The Blockbuster NFL Trades We Want to See in 2022 Offseason

As we continue to ramp up to Super Bowl LVI, it's worth keeping an eye on the looming NFL offseason. The new league year begins on March 16, and the free-agent and trade markets are going to be feature plenty of big names.

A number of fantastic players, including Davante Adams, Von Miller, Chris Godwin and J.C. Jackson, are scheduled to hit the open market. Even with a strong free-agent class, though, teams are going to supplement their roster-building with trades.

We saw several high-profile players traded a year ago, including Matthew Stafford, Jared Goff, Sam Darnold and Teddy Bridgewater. While not every big deal yielded on-field success, the Los Angeles Rams' acquisition of Stafford has helped them reach the Super Bowl.

Might a team parlay a 2022 trade into a deep playoff run? It's entirely possible, and with that in mind, we're going to examine some blockbuster trades we'd love to see this offseason.

We're swinging big with these hypothetical trades, but we'll keep them within the realm of possibility. The Kansas City Chiefs aren't trading Patrick Mahomes. The New Orleans Saints—with a projected $76.2 million cap deficit—probably aren't trading for Aaron Rodgers.

Factors like team needs, contract statuses, cap space and any relevant recent buzz will be considered here.

Cincinnati Bengals receive: CB Xavien Howard

Miami Dolphins receive: 2022 first-round pick, 2022 fifth-round pick

The Cincinnati Bengals are already headed to Super Bowl LVI and may not look to be aggressive in the offseason trade market. However, we'd love to see them make some bold moves and try to turn a feel-good story into a dynasty.

Cincinnati's already-strong roster could afford to upgrade a pass defense that is ranked in 26th in yards allowed. Trading for Miami Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard could help change things dramatically.

Howard was a first-team All-Pro in 2020, has been named to the Pro Bowl in three of the past four years and allowed an opposing passer rating of only 72.6 in 2021. Over the past two years, he has logged 15 interceptions and 36 passes defended.

While it's worth noting that a new head coach could change the situation, Howard sought a trade during the offseason before getting a restructured contract out of the deal. Last month, Howard posted a cryptic goodbye tweet that could indicate he still wants out, though it could also simply be him saying goodbye for the season.

Either way, Howard would be in a great situation with the Bengals, and with $56.5 million in projected cap space, Cincinnati should have no trouble adding Howard and giving him the extension he's been seeking.

Cleveland Browns receive: QB Russell Wilson

Seattle Seahawks receive: QB Baker Mayfield, 2022 first-round pick, 2023 first-round pick, 2023 third-round pick, 2024 second-round pick

The Cleveland Browns want to be where the Bengals are, and we'd love to see Cleveland make a run at its first NFL title since 1964. Adding a top-tier quarterback like Russell Wilson just might make that happen.

The Browns finished the 2021 season ranked fifth in total defense but only 20th in scoring offense. Poor quarterback play—perhaps a result of the torn labrum Baker Mayfield suffered in Week 2—was a big factor. Cleveland is set to give Mayfield another (healthy) season to prove himself in 2022, but Wilson is a future Hall of Famer and a clear upgrade over what Cleveland had this past season.

Though hampered by a finger injury that briefly landed him on injured reserve, Wilson still made the Pro Bowl (as an alternate) and posted a passer rating of 103.1 this past season. Cleveland passers posted a collective 84.6 rating.

While Wilson isn't clamoring for a trade, he is reportedly considering his options.

"Russ wants to know his options. I'm not saying he's definitely going to go, but he wants to look around and see," NFL Media's Ian Rapoport said on the Pat McAfee Show.

Wilson has a no-trade clause, so this hypothetical deal would only happen if the 33-year-old believes he can win more championships in Cleveland. He would have his hands full with teams like Cincinnati, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills in the AFC, but we'd love to see Wilson help bring Cleveland to the ranks of the elite.

Cleveland Browns receive: WR Calvin Ridley

Atlanta Falcons receive: Conditional 2023 second-round pick

If the Browns don't upgrade at quarterback and decide to run it back with Mayfield, they'll need to add a legitimate No. 1 receiver.

Mayfield's injury, which required surgery in the offseason, had a big impact on his performance in 2021. A lackluster receiving corps didn't help, either. Odell Beckham Jr. never meshed with Kevin Stefanski's offense and was released following the trade deadline.

Donovan Peoples-Jones led Cleveland with a mere 597 receiving yards.

Atlanta Falcons wideout Calvin Ridley could be the top target Cleveland needs. He tallied 1,374 yards and nine touchdowns in 2020 while providing a passer rating of 101.0 when targeted. In 2021, Ridley only appeared in five games, stepping away to focus on his mental health.

There's no guarantee Ridley will return in 2022 or that the Falcons are willing to move him, but it's entirely possible.

"Atlanta is cash-strapped and needs pieces along the offensive line, so they could use the draft capital," one unnamed NFC executive said, per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

There are some legitimate unknowns with Ridley's situation right now, but if he's ready to return, he would be the kind of proven commodity Cleveland isn't going to find in the draft. The Browns could protect themselves by offering a conditional pick that increases in value if Ridley plays the majority of the season.

Jacksonville Jaguars receive: WR Amari Cooper

Dallas Cowboys receive: 2022 third-round pick, 2023 third-round pick

The Dallas Cowboys are projected to be $21.2 million over the cap this offseason. and they may have to revamp their roster as a result.

