Teams must be down to the 53-man roster limit at 4 p.m. ET on the NFL’s Aug. 27 cutdown day. General managers and coaching staffs around the league are well aware of their roster constraints and the decisions they face, which often creates a dialogue with other teams to either get something of value in exchange for a player at a position of strength or to acquire a player who may be the missing piece in filling out a roster. Players waived as part of final roster cuts are exposed to the waiver wire, which is in order, from worst to best, of last season’s win-loss records. If a team believes a player of interest would be claimed prior to its position in the waiver line, then it behooves that team to explore acquiring that player via trade.
A total of 15 trades occurred during the month of August in 2022; down from 21 the prior year. There were 17 trades during the month of August last year and there have already been four this year. Of those 53 trades over the past three years, only two have involved a running back and one was a position-for-position swap. The majority of trades have featured offensive linemen, cornerbacks and specialists, although essentially every position has been represented at one point or another.
Players from four of the units featured in last year’s version were traded. Below are some of the units across the league that could be under the watchful eyes of personnel evaluators:
Browns defensive line
Cleveland will not make its core group of defensive linemen available but its depth may interest other parties. On the edge, the Browns have Myles Garrett, Za’Darius Smith and Ogbo Okoronkwo, as well as 2022 third-round selection Alex Wright and 2023 fourth-round selection Isaiah McGuire. Jeremiah Martin and Isaiah Thomas have made plays for the Browns in the preseason as well.
The defensive interior is where it gets particularly interesting. The Browns have Dalvin Tomlinson, Shelby Harris, Maurice Hurst II and Quinton Jefferson; all veterans who have made names for themselves in the NFL. In addition to those four, they have 2023 third-round pick Siaki Ika and 2024 second-round pick Michael Hall Jr. Hall could be suspended at some point following a domestic abuse arrest but a decision is unlikely to be announced in time to impact roster decisions.
UPDATE: Cleveland traded defensive tackle Chris Williams and a 7th round pick to the Chicago Bears in exchange for a 6th round pick.
Cleveland also collected four quarterbacks with the hopes of trading one, similar to what it did with Josh Dobbs last year, with Pro Bowl quarterback Tyler Huntley being the most likely.
The franchise re-signed veteran kicker Dustin Hopkins this summer so former fourth-round pick Cade York may be targeted by a team dissatisfied with its current kicking situation. York has converted both field goal attempts from 33 and 55 yards during the preseason.
UPDATE: York was traded to Washington in exchange for conditional draft compensation.
Steelers defensive line
Pittsburgh’s defensive front is similarly loaded with veterans like Cameron Heyward, Larry Ogunjobi, Montravius Adams and Dean Lowry. Second-year defensive tackle Keeanu Benton will be off-limits. Five players were named before arriving as DeMarvin Leal and Isaiahh Loudermilk, who are not difference-makers, could fulfill roles for other teams.
Eagles secondary
Philadelphia used its first two draft selections on cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. Darius Slay Jr. is eyeing a bounce back campaign and the entire unit should have tremendous versatility. Former cornerbacks James Bradberry and Avonte Maddox are transitioning to safety, which is where Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, Reed Blankenship, Sydney Brown and Caden Sterns reside. The franchise also has Isaiah Rodgers, Kelee Ringo and Eli Ricks at cornerback. It is unclear how that entire group will shake out positionally, but there is reason to believe some of those players will be made available to potential suitors.
The Eagles’ offensive line could draw interest as well. Beyond its projected starting five, offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland has been pouring into two 2024 draft choices, as well as veterans Mekhi Becton, Fred Johnson, Matt Hennessy, Nick Gates, Brett Toth, Darian Kinnard and Max Scharping.
Saints punters
New Orleans has embraced a competition between incumbent starting punter Lou Hedley as well as college free agent Matthew Hayball. The number of specialists on the move this time of year is higher than most would expect, so this is a situation worth monitoring.
Jaguars offensive line
There is an important distinction that should be made with each of these position groupings. The inclusion of a particular group does not mean that unit has a high talent level or no concerns of its own. It means that other teams may have interest in the expendable depth that they have accumulated.
Beyond Jacksonville’s starting offensive line, the Jaguars have a handful of players with valuable experience, including Blake Hance, Luke Fortner, Walker Little and Tyler Shatley. Cole Van Lanen was acquired in a trade last year and Javon Foster was a fourth-round selection out of Missouri.
The Jaguars safety group could be another spot of potential interest.
Seahawks offensive line
Christian Haynes and Anthony Bradford are competing for the starting right guard position, but the rest of the offensive line is largely known when right tackle Abe Lucas is healthy. In addition to those six players, the franchise has Stone Forsythe, who stepped up admirably when injuries necessitated, George Fant, Olu Oluwatimi, McClendon Curtis and a pair of sixth-round draft choices.
Falcons defensive line
Atlanta invested three 2024 draft picks in the defensive line. Veterans David Onyemata, Grady Jarrett, Ta’Quon Graham, Eddie Goldman and Kentavius Street are in competition as well. It would be unexpected if last year’s third-round selection, Zach Harrison, was not a part of the franchise’s plans. For those keeping score at home, there are eight players competing for five, maybe six spots, and those leftover will be looking for new employment.
Cardinals offensive line
Arizona has overhauled its offensive line in recent years. Reserves Kelvin Beachum, Trystan Colon, Elijah Wilkinson and Keith Ismael have over 200 starts between them. They also have third-, fourth- and fifth-round draft picks from the past two years sitting on the bench. There are a lot of bodies in that room and the release of veteran offensive tackle Dennis Daley was only the beginning of changes.
The Cardinals also have a monopoly on RB3 types with Michael Carter, DeeJay Dallas, Tony Jones, Hassan Hall and Emari Demercado backing up James Conner and Trey Benson.
Giants wide receivers
The foursome of Malik Nabers, Wan’Dale Robinson, Jalin Hyatt and Darius Slayton are capable of making an impact, if healthy. Options behind those players go deeper though. New York, additionally, has veterans Miles Boykin, Allen Robinson II and Isaiah McKenzie, as well as young talents Isaiah Hodgins and Bryce Ford-Wheaton. If a team covets a young player with some upside or a veteran who can provide stability to a role, then general manager Joe Schoen may field some calls ahead of the deadline.
49ers cornerbacks
Charvarius Ward is the crown jewel in San Francisco’s secondary but a lack of depth and experience led to Ambry Thomas, Deommodore Lenoir and Samuel Womack III picking up varying levels of playing time early in their careers. The team drafted Renardo Green out of Florida State in the second round while Isaac Yiadom, Rock Ya-Sin and Darrell Luter Jr. compete opposite Ward.
Even Kyle Shanahan, who loves running backs, can not justify keeping all who are on his current roster. In addition to Christian McCaffrey and Elijah Mitchell, the team drafted a fourth-round running back, signed another promising college free agent and signed veteran Matt Breida, who spent 2017-2019 in San Francisco, earlier this month.
