Image courtesy of Craig Hawkins/Flickr.
The NFL is a bit of an oddity in the sense that there are not a lot of blockbuster trades (that don’t involve the name Chip Kelly).
With that said, I would like to see some teams make some moves and if those moves are to be made, here’s what I’d like to see go down.
Buffalo Bills trade LeSean McCoy to the Dallas Cowboys for Darren McFadden and La’el Collins: This is a total impact trade for both teams that has juicy drama mixed into it. Buffalo was in need of some help along the offensive line, and Dallas managed to luck into a top 10 draft prospect in La’el Collins. With minimum money invested and conceivably no place for Collins to play for this year, Dallas could go out and get a top-flight running back to replace the dearly departed, DeMarco Murray. McFadden goes to Buffalo where he and Fred Jackson can split time and neither one would feel like the other guy was a super star. Letting McCoy run behind the vaunted Dallas offensive line would be a treat to watch, and letting him run against the Philadelphia Eagles and Murray twice a year would be so very interesting.
Denver Broncos trade Peyton Manning and DeMarcus Ware to the Houston Texans for Jadeveon Clowney, Ryan Mallet, and a second-round pick: To be hones,t the Denver defense is pretty stacked as is, but Ware is getting a little old. Speaking of old, Manning is going to be lucky if he survives behind an offensive line with more problems than a guest on Jerry Springer. The Texans pick up some pieces that would help them win games now. Ware would compliment Watt in an amazing way that Clowney could never do. Oh, and I think the Texans could find the ability to sign Wes Welker if Peyton was kicking around. For the Broncos, the free cap space would allow them to make the defense younger and more dynamic than it already is. Mallet would round out the trade as the starter caliber quarterback coming back, and his mobility would make the line issues in Denver less impactful. The second-round pick is a necessity as there is a great disparity of talent coming back to Denver. That may even have to be a first-round pick. Long term win for Denver, short term win for Houston.
Washington Redskins trade DeSean Jackson to the Kansas City Chiefs for a second-round draft pick: It’s not so much that the DeSean Jackson phase of the Redskins has fizzled out. It’s more like Robert Griffin the third hasn’t been able to built chemistry with the speedy undersized receiver. Also, DeSean’s frame does not lend itself to the broken scramble play. In KC, DeSean would be able to reunite with Andy Reid, and have a pocket passer that could get him the ball on quick patterns. We all know KC needs the wide receiver help, and they have the cap space to absorb his salary coming back. This pick could be downgraded to a third as I feel like the salary is a burden that most teams wouldn’t pay for. The Redskins have to be thinking long-term, as they aren’t a playoff team anytime in the foreseeable future.
Tennessee Titans trade Marcus Mariota to the Philadelphia Eagles for Mark Sanchez, a first-round pick, and a second-round pick: You think any trade list wouldn’t include some level of involvement from the man that has seemingly been a part of more personnel turnover than a campus coffee shop? Chip Kelly seems to have no sense of the salary cap, position battles, or player ego’s. He believes his system rises above all else and will prevail. Not sure if this is confidence or arrogance, but it’s something. There was a ton of talk that Kelly would sell the farm to get Mariota in the draft this past year. When it was said and done no deal was made, and Chip went about his business of trading Nick Foles for Sam Bradford, and then promptly gave a healthy contract extension to the often-injured QB. If I’m the Titans, Bradford is not the guy I want. I’d have been happy with Nick Foles, but I’m far too worried about the “china doll” structure of Bradford to invest heavily in him as my QB of the future. Sanchez gives you a reliable starter that can operate in a pro offense. It’s the picks coming back that help you built for the future more than anything. Sanchez is a stopgap at best and is really best suited to be an NFL backup. Meanwhile, Chip gets his guy and Bradford gets some pressure to play at his best and stay healthy. If nothing else, the internal Eagles drama would be enough to keep the ratings high both for games and practices.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers trade Jameis Winston to the New York Jets for Geno Smith and Leonard Williams: In an early edition of a mock draft I had the Bucs taking Williams. He is an elite level defensive lineman who should have an amazing career in the NFL. Winston could turn out to be the best QB since Andrew Luck, but the odds are forever NOT in his favor. So the scenario works out like this. The Bucs see something in training camp from one of their backups that make them feel like Winston might not win the starting job outright. In need of defensive help they turn to the Jets, who have far more talent on their defensive line than any one team should have. The Jets, still in need of a true franchise QB, use the deal as a way to drop the dead weight of Geno Smith, and fill that hole without giving up a lot. The Jets get more cap space and the top pick in the draft. The Bucs get the best player from the draft and both sides walk away happy.
Recommended for you
Leave a Reply
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
