What If? Who Each NFL Team Would Put into an Expansion Draft

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DALLAS COWBOYS

ILB Jaylon Smith, QB Ben DiNucci, WR Cedrick Wilson, OLB Francis Bernard, S Steven Parker

Frankly, it is sorely tempting to include Ezekiel Elliott here. The running back’s play has declined over the past couple of years—an alarming trend given his position and career workload. The Cowboys have a capable replacement in Tony Pollard. And Elliott’s six-year, $90 million contract is the ugliest on the roster.

However, the Cowboys enter every season with Super Bowl aspirations (or delusions, depending on how you look at it). And it’s doubtful team owner Jerry Jones would risk watching Elliott get snatched up, even if the argument can be made that would be a bad move for a new squad.

On the other hand, linebacker Jaylon Smith (who is also coming off a down season, especially in coverage) is another story.

With Leighton Vander Esch, Micah Parsons, Jabril Cox and Keanu Neal at off-ball linebacker, the Cowboys have the depth at the position to absorb the loss of Smith and would clear nearly $10 million off the books.

Given the Cowboys’ annual dance with the salary cap, the extra wiggle room would come in handy.

NEW YORK GIANTS

OT Nate Solder, WR Sterling Shepard, OLB Cam Brown, CB Quincy Wilson, S Montre Hartage

There is, without question, not a team in the league that would rather see a veteran poached in an expansion draft.

In 2018, the New York Giants gave offensive tackle Nate Solder a four-year, $62 million contract to protect the blind side. The return on that investment has been pretty much nonexistent. Solder allowed 11 sacks in 2019 and sat out the 2020 season over concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Giants would probably also just as soon be rid of sixth-year veteran wide receiver Sterling Shepard. After catching 66 passes for 872 yards in 2018, Shepard got a four-year, $41 million extension. But he has failed to record even 700 receiving yards in the two season since and has just six touchdowns through the air.

PHILADEPHIA EAGLES

K Jake Elliott, DT Fletcher Cox, CB Michael Jacquet, G Sua Opeta, TE Caleb Wilson

To be fair, Fletcher Cox remains a very good defensive tackle. The 30-year-old may not be quite the disruptive force he was during his 10.5-sack 2018 campaign, but he was just named to his sixth consecutive Pro Bowl.

But Cox is both an aging star and the highest-paid defensive player on the team. The Eagles are in the opening stages of a rebuild, and while trading Cox would be preferable, getting him off the books in an expansion draft would work as well.

The Eagles should pray that an expansion draft would involve kicker Jake Elliott leaving town. Giving Elliott a five-year, $19.3 million extension in 2019 was a terrible use of cap space, and Elliott hit on a career-low 73.7 percent of his field-goal attempts last season.

WASHINGTON FOOTBALL TEAM

S Landon Collins, WR Kelvin Harmon, G Najee Toran, DE Daniel Wise, OT Saahdiq Charles

There’s only one name on Washington’s list of unprotected players that’s apt to turn heads.

When Landon Collins is healthy and on his game, he’s as talented as any box safety in the league. The 27-year-old has topped 100 tackles in four of his six professional seasons, has been named to three Pro Bowls and was a first-team All-Pro in 2016.

That resume earned Collins a six-year, $84 million deal with Washington in 2019. He’s the team’s highest-paid player with a multiyear contract. 

However, Collins’ 2020 season was a mess. He recorded a career-low 41 stops in seven games before tearing his Achilles. With Collins sidelined, Kamren Curl emerged as a quality starter at the position.

He also made Collins expendable.