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Bill Barnwell, ESPN Staff Writer
NFL teams never stop tinkering. While the vast majority of player movement comes during free agency and the draft, there are always going to be players who make an impact despite being acquired after the draft is completed. Heck, the Ravens built half of their 2023 defense out of players they added last summer, with Jadeveon Clowney, Kyle Van Noy, Ronald Darby and Arthur Maulet all playing meaningful roles during their run to the top playoff seed in the AFC.
The date of June 1 also plays an important role in NFL circles. For one, teams that designated players as post-June 1 releases earlier in the offseason realize the salary cap space from releasing that player only as of that date, which means the Broncos (Russell Wilson), 49ers (Arik Armstead) and Raiders (Jimmy Garoppolo) will free up some room on their ledgers. Other players might have contracts that are easier to trade after June 1 because of their financial structure; after June 1, future bonus money that would be on this year’s cap accelerates onto next year’s instead.
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Free agents signed after June 1 also don’t count against the league’s compensatory formula, which matters for teams expecting to rack up extra selections in the 2025 draft, such as the Bills, Cowboys and Dolphins. Teams already have been able to sign players who were cut by their prior organization, since those additions don’t impact the compensatory formula, but players who have been languishing on the market after not being signed in the initial thrust of free agency might have new landing spots come available in June.
With all of that in mind and the draft completed, now seems like a good time to lay out potential landing spots and logical moves that would make sense for players and teams alike as June 1 approaches. That includes a few trades of former first-round picks, including a star cornerback in New Orleans.
Jump to a player involved in a potential deal:
Jamal Adams | Treylon Burks
Adoree’ Jackson | Marshon Lattimore
Emmanuel Ogbah | Hunter Renfrow
Dalton Risner | Justin Simmons
Donovan Smith | Robert Woods
