We are deep in the NFL offseason with minicamp currently taking place. The season is still nearly three months away, but there could still be some fireworks. Before the race to Super Bowl LXI begins, who are some of the most interesting NFL trade candidates?
Maxx Crosby is going to be on these kinds of lists all offseason. The Raiders already tried to trade the star edge rusher once before free agency. The Baltimore Ravens ultimately backed out of the deal due to a failed physical.
Crosby is coming off a season where he recorded 73 combined tackles, 45 solo, 28 tackles for loss (TFLs), and 10 sacks. His $29 million salary is fully guaranteed in 2027, and he’s owed $59 million over the next two seasons.
Crosby may not get moved before the season starts. His knee injury was severe enough to cause him to fail his physical with Baltimore. Teams might be cautious until they see how he can move. Now, if he looks good in any offseason training, it’s not impossible to see a move made.
What makes Josh Sweat such an intriguing trade prospect is the fact that he’s expressed unhappiness in Arizona. He didn’t appear for voluntary workouts, but did so for mandatory minicamp.
Sweat signed a four-year, $76.4 million deal with Arizona last offseason. He followed that up with a career-high 12 sacks, along with 30 combined tackles, 20 solo, and 13 TFLs.
If Sweat is traded, the Cardinals have to take a $22 million dead cap hit over the next two seasons. There are multiple teams that can use an edge rusher like him. The New England Patriots, Dallas Cowboys, or a reunion with the Philadelphia Eagles shouldn’t be entirely ruled out.
Speaking of the Patriots, they just acquired AJ Brown from the Eagles, and the receiver room is getting crowded. Aside from Brown, they have Demario Douglas, Romeo Doubs, and Kayshon Boutte. All of those guys have WR2 potential.
Boutte is the youngest of the bunch and still on his rookie contract. Teams have reportedly already reached out about his availability as well. He could make for a terrific duo with Brown if he’s not traded.
Over the past two seasons, Boutte has started 23 games, recording 76 catches for 1,140 yards and nine touchdowns. He’s been a great deep-ball threat for Drake Maye and has WR1 potential. A team like the Raiders could benefit greatly from his talent.
Every year without fail, Kayvon Thibodeaux has been a center of trade conversations in New York. The edge rusher has shown great potential, but hasn’t broken out the way the Giants had hoped.
New York drafted Abdul Carter last year, and it seemed he was in line as Thibodeaux’s replacement. Now they’re both on the roster, but depth isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Thibodeaux only played in 10 games last year, logging 25 combined tackles, 13 solo, five TFLs, and 2.5 sacks. He’s entering the fifth and final year of his rookie contract.
Injuries have hampered Thibodeaux’s potential. He hasn’t played a full season since 2023, when he recorded career highs in TFLs (12) and sacks (11.5). Someone with that kind of production is still valuable to an edge-needy team.
The Brandon Aiyuk saga has been extremely interesting. After vying for a new deal, he signed a four-year, $120 million contract in 2024. The 49ers voided his guaranteed $27 million from this season after he failed to meet contract requirements.
Aiyuk hasn’t played football since he tore his ACL, MCL, and meniscus in October of 2024. The Niners have expressed a willingness to trade him, but it doesn’t seem that teams are interested. Aiyuk is 28 years old; he hasn’t played in nearly two years, and his average salary is $30 million a year.
To make matters worse, there have been questions about Aiyuk’s rehabilitation efforts. His relationship with the team has soured, with him most recently addressing their canceled mandatory minicamp.
“Stop running from the belt… They gonna say ‘Oh yeah, B.A. did this, B.A. did that… They’re running from the belt that’s on the way. It’s inevitable.”
The drama between Aiyuk and the Niners may have left a bad taste in other general managers’ mouths. Before his injury, he had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons and 15 touchdowns in that span. It’s safe to say his abilities on the field aren’t the reason for a lack of phone calls.
Kyle Pitts may be the most enticing player on this list for a number of reasons. The Falcons’ tight end is entering his sixth NFL season under a one-year, $15 million extension. He’s seeking a long-term contract, but the team hasn’t exactly unlocked his potential.
Pitts was such a highly touted prospect that he was drafted fourth overall in 2021. He’s the highest-drafted tight end in NFL history. Through a carousel of QB play and some questionable coaching, his big breakout has become something of a joke among fans.
Pitts logged 1,026 receiving yards and one touchdown in his rookie year. While he hasn’t reached those yards again in 2025, he recorded career highs in targets (118), receptions (88), first downs (51), and touchdowns (five).
The Falcons have a QB battle going on right now between Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. They also just extended wide receiver Drake London, and star running back Bijan Robinson is in line for a deal of his own.
Pitts is still only 25 years old with a boatload of potential. Teams like the Patriots, Ravens, and Denver Broncos could be in the market for a tight end. If Pitts doesn’t receive a long-term deal over the summer, it could be a telling sign that Atlanta’s willing to move him.
We’ve already seen AJ Brown, Myles Garrett, and Trent McDuffie traded this offseason. Last year, the Dallas Cowboys waited until August to move star edge rusher Micah Parsons. Anything can happen in the NFL, and more blockbusters could still be on the way.
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