8 NFL Players Who Are Deserving of a Trade in 2012

They work hard and fight for every yards, catch or sack they make. They are the faces of their teams, or popular as cult heroes. Maybe the had an "off" season, or worse, their team just did not have what it took to make the playoffs.

Maybe injuries sidelined them, and they will be fighting for a roster spot or a starting position next year.

Whatever the reason, there are some players in the NFL that deserve to be trading to a better team for a better chance at success. Some may just deserve to move on since their team is rebuilding with new players and younger athletes.

When older veterans are at a crossroads in their career and it appears they will not win a championship, they may seek a contender to fulfill their desire to play on a championship team.

Not all these players are at the end of their careers, but they certainly deserve a chance at the taste if the playoffs or the feel of the Lombardi Trophy.

Jared Allen, Minnesota Vikings

Allen has had a monster season for the Vikings this season despite the team's 3-12 record.

With 18.5 sacks this year, Allen leads the league. His play has been one of the bright sports for the Vikings.

Injuries (Adrian Peterson) and rookie starters (Christian Ponder) have contributed to the slow rise of this franchise. The pieces appear to be in place, but you have to wonder how long the 29-year-old will wait around before wanting to play on a contender.

Allen was originally a drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs and traded to the Vikings in 2008 where he signed a six-year contract.

Dwight Freeney, Indianapolis Colts

The offensive side of the ball is not the only side that has had issues this season for the Indianapolis Colts.

There are bound to be changes on the horizon for the defense as well. One may be centered around the centerpiece of the Colts defensive line since 2002. Could Dwight Freeney be traded?

The Colts lost starters Clint Session and Bob Sanders in free agency and have relied on new components to their defense, which has not gone as well as head coach Jim Caldwell had planned.

If the Irsays, owners of the franchise, decide to rebuild, will veterans like Freeney, who signed a six-year contract in 2007, be part of the rebuilding plan?

Freeney is still one of the most feared pass-rushers in the game, and he and Robert Mathis form a nice end combination that disrupts the opposition's passing and rushing attack.

Fred Jackson, Buffalo Bills

Jackson is one of those great overachieving stories in the NFL. He played at Coe College, a Division III school and was signed as a free agent in 2006 by the Bills' Marv Levy, who was an alum of the school.

Since then, Jackson has proved he belongs in the NFL.

This season, the Bills have shown they have promise and could challenge for the playoffs in the next season or so under head coach Chan Gailey. But with the use of CJ Spiller this season when Jackson broke his leg in a November game against the Miami Dolphins, it shows that Spiller, drafted in the first round in 2010, is the future of this team.

Jackson brings his lunch pail to work every day and gives the effort coaches want in a running back. Does Spiller's play this year at the end of the season create a controversy and crowded backfield, and if so, what happens to a productive player such as Jackson?

Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville Jaguars

All he has done is account for over 46 percent of this team's total offense and is leading the league in rushing and is second on his team in pass receptions.

It's scary to think what would happen if MJD did not fully recover from offseason knee surgery.

At the beginning of the season, MJD was on a "carry count" to minimize the potential for injury. Now, the Pro Bowl runner is needed more than ever to help supplant a rookie quarterback afraid of his own shadow and a lame receiving corps that is crying for help in the 2012 NFL draft.

Maurice Jones-Drew deserves better talent around him and if that cannot be achieved on the offensive side of the ball like the team spent millions on the defense in the offseason, then it may be time to consider trading him for more draft picks and players.

Brandon Marshall, Miami Dolphins

Marshall has played two seasons in Miami following a trade in 2010 from the Denver Broncos.

All Marshall has done this season with a very uneven team is catch 76 passes for 1,164 yards with Matt Moore as his primary passer. The Dolphins may be in the sweepstakes for rookie passer in the upcoming 2012 NFL draft.

Marshall's accomplishments, along with Reggie Bush gaining 1,086 yards on the ground gave Miami its first ever rushing/receiving combination to each have more than 1,000 yards. Marshall has been the main target in the offense that ranks 19th in the league.

While the team will be looking for a new coach to replace interim coach Todd Bowles and find new cogs in both the offense and defense, would trading Marshall for draft picks or players make sense?

His speed and size (6'4", 230 pounds) would make him an attractive choice if the Dolphins decided to go that route.

Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals

Is there another receiver in the NFL that deserves a better passing attack to complement his skills?

Fitzgerald signed a contract extension to stay in the desert. He has to find consistency in quarterback play to maximize his talents.

All Fitzgerald has done is catch 71 passes for 1,262 yards with an often-injured Kevin Kolb and John Skelton throwing balls to him this season. And with the recent improvement of the team down the stretch, the Cardinals are a tangled set of legs from being at least a .500 team this season if not better.

Everyone looks to be better in the NFC West (sans St. Louis) next season, but if this team cannot find a way to win more games, then maybe Fitzgerald needs to find another home.

Takeo Spikes, San Diego Chargers

Spikes came into the league with the Cincinnati Bengals in 1998 and has NEVER been to the playoffs.

Spikes played for the Bengals, Bills, Eagles and 49ers before finding a home on the California coast. His current contract, signed before this season, is for three years.

The Chargers made a late push to knock on the door of the playoff picture, but could not open it wide enough to get in. San Diego has talent and skill throughout the lineup, but the window of opportunity appears to be closing on this team.

Spikes is way too talented and can still play at a high level to not know what it is like to experience post season play at least once. Maybe a trade to a contender would afford him that opportunity.

Ben Tate, Houston Texans

This one is a little odd to pick since both had a great season in Houston.

Every NFL team could use two solid backs who complement each other well in the offense, but what happens when there are not enough footballs to go around.

Tate has been as important to the Texans' running game as Foster this season, but he could be a featured back for another team in need of a punishing runner who hits the hole at full speed.

I figure if one "was" to be traded (just a thought), it would be Tate.