NFL Trade Speculation: 10 Players Who Could Be Moved When a New CBA Is Reached
The offseason is going to get a heck of a lot more depressing after the 2011 NFL Draft. As of then, there's no more NFL news to talk about.
Hopefully the owners reach a new CBA soon, so we can get back to our regularly scheduled programming of NFL offseason moves and free agent signings.
You can bet your bottom dollar some teams are already getting ready for it.
Once the pen hits the paper on a new deal, there will be several deals made almost instantaneously. Here are some names that could pop up.
DISCLAIMER: I don't claim to have any inside information on these teams. That's why the word "speculation" is in the headline. These are just my thoughts.
Follow Erik on Twitter at @e_frenz.
Kevin Kolb
1 of 10
Plenty of teams are in the market for a quarterback. Those teams had better hope a new CBA gets done sooner than later, if they want to clear up their quarterback controversy.
Kolb threw for seven touchdowns and seven interceptions, but completed a solid 60 percent of his throws. Eagles head coach Andy Reid has gone on record as saying that he believes Kolb to be an NFL-caliber starter.
Brandon Meriweather
2 of 10
Calling Brandon Meriweather a "star safety" is something of a misnomer. While he's been elected to two Pro Bowls and leads the team in interceptions in three seasons as a starting safety, he's not even the best safety on the team anymore.
In fact, he fell out of Bill Belichick's favor a little at the beginning of the season, and lost a few starts as a result. His tendency to "freelance" in the defensive backfield wasn't well-received by Belichick.
There is no reason to believe the Patriots are even interested in trading Meriweather, but weren't we all a little shocked by the Randy Moss trade?
Carson Palmer
3 of 10
What's worse than your star quarterback retiring? Apparently, trading him to another team. Palmer is sick of Cincinnati, whether it's the culture of losing or the cancerous locker room, and has threatened to retire if the team doesn't meet his trade demand.
As mentioned earlier, there are always a few teams in the running for a new quarterback. Palmer threw for 3,970 yards, 26 touchdowns and 20 interceptions in what was a difficult downswing after a surprising 10-6 season in '09.
Many have questioned if Palmer has what it takes to take a team to the next level, but he's got to be better than what some teams have currently.
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Chad Ochocinco
4 of 10
He may be trying out for soccer, but he'd much rather be playing American football.
Still, it just wouldn't really be the NFL offseason unless there was some rumor about Chad Ochojohnson finally being traded out of Cincinnati. He started the Twitterverse up in a firestorm over a tweet he sent out, "PePe and Bill. #EPIC."
Chad looks like he can still play, even though he only put up 831 yards and four touchdowns. Never one to shy from the camera, though, the question is whether he can put his me-first attitude aside for another team, or if that mentality festers and spreads through the locker room.
Brady Quinn
5 of 10
Nothing has gone right for the golden boy from Notre Dame since the 2007 NFL Draft. Quinn was shipped from Cleveland off to Denver in a trade involving two head coaches who, incidentally, are no longer with their teams.
He didn't play a down in 2010, and was relatively unsuccessful in three years with the Browns. Many wonder whether he'll be more than a back-up.
Who knows if John Fox will want to trade Quinn, or if there will even be any value, but unless Fox sees something in Quinn that he doesn't see in Tebow, it's a possibility worth considering.
Albert Haynesworth
6 of 10
Haynesworth has been the bane of Mike Shanahan's existence in the Nation's capital. Haynesworth has openly revolted against the 3-4 system, probably because he doesn't like the lack of media attention he'll garner due to less stats, namely sacks.
Tallying 16 total tackles and 2.5 sacks in just eight games, no starts in 2010, it's clear that there will be more than just one reason for a decrease in stats.
Ever since leaving Tennessee in free agency, Haynesworth has been the subject of questions regarding his work ethic and attitude. Teams should be wary, especially if they run the 3-4, in which case I'd suggest they just stay away entirely.
Jimmy Clausen
7 of 10
If the Carolina Panthers do what many think they will do, draft Cam Newton, Clausen is of little value to them anymore.
Clausen only threw for three touchdowns and nine interceptions last year, and had the league's worst quarterback rating among starters, with a depressing 58.4. So there are obviously some questions about his development into the role of a starting NFL quarterback.
Unless the Panthers wanted to keep Newton in the third quarterback role all season long, keeping Clausen might be a pretty big waste of a second-round pick. It would end similarly to the Brady Quinn scenario if it didn't end sooner than later.
Steve Smith
8 of 10
Smith is tired of being the centerpiece of an offense that has no quarterback. He's probably also tired of a whole ton of mediocrity ever since their lone Super Bowl appearance.
Without a quarterback to throw to him, he had the worst season of his career since his second year in the league. Still, he put up numbers in 2009 with just Jake Delhomme and Matt Moore throwing the ball.
The Panthers might be able to get some value out of Smith if a team thinks he can excel with their quarterback throwing to him.
Brandon Jacobs
9 of 10
Jacobs has openly stated his desire to leave New York. He's not much a fan of Tom Coughlin, and quite frankly, I think the feeling is mutual.
Despite a productive year, in which Jacobs ran for 823 yards and nine touchdowns at a 5.6 yard-per-carry clip, the Giants know their former star running back is past his prime. At 29 years old, with his run-through-you-not-around-you running style, it's clear his value is diminishing quickly.
Still, it's clear he's not worth much more than a third- or fourth-rounder at this point.
Donovan McNabb
10 of 10
Mike Shanahan benched Donovan McNabb for Rex Grossman at one point last year. That right there should tell you all you need to know about McNabb's time in Washington. Just like all of Rex Grossman's passes, McNabb's future is flailing in the air and is under a lot of question.
After throwing for just 14 touchdowns and 15 interceptions last year, McNabb's value will be diminished pretty greatly. As usual, there are plenty of teams desperate enough for a quarterback to take a risk on McNabb.
Some teams will use him as a bridge-gap to another quarterback in next year's draft. Say, Andrew Luck?
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