Tracking every NFL preseason trade: Who’s on the move before the season opener?
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ESPN staffAug 29, 2023, 08:15 PM ET
As teams gear up for the 2023 NFL season, front offices finalized their 53-man rosters on Tuesday. That included making the calls and kicking the tires on potential preseason deals with other teams. We tracked every trade since training camp, starting with the New York Jets sending wide receiver Denzel Mims to the Detroit Lions in July (before Mims was eventually released).
Who else was dealt before the start of the season? Here are all of the trades that happened and recent buzz on what’s next, with the latest moves at the top.
More coverage:
Transactions | Depth charts
Aug. 29
Sources: Colts don’t trade RB Taylor by deadline
The Indianapolis Colts did not find what it felt was a fair value offer for running back Jonathan Taylor and it is not trading its All-Pro running back Tuesday, league sources told ESPN.
With no trade materializing Tuesday, Taylor is expected to remain on the physically unable to perform list, making him ineligible to play the first four games of the season.
Eagles trade for TE Okwuegbunam
The Denver Broncos traded tight end Albert Okwuegbunam and a 2025 seventh-round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles for a 2025 sixth-round pick, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Denver had planned to waive Okwuegbunam, but the Eagles were interested in trading for him.
Dolphins, Cowboys swap highly drafted CBs
The Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins have swapped cornerbacks that could be in need of fresh starts. The Dolphins sent 2020 first-round pick Noah Igbinoghene to the Cowboys for 2021 second-round pick Kelvin Joseph as teams prepared their initial 53-man rosters on Tuesday, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Igbinoghene started just five of 32 games in his time with Miami, intercepting one pass. Joseph had just three starts in 26 games with the Cowboys with no interceptions. Igbinoghene is set to make $2.144 million in the final year of his rookie deal, while Joseph is set to make $1.367 million and is signed through next year. Igbinoghene was inactive for 14 games the last two seasons, while Joseph was a core special teamer for the Cowboys, hardly what was expected when he was selected No. 44 overall in the 2021 draft.
Steelers send former third-round pick to Texans
The Pittsburgh Steelers have traded offensive lineman/fullback Kendrick Green to the Houston Texans, according to ESPN’s Brooke Pryor. Green was drafted in the third round in 2021.
Though Green was primarily a guard in college, the Steelers initially moved him to center, where he started 15 games his rookie season. The move was a rocky one, and Green moved back to guard. He was inactive every game last season after losing a training camp battle for left guard to Kevin Dotson, who the Steelers traded to the L.A. Rams on Sunday, and he was firmly on the bubble after a training camp where the Steelers also experimented with him at fullback in short yardage situations.
The Texans have dealt with injuries on the interior of the offensive line. Kenyon Green, a first-round pick last year, has dealt with injuries throughout training camp. During the preseason finale against the New Orleans Saints, he injured his right arm during the second quarter.
Chiefs add DT in trade with Raiders
The Kansas City Chiefs traded a sixth-round pick to the Las Vegas Raiders for defensive tackle Neil Farrell Jr., according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Farrell, a fourth-round pick by the Raiders in 2022, played in nine games as a rookie last season and had 12 tackles with two QB hits and 1.5 stuffs. He is added to a Chiefs team without Chris Jones, who continues his holdout, and Charles Omenihu who was suspended by the league for a violation of the league’s personal conduct policy for the first six games of the season.
Titans trade for K Folk
The New England Patriots have traded veteran kicker Nick Folk to the Tennessee Titans for a 2025 seventh-round draft pick, a league source confirmed to ESPN. Folk, who turns 39 in November, enters his 16th NFL season and is tied for 23rd on the all-time list with 353 career field goals. He ranks fifth among active kickers.
Broncos adding K Lutz from Saints
The Denver Broncos have traded for New Orleans Saints kicker Wil Lutz, team sources confirmed to ESPN on Tuesday. The Broncos released Brandon McManus in May and when camp opened, Elliott Fry and Brett Maher were competing for the job.
Giants trade for DE Basham
The New York Giants have traded for Buffalo Bills defensive end Boogie Basham, sources confirm to ESPN.
Panthers make a move for Chiefs WR
The Carolina Panthers acquired wide receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette from the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for a swap of conditional 2025 seventh-rounders, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Smith-Marsette was originally drafted in the fifth-round in 2021 by the Minnesota Vikings. He has six career regular-season catches.
Aug. 28
Bears trade for G Feeney
The Chicago Bears are looking for some more offensive line depth and got it in the form of veteran guard Dan Feeney, who was traded from the Miami Dolphins in exchange for a sixth-round pick in 2024, a source confirmed to ESPN’s Courtney Cronin. With Teven Jenkins “week to week” with a leg injury, Feeney provides versatility and insurance.
