Three wide receivers from separate AFC and NFC rosters have surfaced as legitimate NFL trades candidates this offseason, with New York and Las Vegas named as potential suitors. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported Sunday that Baltimore Ravens wideout Rashod Bateman, Los Angeles Chargers receiver Quentin Johnston, and Green Bay Packers receiver Dontayvion Wicks have all come up in trade discussions — a development that could redirect the receiver market if free agency supply runs thin.
The timing carries weight. NFL free agency opens in mid-March, and front offices are weighing whether to pursue veterans in open-market bidding wars or extract value through NFL trades at a lower cost. That choice carries real salary cap pressure — and both New York and Las Vegas face constraints that make deal-making an appealing route.
Why These Three Receivers Are Drawing Trade Interest
Rashod Bateman has battled durability problems throughout his Ravens tenure. Selected 27th overall in the 2021 NFL Draft, he has never played a full 17-game season. Johnston, a 2023 first-round pick out of TCU, has yet to convert his elite athleticism into steady production for the Chargers. Wicks emerged as a contributor in Green Bay but faces a crowded room that already includes Jayden Reed and Romeo Doubs.
Baltimore’s decision to make Bateman available reflects a shift in philosophy. The Ravens’ offense under coordinator Todd Monken leans on tight ends and the run game. Bateman’s perimeter route-running fits a spread concept far better than what Baltimore currently deploys — which makes him more useful to an outside club than to his present one. The numbers reveal the mismatch: Bateman was used on just 58 percent of Baltimore’s offensive snaps in 2023, a below-average rate for a receiver at his draft slot and contract status.
Johnston’s availability is the most complicated from an asset standpoint. The Chargers invested a top-20 pick in him just two years ago, and any trade return will reflect the gap between that draft-slot expectation and his actual output. An acquiring club could absorb him at a discount, betting that a fresh scheme unlocks what scouts identified at TCU. His market value sits well below his draft pedigree — a spread of roughly $8-10 million in annual value versus what a comparable first-round receiver commands on the open market.
New York’s Giants and the Las Vegas Raiders both need receiver help, but the depth of those needs differs sharply. New York has lacked a true No. 1 option since Odell Beckham Jr. departed, and general manager Joe Schoen has addressed the position multiple times without a definitive result. The Raiders, under their current front office, are in an early rebuild and need volume contributors more than marquee names.
Clubs that address receiver need through mid-tier NFL trades rather than premium free agent contracts historically retain more cap room for offensive line and secondary investments — two areas where both franchises carry clear deficiencies. A deal for Bateman or Wicks would likely cost a Day 3 pick rather than a second-round asset, preserving resources for higher-priority positions.
The counterargument deserves honest consideration. Sporting News noted directly that both clubs require bigger moves than any of these three players can provide. Acquiring a slot receiver or a No. 3 option does not transform an offense. If either franchise pulls the trigger on one of these NFL trades without also fixing the quarterback situation and offensive line depth, the receiver addition becomes cosmetic rather than structural.
Film on Johnston shows a receiver who wins vertically but struggles to separate on short and intermediate routes — a limitation that explains why his catch totals stayed modest despite the Chargers’ attempts to feature him. Johnston caught 47 passes for 577 yards in his first two NFL seasons combined, numbers that rank below the median production for first-round receivers at the two-year mark. Bateman has not surpassed 700 receiving yards in any single campaign. Wicks posted 32 receptions for 432 yards in 2023, his most productive season. None of those lines suggest a player who changes a team’s offensive ceiling on his own.
How the Free Agency Market Shapes These NFL Trades
The Giants, operating under general manager Joe Schoen, enter this offseason with roughly $50 million in projected cap space — enough to compete in free agency but not enough to overspend at multiple positions. That financial reality is why the trade route appeals. A receiver acquired via a third- or fourth-round pick costs no guaranteed money beyond the existing rookie contract, which for both Johnston and Wicks runs through the 2025 season.
