Five NFL Players on the Trading Block and Where They Might Land
If the NFL was actually conducting business this spring, a flurry of trades involving veteran players probably would have gone down during the draft.
This is the NFL Offseason: Boring Version, though.
The owners main ploy for leverage in the ongoing labor negotiations — the lockout — means major offseason business hasn't begun at all, this year.
It will begin at some point, though, either when the courts order the lockout to be lifted or the powers that be reach a new collective bargaining agreement. While most teams will be in hot pursuit of free agents on that magical day, some teams will take the road less traveled.
These are the hottest commodities on the 2011 NFL trade market.
Kevin Kolb, quarterback, Philadelphia Eagles
Kolb opened week one of the 2010 season as the Eagles' starter, only to suffer a concussion that kept him sidelined for an extended period. He was replaced by Michael Vick and never got his starting job back, while Vick turned in an MVP-caliber season.
That doesn't make Kolb a scrub, though. The Eagles thought enough of him to trade Donovan McNabb to the Washington Redskins and turn the team over to Kolb during the 2010 offseason. While he's only had seven NFL starts, Kolb has all the tools to become a big-time NFL quarterback.
At 26, he also has a long career ahead of him. A lot of teams could use an upgrade at the quarterback position, but the Arizona Cardinals are at the top of the list. The Cardinals tried rookies Max Hall and John Skelton behind center after former Cleveland Browns signal-caller Derek Anderson proved a failure, last season. The results were disastrous.
The Cardinals want Kolb and will likely give up a first-round pick in the 2012 draft to make this trade happen. The question is whether that will be enough. The Miami Dolphins aren't as eager as Arizona to land Kolb, but they shouldn't be totally written off. The Dolphins aren't enamored with incumbent Chad Henne and have plenty of young receiving options. Pairing Kolb with Brandon Marshall and Davone Bess makes Miami's passing game look pretty formidable.
Steve Smith, wide receiver, Carolina Panthers
Like the Panthers as a team, Smith, a three-time All Pro, suffered through a terrible 2010 season. Carolina went 2-14 and Smith caught 46 balls for 554 yards, the lowest output in a full season since his rookie year, when he only started one game. Smith wants no part of the Panthers' rebuilding effort, which became obvious when he cleaned out both his locker and private suite prior to the lockout.
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