As teams found upgrades for the upcoming 2015 season during the NFL draft, some veterans are probably finding themselves less secure with their jobs than before the draft was held.
In other circumstances, teams added to a position of strength. Shocking to some veterans out there, this also means a few trades might take place during the summer months.
Here’s a look at five players who might be dealt between now and Week 1.
1. Muhammad Wilkerson, Defensive End, New York Jets
There was no real way the Jets could pass up on Leonard Williams when he slipped out of the top five and on to their laps with the sixth pick. Despite defensive line being one of the team’s few strengths, Williams just represented too much value there. He can now team up with Sheldon Richardson to form one of the most dominating defensive line tandems in recent NFL history.
However, that leaves Wilkerson in a less-than-ideal situation. The talented defensive lineman is among the best at his position in the entire league. Richardson, 25, recorded 56 tackles, six sacks and a forced fumble this past season. He also graded out as the third-best 3-4 defensive end in the NFL, according to official Pro Football Focus metrics (subscription required).
So is Wilkerson actually on the block? Reports during the draft indicated that the Jets were definitely entertaining offers for the talented defender. Though, the asking price was seen as sky high.
The Jets would want a king’s ransom for defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson this weekend,” CBS Sports insider Jason La Canfora said during the draft. “I’ve heard that it would take multiple first-round picks to get him.”
There’s absolutely no way the Jets are going to get a franchise-tag bounty for Wilkerson. They can put that in their pipe and smoke it, because a team would have to be high to offer that up.
One first-round pick could make sense here. A team that’s close to contending for a Super Bowl may be willing to yield that for one of the best young 3-4 defensive linemen in the entire NFL. This is where the Green Bay Packers and San Diego Chargers could definitely come into play. If the asking price were to drop, and this is pure conjecture, the San Francisco 49ers and Chicago Bears may also decide to come calling. Wilkerson’s type of talent rarely finds itself on the trade market, so there should be some interest during the summer months.
2. Ahmad Brooks, Linebacker, San Francisco 49ers
By adding Eli Harold to the mix in the third round of the draft, San Francisco sent a strong message to Brooks. The veteran’s job is nowhere near safe right now. With Aldon Smith set to play an entire year after missing more than half of last season due to suspension, the 49ers depth chart got much deeper at outside linebacker. That’s only magnified by the emergence of 2014 fifth-round pick Aaron Lynch.
Lynch and Smith will likely be the team’s starting outside linebackers Week 1. The talent there is absolutely ridiculous. This also means that Brooks will be competing for the primary backup job with Harold, who is about as pro ready as any mid-round pick in the draft.
Eli Harold is a BPA pick in San Francisco. I had him late Rd 1.
— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) May 2, 2015
If it becomes obvious that Harold is ahead in the competition during the summer, San Francisco will then look to part ways with Brooks, who is set to count $7.1 million against the cap in 2015. There’s a chance the 49ers will release Brooks outright, but he still represents tremendous value to a team running a base 3-4 defensive scheme.
3. Morris Claiborne, