NFL Playoffs: Ranking the Top Trade Bait in the Postseason

The NFC and AFC Conference championship games are just a day away, and while the action on the field should be entertaining, there are more than a few names who could become quality trade bait for their teams when the offseason rolls around.

As talented as each of the four remaining teams are, there are salary caps to be dealt with soon enough, and there will be other teams willing to make deals that cannot be refused.

Godfather references aside, here's the top trade bait left in the 2012 NFL playoffs.

9. Julian Edelman

New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman burst onto the scene in Foxboro during his rookie season, providing a replacement to the Pats when some top receivers were injured.

Edelman had 9.7 yards per reception back in 2009, with 37 receptions for for 359 yards while in and out of the starting lineup. He's done little since then offensively, but he's willing to fill in whatever role asked of him by his head coach and that's someone any coach loves to have.

Right now, the third-year receiver is buried beneath the Patriots depth chart at his position, and will be on the final year of his contract entering next season. Plenty of teams need a solid No. 2 or three receiver, and Edelman probably wouldn't mind getting to see the field more often.

8. Kendall Hunter

San Francisco 49ers rookie running back Kendall Hunter has performed well behind feature man Frank Gore, which always catches the eye of other teams.

Hunter had close to 500 yards on the ground this season, despite only three games with double-digit carries. Whenever Gore was banged up this season, Hunter came in and did a capable job filling in. While not as dynamic as No. 21, he was one of the more productive backup running backs throughout the NFL this season.

The 49ers would probably like to keep a hold of Hunter considering Gore's struggles to stay healthy over the years, and considering he's reaching 30 years old. While that's not old for many positions in the NFL, when you play the position like the former Miami Hurricane does, it could be the start of his declining years.

With all that said, if the Cleveland Browns can't sign Peyton Hillis or parts ways with Montario Hardesty, expect San Fran to get a call about their rookie rusher.

7. Danny Woodhead

Living in Patriots country, I can tell you that running back Danny Woodhead took New England by storm last year, becoming popular with the fans after his solid 2010 campaign.

The former New York Jet has been all but absent from the Pats' offense this year, however, with almost 200 less rushing yards than last season.

Like Kendall Hunter, Woodhead has stepped up when asked, and showed elusiveness and the ability to see holes defenses give him. Like his teammate Julian Edelman, he's only under contract for the rest of next season, so if another team is willing to fork up a few draft picks, the Pats would surely part ways with the Nebraska-born back.

6. Lee Evans

If you want to talk about a swift fall from grace, the story of Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Lee Evans is a good case study.

Evans used to be the premier deep ball threat for the Buffalo Bills. Many thought that what was stopping him from being elite was the less-than-stellar quarterbacks the Bills have had over the few past seasons.

Well, since coming to Baltimore, he has a grand total of four receptions for 74 yards and zero touchdowns.

While his acrobatic catch last weekend against the Houston Texans was nice, he's going to cost the Ravens over $3 million next year. They'd be lucky to haul him off on another team instead of eating that contract another season.

5. Chad Ochocinco

There's no way around it: New England has received essentially nothing from wide receiver Chad Ochocinco.

However, he's just one season removed from 831 yards receiving for the Cincinnati Bengals. He's 34 right now, but he should have a season or two left of production and would probably be willing to sign a reasonable contract.

Ochocinco has certainly seen his best days go by him on the football field, but teams like the Houston Texans or other playoff hopefuls could try and rent him en route to a championship.

4. Dennis Pitta

Baltimore Ravens tight end Dennis Pitta has put up some solid numbers during his limited snaps on the field this season, but with the Ravens reluctant to take the New England approach on offense, they may part ways with him for the right price.

Pitta and starter Ed Dickson are both in their second year in the league, but the Ravens have been partial to giving Dickson more opportunities and seem to have the better chemistry with quarterback Joe Flacco.

Unlike their Sunday opponents, Baltimore doesn't seem to want to focus their passing game on their tight ends—most likely due to Anquan Boldin and rising star Torrey Smith lining up at wide receiver.

NFL teams are always looking for tight ends, and considering the BYU alum had 405 receiving yards on just 40 receptions, another team is sure to inquire about his services.

3. Colin Kaepernick

In last year's NFL Draft, the San Francisco 49ers drafted quarterback Colin Kaepernick to be the successor to Alex Smith if he faltered. It's safe to say that Smith has earned his job during the 2011 season, meaning Kaepernick makes fine trade bait.

In college, he was one of the most decorated WAC quarterbacks during his career, winning the conference's offensive player of the year award twice while at Nevada.

Outside of Robert Griffin III and Andrew Luck, there are few quarterbacks in the upcoming draft class that look like a better option than Kaepernick. He could also end up being the cheaper option, meaning teams like Seattle and Miami could try and acquire him.

2. Aaron Hernandez

While New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez has been solid this season, he's been in the shadow of Rob Gronkowski's record-breaking season.

It's not likely that the Pats would move Hernandez, as the two tight end formations have been giving opposing defenses fits this year. Plus, Gronk and Hernandez are only going to get better over time.

That won't stop teams from inquiring about New England's new No. 81 though, and it's hard for the Pats to turn down draft picks. Hernandez will most likely be back in Foxboro for next season, but New England's phone will be ringing off the hook about him this offseason.

1. Osi Umenyiora

It's no secret the New York Giants and defensive end Osi Umenyiora has had issues the past few seasons, and with the emergence of Jason Pierre-Paul, he could be on the trade block.

Umenyiora didn't report to training camp this past offseason because the team failed to talk about renegotiating his contract. Just three days after reporting tor practice, he went down with an injury and didn't play for Big Blue until October 2nd.

There's no denying that the Troy product has talent—he put together nine sacks in a limited season and the G-Men do like to rotate their defensive line frequently. Though, considering the issues management and Umenyiora have had, it wouldn't surprise me to see him traded for a sizable fee.