NFL Trade Deadline Has Come and Gone, and Once Again Nothing Happened

The 2010 NFL trade deadline has come and has gone, and like most years, nothing really happened.

This year looked to be a bit different.  After all, last week we saw the Buffalo Bills trade running back Marshawn Lynch to the Seattle Seahawks, then the New England Patriots traded wide receiver Randy Moss to the Minnesota Vikings, and then Seattle continued trading by sending wide receiver Deion Branch to New England (all teams trading away players received draft picks).

There was also talk that San Diego Charger Vincent Jackson, Washington Redskin Albert Haynesworth and New England Patriot Logan Mankin might be dealt, but when the clock struck 4:00 PM EST, all three remained with their respective teams.

Why is the NFL trade deadline so uneventful when the other three major American sports have reporters and insiders scrambling?

Usually in the NBA, MLB and NHL, you can expect at least one blockbuster trade which includes sending a superstar somewhere in exchange for draft picks, prospects or another superstar.

I would almost say the trade deadline for these three sports is more exciting than their respective drafts.

For example in 2004, my buddies and I were in a deli eating sandwiches as the MLB trade deadline approached.

There was a television tuned to ESPN but no sound.

All of a sudden we saw a graphic with Nomar Garciaparra's picture on it and the word "traded" below it.

We were all frantic to find out the details.  We all hopped on our cell phones and started calling anyone we knew who might have information on it.

As Red Sox fans, we were in a panic, but it was also a lot of fun.

The NFL trade deadline doesn't offer up such enjoyment.  In fact, it goes by almost unnoticed to most.

I do, however, have a few theories as to why the NFL trade deadline is mostly a bust in terms of hype.

It Happens Too Early in the Season

In the other three sports, their deadlines come after their respective All-Star breaks which is a little over midway through the season.  At this point, teams pretty much know where they stand in terms of the playoffs.

You clearly have teams who need to dump older elite players and try and build through youth, while you have other teams that are a piece or two away from making a push towards the championship.

In Week 6 of the NFL (especially this season), the majority of the teams are jumbled together and very few divisions have a clear-cut team that is running away with it all.  Therefore, everyone thinks they're a buyer.

Also as an NFL franchise, you don't want to tell the fans you've given up by Week 6 and are selling off veterans to build towards the future.  You are almost guaranteeing that your ticket sales will plummet.

There Are No Minor Leagues in the NFL, Therefore No Prospects To Trade

Unlike the NHL and MLB, the NFL has no farm system. (Read my thoughts on that here.)  For anyone who is a fan and pays attention to the NHL and MLB, you know you're only as good as your minor league system.  The Washington Capitals (NHL), Tampa Bay Rays (MLB) and Boston Red Sox (MLB) are prime examples of having good farm systems.

When the trade deadline approaches in their respective sports, they have options.  They can move a prospect or two to acquire a veteran that can give them a push towards the postseason.  Or have enough faith in their prospects to move a veteran (like Nomar) to gain multiple pieces in order to make that push towards the postseason.

NFL teams have practice squad guys, but they aren't so much there as prospects as they are tackling dummies.  Sure, some come off the squad and make some noise (this season it's been Ryan Torain and Brandon Banks of the Redskins), but for the most part these guys are there in case of injury and not being developed into stars like other sports.

Since the NFL has no farm system (therefore no prospects), the only way there can be a blockbuster trade (usually) is either star for star (which almost never happens) or trading away draft picks.

For the NFL, draft picks have become prized processions and are usually only traded leading up to the draft.

By the trade deadline in the NFL, teams for the most part aren't sure what number they'll be drafting at, so they don't know the real value of that pick.  If a team is sitting at 3-3 by the deadline and trade their first-round pick for a superstar but end up finishing 3-13 or 4-12, they may have just traded away the No. 1 pick in the draft and didn't get value for it.

That's why you almost only see picks (especially first- and second-round) traded away after the season and when teams know where they are picking.

The Salary Cap

The NFL salary cap is structured in such a way that makes trading a star with a high contract very difficult.  First off, the team the player is being traded to has to take on the burden of that contract and has to have room for it, and second the team trading away that player in the middle of the season usually takes a hit in the salary cap for doing so, and even though they may only be trading for draft picks, they still need to make sure they have room for the hit they will receive.

I'm not bashing the salary cap here. I have a love-hate relationship with it, but it does make it difficult to pull off blockbuster trades, especially the type we see in the MLB.

There you have it football fans, the reasons why the NFL trade deadline is a bit of a dud when compared to the other major sports out there.

Fear not though, a deal did get done yesterday. The Kansas City Chiefs sent defensive end Alex Magee and a draft pick to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for an undisclosed draft pick.  So at least there is that.

Until next time loyal reader, check me out on Twitter (@jomac006) for article updates and breaking NFL news as I get it.