Trades are fun. They spark reaction and debate and often hope from a fan base. While they are growing in popularity in the NFL, they're not exactly everyday occurrences, though teams often will use August to make swaps involving players on the fringes of the roster.
Imaginary trades? I live and breathe them. No, they're not always likely to happen, but it's fun to think about how to improve two teams with one deal.
Now that we've established my love of imaginary trades, here are six hypothetical deals that make sense for both parties. A few involve players who have asked to be traded, and others include players who might not make the final 53-man roster cuts. Let's start with a deal for a frustrated defender who could get back a first-round pick:
Saints add one of the NFL's best cornerbacks
New Orleans Saints get: CB Xavien Howard, 2023 conditional fifth-round pick
Miami Dolphins get: 2022 first-round pick
Howard formally requested a trade last month, putting the spotlight on a potential deal for one of the league's best defenders. He's due $49.35 million over the next four years, but the Dolphins have thus far been unwilling to acquiesce to Howard's financial desires after inking him to a five-year, $75.25 million extension in 2019. Howard's frustration stems in part from the fact that he's not even the highest-paid cornerback on the team (that's Byron Jones, who signed in free agency last year). To be clear, this deal hurts Miami's roster talent, but these situations can get a little sticky when a team and a star are not seeing eye to eye.
For New Orleans, the move is logical on multiple levels: Howard fills what is the team's greatest need at the moment (cornerback depth) and allows the team to perpetuate its win-now M.O. that will not wither as it moves on to life after Drew Brees. Howard, at 28, is in his prime years, and he would immediately upgrade the Saints' defense.
It's worth noting that Howard's unhappiness with his deal likely won't dissolve just by his playing for a new team, so the Saints would have to sign him to a lucrative adjusted contract to make this work. They have their own star cornerback in Marshon Lattimore who is just a year away from being a free agent, so negotiating those two deals in a relatively short window could create a challenging dynamic. That being said, anyone who knows the Saints knows that the next hour of sleep general manager Mickey Loomis and salary-cap guru Khai Harley lose over the cap will be the first.
The 2023 draft pick is included because New Orleans not only is trading for Howard but also will have to give him a substantial payday.
Jets add insurance behind their quarterback of the future
New York Jets get: QB Nick Foles, 2022 sixth-round pick; the Bears would also have to agree to convert Foles' fully guaranteed $4 million 2022 roster bonus into a signing bonus, paid out before the execution of the trade
Chicago Bears get: 2022 sixth-round pick
The Jets' quarterback depth chart at quarterback beyond rookie Zach Wilson is James Morgan, Mike White and just-signed veteran journeyman Josh Johnson. Morgan and White have very little NFL game experience, and Johnson isn't likely to make much of an impact, which means the duo behind Wilson is one of the least experienced in the league. Foles, meanwhile, is firmly entrenched as Chicago's third-string quarterback. While the Jets previously have noted that offseason reps were essential for the young signal-callers on the roster, Foles would add a layer of stability that could have an impact on Wilson's development. Foles, of course, is comfortable being in a non-starting role and would give New York a more-than-capable fill-in.
For Chicago, there is no trap door to escape all of what is still fully guaranteed to Foles: $9 million in the form of his 2021 salary ($4 million), 2022 roster bonus ($4 million) and 2022 salary ($1 million). If the Bears were to simply cut Foles -- it seems untenable to have him on the roster as a third-string quarterback -- the team would incur $9 million in dead money this year and receive a cap credit for 2022 based off Foles' earnings with another team (in this scenario, however, another team would most likely offer Foles a minimum deal because of his earnings from Chicago).
This is a long way of saying: It won't be easy to offload Foles, but this structure saves Chicago $5 million in 2022. The draft capital is essentially negligible but is used to facilitate the deal. In sum, the Jets would owe Foles $8 million over two years, a fair amount for a player who would be one of the league's top backups.
Jaguars add a veteran weapon to help their rookie quarterback
Jacksonville Jaguars get: TE Zach Ertz
Philadelphia Eagles get: Conditional 2022 fifth-round pick (can become a third- or fourth-round pick based on production)
There's no mystery surrounding Ertz's preference to be traded away from Philly, as he's been the subject of speculation throughout the offseason. With Dallas Goedert available to step into a more primary tight end role and a youth movement in some spots of the roster, the Eagles will have a new look under coach Nick Sirianni. Ertz is due $8.5 million this year, which Philly would accumulate in cap and cash savings in any deal that is executed. The draft pick adds to the Eagles' treasure trove of 2022 selections.
