2011 NFL Draft: 10 Hypothetical 1st Round Trades
The 2011 NFL Draft is a little over one month away, and we still have a number of pro days and personal workouts/official visits to go before the boards are finally set.
We all know the owners and NFLPA have a long way to go before striking a deal and ending this lockout, but we do know that there will be a draft.
However, this draft will be unlike any other in recent memory, as players are not allowed to be traded, and this will truly diminish the number of big trades we see this year.
Some people believe that there will at least be an agreement that allows player movement prior to the new league year starting, so for our purposes, we are going to operate as so.
Here we'll start at the top of the draft and work our way down and take a look at 10 potential day-one trades that could impact the 2011 NFL Draft from top to bottom.
1. Carolina Panthers Trade Down
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New head coach Ron Rivera knows he has his work cut out for him, and the Panthers need a lot more than just the No.1 overall pick, especially since they do not have the No. 33 pick (yea, that is in New England).
The Panthers have a seriously difficult decision to make on Jimmy Clausen, and there are reports that only the Carolina GM is in his corner at all.
New coach, new regime; if there is a time for them to bring in a new quarterback, it may be right now, but just like the scenario in 2004 with Eli Manning and Phillip Rivers, there may be more than one quarterback that interests them.
Now, Manning forced San Diego's hand at the time, but let's say Cincinnati, Arizona, San Francisco or Tennessee are scared that Buffalo may snag their quarterback at No. 3, the Panthers can exploit this scenario, allow one of them to move up and get the extra picks they so desperately need to get better.
If they do not go too far (Cincinnati's No. 4 or Arizona's No. 5), they could end up with more picks and the quarterback they like more.
The Panthers have a lot of options, and the new collective-bargaining agreement makes the No. 1 pick more attainable than in years past.
2. Denver Trades Kyle Orton
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New head coach John Fox says Kyle Orton is the team's starting quarterback, but how long are we really going to believe this for?
Tim Tebow came in last season and looked good enough to get the job done. Denver really is not in a position to compete right away anyway.
Orton has shown he can throw the football around a lot, and there are a number of teams looking for a quarterback.
The Broncos have the luxury of taking a dominant defensive player at No. 2, and then they can sit back and watch the quarterback situation unfold and possibly get back involved in the latter portion of the first round if they package Orton with another pick.
Remember, Denver has two second-round picks, one third-round pick and then does not pick again until the third round.
They could effectively send Orton and a second-round pick to a team looking for a quarterback in the later portion of the first round for a falling player of their choosing.
3. Cincinnati Bengals Trade Carson Palmer to San Francisco
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The Bengals are in an old fashioned standoff with Carson Palmer, and the loser could end up being badly hurt.
Palmer is threatening to retire, and the Bengals seem to be standing firm against trading him.
I personally think Palmer will be forced to retire (which is a shame), but if the Bengals do soften and finally make a move, the 49ers might make the most sense.
San Francisco is not far off from competing in the worst division in football, and an experienced quarterback would be able to help this team more than a rookie.
It is hard to say what the asking price will be, but after the first seven picks sort themselves out (Cincinnati picks at No. 4, San Francisco No. 7), we will have a better idea of what could go down.
It would likely involve a second-round pick this season and possibly a first-round pick next season, but that may not be as bad as it sounds if the 49ers believe they can compete this season.
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4. Arizona Cardinals Trade for Kevin Kolb
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This basically needs to get done.
The Eagles want a first-round pick for Kevin Kolb, and unfortunately, the Cardinals' No. 5 is too much to give up.
The Cardinals do need a quarterback, though, and a rookie is not the answer to me.
They already have two second-year players on the roster, and adding a rookie to the mix gives them a quarterback depth chart with a combined seven NFL starts.
Kolb is a bit more experienced, desperately wants to start this season and has every reason to be traded from Philadelphia.
The Cardinals need to find a way to make this work in the first round, or Kolb will likely go away.
5. Tennessee Titans Trade for Late First-Round Pick, Draft Ryan Mallett
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This was a pick that I toyed with during the season, as the strong-armed Razorback just feels like he could fit behind Kerry Collins to learn before becoming the eventual starter.
The Titans own the No. 8 overall pick and could get a shot at Blaine Gabbert or Cam Newton, or they could be left in the cold.
They could then likely take any of the defensive lineman that fall down a bit at the expense of two quarterbacks going in the top 7.
Now everything changes.
The Titans have one of the league's premier rushers, a young wide receiver that has shown he can be dominant, but they have no quarterback for them to grow with.
Mallett is too talented to last into the early/middle of the second round to me, and somebody would end up getting a steal at that price.
The late first round is notorious for teams coming back in to rescue a falling quarterback, and I think Tennessee could do that with Mallett.
6. Washington Trades Donovan McNabb to Minnesota
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The Vikings own the No. 12 overall pick but have no bigger need than at quarterback; they simply cannot start the season with Joe Webb.
Adrian Peterson is entering the prime of his career, and they have two star receivers on the outside.
They certainly need some work on defense, but the quarterback position is what makes this team go.
McNabb is another veteran, but he still has the ability to get the ball downfield and gives the Vikings the chance to win football games now.
They can add a developmental player at quarterback later in the draft, but McNabb gives them the best chance to win right now.
7. Tennessee Titans Trade Vince Young to Miami Dolphins
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The Dolphins claim they are committed to Chad Henne, but I do not see it.
We know the Titans want to trade Young, so that drives his value down a bit, but he's still a player that can compete on the football field and could regain the form that won him Rookie of the Year a few years back.
Miami holds the No. 15 pick and have constantly been linked to Mark Ingram, the running back from Alabama.
It is not completely sure what the asking price will be for Young, but as the quarterback situation shakes out, I think we could see a deal like this go down.
8. New Orleans Saints Trade Reggie Bush to Seattle
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The Saints have already paid Reggie Bush too much money, and things just have not worked out.
He is a talented weapon out of the backfield but has never lived up to his No. 2 overall selection, and this Saints team needs to find a steady running game if they want to truly succeed.
Reggie can do a lot of things, but they can find a cheaper version of him to catch passes out of the backfield and carry the ball six to eight times per game.
Seattle has the one coach that can get the best out of him, and Seattle has a need at the running back position (Marshawn Lynch had ONE run as a Seahawk).
The two of them together could be a good tandem, though.
9. New England Trades for Chad Ochocinco
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Chad Ochocinco has been linked to the Patriots before, but as the draft goes on, this could be an interesting scenario to watch.
New England picks three times in the top 33, and they are easily a candidate to make a ton of trades, but Ochocinco still has the deep speed to make things happen, and the Patriots are lacking exactly that.
The price will be interesting, but if I am the Patriots, a team ready to win right now, I think Ocho could be a better option over Torrey Smith of Maryland or any of the other speedy receivers available in this draft.
10. Green Bay Packers Trade out of No. 32, Jake Locker Gets Selected
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The Packers can do a number of things at No. 32, and trading out is definitely high on the list.
Jake Locker is an intriguing prospect.
I think he could go as high as the top 10, and others have slated him to fall like Jimmy Clausen last year.
If Locker truly falls to the end of the first round, I would expect to see some team come in and rescue him no later than No. 32.
The Redskins, Titans and Vikings all come to mind when I think of potential fits for the quarterback.
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