2012 NFL Draft: Predicting Possible Trade-Up Scenarios

The NFL's new Collective Bargaining Agreement opened the door for an unprecedented number of trades in its annual draft.

No longer are teams scared to hold a top-5 pick for fear they will draft a bust. No longer will the rising salaries of rookies threaten to set teams back for years after signing them to monster deals.

With the NFL joining the NBA with a rookie wage scale, teams can more easily (and less riskily) navigate the draft order to get their guy.

The next piece of the puzzle: the guy that puts them over the top.

They can make those moves without fear, and that creates a huge amount of excitement. Excitement that is already being played out.

With the Washington Redskins trading the house for the St. Louis Rams' No. 2 pick (presumably to draft Robert Griffin III), the draft games have begun.

Here are some conceivable trades.

Jacksonville Jaguars Trade with the Cleveland Browns

Blaine Gabbert's rookie season as the quarterback of the Jacksonville Jaguars was a disaster. He was inaccurate, indecisive and intolerable.

But who were his receivers?

No, I'm literally asking you. Who were they?

Since nobody has ever heard of them, perhaps it's time for an upgrade.

The trouble for Jacksonville is going to be the St. Louis Rams.

The Rams, who selected Sam Bradford in the 2010 draft and have no interest in Robert Griffin III, have already traded out of the No. 2 pick. They landed just one spot in front of their biggest competition for the top-rated wide receiver in this years draft: Justin Blackmon.

Convenient.

However, the Jaguars can one-up the Rams by swapping spots with the Cleveland Browns at No. 4. This would virtually guarantee them the rights to Blackmon.

The Browns incentive is simply to stockpile picks. They have some need at wide receiver, too, but they can look elsewhere to supply that minor need.

Instead, by trading down to the seventh spot, they can draft Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who they are high on, or they can address the impending need at running back by selecting Alabama's Trent Richardson.

If Tannehill is who they covet, they may wish to trade further down. However, if Richardson is still available when No. 7 rolls around they might just pull the trigger. The Browns select again at No. 22, and may be able to get Tannehill there.

Kansas City Chiefs Trade with the St. Louis Rams

This will be a tough pill to swallow for the Kansas City Chiefs, but it's likely the best move for them to make.

By moving from the No. 11 pick to the No. 6 pick, KC will pass up the Miami Dolphins and gain the rights the Iowa OT Riley Reiff.

Reiff is commonly considered the second best O-line prospect in this years draft and is clearly the second best offensive tackle. While the Chiefs have needs at center, guard and right tackle, the reality is they have players capable of playing along the interior of their offensive line. They currently have nobody capable of manning the right tackle position.

So while No. 6 might be slightly above his actual value, the Chiefs won't have much of a choice. The Dolphins draft at No. 8, and would also like to secure Reiff.

As for the current No. 6 pick holder, the St. Louis Rams will be loading up on picks both this year and next. They already traded with the Washington Redskins, acquiring four draft picks in the deal. By moving down again they will simply add to the horde of picks they will be unleashing.

With no player worth the No. 6 pick to them on the board, moving further back is not a bad thing.

Baltimore Ravens Trade with the Dallas Cowboys

With Ray Lewis facing Father Time, and Jarrett Johnson shopping for homes in San Diego, the Baltimore Ravens defense is suddenly looking vulnerable—especially at linebacker.

During this year's NFL draft combine, Luke Kuechly came to play. He supplemented his rock-solid game tape with numbers well above average. He showed off his moves and quick feet, and NFL teams were impressed.

He showed he is this year's top linebacker.

The Ravens have been thought to be targeting a top-flight linebacker in this year's draft for most of the season. It was presumed to be Arizona State's Vontaze Burfict until he committed draft stock suicide at the combine. Now, it has to be Kuechly.

With the Philadelphia Eagles lurking at No. 15, and needing to shore up their own corps of linebackers, the Ravens must make a move past them.

The Dallas Cowboys, who hold the No. 14 pick, were expected by many to select the top available cornerback. Having signed Brandon Carr to a $50.1 million deal in free agency, that option is likely obsolete.

