Author: alaskaadmin

It’s not often that you get two blockbuster NFL trades in June, but that’s what Monday brought us — and it still seems likely that there are some more moves to come. A.J. Brown was widely viewed as the top trade candidate available following free agency, with the Philadelphia Eagles trading him to the New England Patriots on Monday. However, that deal was usurped by the Los Angeles Rams’ acquisition of two-time Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett, who didn’t seem to be available prior to Monday’s deal. So, with those two stars finding new homes this week, who are the top names still available? We’re offering up five names, and none of them are nearly the caliber of Garrett or Brown. The NFL trade market was hurt by Wednesday’s news that the Arizona Cardinals edge rusher Josh Sweat won’t get moved, too. Still, these five players could provide some value to their new potential homes, even if they’re traded for just a mid-to-late-round draft pick years from now. But now is the time to be aggressive, to address a concern before it’s glaring in September and get a new player in the building in time to learn his team and scheme ahead of training camp. Here are the five best remaining trade candidates, and picking the top potential landing spot for each: Kayvon Thibodeaux is only 25 and playing this year on his fifth-year option, making $14.8 million. But the New York Giants are loaded at edge rusher, with Brian Burns and second-year star Abdul Carter already getting the majority of the snaps last season. Throw in rookie Arvell Reese into the mix as well, as he’ll likely have some pass-rush usage, even if he’s primarily a linebacker. Thibodeaux has missed 12 games over the last two seasons, totaling only eight sacks (including 2.5 last year), but a team needing help at edge would be hoping to get the player who had 11.5 sacks in 2023. His salary is a lot for a rotational edge rusher, so unless they really want expensive protection against injury, a trade makes a lot of sense for the Giants. POTENTIAL LANDING SPOT: New England Patriots, where former Giants defensive coordinator Shane Bowen is now a defensive analyst. Can the San Francisco 49ers find a taker for Brandon Aiyuk? The 28-year-old hasn’t played since injuring his knee in October 2024, and the 49ers were able to get his 2026 guarantees voided, but he still has injury concerns and a massive contract. San Francisco has the same dead money against their cap if it cuts him or trades him — $33 million, split over this year and next. He wants to go to the Washington Commanders, reuniting with his former Arizona State teammate Jayden Daniels. But even giving up a future seventh-rounder for Aiyuk means committing to paying him $26 million this year, and he wouldn’t command that as a free agent, so the Commanders might be content to wait the 49ers out until they just cut him. That might be the likely outcome, San Francisco waiting until just before training camp starts and then cutting him loose. POTENTIAL LANDING SPOT: Washington Commanders, where former 49ers front office exec Adam Peters is now the general manager. Anthony Richardson shows how quickly a prospect can lose his window, even as a No. 4 overall pick. He just turned 24, but with the Indianapolis Colts giving Daniel Jones two years and $88 million, he’s not a central part of their plans. Richardson recovered from an eye injury last year, and there’s uncertainty about when Jones will be fully recovered from a torn Achilles tendon, but Indianapolis is more likely to trust second-year pro Riley Leonard. The Colts just signed Easton Stick as a fourth quarterback, which could be them setting depth ahead of a trade. A team acquiring Richardson would have to pay him a $4 million roster bonus in July, but if you don’t have a long-term answer at the position and don’t see yourself landing a high draft pick in 2027, he’d be an inexpensive option to look at and even re-sign inexpensively when he becomes a free agent in March. Richardson actually has an 8-7 record as a starter, but a 50% career completion rate is alarming, with more career interceptions (13) than touchdown passes (11). He’s rushed for 634 yards in 17 career games, but that’s only a plus if you can improve his passing skills enough to keep him on the field. He’s in a similar boat to Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis, pushed out by the team that drafted him and in the final year of his rookie contract, available for pennies on the dollar compared to his original draft value. POTENTIAL LANDING SPOT: Detroit Lions, who could use a developmental backup with Teddy Bridgewater as QB2. Alvin Kamara just turned 30, and with the New Orleans Saints signing Travis Etienne in free agency, he won’t be the Saints’ featured back for the first time in his career. He only played 11 games last year, but averaged a career-low 3.6 yards per carry — he averaged at least 4.5 yards in each of his first four seasons, but has averaged below that in each of his last