Proposed Blockbuster Trade Ships Falcons Ex-All-Pro Lineman for Playmaker

Although the NFL rumor mill has suggested otherwise, I've been hesitant to call tight end Kyle Pitts a trade candidate for the Atlanta Falcons because, in all likelihood, the team isn't going to trade an asset that it expects to contribute in 2025.

But what if the Falcons could deal Pitts in a player-swap that brings a former All-Pro defender to Atlanta? Bleacher Report's Brent Sobleski presented that hypothetical Wednesday.

Sobleski proposed the Falcons part with Pitts as part of a three-team trade. In the proposal, the Falcons sent the tight end to the Cincinnati Bengals while the Bengals shipped defensive end Trey Hendrickson to the Indianapolis Colts.

In exchange, the Falcons would receive defensive tackle DeForest Buckner.

"Indianapolis can ship Buckner to the Atlanta Falcons, who have looked to drastically reset their defensive front this offseason," Sobleski wrote. "The nine-year veteran can serve as the anchor to a group that will now feature first-rounders Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. flying off the edges.

"Buckner's ability to defend the run and collapse the pocket should be highly beneficial for those rookies."

Getting Buckner would be a huge boost to the Falcons defensive line, which Pro Football Focus ranked 30th in the league this week. Buckner made first-team All-Pro in 2020 and second-team All-Pro during 2019. He also earned Pro Bowl nominations in 2018, 2021 and 2023.

Last season, Buckner posted 61 combined tackles, including eight tackles for loss, 14 quarterback hits and 6.5 sacks. He has 67.5 sacks as an interior defensive lineman in 141 NFL games across nine seasons.

Trade speculation has surrounded Pitts this offseason because he has underperformed based on his high draft expectations. The Falcons could save cap space by departing with him for draft compensation before the season.

But future draft picks won't help the Falcons for 2025. Yet, there's also an issue with Atlanta dealing Pitts for another player.

Swapping Pitts for Buckner is a salary increase for the Falcons, not a salary dump. Buckner, who turned 31 in March, has a $26.6 million cap hit for 2025. The Colts would have to agree to keep some of that cap hit or the Falcons would have to unload someone else to fit the defensive tackle under the cap (the obvious choice is backup quarterback Kirk Cousins).

Pitts only has a $10.8 million cap hit in 2025.

Next spring, Pitts will be an unrestricted free agent. Buckner is signed for another season. He's set to have another big cap hit at $26.6 million, but maybe that can be lowered through the details of the trade.

The Falcons could also move on from Buckner if they choose after 2025 and only have a $10.8 million dead cap hit next year.

Then again, the Falcons could be planning to keep Pitts in 2025 to see if he can live up to his first-round expectations. If he does, the team has the option to franchise tag him, which is an affordable option for tight ends.

Three-player trades are pretty much unheard of in the NFL. So Sobleski's proposal is really just a hypothetical.

A player-for-player deal involving Pitts is a potential trade the Falcons could make. But making it work would be difficult because of Pitts' relatively cheap salary, and Atlanta's cap situation.

The loss of Pitts would also hurt the team's offense in 2025 and potentially 2026. Adding a player such as Buckner, though, could make a significant impact on defense.

In a perfect world, the Falcons would acquire Hendrickson in a trade for Pitts because the All-Pro edge rusher fills a huge need for Atlanta. However, the Falcons shouldn't block first-rounder edge rushers Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. from receiving playing time.

In conclusion, maybe the biggest takeaway from Sobleski's proposal is simply that if Atlanta does make a big splash with a defensive addition this summer, defensive tackle is the position to address.