One major move for every NFC team to make

Free agency, the NFL Draft and rookie mini-camps are in the rearview. Training camps won't begin until deep into the summer. But team building continues. 

With that in mind, Yardbarker NFL writers identify one major move each team in the NFC should make.

NFC East

DALLAS COWBOYS | Trade for Miami CB Jalen Ramsey | Dallas has a Pro Bowl cornerback in Trevon Diggs, but he’s expected to miss much of training camp while recovering from knee surgery, his second in as many seasons. The Dolphins are looking to trade Ramsey, a three-time All-Pro with four years left on his deal. He'd be a good fit for Dallas, which may be unable to sign CB DaRon Bland after the 2025 season.

NEW YORK GIANTS | Trade a veteran QB | After trading up to get former Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart, the Giants have no use for two 30-something passers in Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston. Wilson (2,482 yards, 16 TD passes in 2024) and Winston (2,121 yards, 13 TD passes in 2024) are basically the same guy at this point in their careers, and either could stunt the young QB’s growth by taking practice reps.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES | Trade for Bengals DE Trey Hendrickson | With 17.5 sacks in each of the past two seasons, Hendrickson insists he won’t play another down until he gets a contract extension, gets traded or both. Aside from Dallas (roughly $32M, per OverTheCap), Philadelphia has the most cap room (roughly $25M) of any team in their division and could use the 30-year-old defensive end to help replace 16.5 sacks lost with the departures of Brandon Graham, Josh Sweat and Milton Williams in the offseason.

WASHINGTON COMMANDERS | Sign LB Jadeveon Clowney | After losing Dante Fowler Jr. to the Cowboys in free agency, Washington could use help with its pass-rush. Unlike Hendrickson, Clowney is a free agent. A three-time Pro Bowler and the first overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, the 32-year-old edge-rusher had 5.5 sacks in 14 games for Carolina last season and 9.5 sacks in 17 games for Baltimore the year before, making him an ideal candidate to join the Commanders as a rotational player. — Bruce Ewing

NFC West

ARIZONA CARDINALS | Sign WR Keenan Allen | With WR Marvin Harrison Jr. and tight end Trey McBride, the Cardinals have outstanding pass-catching options for QB Kyler Murray. They still lack a true No. 2 wide receiver, and while Allen (744 yards receiving with Bears in 2024) isn't the player he was at his peak with the Los Angeles Chargers, he still has juice left to be a solid veteran presence alongside rising star Harrison Jr. 

LOS ANGELES RAMS | Trade for CB Jalen Ramsey | It seems to be a matter of when, not if, the Miami Dolphins trade Ramsey, and a reunion with the Rams seems like a perfect fit for the team and player. Ramsey is still a top-tier cornerback and would give the Rams the No. 1 corner their defense has lacked since they dealt Ramsey to Miami in 2023.

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS | Sign Edge Za’Darius Smith | In a miserable offseason, the 49ers lost a significant chunk of their roster in free agency. They still have a big need for a pass-rusher — even after drafting Georgia's Mykel Williams in the first round — and Smith can be a disruptive force off the edge after recording nine sacks in 2024 with the Cleveland Browns and Detroit Lions.

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS | Sign DB Mike Hilton | The Seahawks have worked hard to address their defense, but they need additional depth at corner. Hilton, who played the past four seasons with the Bengals, can play inside and on the outside, has a knack for forcing turnovers and is great at timing blitzes off the edge. — Adam Gretz

NFC North

CHICAGO BEARS | Trade TE Cole Kmet | The Bears selected tight end Colston Loveland of Michigan in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, leaving Kmet as the odd man out. If Chicago believes Loveland can become the next great receiving TE in the NFL, now is the time to dump Kmet while he still has trade value.

DETROIT LIONS | Sign DE Von Miller | The Lions could use a veteran presence on the defensive line, and Miller still has juice after recording six sacks in 12 games with the Bills last season. Aidan Hutchinson led Detroit with 7.5 sacks last season despite playing only five games, so this thin pass-rushing unit could use depth. 

GREEN BAY PACKERS | Sign guard Brandon Scherff | The Packers lost starting center Josh Myers in free agency, and they plan on moving Elgton Jenkins from guard to center to fill the hole. With Sean Rhyan and Jordan Morgan battling it out for the starting right guard spot, it wouldn’t hurt to have a proven talent like Scherff as another option.

MINNESOTA VIKINGS | Extend GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah | Since hiring Adofo-Mensah in 2022, the Vikings have gone 34-17 in the regular season and made two playoff appearances in three years. The general manager’s contract runs out after the 2025 season, and Minnesota shouldn't risk losing him to a higher bidder. — Jack Dougherty

NFC South

ATLANTA FALCONS | Trade QB Kirk Cousins | After missing the first day of voluntary organized team activities, Cousins already has one foot out the door. Atlanta might have to absorb some of his $27.5M salary in a trade, but it could still get something in return — even a Day 3 draft pick in 2026 — for a player who isn’t in its plans.

CAROLINA PANTHERS | Add an edge-rusher | The Falcons aren’t the only NFC South team to struggle to generate pressure; the Panthers ranked last in pressure rate (16.2 percent) last season. Carolina signed edge-rusher Patrick Jones II and selected LBs Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen in the 2025 NFL Draft, but it should consider adding veteran depth after releasing Jadeveon Clowney.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS | Make Trevor Penning’s move to guard permanent | Saints first-year head coach Kellen Moore has experimented with moving Penning, who has exclusively played tackle in the NFL, to guard, where he hasn’t played since Week 1 of the 2019 season at Northern Iowa (h/t Pro Football Focus). After being phased out as a starting tackle by New Orleans’ past two first-round picks (Taliese Fuaga, Kelvin Banks), a move to the interior is the Saints’ last chance to get the appropriate value out of Penning, who they selected at No. 19 overall in 2022. 

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS | Trade for Miami Dolphins CB Jalen Ramsey | The Buccaneers were poor against the pass in 2024, ranking 19th in passing yards allowed (4,147), allowing 27 touchdown passes and making only seven interceptions. Earlier this offseason, the Dolphins announced plans to trade their seven-time Pro Bowl corner, who could make Tampa Bay an overwhelming favorite to win its fifth consecutive division title. — Eric Smithling