The 2024 NFL Off-season is upon us, and we couldn’t be more excited!
With the big splash free agent signings, the Draft, and of course the big trades across the NFL, the off-season provides us with so much speculation and enthusiasm for the upcoming season.
Let’s take a look at some of the better trades so far this off-season and see who came out better as a result and then rank them. Here are the 10 Best Trades in the 2024 NFL Off-season so far.
#10: Mac Jones to Jacksonville
Ever since being drafted as Tom Brady’s replacement in New England back in 2021 by then Head Coach and GM Bill Belichick, Mac Jones had a very promising start in his rookie year, throwing for 3,801 passing yards and 22 touchdowns and earning a Pro Bowl nod in the process.
Things only went south from there as the next 2 seasons would not only see the young signal-caller struggle with moving the offense but even to the point of getting benched in 2023 and replaced by QB Bailey Zappe, who didn’t fare much better.
Mac Jones was then traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2024 for just a 6th-round pick in the 2024 Draft.
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A change of scenery and a new offensive-minded head coach in Doug Pederson could be what Jones needs to return to rookie form during training camp and the preseason.
The Jaguars could also be playing 4-D chess here as they could trade him to a QB-needy team if he shows promise during the preseason games. And all they had to give up was a 6th to the Patriots? Nice job Jags.
#9: Jerry Jeudy sent to Cleveland
WR Jerry Jeudy was praised as a star receiver in the making after being drafted 15th overall by the Denver Broncos.
Unfortunately, he’s suffered season after season of dropped passes and poor quarterback play in his 5-year tenure with the team, making him look like a possible bust.
The Broncos sent Jeudy to the Cleveland Browns for a 5th and 6th-round pick. He then signed a 3-year $58 million deal and is looking to rejuvenate his career under Coach of the Year Kevin Stefanski and QB Deshaun Watson.
Keep an out for this duo as they along with star WR Amari Cooper could become a potent receiving duo if Watson returns to form and is fully recovered from his shoulder injury by the start of the season.
#8: Sam Howell to the Seahawks
A 5th-round pick from the 2022 Draft, QB Sam Howell showed a live arm and running capabilities with the Commanders once he became the starter in 2023.
However, this didn’t lead to many wins, as his gunslinger style of play along with his tendency to hold on to the ball too long if his options weren’t open led to 21 interceptions and 65 sacks, leading the league in both categories.
This was obviously motivation for the team to start fresh with a new young quarterback. So, in preparation for the 2024 QB-filled draft class with the 2nd overall pick, the Commanders decided to ship him to the Seahawks along with 4th & 6th round picks in exchange for a 3rd and a 5th.
This might work out for Seattle in the long run as current QB Geno Smith is on the wrong side of 30 and his age has shown from time to time.
Howell may become his eventual replacement with new head coach Mike MacDonald and a young offensive core featuring Pro Bowler WR DK Metcalf, TE Noah Fant, and RB Kenneth Walker III along with Super Bowl champion WR Tyler Lockett to help Howell become a smarter passer with his new team.
#7: Joe Mixon the new Texan
RB Joe Mixon has played at a high level with the Cincinnati Bengals, passing 1,000 rushing yards in 4 of his 7 years with the team and playing in Super Bowl LVI (56) where he threw a touchdown for the first time in his professional career.
Unfortunately, the cap-strapped Bengals needed to open up some cap space, initially making Mixon a cap casualty before they found a suitor in the Houston Texans for just a 7th-round pick.
Mixon signed a 3-year $27 million deal through 2026 the next day and is now on an up-and-coming young Texans team that could become a perennial playoff contender with their current young core of rookie phenoms in QB CJ Stroud and WR Tank Dell.
Could we be on the verge of witnessing the next big offensive trio in the NFL? Stay tuned Houston!
#6: Pickett heads to Philly
The Steelers made the wise choice at drafting legendary QB Ben Roethlisberger’s replacement in Pitt’s QB Kenny Pickett back in 2022.
His play under coach Mike Tomlin has been mediocre at best, throwing 2,404 yards and only 7 touchdowns in his rookie year and then getting injured in week 13 the following season, losing his starting title after week 18 in the process to fellow QB Mason Rudolph.
The Steelers decided to ship Pickett to the neighboring Eagles along with a 4th-round pick for a 3rd and two 7th-rounders in 2025.
