NFL Analysis
8/29/24
7 min read
NFL Trade Ideas That Would Be Win-Win For Both Teams Before 2024 Season
The 2024 NFL season gets underway next Thursday, leaving teams a limited number of days to improve their roster. Creating win-win trades is difficult since draft picks don't help a team's immediate outlook. However, we're here to help a few franchises find the right trade partner and package to make a win-win deal.
Each of these deals maximizes the return for a quality player, makes sense from a financial standpoint, and helps each team reach its goal in 2024 and beyond. Will we see any of these deals? Hopefully, we will because the real winners will be the fans who enjoy better football teams.
Trade Ideas Ahead of 2024 NFL Season
Here are five of our favorite win-win NFL trade ideas.
Titans Trade Treylon Burks to Falcons
Trade details: Falcons acquire WR Treylon Burks, Titans acquire 2025 5th-round pick
The Tennessee Titans landed LB Ernest Jones from the Rams, who was a great addition to their defense. By moving off Treylon Burks, they could get some of the draft equity they lost in that deal back.
The 2022 first-round pick has not found his stride in a run-heavy offense, and he's now buried on the depth chart once the Titans get healthier.
Burks is a great athlete but an inconsistent football player. After losing Rondale Moore to a season-ending injury in the preseason, Atlanta has to take whatever it can get to upgrade its WR3 situation for Kirk Cousins. With new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson, the Falcons should run a creative offense that can manufacture advantageous touches for Burks like the Rams did when Robinson was on their staff.
The other options for Atlanta are shockingly bad. Burks can at least play a role on a team with playoff expectations.
49ers Swap Brandon Aiyuk for Terry McLaurin
Trade details: Commanders acquire WR Brandon Ayiuk, 49ers acquire WR Terry McLaurin, 2026 4th-round pick
The Brandon Aiyuk saga continues, and CeeDee Lamb's huge new deal won't help San Francisco hammer anything out. The 49ers have to take care of Trent Williams, and it's hard to imagine they can maximize Aiyuk's value when their offense runs through Christian McCaffrey and Deebo Samuel before Aiyuk. Inherently, it does not make sense to give Aiyuk top receiver money when he's not the unit's focal point.
Moving Aiyuk, though, makes the team worse right now. They'll have to get a high-end receiver in return. Washington makes the most sense, as they have Terry McLaurin.
Aiyuk turning Diggs pic.twitter.com/2fbrBVJWAD
— Billy M (@BillyM_91) January 16, 2022
Some will ask why Washington wouldn't just keep McLaurin to pair him with Aiyuk, but Scary Terry won't be happy if a newcomer gets a bigger contract than what he has. McLaurin is two years older than Aiyuk, so Washington can easily justify giving up the player, an additional draft pick, and a huge contract for the younger, better option.
In return, the 49ers get a speedster who would thrive in a healthier offense with other playmakers to take the attention off him.
Raiders Send Davante Adams to the Lions
Trade details: Lions acquire WR Davante Adams, Raiders acquire WR Jameson Williams, 2025 2nd-round pick
Everyone wants to see Davante Adams on the Jets, and the idea of pairing Aaron Rodgers with a familiar face in Adams makes sense. But the Detroit Lions are America's team right now, so putting the 31-year-old on the league's most fun offense is a better fit. Detroit should be all-in, and its WR2 situation isn't up to snuff for a Super Bowl run.
Adams is still incredibly good despite his age. He has four straight 1,100-yard and eight-plus touchdown seasons despite playing in Las Vegas for the last two years. We need to save Adams from playing in Vegas for another year, and Detroit's explosive offense is the best way to maximize the rest of his career.
Detroit's cap situation is healthy enough to absorb Adams' $16 million base salary right now, and then minor trimming in the future makes this a palatable deal. He has $0 in guarantees beyond this season, so a restructuring could also make his contract more favorable.
In return, the Raiders clear off $17.5 million in 2024, then more than $36 million in 2025 and 2026. Taking a flier on Jameson Williams is what gets this deal across the finish line.
Cowboys Roll the dice on Israel Abanikanda
Trade details: Cowboys acquire RB Israel Abanikanda, Jets acquire 2025 6th-round pick
The Dallas Cowboys have the NFL's worst running back room. Trading for Israel Abanikanda doesn't completely resolve that issue, but the electric slasher would add much-needed juice to the run game. As of now, Ezekiel Elliott will soak up early-down snaps, and then it's up to the uninspiring duo of Rico Dowdle and Deuce Vaughn for explosive plays.
Instead, Abanikanda can be this team's 2022 version of Tony Pollard. Abanikanda has routinely created chunk plays since his days at Pitt, and this preseason has highlighted his ability to sprint into the open field. He averaged 6.1 yards per carry, totaling 129 yards on 21 carries with two touchdowns.
New York Jets 2023 Round 5 RB Israel Abanikanda led all running backs in PFF rushing grade this preseason.
— Jacob Gibbs (@jagibbs_23) August 26, 2024
You can watch all 23 preseason touches for the Year 2 RB here: pic.twitter.com/FErCrG0O10
New York could use the playmaking but has continued to throw assets at the running back position despite having Abanikanda. 2024 rookies Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis are more recent investments and are projected for specific roles. Trading for Abanikanda shouldn't cost much since he'll be on the roster bubble.
Browns Add Velus Jones from Chicago
Trade details: Browns acquire RB Velus Jones, Bears acquire 2025 6th-round pick (via MIN)
Similar to the Jets' situation with Abanikanda, it's hard for teams to carry four or more backs into the regular season. The Chicago Bears are facing this with Velus Jones, who they converted from wide receiver to running back this offseason. Jones has been fantastic in the preseason, ranking third in rushing yards and averaging 6.3 yards per carry.
.@VelusJr weaves his way 39 yards for the TD ⚡️
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) August 23, 2024
📺: FOX32 pic.twitter.com/stguYQKTGV
However, behind D'Andrew Swift, Khalil Herbert, and Roschon Johnson, it's hard to find playing time for the 2022 third-round pick. His versatility to be the team's fifth receiver and special teamer could keep him safe, but he's clearly not that valuable to this regime. Instead, Chicago can net an asset for him.
Cleveland would be a natural landing spot since Nick Chubb will start the season on the PUP list. Jerome Ford and Pierre Strong Jr were nothing special in his place last year, and D'Onta Foreman has already suffered a few injuries in the preseason. Jones could compete for snaps right away and cost the Browns next to nothing.