five. He’s always been a strong pass-catching back, so his value to a new team might be as a complementary back for third downs and in the passing game. New Orleans takes on $18 million in dead money (split over two years) if they cut him and $15 million if they trade him. They’ve moved on from key veterans from those final Drew Brees playoff teams in the last year, and Kamara makes sense as the next one to go. Kamara has maintained that he wants to finish his career with the Saints, so the threat of him retiring rather than reporting to a new team might lessen what the Saints can get. POTENTIAL LANDING SPOT: Buffalo Bills, where former longtime Saints offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael is now the offensive coordinator. The Miami Dolphins have garage-sold or cut so many of their best players out of town this offseason, releasing quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, wide receiver Tyreek Hill and edge rusher Bradley Chubb and trading wide receiver Jaylen Waddle. So, linebacker Jordyn Brooks is essentially the meme of the Fresh Prince alone and looking wistfully around an empty room. He’s in the final year of his contract, making a reasonable $8 million. It’s possible Miami wants to keep him as one key piece, but it should be active enough in 2027 free agency that it won’t be able to get a compensatory pick for losing him. Brooks was a first-team All-Pro after leading the league with 183 total tackles last year, adding 3.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss, so he’s a smart target for a linebacker-needy team. If it doesn’t happen before the season, it feels inevitable he lands with a contender at the trade deadline. POTENTIAL LANDING SPOT: Dallas Cowboys, who need all the defensive upgrades they can get after last season.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Summer break is fast approaching for NFL teams. Over the next two weeks, they’ll be wrapping up their offseason programs. During the long wait for football’s return, what will be the top question lingering over every club? I pick one key query for each NFC team (stay tuned for the AFC edition Friday): NFC East On paper, the Dallas Cowboys are much improved on defense. Five of their seven draft picks were used on that side of the ball — most notably first-round picks Caleb Downs, who’s been touted as a generational defensive back prospect, and edge rusher Malachi Lawrence. Dallas also traded for standout edge Rashan Gary (7.5 sacks last season). Safety Jalen Thompson and cornerback Cobie Durant headline their free-agent acquisitions. But it will be up to the 34-year-old Parker, a first-time defensive playcaller, to put all the talent together into a competent unit. The Cowboys’ hopes of returning to the playoffs, and a potential postseason run, could hinge on the former defensive backs coach. Dart is learning a new system, with former Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy taking over as Giants OC under new head coach John Harbaugh. There’s also a question of whether New York has enough firepower around the 2025 first-round pick. The biggest concern is star receiver Malik Nabers, who, after tearing his ACL last season, had a cleanup procedure earlier this offseason. Nabers’ availability for the start of the season remains unclear, and fellow receiver Darius Slayton has also been sidelined with a core muscle injury. The signing of Odell Beckham Jr. is nostalgic for New York fans, but at 33 years old, there’s no guarantee that he even makes the roster. [Odell Beckham’s Giants Reunion A Futile Trip Down Memory Lane] For months, the Philadelphia Eagles had been preparing their roster for the eventual departure of three-time All-Pro receiver Brown, who was officially traded to the New England Patriots on June 1. Philadelphia drafted USC’s Makai Lemon with the 20th overall pick, signed veteran receivers Hollywood Brown and Elijah Moore in free agency and traded for wideout Dontayvion Wicks. But can they fill the void left by Brown, who posted four straight 1,000-yard seasons with the Eagles? More will be asked of DeVonta Smith as quarterback Jalen Hurts’ top target. After missing 10 games due to injury last year, the Washington Commanders QB said he has a “bitter taste” in his mouth. The 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year will look to get back on track with a new offensive coordinator in David Blough, who was Washington’s assistant quarterbacks coach the previous two seasons. NFC Central If you thought this past year couldn’t have been any better for Williams, who led the Chicago Bears to an NFC North title and a playoff victory over the Packers last season, he was announced as the cover athlete for “Madden NFL 27” in early June — the first-ever Bear to claim that honor. Williams & Co. face big expectations to build on what was Chicago’s first playoff appearance since 2020 and first division crown since 2018. A fourth-place schedule in 2026 could help the Detroit Lions return to double-digit wins in the 2026 