NFL rule change on trading future draft picks could bring on superteams and sustained losing

CLEVELAND, OHIO - OCTOBER 19: Managing and principal partner Jimmy Haslam of the Cleveland Browns looks on prior to a game against the Miami Dolphins at Huntington Bank Field on October 19, 2025 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images The NFL might feel like it’s in a pre-draft lull, but March is a critically important time for the future of football. Wednesday marked the deadline for teams to submit proposed rule changes to be discussed at the NFL owner’s meeting late this month, where they can either be codified into the league rules — or tabled for further discussion in May.

Inside of these proposals is one from the Cleveland Browns , which could have a devastating impact on the NFL. The Browns want to change NFL trade rules to allow teams to trade draft picks up to five years in advance, increasing the trade limit from three. It may seem like a small shift, but if passed, it could have a profound impact on the competitive balance of the league, tanking, and potentially the advent of true “super teams” in football.

Up to this point there have been two limiting factors on a team’s ability to amass star talent on one team: Salary cap space, and draft capital. Cap circumvention techniques have largely rendered the first roadblock moot, with creative accounting allowing all 32 teams to structure contracts with future guaranteed money in such a way that the NFL’s salary cap has become a soft cap, assuming a team is willing to risk its future. A perfect example of this is the Dallas Cowboys this year.

Ahead of free agency the Cowboys reworked the contracts of Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb, the two most expensive players on their roster — which resulted in Prescott having $36. 8M of his deal converted to a bonus, reducing his cap figure by $30. 56M, with a similar tactic being used with Lamb to reduce his figure by $18.