Los Angeles Chargers
It feels like the Chargers get mentioned every other time there’s a big potential trade candidate to write up here at NFLTR. Maybe one of these days I’ll fall backward into being right. Chargers GM Joe Hortiz cut his teeth in the Ravens’ front office and has brought the same disciplined, draft-and-develop approach to Los Angeles. The Chargers have had tons of cap space over the past two years but have not made many big free agent swings. They’ve made their fair share of trades and currently have just five picks this year, but haven’t made a big swing yet.
If and when the Chargers do make an exception, odds are it will be for a trenches player given the shared philosophy of Hortiz and Chargers HC Jim Harbaugh . Lawrence is a one-of-a-kind player that they could make an exception for — a monstrous 340-pound nose tackle who racks up sacks and pressures like a slippery three-technique. Los Angeles has cobbled together a respectable room, but Lawrence would be a huge upgrade and a force multiplier that would make the entire defense better (assuming he remains at or near his peak).
The Chargers have the assets to make this move. They are third in the NFL with $48 million in available cap space right now and have picks in Rounds 1-4 to work with still in 2026. It’s just a question of motivation. If Harbaugh wants to make a deal, it could come together quickly with his brother. Odds are he’s just fine sticking with veteran Dalvin Tomlinson at nose tackle, though.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Unlike the Chargers, the Jaguars have shown a willingness to be uber-aggressive in the short tenure under GM James Gladstone and HC Liam Coen so far. They were quiet in free agency this year but that was because they had limited cap space and because Gladstone wanted to accrue as many compensatory picks as possible to facilitate future trades. Jacksonville’s roster is in a pretty solid spot after going 13-4 and making the playoffs in 2025, but defensive tackle remains an area of potential short and long-term concern.
Trading for Lawrence would give the Jaguars another game-wrecker up front, upgrading significantly over current nose tackle DaVon Hamilton and giving Jacksonville a legitimate fearsome foursome with Lawrence, OLB Josh Hines-Allen , DT Arik Armstead and OLB Travon Walker . That’s a defensive line capable of standing up to the murderer’s row of quarterbacks the Jaguars have to get through in the AFC.
It’s a connection the fanbase has made, but for what it’s worth, it doesn’t sound like something that’s on the radar of the team brass. For the Jaguars, the main challenge would be sorting out the cost to add Lawrence, both financially and in terms of draft picks. They don’t have a first-round pick this year after trading it to the Browns to move up for WR/CB Travis Hunter last spring. They do have a first-round pick in 2027, and although that’s supposed to be a much better class than this year, the Jaguars might be more willing to part with it if they think it’ll be late in the round. They have 11 other picks in 2026 to augment an offer, including a second and three third-rounders.
The bigger obstacle is the Jaguars have very little financial flexibility left this year, just $3.5 million per Over The Cap when factoring in the draft pick pool. They’d have to send salary back in an NBA-style deal, which is harder to work out in the NFL since teams need a lot more depth. Hamilton could be part of a package since Lawrence would probably be taking his starting job anyway, but that creates less than $2 million in space.
The Jaguars would almost have to include OL Walker Little in any deal, as that clears the biggest chunk at $7.2 million in cap space and $11 million in guaranteed salary. Little found himself pushed out of a starting spot this past year and could help the Giants fill their need at guard. Combined with a restructure of Armstead to create another $9.7 million in breathing room, and the Jaguars could create enough room to take on Lawrence’s contract before almost certainly signing him to an extension that lowers his cap hit and gives them flexibility for the season.
Chicago Bears
The Bears had to do a lot to tread water this offseason with losses at a few different positions, and so far, they haven’t been able to add to the defensive line like they probably wanted to in an ideal world. Chicago has some pieces up front but not to the level of the top-end contending teams that have waves of pass rushers to deal with inside and out.
Adding Lawrence would go a long way toward changing that. He’d give the Bears a dynamic interior presence to collapse the pocket and flush things toward DE Montez Sweat on the edge, as well as some other players the Bears hope take a step forward. He’d also augment a rotation that includes Gervon Dexter and Grady Jarrett , the latter of whom could benefit from a reduced role at this stage of his career.
Chicago is last in the league in cap space right now, but there are a plethora of deals they could restructure to create space. Money shouldn’t be too big an issue. They also have an extra second-round pick to play with from the D.J. Moore trade, so they have draft capital to make an aggressive move.
However, the Bears balked at making a similar deal for Raiders DE Maxx Crosby , so it stands to reason they might be leery about making a big swing for Lawrence. While QB Caleb Williams is still on his rookie contract, he’s eligible for an extension next offseason and the Bears seem to be starting the planning process for that now.
Las Vegas Raiders
Typically a rebuilding team like the Raiders would be more likely to deal away players in their late 20s rather than make big moves to bring them on board. Las Vegas tried that, in fact, with the failed Crosby trade that fell through with the Ravens. However, Crosby returned to a defense that looks much different than when he left for a few days thanks to an active free agency period from the Raiders. The offense is also getting an infusion of talent with QB Kirk Cousins , C Tyler Linderbaum and of course the eventual No. 1 pick, Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza .
Calling the Raiders contenders would be way too premature but they might not be as far off from that as they looked last year. Defensive tackle is still a big remaining need, and unfortunately it’s not viewed as a particularly good class at the position this year. While the Raiders will want to draft and develop as much as possible, if they see Lawrence as a viable long-term option on an extension, it could make sense to diversify.
Adding Lawrence to a defensive line that already includes Crosby would be a big move. Factor in complementary pieces like OLB Malcolm Koonce , DL Tyree Wilson and OLB Kwity Paye , and the Raiders are quickly looking better than respectable here. They still have over $20 million in cap space this year to pay Lawrence, and while the No. 1 pick isn’t on the table, the No. 36 pick at the top of the second round could be an attractive centerpiece to a deal for the Giants.
Carolina Panthers
The Panthers still seem like they’re trying to be disciplined as they continue their journey back to hopeful relevance, but they are becoming a little more aggressive, as evidenced by handing over $30 million a year to OLB Jaelan Phillips in free agency. That move might mean they don’t have the budget for Lawrence, and they seem to want to use their draft picks to avoid big forays into free agency like that in the future.
Still, the idea of pairing Lawrence with DT Derrick Brown is a fun one. Lawrence played collegiately at Clemson, too, and has ties to the area.
New England Patriots
On the surface, the Patriots seem set at defensive tackle with Milton Williams and Christian Barmore . However, there have been some quiet suggestions that they’re not over the moon internally with Barmore. His contract was handed out before HC Mike Vrabel arrived; he’s had legal issues to deal with, plus health complications off the field, and has not come close to matching his production in a 2023 breakout.
If the Giants were willing to roll the dice on Barmore as a replacement for Lawrence, that could open up some intriguing trade possibilities for the two sides. New England would view Lawrence as an upgrade and the type of bona fide pass-rushing presence they need to add to truly contend at a sustainable level year in and year out. There are also some coaching connections on the staff who overlapped with Lawrence in New York, including DC Zak Kuhr .
The Patriots still have $35 million in cap space to work with, and trading Barmore would clear another $12 million in guaranteed salary from the books. New England has 11 draft picks, so they have some flexibility to part with premium picks and still have ammo to try and make up for it later on. Most of the trade buzz for the Patriots concerns a certain receiver in Philadelphia, but they should be considered a dark horse for plenty of other moves as well.