"This team will be nothing like you just saw in 2021. Stephen Jones knows that," Bryan Broaddus of 105.3 The Fan tweeted.

Receiver Amari Cooper is a potential cap casualty. He's projected to carry a cap hit of $22 million in 2022, and Dallas could save $16 million by outright releasing him. Before dumping Cooper, the Cowboys would presumably work the trade market.

The Jacksonville Jaguars would have no trouble absorbing Cooper's salary. They're projected to have $57.3 million in cap space, third-most in the NFL. Jacksonville should also look to upgrade the receiving corps around 2021 No. 1 pick Trevor Lawrence.

New head coach Doug Pederson noted in his introductory press conference that Lawrence was a big selling point in Jacksonville. Adding a receiver like Cooper to the mix would help set up Lawrence for success.

Cooper is a four-time Pro Bowler who has averaged 1,056 yards over the past three seasons. He had 865 yards and eight touchdowns in 15 games this past season. Marvin Jones Jr. played in all 17 games for the Jaguars in 2021 and led Jacksonville with 832 yards and four scores.

New England Patriots receive: WR Brandin Cooks

Houston Texans receive: 2022 second-round pick

The New England Patriots got a tremendous rookie season from quarterback Mac Jones in 2021. Jones won 10 games, helped New England reach the postseason and appeared in the Pro Bowl as an alternate.

Adding a true No. 1 receiver could help Jones take another positive step in Year 2. The Patriots provided Jones with several good complementary pass-catchers but no legitimate top target. Jakobi Meyers led the team with 866 yards and two touchdowns. However, he provided a passer rating of only 81.0 when targeted.

While Bill Belichick is unquestionably an all-time great coach, he doesn't have the best track record when drafting receivers early. 2019 first-round pick N'Keal Harry, for example, has just 598 yards in three seasons.

Instead of using a second-round pick on a receiver, the Patriots could instead use the pick to bring back a familiar face, and we'd love to see it. At the trade deadline, ESPN's Dan Graziano reported that the Houston Texans weren't eager to move Brandin Cooks. However, Cooks appeared frustrated with Houston's approach to rebuilding.

"Such a joke," Cooks tweeted after Houston traded running back Melvin Ingram II to the New Orleans Saints (h/t Matt Young of the Houston Chronicle).

The Texans might be inclined to move Cooks for a valuable piece of draft capital. New England, in turn, could bring back a wideout who had 1,082 yards and seven touchdowns with the franchise in 2017.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers receive: QB Jimmy Garoppolo

San Francisco 49ers receive: 2022 second-round pick, 2023 third-round pick

Now that Tom Brady has retired, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers need a quarterback. They could acquire one with plenty of recent playoff experience by dealing for San Francisco 49ers signal-caller Jimmy Garoppolo.

Garoppolo played in Super Bowl LIV and helped San Francisco reach the NFC title game this past season. However, the 49ers used the No. 3 pick in the 2021 draft on Trey Lance and are likely to turn the page at quarterback this offseason.

Tampa is reportedly among the teams expected to pursue Garoppolo.

"One current personnel director tells FanSided the expectation inside the league is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Denver Broncos are expected to make a strong push to trade for Garoppolo," Matt Lombardo of FanSided wrote.

Though more athletic than Brady, Garoppolo is a similar pocket passer who would fit well with coach Bruce Arians and offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich. He isn't likely to play near an MVP level as Brady did in 2021, but he could help Tampa stay in postseason contention.

San Francisco will have to be persuaded to trade Garoppolo within the conference—which is why Tampa may have to toss in a future pick—but we'd love to see Garoppolo face his former team during the regular season and possibly the playoffs.

Tennessee Titans receive: QB Aaron Rodgers

Green Bay Packers receive: QB Ryan Tannehill, 2022 first-round pick, 2022 third-round pick, 2023 first-round pick, 2023 second-round pick, 2023 third-round pick

In the intro, we mentioned that the Saints aren't trading for Rodgers because of their cap situation. The Tennessee Titans are in a bad cap spot, too—they're projected to be $6.6 million over the cap—but they're much closer than New Orleans to making this trade work.

According to Fox Sports Jay Glazer, the Packers have told Rodgers that they'll trade him if he wishes to be dealt this offseason. Rodgers has yet to say if he'll return, retire or request a trade. According to Jared Stillman of ESPN 102.5 Nashville, however, Rodgers is building a home in the Nashville area and would be "open" to joining the Titans.

For now, the Titans don't appear interested.

"A team source confirmed to ESPN that the Titans don't consider Rodgers to be an option for them at quarterback and have full intentions of moving forward with Tannehill," Turron Davenport of ESPN wrote.

We're not here to talk about what the Titans may or may not do, though. We're here to discuss what we want to see. What we want to see is Rodgers teaming up with Derrick Henry, A.J. Brown, Julio Jones and Tennessee's dominant defensive front.

Tennessee already earned the No. 1 seed in 2021, but it would be even more dangerous with Rodgers under center. Green Bay, meanwhile, would get a lot of draft capital to help jump-start the post-Rodgers era and a starting-caliber quarterback to help transition to the Jordan Love era.

It would take a lot of financial wizardry to make this hypothetical deal happen, and it's highly unlikely. But if it somehow came to fruition, we'd be here for it.

Cap and contract information via Spotrac. Advanced statistics from Pro Football Reference.