NFL Trade Proposal Lands Falcons Day 2 Pick for TE Kyle Pitts But at a Big Cost

With NFL roster cutdown day less than a week away, pundits have begun speculating how each team is going to fill out its roster. Hundreds of players are about to become available on the waiver wire, but NFL teams will also have the option to add or move on from players through trades.

On Thursday, Bleacher Report's Alex Kay proposed the Atlanta Falcons move tight end Kyle Pitts for a 2026 third-round pick.

That would be great value for the tight end who has underperformed the past three years. But there's one obvious problem. The trade proposal had Pitts staying in the NFC South with the Carolina Panthers.

"The Panthers finally saw a spark from Bryce Young last year, a promising development that led them to load up on playmakers this offseason," wrote Kay.

"The team shouldn't rest on its laurels yet, though, as there is still a clear need for a tight end to round out the offense with.

"With the middling Tommy Tremble set to start with Ja'Tavion Sanders backing him up at the position, Carolina could use an upgrade who can work as Young's safety valve and preferred red-area target. Kyle Pitts fits the bill as a buy-low, high-value trade target who would become a featured part of the Panthers' passing attack."

As a rookie in 2021, Pitts posted 68 catches for 1,026 receiving yards. But over the past three seasons, he's never had more than 53 receptions for 667 receiving yards.

Still, any kind of Pitts trade, let alone one to the Panthers, appears highly unlikely at this point.

Why the Falcons Won't Trade TE Kyle Pitts to Carolina Panthers

It's important to note that Kay's assignment was to name one trade each team "should propose" prior to the regular season. Pitts landing with the Panthers was a proposal from Carolina's perspective.

Yes, it makes sense Carolina would want Pitts. Even an underperforming Pitts is a better option than Tommy Tremble.

But that doesn't mean the Falcons would be alright giving up the tight end before the 2025 regular season.

There were trade rumors around Pitts during the offseason because of his $10.8 million contract for 2025. The Falcons could have used that money in free agency elsewhere on the roster.

But now that the season is basically here, it makes less sense to recoup the cap space. Not when the Falcons could use Pitts as a pass-catcher for first-year starting quarterback Michael Penix Jr.

Even if he's the third or fourth passing option, Pitts could play a significant role for the team's offense in 2025.

If he does, then he could still have a future in Atlanta as well.

With that in mind, there's little chance the Falcons would allow another team to "buy-low" on him, and there's absolutely no way the Falcons would allow a division rival to "buy-low" on Pitts.

Falcons trade proposals inside the NFC South, though, have suddenly become popular. A lot of pundits have speculated whether Atlanta could trade quarterback Kirk Cousins to the New Orleans Saints.

Kay proposed that deal Thursday as well.

Both a Pitts and Cousins trade inside the NFC South are very likely not happening. If they did occur, the NFC rival would have to make the Falcons "an offer they can't refuse."

That's probably not happening either since Pitts is more of a "buy-low" candidate entering a contract year, and Cousins played poorly enough last season to lose his starting job.