With no obvious need or value available, the Cowboys could trade down to garner a healthy supply of picks. A jump of 15 spots may be quite expensive, and the 'Boys could benefit from a solid return.

Cincinnati Bengals Trade with the Arizona Cardinals

While Trent Richardson has top-5 skills, the days of the workhorse running back in the NFL are mostly dead.

In light of this, teams are becoming more and more hesitant to use early draft picks on the men whose NFL lives are shortest. Many teams refuse to draft a running back in the first round, let alone the top 10.

But once Richardson gets out of the top 10, there will be a move for him. There are still teams that see the value in a game-breaking back like the Alabama product.

The Cincinnati Bengals are looking for Cedric Benson's replacement, whether through free agency or the draft. If they can't reach an agreement with one of the backs available in free agency, Richardson will become their top priority.

But they won't be willing to give up a ton to get him, either. The reality is that a running back's shelf life simply isn't long enough to be throwing away 10 picks to get him, a la Ricky Williams.

A move from their current No. 17 pick to the Arizona Cardinals' No. 13 is certainly not out of the question, though. With many of the teams in front of the No. 13 pick having solid running back situations, it is likely that if Richardson gets past the first seven picks, he will make it all the way to the 12-13 range. Cincinnati would greatly benefit from such a situation.

Arizona is expected to address their offensive line with their first pick. Between picks 13 and 17, however, their are no teams who are expected to make a similar move. By sliding back to No. 17, the Cardinals could grab a few extra picks and still probably get their guy. It's a low-risk, high-reward situation.

San Francisco 49ers Trade with the Cincinnati Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals have two picks. This trade suggests the San Francisco 49ers will move up to the Bengals No. 17 pick, not No. 21.

The 49ers have been searching for a game-breaking wideout for years. Their most recent attempts to bring in explosive receivers have all resulted less than satisfactorily.

Michael Crabtree, Braylon Edwards and Ted Ginn Jr. have all returned less than was expected from them. Edwards couldn't stay off the injury report and Ginn hasn't been much of a receiver at all, making his impact mainly as a returner.

But with this move, they will try again.

With one of the best defenses in the league and (finally) a decent Alex Smith at the helm, the Niners' time is now. Michael Floyd could be the piece that puts them over the top, much like the Atlanta Falcons expected from Julio Jones last year.

While that didn't ultimately work out for the Falcons, it wasn't because of Jones, who had a spectacular rookie season.

The San Diego Chargers (No. 18) and the Chicago Bears (No. 19) both appear poised to select wide receivers, and if even one of them picks before the Niners, Floyd will be gone. They must make the move to the No. 17 position.

The Bengals would only be interested in making this trade if Trent Richardson fails to make it out of the top 10. In that case, Lamar Miller or Doug Martin would likely be the top running backs on their board and both can be had later in the first round. They will have little reason to sit at 17, and can put some extra picks in their back pocket by moving back.

Denver Broncos Trade with the Miami Dolphins

With the Denver Broncos reportedly a finalist in the Peyton Manning Sweepstakes, the craze that is Tebow Time may soon come to a close. The question might not be when, but where Tebow will go.

Two possible destinations for the polarizing quarterback are the Miami Dolphins and the Seattle Seahawks. Both teams have been considered Manning suitors, and the Dolphins remain alive in Manning's decision-making process.

If the Dolphins don't land the longtime Indianapolis Colt, they will still need to address the quarterback position. Their 2011 starter, Chad Henne, has officially signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

It is likely the Dolphins would first try to sign free agent Matt Flynn, formerly of the Green Bay Packers, before entertaining a trade for Tebow.

But what Tebow brings to the table is unique, and there are likely a few teams out there who would not be averse to taking on the young quarterback.

The Broncos could unload Tebow and their first-rounder for a very decent pick near the top of round one. If they landed the Miami pick, they would have their choice of a dominant defensive tackle such as Dontari Poe or Michael Brockers, or bringing in a playmaker for Manning to work with. Perhaps Michael Floyd, or even Trent Richardson.

The possibilities are endless, but Manning could certainly use a weapon on the outside if he chooses Denver as his new home. With several teams currently vying for Eddie Royal's services, Denver will likely have one less receiver on its roster by the time Manning decides his future.