The trade market has certainly heated up this summer around the NFL, as two major deals occurred during what is supposed to be the slow period of the offseason. In one of the biggest blockbuster player-for-player deals this century, three-time All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey was dealt for three-time All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick in a deal that also included Pro Bowl tight end Jonnu Smith.
The trade between the Miami Dolphins and the Pittsburgh Steelers put the NFL at the center of the sports world in a period where the league backs off to NBA free agency and the heart of the MLB season. More deals could even be coming with star pass rushers holding out for larger contracts, as the trade market never takes a hiatus.
That has held true throughout this NFL offseason, as many notable names were dealt around the league over the last few months. DK Metcalf and George Pickens were on the move, along with Deebo Samuel and Laremy Tunsil. Ramey and Fitzpatrick being involved in the same trade was icing on the cake.
With all the notable trades that occurred this offseason involving veteran players, which players will have the best fit with their new team? Basically, which player and team will get the most out of their acquisition.
There were plenty of notable trades this offseason, so buckle up.
The Browns acquired Pickett from the Eagles in exchange for Dorian Thompson-Robinson and a 2025 fifth-round pick. When the Browns traded for Pickett, he was expected to compete for the starting quarterback job and be a front-runner for the job.
While that remains true, the Browns signed Joe Flacco and drafted Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders since the Pickett trade. Pickett will be in a long-running training camp battle for a starting job on an offense that traded down in the draft and passed on selecting Travis Hunter.
Waller ended his early retirement to accept a trade to the Dolphins. The former Pro Bowl tight end hasn’t played for a year and is 32 years old, so it’s unfair to expect anything from him at this point.
Waller will get opportunities in Miami, even with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle as the top pass catchers. Can the pass-catching tight end fit in Mike McDaniel’s offense? He’ll certainly get his targets if used like Smith was.
Huff was a disaster with the Eagles last season, not even being active for their Super Bowl LIX victory over the Chiefs. The Eagles moved on from Huff during minicamp, sending him to San Francisco and reuniting him with defensive coordinator Robert Saleh — in a defense where he had one of the highest pass-rushing rates in the league as a pass-rushing specialist.
Huff’s role in San Francisco will be determined, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see him thrive at getting to the quarterback once again.
9. Deebo Samuel to Commanders
The Commanders bought low to add Samuel as a playmaker to complement Terry McLaurin on offense, and it will be intriguing to see how offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury utilizes him. The key question regarding Samuel? Is he still the Swiss Army knife, game-changing player he was in San Francisco?
Samuel had a career low in scrimmage yards per game (53.7) and yards per touch (8.7) last season. The fresh start in Washington may get Samuel back to the 2019-2023 version (11.6 yards per touch), as he needs to showcase he’s still the yards-after-catch merchant he was with the 49ers.
The Raiders needed to have a major upgrade at quarterback, and Smith certainly fits the bill compared to what Las Vegas employed last year. Is Smith an elite quarterback? Absolutely not, but he’s a good quarterback that improves an offense. Let’s not forget Smith is reunited with coach Pete Carroll — who helped revitalize his career.
With Ashton Jeanty at running back, the Raiders don’t have to rely on Smith to carry the offense. Las Vegas just needs more depth at wide receiver behind Jakobi Meyers and Tre Tucker, so there could be some bumps in the road with Smith this season.
7. Jalen Ramsey, Jonnu Smith to Steelers
For the sake of consistency, let’s combine these two Pro Bowl players and where they fit in Pittsburgh. The Steelers already have Darius Slay and Joey Porter Jr. at cornerback, and both can only play boundary (outside). Ramsey should be excellent in the slot and may have to play safety in a few packages. Is he willing to do that?
Smith will have to compete with Pat Freiermuth for playing time at tight end, and it’s not a given he’s the top pass-catching target. He does have familiarity playing in Arthur Smith’s offense with the Falcons and Titans, so he could thrive with the Steelers.
Both are good players, but it’s unknown how Pittsburgh will use them.
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6. George Pickens to Cowboys
Pickens is a tremendous talent, yet it remains to be seen if he’ll be any more than that. He’ll be the No. 2 wide receiver in Dallas, a deep-ball wideout as CeeDee Lamb carves up the middle of a defense — so the opportunities will be there.
Dak Prescott is the best quarterback Pickens has ever played with in the NFL and knows how to get the ball downfield, so there will be little excuse for Pickens if he underperforms. For Dallas, trading for Pickens was worth taking the chance on. Can the production match his talent?
5. C.J. Gardner-Johnson to Texans
A playmaking safety in Philadelphia, the Eagles sent Gardner-Johnson to Houston to save cash for future contracts. Gardner-Johnson will be a veteran leader in Houston and should thrive in DeMeco Ryans‘ defense. He also pairs well on the back end with the Texans young cornerbacks, making the Houston secondary stronger.
Gardner-Johnson should work well in Houston.
4. Minkah Fitzpatrick to Dolphins
Fitzpatrick is back in Miami after the former All-Pro was sent to Pittsburgh after disagreements with former coach Brian Flores. That was last decade, and Fitzpatrick is back with the Dolphins under defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver.
Fitzpatrick will help a young defense as a veteran leader, and has plenty of good football left. Whether he’s with the Dolphins long term remains to be seen, but Fitzpatrick is still one of the best safeties in football.
The Bears significantly needed to improve their offensive line, and acquiring a four-time All-Pro in Thuney was a significant upgrade for a team that needed to upgrade the interior of that unit. If Thuney plays guard and doesn’t have to move back to tackle (injury or Braxton Jones performance), this is a massive improvement over what Chicago had last season.
This line may take some time to gel, but Thuney is as good as they come.
2. Laremy Tunsil to Commanders
The Commanders badly needed an upgrade at left tackle after getting blown out in the NFC Championship last season. They were able to get one of the better ones in football with Tunsil, a five-time Pro Bowler at the position who is still in his prime at age 30.
The goal is to protect Jayden Daniels and keep him upright, and the Commanders found that with Tunsil. He solidifies the left side of the offensive line.
1. DK Metcalf to Steelers
Metcalf has been one of the most productive wide receivers since he’s entered the NFL, a consistent deep-ball threat with the ability to change a game. He’ll be the No. 1 wide receiver with Pittsburgh and an easy target to thrive with Aaron Rodgers.
Metcalf’s numbers should improve in Pittsburgh as he’s the focal point of a good passing game. Would it be surprising if Metcalf has the same impact in Pittsburgh as A.J. Brown has had in Philadelphia?
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Author: Jeff Kerr
July 2, 2025 | 12:35 pm