Jacksonville's group of pass-catching tight ends is about as slim as you'll find in the league, making any potential upgrade a worthwhile exploration. Thirty-year-old Ertz is coming off a disappointing season in which he posted career lows in yards, yards per catch and touchdowns, but it's impossible to dismiss the context surrounding the dreadful 2020 Philly offense that played some part in that. He's an exceptional pro and would help the Jacksonville culture as it begins the Trevor Lawrence era.
The trade being predicated around a conditional pick gives Philly a chance for the upside and mitigates the risk for Jacksonville.
Patriots, Cardinals swap underachieving wideouts
New England Patriots get: WR Andy Isabella
Arizona Cardinals get: WR N'Keal Harry
Harry, New England's 2019 first-round pick, has requested a trade after two disappointing campaigns to begin his career. The big wideout has struggled to create separation and be a force after the catch; he looks like a fringe player to even make the team's roster. Isabella, a fellow 2019 pick, is a speedy but undersized receiver who has had scant production during his two years in Arizona.
This deal essentially amounts to hoping that a change of scenery will serve both parties well, with a hat tip to colleague Mike Reiss, who has previously pondered a similar concept in his exemplary coverage of the Patriots. While Arizona would take on more financial commitment in this deal -- Harry is owed $3.2 million over the next two years to Isabella's $2.1 million -- Harry has shown a little more thus far, and neither is due such a large amount that it dramatically impacts either team's cap outlook.
Harry would have to earn his keep in Arizona and battle his way into the fourth receiver role, but there are veteran mentors in A.J. Green and DeAndre Hopkins who could provide the spark in a return to near where he played his best ball in college at Arizona State. Isabella's path to the Patriots' roster also isn't without obstacles, but the grass is sometimes greener elsewhere.
Bengals add a reliable linebacker who wanted to be traded
Cincinnati Bengals get: LB Jordan Hicks
Arizona Cardinals get: 2022 sixth-round pick
Hicks has already been granted permission to seek a trade after agreeing to a reworked contract earlier this offseason that pays him a base salary of $2 million with $1 million more available via per-game roster bonuses (46-man and 53-man). He finds himself on the outside looking in of the Cardinals' starting defense after the organization has used first-round picks in back-to-back years (Zaven Collins in 2021, Isaiah Simmons in 2020).
For Cincinnati, the addition of Hicks would allow the team to beef up an area that is one of its biggest needs right now. The Bengals have invested some recent draft capital into the position (Germaine Pratt, Logan Wilson and Akeem Davis-Gaither), but a veteran presence would help augment the group during a season in which improved results are needed for the franchise. While Hicks' game favors his run-stuffing aptitude over playing in space as a coverage player, he's an experienced and reliable player who would bring leadership to the middle of the defense.
Rams add running back help with a former first-round pick
Los Angeles Rams get: RB Sony Michel
New England Patriots get: 2022 fifth-round pick
The Rams have made it clear that their initial route to replacing running back Cam Akers -- who tore his Achilles last month and will miss the season -- will be to look in-house, with the team focusing on Darrell Henderson and Xavier Jones as the top options. Coach Sean McVay has already noted that Henderson is unlikely to play in the preseason after he dealt with an ankle injury last season, which reinforces the need for a potential depth boost. Although Michel has dealt with his own set of injury issues during his career, he had a solid 2020 season, averaging 5.7 yards per attempt on 79 carries. He's a hard-charging, decisive runner and just 26 years old with one year left on his contract.
The Patriots' running back depth chart might just be one player too large right now, with Damien Harris entrenched as the top back and fourth-round rookie Rhamondre Stevenson added in the draft. Factor in ever-dependable James White, special teams ace Brandon Bolden and talented second-year pro J.J. Taylor, and it seems likely that one of these six players will be squeezed at the trim to 53 players later this month. Michel would fit a need for the Rams and the move would supply New England with more 2022 draft capital.