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10 wild NFL trades that could down down during free agency frenzy

By Sayre Bedinger

NFL trade rumors: Trey Lance #5 of the San Francisco 49ers looks to pass the ball against the Seattle Seahawks during the first quarter at Levi's Stadium on September 18, 2022 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
NFL trade rumors: Trey Lance #5 of the San Francisco 49ers looks to pass the ball against the Seattle Seahawks during the first quarter at Levi's Stadium on September 18, 2022 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /
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NFL trades: Lamar Jackson #8 of the Baltimore Ravens looks to pass during the first half in the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at TIAA Bank Field on November 27, 2022 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Courtney Culbreath/Getty Images) /

1. Lamar Jackson to the Houston Texans

If Lamar Jackson ends up getting traded, it would undoubtedly go down as the “wildest” of NFL trades this offseason. The deal the Cleveland Browns made with the Houston Texans in 2022 could serve as a baseline for a deal the Baltimore Ravens could make, and it just so happens that the Houston Texans are one of a few teams that could really facilitate this kind of deal.

The Texans could build their roster the “old school” way, drafting a quarterback and really surrounding him with as much home-grown talent as possible, given how many picks they took from the Browns in last year’s blockbuster deal for Deshaun Watson. What did Cleveland give up to get Watson? A lot.

  • 2022 first-round pick (13th overall)
  • 2023 first-round pick (12th overall)
  • 2024 first-round pick (TBD)
  • 2022 4th-round pick
  • 2023 3rd-round pick (74th)
  • 2024 4th-round pick

Houston has all of that extra draft capital, and they could put together as compelling of a package for Lamar Jackson as you possibly could. They can offer the Ravens the 2nd overall pick in this year’s draft, and the 12th overall pick as well if that’s what they want. They could then offer one of their first-round picks in the 2024 draft (they already have two) and any additional picks on top of that the Ravens would want. Further, the Texans could accommodate Jackson’s financial demands.

New head coach DeMeco Ryans would have a chance to really start off his time rebuilding the culture in Houston with a huge, blockbuster move. A lot of eyes right now are on the Falcons for a Lamar Jackson trade, but just imagine the Ravens could get a haul like this:

  • 2023 first-round pick (2nd overall)
  • 2023 first-round pick (12th overall)
  • 2024 first-round pick (TBD)
  • 2023 3rd-round pick (66th overall)
  • 2024 3rd-round pick
  • 2025 4th-round pick

The Ravens could turn around and select one of the top QB prospects in the draft with that 2nd overall pick, and then they would have picks 12 and 23 remaining in the first round to do even more roster building. The Texans are not the only team that could facilitate a trade for Jackson, but they seem to have the right assets to get the deal done.

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