Las Vegas Raiders general manager Tom Telesco faces a parallel calculation. The Raiders finished 2024 with one of the NFL’s lower receiver target-share totals distributed to any single player, a clear sign of how thin and fragmented that unit became over the course of the year. Adding a young, controlled receiver through a trade aligns with a rebuild strategy that prioritizes depth accumulation over splashy one-year rentals. A modest pick investment for Johnston, for instance, carries far less risk than a four-year, $60 million free agent commitment to a player with comparable production questions.
The trajectory of these NFL trades discussions hinges on the first 72 hours after the legal tampering window opens. If clubs overpay for top free agent wideouts — a predictable outcome in a thin class — the relative cost efficiency of trading for Bateman, Johnston, or Wicks grows sharply. Fowler’s reporting indicates all three names were active in league conversations as of last weekend, and the market will clarify fast once free agency begins.
Sporting News writer Mike Moraitis flagged the thinning free agency receiver market as the specific trigger that would push both franchises toward these NFL trades options rather than open-market pursuits. That framing matters: these deals are reactive instruments, not proactive cornerstones. Their value depends almost entirely on what happens when teams start bidding on the top available wideouts and discover the price has outrun the product.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler sourced his report through direct conversations with league personnel, not team announcements — meaning these discussions are informal but active.
Wicks’ path to expanded snaps in Green Bay was blocked by Reed and Doubs, both under contract through at least 2026.
Johnston’s 2023 draft slot was 21st overall; the Chargers’ willingness to trade him signals a front office reset under GM Joe Hortiz.
Bateman’s snap-share of 58 percent in 2023 was notably low for a receiver still on his rookie deal with his draft pedigree.
Moraitis noted that neither New York nor Las Vegas has the roster construction to rely on a mid-tier receiver addition as a primary fix.
Who is Rashod Bateman and why is he available in NFL trades?
Rashod Bateman is a wide receiver for the Baltimore Ravens, drafted 27th overall in 2021. He has surfaced as a trade candidate because Baltimore’s offense runs through tight ends and the ground game, limiting his perimeter role. His snap-share dropped to 58 percent in 2023, and he has never exceeded 700 receiving yards in a single season — figures that reflect how peripheral his contributions had become relative to his draft investment.
What did the Chargers give up to draft Quentin Johnston?
Los Angeles used the 21st overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft on Johnston out of TCU. That first-round investment makes any trade return a significant asset loss, since Johnston’s two-year production total of 47 catches and 577 yards falls well below the expected output for a selection in that range. The Chargers’ new front office under GM Joe Hortiz appears willing to absorb that cost and redirect those resources toward other roster needs.
Are the Giants actively pursuing wide receiver trades this offseason?
New York has been identified as a team that could pursue Bateman, Wicks, or Johnston if the free agency receiver market becomes too costly, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. The Giants carry roughly $50 million in projected cap space, giving Schoen the flexibility to operate in both markets at once. However, Sporting News flagged that New York needs more substantive upgrades than any of these three receivers can deliver on their own.
How does Dontayvion Wicks fit into the Green Bay Packers depth chart?
Wicks sits third on Green Bay’s depth chart behind Jayden Reed and Romeo Doubs, both under contract through at least 2026. His most productive NFL season produced 32 receptions and 432 yards. Trading him would allow the Packers to convert a redundant roster spot into draft capital while giving Wicks a legitimate shot at a larger role with a franchise that actually needs a starter-level contributor at the position.
Which teams besides the Giants and Raiders might pursue these receivers?
Fowler’s reporting centered on New York and Las Vegas but did not restrict interest to those two clubs. Receiver-needy franchises with cap room and a preference for cost-controlled talent — including teams in the NFC South and AFC North that ran thin at the position in 2024 — could enter NFL trades discussions if asking prices stay modest and free agency bids escalate past reasonable thresholds.
Marcus Cole is a former college quarterback who has spent over 12 years covering the NFL as a sportswriter. After playing four seasons at the collegiate level, he transitioned to journalism and quickly earned a reputation for breaking down complex play designs in plain English. His work has been featured in regional sports publications across the South, and he has covered six Super Bowls from the press box. Marcus specializes in offensive scheme analysis, quarterback evaluations, and draft coverage.
