With roster cutdown day looming on Tuesday, Aug. 26, trade chatter is heating up around the NFL. ESPN’s Bill Barnwell floated one of the more intriguing possibilities — a three-way deal involving the Los Angeles Chargers, New York Giants, and Arizona Cardinals that would see two struggling former first-round picks swapped for fresh starts.
Barnwell’s proposal:
- Giants get: 2027 seventh-round pick (via Chargers)
- Chargers get: OL Evan Neal, 2026 fifth-round pick (via Cardinals)
- Cardinals get: WR Quentin Johnston
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Neal, the seventh overall pick in the 2022 draft, has been one of the NFL’s biggest disappointments. Injuries and inconsistent play have derailed his career, to the point where the Giants declined his fifth-year option this spring. “Neal has been wildly disappointing since the Giants drafted him at No. 7 in 2022,” Barnwell wrote, noting the team even preferred journeymen to him at tackle when Andrew Thomas went down last season.
For the Chargers, the logic is straightforward: they need reinforcements up front after star left tackle Rashawn Slater suffered a season-ending torn patella. Jim Harbaugh can reshuffle his line by sliding rookie Joe Alt to the left side and plugging in Trey Pipkins at right tackle, but depth is suddenly shaky. Neal, while no sure thing, at least offers upside as a reclamation project — and he’s repped at guard this summer, giving L.A. some positional flexibility.
The price, however, is steep: parting with wideout Quentin Johnston. The 2023 first-rounder has flashed talent but has yet to live up to his draft billing. He recorded 55 catches for 711 yards and eight touchdowns last season, yet persistent drops and a modest 60.4% catch rate raised concerns. With Keenan Allen re-signed, rookie Tre Harris drafted in the second round, and Ladd McConkey penciled in as a key weapon, Johnston’s role could diminish.
In Arizona, though, Johnston could thrive. The Cardinals desperately need help behind Marvin Harrison Jr., and the former TCU star would get far more slot opportunities there than in Los Angeles.
For the Chargers, the question is whether swapping a wideout who still has upside for an offensive lineman who hasn’t put it together makes sense. Barnwell admits the value doesn’t quite line up: “There probably isn’t enough value for the Chargers to give up Johnston.”
If L.A. can work directly with the Giants to acquire Neal without sacrificing Johnston, it’s a move worth considering. But as written, this trade feels more like a bailout for New York and Arizona than a real solution for the Bolts.
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