Tracking every NFL preseason trade: Who's on the move before the season opener?
As teams gear up for the 2023 NFL season, front offices are finalizing their 53-man rosters. That includes making the calls and kicking the tires on potential preseason deals with other teams. So we are tracking 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 will be dealt before the start of the season? Will Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor or San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance be on the move? Here are all of the trades that have happened and recent buzz on what’s next, with the latest moves at the top.
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Transactions | Depth charts
Date: Aug. 24
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.
Date: Aug. 24
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.
Date: Aug. 24
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.
Date: Aug. 24
One day after learning he had lost out on the San Francisco 49ers backup quarterback job, Trey Lance was back at the team facility Thursday. Barring a surprise, that’s exactly where Niners general manager John Lynch expects Lance to be reporting to work for the near future.
Speaking to KNBR radio in San Francisco in the morning, Lynch said that although the Niners are exploring all options — including a trade — for Lance, there’s still a strong chance the signal-caller will remain with the team as its third quarterback going into the season.
Date: Aug. 23
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.
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.
