SPORT NEWS: Top trade assets shaping the NFL’s 2025 offseason moves. .giang

NFL playoff races will steadily begin dominating the headlines in the coming weeks, but plenty of eyes are already starting to peek toward the 2025 offseason.

At this point of the 2024 campaign, many teams understand they won’t be competing for a Super Bowl. Instead, they’re focused on how to improve the roster for next season.

Free agency arrives in March, and the 2025 NFL draft is set for April. But the trade market is always open.

Last offseason included trades for Stefon Diggs, Brian Burns and several more big-name players. Which standouts may be next in line during the upcoming offseason?

All contract data from Over the Cap.

Rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr., the eighth overall pick of the 2024 draft, is considered the future of the Atlanta Falcons.

But what’s the timeline?

Atlanta made the biggest splash in free agency last offseason, adding Kirk Cousins on a four-year, $180 million contract. However, the Falcons selected Penix one month later. They clearly plan on having him take control of the team at some point, which typically happens in short order with top-10 picks.

The bright side for Atlanta is that it currently stands atop the NFC South with a playoff bid looking likely. In such a bad division—one that doesn’t project to improve much by 2025—why rush to make changes?

On the other hand, why be scared of unleashing Penix if the staff believes he’s ready? Cousins has a $40 million cap number next season, but he’s still effective enough to have a legitimate trade market.

This could be one of the offseason’s more intriguing storylines if the Falcons are comfortable proceeding with the young backup over the veteran.

What is first-year head coach Mike Macdonald’s long-term vision for the Seattle Seahawks? That question may be answered this offseason.

Macdonald inherited veteran quarterback Geno Smith, who followed his stunning late-career breakout in 2022 with a passable 2023 campaign. While he currently leads the NFL in passing yards per game, Smith also has a league-worst 11 interceptions. His highs are great, and his lows are rough.

In short: Seattle understandably might prefer to keep Smith. However, there probably won’t be a better time to extract value from him than the spring.

Smith’s contract expires after the 2025 season, and it seems unlikely that the Seahawks will re-sign him. If they believe backup Sam Howell isn’t a major downgrade, they’d save $25 million in cap space by trading Smith elsewhere.

Even if Seattle stumbles down the stretch and misses the playoffs this season, a desperate team may be willing to trade for Smith during the offseason since it would only be a one-year commitment.

Deebo Samuel’s production is well shy of expectations relative to his pricey contract. That could cause him to land on the trade block this offseason.

That’s because the San Francisco 49ers are heading toward an ever-increasing cap crunch.

In the near future, the Niners need to shell out an enormous contract for Brock Purdy. Maybe you don’t believe he’s worth $50-plus million per season, but that’s the going rate for quarterbacks these days. The Niners will need to make some financial sacrifices, and Samuel may be a casualty of that.

Beyond that, Samuel is the most expendable wide receiver on the roster. San Francisco recently extended both Brandon Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings, and it used its first-round pick on Ricky Pearsall in the 2024 draft.

One realistic hesitation is that if a Kyle Shanahan-led offense can’t spark Samuel, which offensive coach can? Since he’ll be 29 with only one year remaining on his contract, though, Samuel’s upside may still be appealing to some other team.

Given that Joel Bitonio has spent his whole career with the Cleveland Browns, neither side may be interested in a split. However, his contract runs out following the 2025 season, which will be the lineman’s age-34 campaign.

Unless the Browns get the sense that Bitonio is considering retirement, the risk of him leaving for nothing in free agency is a piece of the discussion. Besides, the veteran may be interested in seeking an opportunity to compete for a Super Bowl anyway.

Cleveland has made two playoff trips in his 11 years and has never advanced past the divisional round. The Browns’ disastrous quarterback situation hardly portends a quick turnaround next year.

Bitonio isn’t quite the five-time All-Pro of his prime, but he remains a high-quality blocker who could bolster a contender.

Blame whoever you’d like, but the Jacksonville Jaguars are a sinking ship in 2024. Change is inevitable this offseason, and one logical move is trading Travis Etienne Jr. elsewhere.

The 2021 first-round pick missed his rookie year because of a foot injury, but he quickly became a star following his NFL debut. The versatile back notched 1,400-plus scrimmage yards in both 2022 and 2023, including 1,484 yards and 12 total touchdowns last season.

Heading into this season, Etienne seemed like a critical piece of the Jaguars’ future. Instead, he’s now sharing snaps with second-year tailback Tank Bigsby.

While this season hasn’t gone as hoped for Etienne, he’s turning only 26 in late January. It’s reasonable to acknowledge that and place some of the blame for his disappointing 2024 campaign on the Jaguars’ dysfunction.

Bigsby’s presence makes Etienne expendable for the Jaguars, but they could still expect a worthwhile offer in trade conversations.

Would I trade Cooper Kupp if I were running the Los Angeles Rams? Probably not.

But as the saying goes: Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.

The rumor mill included Kupp around the 2024 trade deadline, so it’s only logical to expect that he’ll be discussed this offseason as well.

Kupp has been a critical piece of the Rams’ recent success, but Puka Nacua is a rising star. The franchise could decide to focus on building around Nacua and shed Kupp’s contract before his value significantly drops.

The Rams would be left with a $17.3 million dead cap hit if they trade him before June 1, but they could save $20 million in cap space with a post-June 1 trade. Meanwhile, Kupp has only $5 million in guaranteed salary for 2025. Both the player and the potential teams involved could benefit from a reworked deal in this hypothetical.

As long as quarterback Matthew Stafford returns next season, the Rams arguably should not trade Kupp. But he’d be an appealing target if they decide to shop him.

Known for being a heavily cost-conscious organization, the Cincinnati Bengals are entering the danger zone.

By no means should Cincinnati want to trade star receiver Ja’Marr Chase. His chemistry with quarterback Joe Burrow traces back to their LSU days and is irreplaceable. Burrow likely wouldn’t be thrilled if team’s extension talks with Chase again don’t lead to an agreement.

However, Chase has only become more expensive with his strong 2024 campaign. If the Bengals balked at giving him a contract in the $140-ish million range last summer, how will they handle $150 million or more this coming offseason?

Chase deserves a massive raise, and many other organizations would be glad to take advantage of Cincy’s hesitation. He could demand a trade if his extension negotiations do not progress as hoped.

Relative to their Super Bowl aspirations, the Bengals cannot afford to move Chase. They figure to hammer out a new deal at some point this offseason.

But these warning signs are evident.