NFL Trade Rumors: 10 Players That Should Be Traded, But Won't Be
The day of the NFL trade deadline is always exciting, if only for the resolution that it provides.
Every year, for months and months, trade rumors follow certain players, and it leaves everyone wondering what exactly is going to happen.
In some cases, such as with Marshawn Lynch, the deal happens before the trade dealine. However, it seems that in most high profile cases, the decision waits to the trade deadline.
The trade deadline is also interesting for speculation purposes. There are always plenty of players tabbed by fans as guys that need to go off to another team, and sometimes they end up being right. Most of the time, though, these players end up remaining with their teams, a tough pill to swallow for fans who know that their teams made the wrong decisions.
Here now, then, is this year's top ten players who should be traded, but won't.
1.Kevin Kolb
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It's hard to believe that the Philadelphia Eagles believed that Kevin Kolb could be the successor to Donovan McNabb.
While Kolb is a good player, he has only just managed to win back his starting job on account of the recent injury suffered by Michael Vick.
That having been said, there are teams in the League who would easily give up good compensation for Kolb. Buffalo and Cleveland are two names that come to mind immediately that need a quality quarterback immediately, and both could easily make the move.
In addition, the Eagles simply don't need Kolb. When Vick returns from his injury, which should be sometime soon, Kolb will likely be back on the bench, and his position there might even be questionable. The Eagles picked Mike Kafka from Northwestern in the last draft for a reason.
The Eagles could use the compensation that they would get from Kolb, but, ultimately, nothing is likely to happen.
The Eagles seem attached to Kevin Kolb, whether that be in a backup role or a starting role, and will at least hold him through the season as an insurance policy.
2. Logan Mankins
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Mankins is one of two remaining contract holdouts in the League, and is a bit of an enigma.
At 28 his career is far from over, but, at the same time, no player can truly afford to sit out an entire season.
Mankins, like Vincent Jackson, has been asked by the NFLPA to sign his contract in November, but there has been a lot of recent speculation that he would sign it earlier to be used in a player-for-player swap with the Chicago Bears or the San Diego Chargers.
It seems likely, though, that that will not happen, and it has almost nothing to do with Bill Belichick.
Belichick has no apparent desire to bring Logan Mankins back, but Mankins seems to be the one shooting himself in the foot. He is a good player, and he deserves a large contract, but his demands coupled with the time he is spending off the field are simply not compatible.
If Mankins had signed his tender at the beginning of the year and played in the last six games for New England, things would be different. As it stands, though, he hasn't played a snap in half of a year, and throwing a big contract his way in the middle of the season may be a bit of a risk for a team that intends to use him right away.
Learning a new scheme and knocking the rust off mid-season aren't easy tasks.
3. Steve Slaton
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With the breakout of Arian Foster, a lot of talk has once again started up around Texans running back Steve Slaton.
His inconsistencies during his relatively short career have put him in this situation again, but the Texans never seemed to be in the right position to move him, despite the great performance of Ryan Moats last year.
If there was ever a time for the Texans to trade Steve Slaton, now would be that time.
Unfortunately, though, now is not that time.
Slaton may no longer be the number one running back for the Texans, but it doesn't seem like the organization is totally sold on Arian Foster.
Foster is good, but he has yet to play enough to prove that he is good enough.
If Slaton does end up getting traded, it will be at the end of the season, unless some team plans on offering up a big price for him, which doesn't seem likely.
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4. The Entire Oakland Raiders Roster
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Al Davis has done some strange things in the past few years, but nothing seems to come close in terms of pure surprise as the announcement that he recently put out through the Raiders organization that every Oakland Raider could be traded.
Sometimes you have to wonder if Bill Simmons was right about Al Davis dying after the 2003 season only to be replaced by a badly programmed robot.
While this is almost certainly only a ploy to motivate his failing team, it certainly does open up a lot of windows for a lot of personnel movement.
The likelihood, though, is that none of the Oakland Raiders will be moved, for the simple fact that they have no players worthy of trading that they don't need.
The only player that Oakland could conceivably get rid of would be Johnnie Lee Higgins, and there just doesn't seem to be enough interest in a good return man around the League.
5. Steve Smith
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When I first saw this rumor floating around, I laughed. A lot.
Is there anyone in the world that would believe that the Carolina Panthers would trade away their best receiver, who is also quite possibly their best offensive player?
There was never any doubt in my mind.
Steve Smith will remain a Panther for the rest of his career as far as I'm concerned.
6. Lee Evans
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This is another case of mistaken rumor.
The Bills are desperate for draft picks as they continue their rebuilding process, but not this desperate.
Lee Evans is a necessary part of their team. Despite the fact that many may want him as a slot receiver, he may not bite on that. He seems content with his role with the Bills.
If the Bills do trade him away, which is highly unlikely, it will only be because they do not realize that the problem is with their quarterback situation and not with their wide receivers.
7. Tashard Choice
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A lot of talk from the Dallas Cowboys' camp is that Dallas has been talking with Green Bay about trading one of their three running backs.
Of the three Tashard Choice seems the most likely, and this even seems like a long shot.
While carrying three running backs on the active roster is a little strange, this combination is integral to the way the Cowboys play offense. Their running game revolves around this three man rotation, and it doesn't seem likely that they would break up this group of backs for what would probably be a mid-round draft pick.
8. Vincent Jackson
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After today, everyone can finally let out a sigh of relief.
The drama with San Diego Chargers holdout receiver Vincent Jackson will finally be over.
Months of fluctuating hype have been driving fans crazy, and today will finally be the true, definitive answer that everyone has been looking for.
Don't expect too much, though. AJ Smith has already shut down more than one offer from other teams for the embattled wideout, and this issue seems to be more personal now than professional.
AJ Smith appears to be in no hurry to move Jackson, and that should carry through today.
9. Richard Seymour
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The hype machine has once again produced a rumor that seems practically without ground.
Two years ago the Oakland Raiders gave up the 1st round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft to the New England Patriots (among other things) to acquire Richard Seymour, and he has become their best defensive lineman.
While his motivation and value have been in question, there is no doubt that the Raiders need him right now.
Besides, two years is just not enough time to declare the deal a bust and try to move on. The Raiders have done some strange dealing in the past, but this one would be just plain strange.
10. Willis McGahee
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With the emergence of Ray Rice as the primary back in Baltimore, many have come to question the position of Willis McGahee on the team, and have gone as far as to suggest trading the veteran running back.
While coach John Harbaugh did come out and say that the team had no plans of trading McGahee, it nonetheless remained a possibility.
At this point in time, though, it seems highly unlikely.
The Ravens still need McGahee as insurance in the event of an injury to Ray Rice, and he still holds good value as a situational back.
The Ravens would only make this trade if they already had their eyes on a standout that they could get in the draft, and that just doesn't seem likely.
Questions? Comments? Concerns?
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