5 NFL Players Who Were Shafted by Trades That Weren't Made

Various NFL players across the league are pretty ticked. Despite making anywhere between hundreds and thousands of dollars and tens of millions, these players are unhappy with their current team. 

Whether they aren't getting paid enough or just don't think their current team is in a position to win games anytime soon, they want out. And now that the dust has settled, and certain players are still with their team while watching other teams trade key players, these players are shafted. They're still in a position they'd like to get out of.

Here are five players that didn't get traded but wanted to.

Carson Palmer

Carson Palmer is an obvious choice here. He's been wanting out of the Cincinnati Bengals for the majority of 2011, and Bengals' owner Mike Brown is adamant about keeping Carson, just for the hell of it.

That's not the best thing for Palmer either. He's 32 years old, which is normally one of the last couple of years that a quarterback is in his prime. Palmer didn't do well last year, but that's not to say he's hit a decline. He's still a highly viable option at QB and is a legit starter anywhere in the league.

Obviously, the Cincinnati Bengals are not exactly in a win-now mentality, and considering Palmer is 32, that's not going to sit well with him. Of course, he may not have a choice. 

Palmer may be forced to succumb to the whims of his owner and play football. 

Kyle Orton

When the Denver Broncos drafted Tim Tebow, the entire state of Colorado went into a frenzy, calling for incumbent QB Kyle Orton's head, despite the fact that Orton played reasonably well in 2009.

Last season, Kyle Orton legitimized himself as a solid starter. For most of the season, Orton was either first or second in yards thrown (oftentimes behind Philip Rivers) and threw for 20 touchdowns and just nine interceptions. Still, after 13 games, Orton was benched in favor of rookie quarterback Tim Tebow. 

That's where we stand now, and the Broncos still have a thing for Tebow. Even players realize that Tebow is likely to be the quarterback for the Broncos, with wide-out Brandon Lloyd referring to the complex as the "Tim Tebow thing."

Orton was out-performing Tebow in training camp, and it's not even close. Clearly, Kyle Orton is ready to have another solid season, while Tebow is still in development.

After furious talks that the Broncos would trade Orton to the Miami Dolphins had faded, the quarterback situation became fuzzy in Denver. It's likely that Tebow gets the nod as the starter but not because he's any better than Orton. Mainly because he's Tim Tebow.  

Matt Flynn

Last season, Matt Flynn started his only game for the Green Bay Packers when Aaron Rodgers sat out against the New England Patriots thanks to a concussion.

The expected result? A blowout because no one thought the Packers were playoff-worthy, while NFL observers across the league had begun to see the Patriots as Super Bowl-worthy.

The actual result? Matt Flynn would go 23-of-37 and throw for 254 yards and three touchdowns to three different receivers in a close loss to the Pats. 

Flynn showed the world that, if Rodgers went down, Flynn would step up and put similar numbers on the same squad. Flynn is by no means better than Rodgers, but he's capable of starting when called upon and could start consistently if given time to develop, especially after sitting behind Aaron Rodgers.

Flynn hasn't been traded anywhere yet, and it's not like the Packers are getting dozens of offers for him (that anyone knows of). However, with his capability, it's hurting him deep inside that he won't start a game in 2011 behind Rodgers. 

Osi Umenyiora

Osi Umenyiora is pretty ticked about his current contract with the New York Giants, but it's possible that Umenyiora wouldn't have minded being traded by his team. 

Umenyiora is still a likely candidate to get traded, so this could change.

Things go beyond Osi's contract though.

The New York Giants are headed downhill ridiculously fast after losing Steve Smith to NFC East rival, the Philadelphia Eagles, and Kevin Boss signed with the Oakland Raiders.

Umenyiora's going to turn 30 in November, so he's in his prime. Spending your prime with a losing team is never attractive. 

Asante Samuel

When the Philadelphia Eagles acquired Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Nnamdi Asomugha, incumbent cornerback Asante Samuel was shafted.

Having Rodgers-Cromartie in the mix would bump him to the second corner, and adding Nnamdi Asomugha would force him to be the third corner, and that's not exactly being a starter. 

Samuel's already expressed his unhappiness with the situation. If I were a Pro Bowl cornerback who suddenly lost my starting job because my team went nuts when the lockout ended, I would be upset too.

Asante Samuel hasn't been traded and no one knows if the Eagles are going to entertain trades. He's 30 years old with still a good amount of mileage left, so for Samuel's sakes, let's hope the the Eagles figure something out.