There is a lot of activity ahead Free Agency and the opening of the new league year next week, including a big-name trade that sent Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery to the Houston Texans.
Could there be more just around the corner? We would be foolish to think that was the last high-profile trade of this offseason. There are bound to be other star names on the move. With that in mind, I’m suggesting five trades that would make sense in the coming weeks and months.
Of course, that doesn’t mean they are going to happen. But I could get behind these deals if they were to be sealed during the course of this offseason.
Maxx Crosby – Defensive End – Las Vegas Raiders to Chicago Bears
The five-time Pro Bowl defender is the most likely big name to be on the move this offseason. I get the impression that Maxx Crosby is beyond frustrated and is done with the perennial losing at the Raiders. Given that he turns 29 in August, he will want to move to a contender.
While Crosby would leave a huge hole in their defense, the Raiders know they are more than a year or two away from competing. So, they recognise the need to stockpile draft capital – and possibly a player or two – in exchange for one of the league’s most passionate and devastating tone-setters.
The Bears have their offensive weaponry in place. Now they need to address their 29th-ranked defense. Chicago recorded 35 sacks to rank 23rd in the NFL in 2025. They are a competitive playoff team right now, but the addition of a blue-chip pass rusher like Crosby could turn them into a Super Bowl squad.
Myles Garrett – Defensive End – Cleveland Browns to Buffalo Bills
The reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year was the focus of much trade talk this time last year and it seems less likely that he moves this time around after signing a huge contract extension with the Browns. But it would still make sense as Cleveland look to rebuild with young players.
Myles Garrett is the number one defender in the NFL, hands down. But the Browns have so many needs that it doesn’t really impact a season if their superstar is off the charts. The 2025 campaign is a perfect example – Garrett set a new single season record with 23 sacks and was largely unblockable. But Cleveland still won just five games.
Buffalo need to add more talent to their roster outside of quarterback Josh Allen and upgrading a defense that recorded just 36 sacks (20th in the NFL) a year ago could result in championship glory. No Bills player registered more than seven sacks in the entire 2025 campaign. Garrett is great enough to threaten such a number in a single game.
AJ Brown – Wide Receiver – Philadelphia Eagles to New England Patriots
There is no doubt that AJ Brown wants out of Philadelphia and wants to see more of the football in his new home. And the Eagles are going to be very willing to help him find a new adventure. Then they can wave goodbye to his sideline sulks and social media tantrums, opening a path for Devonta Smith to be their true number one.
Brown will turn 29 in June and it is entirely possible that his best football is behind him. But he has registered four straight 1,000-yard seasons and has topped that mark in six of his seven years in the league. So, he is a proven commodity.
And a couple of things Brown does really well – stretching the field and winning contested balls – would make him a great fit for the New England Patriots. They rolled the dice on a veteran receiver to work with the strong-armed Drake Maye last season and Stefon Diggs sort of worked out, until it didn’t down the stretch. I believe Brown would be a much greater success in Foxboro.
DJ Moore – Wide Receiver – Chicago Bears to Buffalo Bills
The Bills might not have the collateral to make this move if they have already swung for Myles Garrett, but let’s look at this one in isolation and imagine it’s the only trade Buffalo makes this offseason.
DJ Moore is a proven player and a Pro Bowler who continues to play at a high level. The Bills are crying out for wide receiver talent to help Josh Allen. Teaming the 29-year-old who can still get downfield with head coach Joe Brady (his old coordinator with the Carolina Panthers) would be an instant upgrade on throwing to the likes of Josh Palmer, Tyrell Shavers and Keon Coleman.
Moore is still valued by the Bears, but they are over the salary cap and he is set to cost them $28.5 million in 2026. And the passing game would still be successful with a more youthful feel with Caleb Williams throwing strikes to wide receivers Rome Odunze and Luther Burden, as well as tight end Colston Loveland. With tightening financial constraints, Moore could be expendable in the Windy City.
Kayvon Thibodeaux – Edge Rusher – New York Giants to Cincinnati Bengals
The fifth overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft has quickly played himself into a position where he is surplus to requirements in New York. Kayvon Thibodeaux has recorded just 23 ½ sacks in his four seasons with the Giants. A promising 2023 campaign in which he notched 11 ½ sacks has been followed by just eight quarterback takedowns spread over the next two years.
With Brian Burns and Abdul Carter occupying the edges and Dexter Lawrence in the middle, the Giants have enough to survive the departure of a defender who has failed to hit the expected heights.
It looks very much like the Cincinnati Bengals are going to let Trey Hendrickson depart via free agency. And that would leave them very thin on the league’s 31st-ranked defense. The pass rush would feel very young and unproven with Joseph Assai, Myles Murphy and Shemar Stewart leading the way. That is not going to be enough to appease a disgruntled and (quite rightly) demanding Joe Burrow. Thibodeaux may not be the answer, but I think he will be a low-cost gamble worth taking.