With a few months to spare until training camp, we are officially in the NFL dead zone now that the 2026 schedule has been released. And in order to pass the time, the rumor mill is swirling about trades that could potentially go down before the start of the 2026 NFL season in mid-September.
The Atlanta Falcons aren't expected to be super involved in trade talks, but never say never with Ian Cunningham calling the shots. This isn't Terry Fontenot, the Falcons aren't playing it safe anymore. But there's a fine line between making small moves to help your team and straight-up recklessness.
NFL insider Dan Graziano revealed on ESPN's Unsportsmanlike that there are a few players that could be dealt before training camp.
- Maxx Crosby
- Anthony Richardson
- A Cardinals RB (presumably Trey Benson or James Conner, probably not Tyler Allgeier)
- Brian Thomas Jr.
It would be funny to see Cunningham try and bring Allgeier back, but it doesn't feel realistic. Of these names, the only one I can see making some sense is Brian Thomas Jr.. Given the Dirty Birds' need for explosiveness and depth at the receiver position, he'd be the perfect complement to Drake London, but I still wouldn't do it.
The Atlanta Falcons need to steer clear of trading for Brian Thomas Jr.
You'd think on paper that BTJ would work in Atlanta, but that'd be a big mistake from this new regime. He's a field-stretching receiver that would make Michael Penix Jr. or Tua Tagovailoa's life easier, but if the Falcons are going to acquire a wideout, it won't be a player they'll have to break the bank for.
The Falcons have been linked to adding receiver help all offseason, but at a certain point, the player isn't worth the price. They aren't about to send off a first-rounder to get George Pickens when London isn't extended or dip their toe into the A.J. Brown drama, and the same could be said with Thomas Jr.
Odds are it would take a second-round pick to trade for the 23-year-old, which is more affordable than Brown or Pickens, but it still isn't worth it. From his standout rookie season Thomas Jr. struggled with drop issues, his reception total was cut in half, and Parker Washington had more yards than him.
The LSU product surpassed 1,200 receiving yards and logged 10 touchdowns as a rookie in 2024, but he enjoyed a major sophomore slump in 2025. He went from looking like from one of the league's brightest young wideouts to a guy who looks like a fish out of water in the wrong offensive system.
Making this trade would go against everything Cunningham stands for. The 40-year-old has preached that the Falcons see picks as "currency", and while that currency can be used to make a splashy purchase like BTJ, they have no reason to trade away a premium 2027 draft pick to do so.
Atlanta already didn't have a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, which made his life way harder in his first draft as a GM. Right now, the Falcons are projected to have nine draft picks in 2027, which means that if they want to trade for a receiver, they'd be better off dealing for someone like Kayshon Boutte, who is available for a more affordable price tag.
It's no secret that the 2024 first-round pick would be a major upgrade over Jahan Dotson at WR2, so despite his talent, Cunningham would regret trading for a guy who looked like a shell of himself with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2025, especially since bringing in impact players at a discount is his MO.
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