The 2016 NFL season isn't quite over yet. Eight teams still remain in the hunt for Super Bowl LI, and two rounds of playoff action have yet to unfold.
For the other 24 NFL franchises, though, it's already on to the 2017 offseason. For many of us following the NFL world at large, much of the attention has already shifted in that direction too. You can rest assured that even the franchises remaining in the playoffs have spent no small degree of preparation on the looming free-agency and draft periods.
This coming offseason is likely to be an interesting one too. There are some interesting free agents scheduled to hit the market, like quarterback Kirk Cousins, wide receiver Michael Floyd and pass-rusher Jason Pierre-Paul.
There could be some interesting trade action going on as well, especially as draft day approaches. The Cleveland Browns have the top overall pick for the first time since 2000, but there's no guaranteed they stay in that top spot.
The fact that compensatory draft picks can now be traded only increases the possibility that we'll see a bevy of maneuvering on draft weekend.
Now, we're going to take a look at some of the latest rumors surrounding potential trades and free-agent moves.
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Cousins Should Be Considered a Hot Commodity
Cousins is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent when the new league year begins in March. However, this doesn't necessarily mean he's going to hit the open market. The Washington Redskins could sign him to a long-term deal or use the franchise tag for a second consecutive year.
If the Redskins do use the tag, though, Cousins might then become a valuable piece of trade ammunition.
It's possible that Washington won't be as inclined to keep Cousins now that offensive coordinator Sean McVay has left to become head coach of the Los Angeles Rams.
There is no shortage of teams in need of quarterback help, so Cousins could quickly become an enticing piece of trade bait. The question is this. Exactly how successful might Cousins be in a different offensive system?
Realistically, this would depend on the system in which Cousins finds himself. At least one former player, though, believes that if you put Cousins in one of the top systems, he would easily be one of the league's top quarterbacks.
ESPN 980's Chris Cooley, who played tight end for Washington from 2004 to 2012, recently spoke on Cooley and Kevin about how Cousins might perform in Atlanta Falcons coordinator Kyle Shanahan's offense (h/t JP Finlay of CSNMidAtlantic.com).
"Not any quarterback could be put into Kyle's system, but I'll tell you this right this second because I know you're going to ask this before this ends, how would Kirk do in this system?" Cooley said. "Exactly the same as Matt Ryan. He would do exactly the same as Matt Ryan."
Ryan, for the record, passed for 4,944 yards with 38 touchdowns and seven interceptions in the regular season while leading the Falcons to a first-round bye in the playoffs.
While comparing Ryan and Cousins might seem a bit of a stretch, it's worth noting that Cousins did perform well this season. He finished the regular season with 4,917 yards passing, 25 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
Pro Football Focus rates Cousins eighth overall among all quarterbacks for the regular season. He certainly would seem to be a viable option for quarterback-needy teams like the Browns, Chicago Bears or San Francisco 49ers.
The 49ers, by the way, are the one team that has yet to fill its head-coaching vacancy. If the team decides to hire a playoff coordinator like Shanahan or Josh McDaniels of the New England Patriots, trading for Cousins might quickly become an option.
The Browns Can Trade Around in the First Round
We mentioned already that the Browns own the first overall pick in April's draft. They also hold the 12th overall pick thanks to last year's trade with the Philadelphia Eagles.
This, along with a second Round 2 selection, gives Cleveland some flexibility in the first round. The team could trade out of the top overall pick and still potentially end up with two selections in the first 12. The team might also trade up in order to land two top-10 picks in what appears to be a deep overall draft.
Trading down would benefit the Browns if a team is willing to part with multiple high draft picks. Cleveland sports a talent-starved roster, and adding a number of additional first- and second-round picks could help change that.
Trading up would benefit the Browns if the team is looking to add a couple of premier prospects to the roster. Trading up may also be necessary if Cleveland wants a standout defender like Texas A&M's Myles Garrett and a rookie signal-caller.
According to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, several draft experts and talent evaluators believe that the Browns will have to select a quarterback like Mitch Trubisky, Deshaun Watson or DeShone Kizer within the first 10 selections.
"A lot of teams need quarterbacks, and they will overvalue them and reach," one NFL personnel executive said, per Cabot.
Cleveland would likely have to part with one of the team's two second-round picks in addition to future picks in order to make such a move, but adding a premier pass-rusher and a potential franchise signal-caller in the same draft would be huge.
Pat McManamon of ESPN.com even suggested that the Browns could trade all the way up to No. 2 overall in order to take the first two players in the draft. McManamon proposes trading away both second-round picks, the 12th overall selection and a fourth-rounder.
"It would void them in the second round, but it would give them two of the best players in the draft in the first round," McManamon explains. "Consider DeShaun Watson or Mitch Trubisky or DeShone Kizer along with Garrett or [Alabama defensive lineman Jonathan] Allen."
Realistically, the Browns might have to surrender a future first-round pick to move up that high instead of a second second-round pick. Therefore, Cleveland might also want to heavily weigh the potential of next year's quarterback class before making any such deal. This is, assuming, the Browns don't want two standout defenders and don't secure a quarterback via free agency or trade before the draft.
Jason Pierre-Paul Not Willing to Take One-Year Deal
Pass-rusher Pierre-Paul returned to the New York Giants in 2016 on a one-year deal in order to prove that he could still be a dominant defender even after losing part of his hand in a fireworks accident. At the very least, he proved that he could be incredibly productive.
Pierre-Paul finished the regular season with 53 tackles, 7.0 sacks and three forced fumbles. Pro Football Focus rated him 11th overall among all edge-rushers in the regular season.
If Pierre-Paul hits the open market, he could be one of the most coveted defenders available. If the Giants want to retain him, they're apparently going to have to offer something longer than another one-year contract.
According to NFL Media's Mike Garafolo, Pierre-Paul feels like he has proved what he needs to prove and isn't willing to settle for a one-year deal:
Depending on where the Giants look to spend their money in the offseason, this could open the door for another team to add Pierre-Paul to its defensive front. However, that team better understand that doing so is likely going to require a long-term commitment.