Browns trade for veteran K Hopkins
The Cleveland Browns are switching kickers less than two weeks before the season opener. On Monday, the Browns acquired Dustin Hopkins from the Los Angeles Chargers, a source told ESPN, ending Cade York’s tenure as Cleveland’s kicker. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Browns sent a 2025 seventh-round pick to the Chargers in return.
Sources: Eagles DE Barnett eyes possible trade
Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Derek Barnett, through agent Drew Rosenhaus, is gauging the market for the potential to play more elsewhere, sources told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on Monday. The Eagles plan to keep Barnett but understand their deep pass-rush roster could limit playing time.
Aug. 27
Vikings trade OT Lowe to Patriots
The New England Patriots have acquired offensive tackle Vederian Lowe from the Minnesota Vikings for a sixth-round pick, sources told ESPN’s Kevin Seifert and Mike Reiss. Lowe played in four games last season and was going to be a backup with the Vikings this year.
Steelers trade OL Dotson to Rams
With a surplus of depth on the interior of the offensive line, the Pittsburgh Steelers are sending former fourth-round pick Kevin Dotson to the Los Angeles Rams, sources told ESPN on Sunday. The Steelers acquire the Rams’ 2024 fourth-round and 2025 fifth-round pick, while the Rams get the Steelers’ 2024 fifth-round and 2025 sixth-round pick, sources said.
Patriots, Browns swap depth players at RB, OT
The New England Patriots have shipped backup running back Pierre Strong Jr. to the Cleveland Browns for offensive tackle Tyrone Wheatley Jr., according to ESPN’s Mike Reiss. Strong was a fourth-round pick in last year’s draft, while Wheatley went undrafted in 2020. Strong had been projected to be fourth on the Pats’ running back depth chart.
Wheatley, the son of former Michigan standout and NFL running back Tyrone Wheatley, potentially helps address arguably the Patriots’ greatest need. Injuries and inconsistency on the offensive line have been a top storyline in training camp and the preseason and Wheatley gives them a developmental prospect with size and strength (6-foot-6, 320 pounds).
Aug. 26
Bears give DE Gipson permission to seek trade
Date: Aug. 26
Defensive end Trevis Gipson has received permission from the Chicago Bears to seek a trade, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Gipson had seven sacks in 2021 and could be looking to get back into a 3-4 scheme.
Aug. 25
49ers deal QB Lance to Cowboys for midround pick
The San Francisco 49ers are sending quarterback Trey Lance to the Dallas Cowboys for a fourth-round pick, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The trade comes after the Niners made the decision earlier this week to give Sam Darnold the No. 2 job behind Brock Purdy despite trading three first-round picks to draft Lance third overall in 2021.
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Barnwell: How the 49ers got it wrong, and why the QB’s fit in Dallas is confusing
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Wagoner: Why the 49ers had to do this trade
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Archer: How the Cowboys’ trade for impacts Dak Prescott
Aug. 24
Browns trade QB Dobbs to Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals have traded for quarterback Joshua Dobbs in a deal with the Cleveland Browns, a source told ESPN. The Browns will get back the fifth-round selection that Arizona had in a previous deal with the Philadelphia Eagles, according to a source. And Cleveland will also send over a seventh-rounder to the Cardinals.
Cardinals trade OT Jones to Texans
The Arizona Cardinals are sending offensive tackle Josh Jones — who had nine starts last year — and a seventh-round draft pick to the Houston Texans for a fifth-round pick, league sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Jones is in the final year of his rookie contract. The deal is pending a physical.
Cardinals trade S Simmons to Giants
The Arizona Cardinals have moved on from 2020 first-round pick Isaiah Simmons with about two weeks left until Week 1. Arizona traded Simmons, a converted linebacker, to the New York Giants for a 2024 seventh-round pick.
Aug. 23
Colts fielding inquiries, offers for RB Taylor
Jonathan Taylor could be a step closer to getting his wish, but time is of the essence. The Indianapolis Colts have given Taylor until Tuesday to find a suitable trade after authorizing the star running back earlier this week to engage with other teams in search of a trade partner. Six teams have inquired about Taylor’s availability, and two of them have engaged the Colts with offers, including the Miami Dolphins, a source told ESPN on Wednesday.
The situation remains fluid, and it is unclear whether a team is willing to meet the Colts’ trade demands, which have been described by sources as being a first-round pick or a package of picks worth similar value.
July 19
Jets trade WR Mims to Lions
Date: July 19
The New York Jets agreed to trade wide receiver Denzel Mims to the Detroit Lions. The Lions also receive a 2025 seventh-round pick in the deal, while the Jets get a 2025 conditional sixth-round pick, according to the source. The Lions later waived Mims a month after he was acquired. Mims suffered an ankle injury during a recent training camp practice and then suffered a calf injury during his rehab, a source confirmed to ESPN’s Rich Cimini. Mims will become an unrestricted free agent.