Multiple NFC North teams could have players on the trade block thanks to young players stepping up
Training camp brings a lot of interesting position battles, and it could place multiple players on the trade block.
Each year, some players end up losing their jobs in position battles. That will create some intriguing elements with building 53-man rosters. We see players get traded all the time during and right after training camp.
Who could be on the block in the NFC North? Each team has some interesting position groups, and a player who could see themselves on the move.
Minnesota Vikings: ILB Ivan Pace Jr.
When you look at the linebacker position, the Vikings have an interesting group. Blake Cashman and Eric Wilson are the unquestioned starters for the 2026 season, with second-round pick Jake Golday likely to see some playing time with his versatility, especially in unique subpackages.
Pace was an interesting player throughout his tenure with the Vikings. He earned a starting job pretty quickly as a rookie, and played very well. He had some deficiencies in coverage, but was a great blitzer and positive run defender. Unfortunately, he was replaced by Wilson after Cashman returned from injury due to not growing and showcasing poor pass coverage and lateral movement.
A fourth-year linebacker normally wouldn’t be in this position, but he is here with his salary being $3.52 million. That’s a lot for a guy fourth on the depth chart, but he is great at his role on special teams. If someone shows out on special teams, Pace could easily be on the chopping block, especially after the signing on Jamal Adams on Monday.
–Tyler Forness, A to Z Minnesota
Chicago Bears: OL Jordan McFadden
If we’re talking about true veterans (4+ years of experience), there’s not many Bears players on the hot seat in that range. There’s been a lot of talk about frustrations reaching a boiling point with CB Kyler Gordon and some talk about Chicago flipping TE Cole Kmet after drafting Colston Loveland and Sam Roush, but the money doesn’t make sense to move either player in 2026 and both are expected to still have sizable roles this year.
Chicago does have plenty of players with less than four years of experience on the hot seat heading into camp, including former draft picks OT Kiran Amegadjie and RB Roschon Johnson. But, if I were to go with one true veteran I could see getting moved, it would be Jordan McFadden. The Bears explored moving McFadden last year but opted to keep him on the roster. It proved to be the right decision after he called to start on short notice in the playoffs and had a solid outing in that game. This time around, it’ll be harder for McFadden to make a case for himself competing against two promising young guards in Luke Newman and UDFA rookie Caden Barnett.
Green Bay Packers: TE Luke Musgrave
This is a little bit harder for the Packers because they’ve already moved on from several guys this offseason, trading away edge defender Rashan Gary, wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks, and defensive tackle Colby Wooden, plus losing some others in free agency.
But the next man in line to potentially get moved is tight end Luke Musgrave. He is a talented player, especially in terms of pass-catching ability, but he’s simply not a good fit for Matt LaFleur’s offensive structure.
LaFleur’s offense demands blocking (even for wide receivers, now imagine it for tight ends), and Musgrave lacks in that area. That’s why Tucker Kraft initially surpassed him on the depth chart when given the chance. And that’s why even lower-level players like John FitzPatrick and Josh Whyle played significant snaps after Kraft got hurt last year.
If Musgrave doesn’t develop into a viable blocker or compensate for that with a true leap as a high-end receiver, the Packers could reasonably try to recoup some draft capital for a player who’s entering the final year of his rookie deal. It’s hard to imagine the Packers giving Musgrave a contract extension anyway.
–Wendell Ferreira, A to Z Green Bay
Detroit Lions: CB Avonte Maddox
The veteran who could be traded or cut before the regular season is safety Avonte Maddox. If both Joseph and Branch come back healthy, the Lions run into some redundancy. Safety Christian Izien can do the same thing Maddox does in terms of versatility, playing both cornerback and safety. Detroit might lean toward the younger player there. On the veteran side, the Lions have Chuck Clark, who has been a starter longer and has been around the league longer than Maddox.
You might wonder why the Lions wouldn’t just keep as many good safeties as they can. The answer comes down to the bottom of the depth chart. At safety 4 and safety 5, Detroit is going to be looking specifically for guys who can contribute on special teams. Maddox is almost overqualified for that role. He’s a good player, but the math just doesn’t work in his favor here.
We’ll see what happens. But I do believe Maddox is one who could be available after training camp, and some team out there is going to get a pretty good safety.
