NFL Veterans Who Could be Traded During the Preseason

Trades around the National Football League are not anywhere near as frequent as other major professional sports, but they do still happen from time to time. In fact, we have seen more trades in recent years than any other time since the advent of free agency in the NFL. 

Once teams start to understand how their 53-man rosters are going to play out and what veterans may not fit into their plans for the 2014 season, there will be a trade market formed. That market will include some starter-caliber players and could very well lead to some trades around the league.

There promises to be some higher-profile names put through the trade market prior to Week 1. Let’s check in on seven such names below.

C.J. Spiller, Running Back, Buffalo Bills

Spiller is set to be a free agent following the 2014 season and the Bills may very well decide to try getting something for his services prior to Week 1. We already know how much running backs are lacking value around the league right now, so the idea that Spiller will receive a large extension from Buffalo makes little sense. Considering that it already gave another running back in the form of Fred Jackson an extension, it’s highly unlikely that Spiller will be locked up before hitting free agency next spring.

Then you have a little something called depth. Buffalo added both Bryce Brown and Anthony Dixon to the mix in the offseason. If it is able to get a second or third rounder for Spiller, it’s something that general manager Doug Whaley might have to seriously consider. The Atlanta Falcons and New York Giants could be viable destinations in a hypothetical trade.

Brandon Graham, Defensive End/Linebacker, Philadelphia Eagles

After Philadelphia selected former Louisville standout Marcus Smith in the first round of the 2014 NFL draft, there were many that came to the conclusion that it would look to trade Graham. After all, he seemed to be a player without a role and has struggled making an impact since being selected in the first round himself back in 2010. With depth at outside linebacker and little need for Graham, there is a decent chance he will be moved during the preseason.

Umong 3-4 teams who could use additional help at outside linebacker are the San Diego Chargers and Atlanta Falcons. It seems to make sense that either would yield a mid-round pick for the talented pass rusher. If not, Philadelphia may have to settle for less-than-market value if it chooses to deal the Michigan product. With Connor Barwin, Trent Cole and Smith ahead of him on the depth chart, there simply doesn’t seem to be much room for Graham in Philadelphia.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Running Back, Cincinnati Bengals

It’s unlikely that Cincinnati would be able to get more more than a conditional late-round pick for Green-Ellis. As I already stated, running backs don’t represent much value on the trade market. In addition to that, Green-Ellis will likely be cut by the Bengals should they not find a trade partner. Teams don’t exhaust second-round picks on running backs in two consecutive drafts, like the Bengals have, only to sit one of them in lieu of an average veteran.

With that said, there could be a market developing for Green-Ellis’ services, as Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio suggests. 

The scribe went on to use the holdout of Marshawn Lynch in Seattle (since resolved) and injury to Kendall Hunter in San Francisco as two examples of teams who could show interest. Pure conjecture here, but the New England Patriots and Dallas Cowboys seem like more viable trade destinations. Green-Ellis has had success with the Patriots in the past and the Cowboys may be looking for a veteran backup to the injury-prone DeMarco Murray. In any event, expect Green-Ellis to be calling a new city home when Week 1 comes calling.

Denarius Moore, Wide Receiver, Oakland Raiders

It wasn’t too long ago that Moore was the Raiders No. 1 receiver. He’s averaging nearly 700 yards and about six touchdowns in his first three seasons with the team. And Moore seems to have the necessary talent to be a solid third receiver on a good team. With the emergence of Rod Streater and addition of James Jones, it appears that Moore’s starting position in Oakland is all but gone. General manager Reggie McKenzie, who has indicated he’s looking to build through the draft, could very well decide to move Moore for a pick in the 2015 draft.

It has even reached the point where Raiders head coach Dennis Allen has called Moore out publicly (via Oakland Tribune). 

We’re still working through that (consistency)…He’s (Moore) not unlike a lot of guys we have on our football team. He’s still got a lot of improvement that he’s got to make. I’ve seen some strides and hopefully he’ll continue to make those strides.

If Moore is placed on the trade block, there promises to be a ton of teams interested in his talents. The New England Patriots, Cleveland Browns, Carolina Panthres, Kansas City Chiefs and Jacksonville Jaguars are all in need of another veteran presence at wide receiver.

Alex Boone, Guard, San Francisco 49ers

Boone remains one the only holdout in the NFL right now and there doesn’t appear to be much of a chance that this situation will be resolved quickly. San Francisco won’t negotiate until he reports, while he isn’t prepared to report until the 49ers sign him to a new contract. To say that Boone is underpaid is an understatement. Entering the third year of a four-year, $6.5 million contract that he signed in 2011, Boone deserves to earn more money. But, as always, the 49ers are playing hard ball.

With Marcus Martin, Jonathan Martin, Daniel Kilgore and Joe Looney all capable of playing guard, there is a chance that San Francisco will decide to cut ties and trade Boone prior to Week 1. It’s not going to sign the guard to a long-term extension at any point in the not-so-distant future and really doesn’t have the ability or the need to. As one of the best overall interior linemen in the NFL, Boone would draw a ton of interest on the open market. While player-for-player deals are unlikely in the NFL, there seems to be a fit with C.J. Spiller and the Buffalo Bills here. Of course, that’s pure speculation on my end.

Doug Baldwin, Wide Receiver, Seattle Seahawks

Much like the 49ers, Seattle loves to play hard ball with its players. This is one of the primary reasons that these two teams are among the best in the NFL. It’s the approach that Bill Belichick has taken in New England for more than a decade now. It may be cutthroat, but that’s the only real way of doing business around the league. Baldwin signed his restricted free-agent tender this past offseason and is set to be an unrestricted free agent next spring. As you must already know, Seattle has a ton of young players it needs to sign to long-term extensions…players that represent more value than Baldwin down the road. It’s also important to note that Baldwin himself took a stand against Seattle during the whole Marshawn Lynch holdout.

https://twitter.com/DougBaldwinJr/status/492790988180447232

While a deal may very well be unlikely this preseason, Baldwin’s future is in doubt in Seattle. In addition to this,  the Seahawks have more talented options behind him on the depth chart. Jermaine Kearse has everything you look for in a breakout candidate, while rookies Paul Richardson and Kevin Norwood have been impressive in camp thus far. Depending on his value, Seahawks general manager John Schneider could very well listen to offers for Baldwin this summer.

Christian Ponder, Quarterback, Minnesota Vikings

Now that Ponder is offically out of the competition for Minnesota’s starting quarterback job, it appears that he won’t be with the team when Week 1 rolls around. It just wouldn’t make sense for the Vikings to hold on to a former first-round pick as a third-string quarterback. If Ponder is put up as trade bait, the question then becomes what type of value Minnesota might receive in return.

There are situations out there where Ponder would be an upgrade over current backup quarterbacks. The Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers and Chicago Bears come to mind first. In any event, he won’t yield the Vikings much more than a conditional late-round pick in return.

Photo: USA Today