season. But the play of the offensive line, which was an issue last year, will go a long way to Detroit reestablishing itself as a dominant team. The revamped unit has All-Pro offensive tackle Penei Sewell flipping from the right to left side. No. 2 running back David Montgomery is out of the picture, having been traded to the Houston Texans. The pass-rush help for Aidan Hutchinson and the health of the secondary is paramount for the Lions, too. Starting defensive backs Terrion Arnold, DJ Reed and Brian Branch missed a combined 20 games in 2025. Recovering from a torn ACL suffered in mid-December, Parsons told reporters in early June that he’s about four months away from playing, which would put his return around October. But even if that timeline holds, there’s a question of how long it’ll take the superstar edge rusher to truly get his feet back under him. Green Bay will need Parsons at full strength down the stretch for what is expected to be a playoff push. The Vikings signed veteran quarterback and former No. 1 overall pick Kyler Murray to compete with J.J. McCarthy to be QB1. Murray may have the slight advantage — the stakes are high in Minnesota after GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s firing in January — but the two quarterbacks have been splitting first-team reps in offseason practices. NFC South Michael Penix Jr., who’s making his way back from a third torn ACL, and former Miami Dolphins starter Tua Tagovailoa, who signed with Atlanta in March, are in a full-fledged competition to be the Falcons’ QB1. Penix has not yet been cleared for 11-on-11 work, so Tagovailoa has had the early advantage in reps with the starting offense. Carolina picked up the fifth-year option in Young’s rookie deal, keeping him under contract through 2027. But the former No. 1 overall pick will need to build on an encouraging 2025 campaign to justify a long-term deal. He posted career-best passing numbers last season — a 63.6% completion rate for 3,011 yards and 23 TDs with 11 INTs — leading the Panthers to their first playoff appearance since 2017. Shough finished second in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting last season, despite starting just nine games. And he has ideal circumstances to build off his promising 2025 campaign. The former Louisville standout is entering Year 2 with coach Kellen Moore, and the Saints prioritized bolstering the surrounding offense. New Orleans signed running back Travis Etienne Jr. in free agency and used the No. 8 overall pick on wide receiver Jordyn Tyson. Mayfield had his worst season with Tampa Bay in 2025, and the Bucs failed to make the playoffs for the first time since 2020. The former No. 1 overall pick will have his fourth offensive coordinator in four seasons with the Bucs in Zac Robinson, and franchise legend Mike Evans — one of Mayfield’s favorite receiving targets — departed in free agency. NFC West Despite the uncertainty at quarterback — Jacoby Brissett, Gardner Minshew and Carson Beck are the options — new Arizona Cardinals coach Mike LaFleur has plenty of talent on offense. But there are questions about whether the team has enough on the offensive line to give Love, the running back picked at No. 3 overall, a chance at success. For two seasons, receiver Harrison has failed to live up to the hype as the No. 4 overall pick of the 2024 draft. LaFleur was a wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator with the Niners before working as an OC the past five seasons, so perhaps he’ll bring an approach that can unlock Harrison’s talent. After the blockbuster trade for superstar defensive end Myles Garrett, the Los Angeles Rams have surged as the favorite to win Super Bowl LXI. They had already acquired former All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie in what’s been an aggressive offseason. According to FOX Sports Research, it will mark the first time that a reigning MVP (Matthew Stafford) and DPOY (Garrett) will play on the same team in the following season (excluding Lawrence Taylor and Alan Page, who won both awards in 1986 and ‘71, respectively). Anything less than a Super Bowl trip would be a disappointment for Los Angeles. [Ranking The Top 10 Moves After Myles Garrett, A.J. Brown Trades] Injuries have been a recurring issue for the San Francisco 49ers for years, and health could shape their fortunes once again in 2026. Stars George Kittle (Achilles), Nick Bosa (ACL) and Fred Warner (ankle) all enter the new year coming off season-ending injuries. Darnold beat the bust label years ago. But how he responds to a larger workload in 2026, coming off a Super Bowl victory, remains to be seen. The two-time Pro Bowler no longer has the luxury of having Kenneth Walker III in the backfield, and Zach Charbonnet is expected to miss the start of the season with a torn ACL. And with a first-time offensive coordinator in Brian Fleury replacing Klint Kubiak, Darnold may need to take greater ownership of the Seahawks’ offense.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports