With the offseason starting, many teams will look for a way to improve their rosters to try and win the championship. This offseason already has several storylines forming and it is only March. From future hall of fame players wanting out of their teams to questions about the NFL draft, these are the biggest storylines fans should follow this offseason.
Since early February, Cleveland Browns star pass rusher Myles Garrett has indicated his desire to be traded from the franchise that selected him first overall in the 2017 draft. After a lackluster 3-14 record this season, the Browns look poised to go back into a rebuild, which for the former defensive player of the year is something that doesn’t interest him. Garrett is still producing as one of, if not the top pass rusher in the league with another 14-sack campaign in 2024, which was second best in the league.
The Browns are still of the mindset they will not consider trading Garrett, but if he decides to hold out they might be forced to move on from him. Having the second overall draft pick, the Browns could draft Garrett’s successor in Pennsylvania State University’s Abdul Carter, while also using Garrett to acquire a bevy of draft capital to increase their stock of picks. There is certainly a market for Garrett that could net the Browns another first-round pick and a future high-value pick in next year's draft. Regardless of where Garrett ends up, he will drastically improve the pass rush of whatever team acquires him while giving the Browns a fortune of picks to build for the future with.
Speaking of the draft, the Tennessee Titans own the right to the first overall selection in this year's draft and have been rumored to possibly want to move it. The Titans have a ton of holes they need to fix on their roster before they can get anywhere near back to contention but this raises the question if a team should draft at first overall or trade back to acquire more capital to fill other spots. This debate centers mainly around one prospect in the University of Miami’s star quarterback Cam Ward.
Many scouts around the NFL believe Ward is not considered a once-in-a-lifetime prospect which would make them hesitant to trade up to get him. This would also be a reason to not draft him first overall. Ward threw 4,313 yards and 39 touchdowns this last season, showcasing an amazing arm and great touch on the ball.
If the Titans don’t believe in Ward as their future, the team could trade back and draft star cornerback and wide receiver Travis Hunter or his University of Colorado teammate Sheduer Sanders to play quarterback. The Titans may feel it is in their best interest to get more picks to fill other holes on the roster which would make Ward available to a team like the New York Giants who also need to address their quarterback room for their future.
Early into the NFL offseason, the position that seems to have the most discussion about moving on from players is the wide receiver position, as seen with Deebo Samuel already being traded to the Washington Commanders. Notable players such as Davante Adams and Cooper Kupp have been rumored to be available for trade. Adams was just released by the New York Jets to save cap space and get younger, which could also happen to Kupp to move toward a younger wide receiver room.
In addition to these two, Tee Higgins was recently franchise-tagged for the second year in a row. In just 12 games played, Higgins put up 911 yards and 10 touchdowns proving his dynamic ability when on the field. If Higgins is not given a contract extension by the Cincinnati Bengals, he may end up being moved for picks. Every team in the NFL would love to have more talent in their wide receiver room and these are some of the biggest names to look out for this offseason.
Last offseason, the Eagles were able to sign running back Saquon Barkley which was a huge reason for them winning the Super Bowl. Every team that wins the championship usually has a big offseason addition to put them over the top so it will be important to monitor which moves could put a team over the top this season.
Jasper Greuel is a senior studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note the views expressed in this column do not represent those of The Post. Want to talk to Jasper about his column? email him at jg453620@ohio.edu.
