NFL Trade Rumors: 5 Blockbuster trades the NFL needs in 2020 offseason
By Joe Kipp
NFL teams are always looking to bolster their rosters through whatever means possible. Here are five trades the NFL needs in the 2020 offseason.
In recent years, the NFL has become a non-stop cycle of news and developments. And that’s exactly how the league wants it. The NFL wants to keep its fans engaged with a vested interest throughout the offseason, whether that be through free agency, the NFL Draft, player engagement, charity events or, yes, crazy blockbuster trades.
The point is that the league has become a year-round sport without actually being year-round. The actual season may only be five months long, but fans have several reasons to pay attention to their favorite teams for most of the calendar year.
The NFL never used to be a league that experienced blockbuster trades. A key reason for this is the massive inherent risk involved. Take the Vikings’ trade for running back Herschel Walker for example. Minnesota traded four players and eight draft picks (three first-rounders) to acquire Walker and four additional draft picks from the Cowboys back in 1989.
Spoiler alert: the Cowboys won the trade. It helped spark a dynasty in the early 1990s, leading to three Super Bowl victories in the process. Since then, the NFL has rarely seen these types of trades.
That was, until the recent trend involving the current collective bargaining agreement between the NFL and the Players’ Association. With the way rookie contracts are scaled, many teams are taking the route of acquiring known commodities in the form of experienced veterans. This allows teams to stock up on talent while other key contributors are still on cheap, rookie contracts.
Some recent examples of this philosophy include the Rams acquiring cornerback Jalen Ramsey, the Browns acquiring receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and the Texans acquiring offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil. All trades involved first-round draft selections.
The NFL could use another blockbuster trade this offseason to stay in the spotlight. Here are five potential blockbuster trades that could happen in the 2020 offseason.