquan Thornton.
With Jakobi Meyers and Kendrick Bourne returning to round
out the receiving corps, Agholor may very well be the odd man out.
The 29-year-old didn’t live as much as expectations in 2021. He only caught 37 passes for 473 yards and three scores after signing a two-year, $22 million contract.
Agholor is only a season faraway from a career-best
showing with the Las Vegas Raiders, nonetheless. He reeled in 48 receptions for 896
yards and eight touchdowns in 2020 and will get
back to that form with a change of scenery.
The Cowboys would offer ample opportunity. Even with Michael Gallup and James Washington returning this season, Agholor
could provide big-play capabilities for a unit that’s one injury away from a full-blown crisis.
Remember Gallup remains to be recovering from a torn ACL suffered late last season, while Washington will miss six-to-10 weeks after fracturing his foot in practice Aug. 1.
Given Agholor’s expiring contract and Recent England’s logjam on the
position, it shouldn’t take way more than a Day 3 pick to get the Patriots to maneuver
on from the wideout.
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Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty ImagesWith Baker Mayfield seemingly well
on his way to earning the Carolina Panthers’ QB1 gig, the
team will soon need to work out what to do with incumbent starter Sam Darnold.
The Panthers kicked the tires on Darnold last 12 months after the signal-caller had three
disappointing seasons with the Recent York Jets. Unfortunately, they didn’t get
much out of him.
Darnold went just 4-7 as a starter, passing for two,527 yards
and nine touchdowns against 13 interceptions. He cost three draft picks, including a 2022 second-rounder, which is capital Carolina will struggle to recoup in a trade.
The Seattle Seahawks may have the ability to get a bargain for a quarterback
who remains to be only 25 years old and has some upside remaining.
Seattle made the franchise-altering decision to deal Russell
Wilson to the Denver Broncos this offseason. Although Drew Lock and Geno Smith are competing to fill the role
in training camp, neither is a viable long-term starter.
Darnold would give the Seahawks a probability at
unearthing a franchise QB during a rebuilding 12 months. If he can stay healthy—he has yet to play a full NFL season—and reach the ceiling
that made him the No. 3 pick in 2018, there may be a probability he’ll emerge as a viable starter.
With weapons like DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett surrounding
him, Darnold could finally find sustained success. Though there may be a superb probability the quarterback doesn’t realize his potential, for a
late-round pick at most, it is a trade price making for the Seahawks.
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Ronald Martinez/Getty ImagesThe San Francisco 49ers have been looking for a taker
for Jimmy Garoppolo for months. While there was little interest up to now, that
could soon change with him clear to play following a recovery from shoulder surgery.
The Detroit Lions may emerge as a contender for a healthy Garoppolo’s services.
They’re one in every of the more intriguing up-and-coming squads
within the league. While the Lions have been inept for years, team brass
has quietly assembled a promising young roster with several playmakers on each
sides of the ball.
The one glaring hole is under center. The
team relied on Jared Goff as its QB1 last 12 months after the No. 1 overall pick in
2016 got here over as a part of the Los Angeles Rams’ trade package for Matthew
Stafford.
Goff went just 3-10-1 within the Motor City and doesn’t look like the
long-term fix for the Lions’ QB woes.
Garoppolo represents a significant upgrade as a proven winner. The
eight-year veteran boasts a 33-14 record and has reached the conference
championship game in each of his last two healthy seasons. He’s amassed nearly 12,000 passing yards and thrown
71 touchdowns against 38 interceptions since entering the league.
The prices of acquiring him can be low. Although the Lions would need to tackle his $24.2 million base salary,
a conditional Day 3 pick was enough for the Panthers to get Baker Mayfield
from the Cleveland Browns, and an analogous offer would likely work for Garoppolo.
He may not take Detroit to the Super Bowl immediately, but securing Garoppolo and keeping him around on a
long-term extension would cross off the most important to-do item on the team’s rebuilding list.
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Nick Cammett/Getty ImagesKareem Hunt made it clear he wasn’t blissful with the Browns this week, opening the door for his potential exit.
ESPN
reported Sunday that the running back asked to be traded after failing to get a
contract extension. The Browns denied Hunt’s request, however the club may relent given it’s already coping with questions over Deshaun Watson’s personal-conduct policy suspension.
One team that Hunt could get dealt to is the one
that he emerged as a star with: the Kansas City
Chiefs.
Hunt burst onto the scene as a third-round rookie in 2017, tallying 246 yards from scrimmage and three scores in his first game. It was step one toward a 1,782-yard, 11-score campaign and his lone
Pro Bowl appearance.
Hunt was eventually cut from the team in 2018 after TMZ published footage that appeared to point out Hunt kick and shove a lady during an argument. The running back served an eight-game suspension, but he wasn’t charged despite the girl telling police she desired to press charges.
Hunt voluntarily underwent treatment and counseling throughout the NFL’s investigation into the allegations against him. There have been no reports of him being in trouble since that time, so it seems possible the Chiefs may consider his return.
The 27-year-old hasn’t reached his same levels of success since exiting Kansas City but there may be an actual opportunity for him to thrive with the 2022 version of the Chiefs in the event that they are willing to take him back.
Kansas City appears to be lacking a playmaking running back. 2020
first-round pick Clyde Edwards-Helaire has did not live as much as expectations
and is at risk of being a bust. The club also parted ways with versatile
pass-catcher Tyreek Hill this offseason, leaving the 120 touches he got last
12 months up for grabs.
If the Chiefs wish to maintain their streak of 4 consecutive
AFC Championship Game appearances alive, they’d be sensible to think about
flipping a middle-round pick to the Browns for the dynamic back.
Even when it only amounts to a one-year rental—Hunt is within the
final season of a two-year, $12 million contract—it
would higher position Kansas City to compete in what has change into a way more
daunting AFC West.
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Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty ImagesThe Recent England Patriots declined to retain longtime linebacker Dont’a Hightower this offseason. They might opt to get younger and faster on the position
by trading for Roquan Smith.
Smith publicly demanded a trade Tuesday, releasing a written statement
that detailed his frustration with the Chicago Bears.
The 25-year-old has been
in search of an extension as he prepares for the ultimate 12 months on his rookie contract but believes his current employer has “refused to barter in good faith” and that the “recent front-office regime doesn’t value me here.”
Although general manager Ryan Poles has said the club is working to
retain 2018’s No. 8 overall pick, this example could also be irreparable.
The Patriots are an intriguing landing spot for Smith given
their need for a talent of his caliber. The team has a wealthy history of off-ball
linebackers thriving under head coach Bill Belichick.
Recent England has some expendable talent along with draft
picks that might entice Chicago.
Nelson Agholor would give the Bears the form of receiver
they direly have to foster the event of second-year quarterback Justin
Fields. The Patriots already sent a failed first-round pick in Harry N’Keal to the Windy City earlier within the
offseason, however the reclamation project has an extended option to go before he proves to
be precious depth behind Darnell Mooney.
If Recent England is confident in its offensive line depth, offering tackle Isaiah Wynn could get the Bears to bite.
Wynn moved from left
to right tackle during training camp but still represents a large upgrade on
either side of Chicago’s line. Pro Football Focus projected the Bears to have the second-worst performance within the offensive
trenches in 2022 if a move is not made.