The Eagles have a much more active offense and can provide Pickett plenty of growth as Pro Bowl QB Jalen Hurts’ backup.
The Steelers will take their chances with QB’s Russell Wilson and Justin Fields for the foreseeable future. More on Fields later on.
#5: A Donte for a Diontae
The Pittsburgh Steelers were very active this offseason, opting to trade young WR Diontae Johnson for veteran CB Donte Jackson from the Panthers, including a swap of a 6th-round pick for a 7th.
The Panthers needed help at wideout after the disastrous rookie year first overall pick QB Bryce Young endured, and Pittsburgh needed some viable help in the secondary.
Jackson has been a ball-hawk, racking up 14 interceptions since being drafted in 2018 and now joins a hard-nosed secondary that includes All-Pro Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick.
Meanwhile, Johnson has the opportunity to refresh his game after accumulating only one 1,000-yard yard season in 2021 and an NFL record for most receptions in a season without catching a TD in 2022.
This kind of trade can only bode well for both sides.
#4: Ravens send Morgan Moses to the Big Apple
Offensive linemen don’t usually get that much spotlight, but OT Morgan Moses deserves praise for his longevity.
Ever since winning the Right Tackle spot in Washington back in 2015, he has started in every game except 1 for the then Redskins, Jets, Ravens, and now the Jets again.
The Ravens lost multiple players this offseason and also needed to make some cap space. By sending Moses to the Jets with a 4th round pick for their 4th and 6th round picks in exchange, Moses now finds himself in a great position to play for two talented offensive lines with MVP quarterbacks in Lamar Jackson and now Aaron Rodgers in back-to-back years.
Don’t be fooled by such a high ranking for a Right Tackle. The domino effect for both teams will be more beneficial than at first glance thanks to this trade.
#3: Keenan Allen to Chicago
Keenan Allen will go down as one of the greatest receivers to ever play the sport.
In 11 seasons with the Chargers, he’s accumulated multiple WR rookie records, and multiple Chargers records, including being one of only 2 Chargers ever to accrue 10,000 yards in their career with the team.
He’s also got the 2017 Comeback Player of the Year and 6 Pro Bowl selections to his name.
And now the prolific wide receiver will take his talents and leadership to a Chicago Bears team in desperate need of relevancy in the tough NFC North.
LA had to send Allen in a salary cap move for just a 4th round pick, a steal for the Bears and a huge loss for the Bolts.
With USC top draft prospect Caleb Williams most likely the Bears’ choice at 1st overall in this year’s draft, he’ll have one of the best wide receivers of all time to score with.
#2: Steelers get Fields
We told you we’d get to this one. QB Justin Fields has had a pretty rough going with the Chicago Bears, who traded up to draft him 20th overall in the 2021 Draft.
After his forgettable rookie season, Fields opened the eyes of the NFL when his rushing prowess was highlighted against the Dolphins, breaking Michael Vick’s 20-year record for most rushing yards by QB with 178 yards on the ground and then repeating the dual-threat attack the following week against the Lions, becoming the first QB to rush for at least 140 yards in consecutive games.
Despite those accomplishments coming in losses, Fields potential put him on the map as an intriguing dual-threat option. But due to his league-leading sacks and fumbles in 2022 and his career-best season the following year still leading to just a 7-10 record for the Bears, his future was uncertain until the Steelers called to add him to their new-look offense for 2024.
All the Steelers had to give up was a conditional 6th-round pick that can become a 4th in 2025 if things work out with Fields in Pittsburgh.
The Bears get to start over with a highly touted QB prospect with new weapons on the roster while the Steelers have their QB room situated for the next few years under acclaimed head coach Mike Tomlin.
#1: Giants get Burns
The Giants scored a massive upgrade on their defensive line by trading for Panther’s franchise-tagged Pro-Bowl EDGE Brian Burns, a man with tenacity and durability to his name, something the Giants needed.
The Panthers gave up Burns along with a 5th round pick in exchange for a 2nd and 5th in this year’s draft along with a conditional 5th in the 2025 draft.
Burns has 2 Pro Bowl nods and has wreaked havoc on QBs since entering the league in 2019, accruing 46 sacks across 5 seasons and hasn’t slowed down since.
The Panthers without a 1st round pick this year needed some help with picks, and this was their best option, now holding the 1st and 7th picks in the 2nd round of the draft.
Both teams suffered major losses to their rosters this off-season but benefited from a pretty fair trade in our eyes.
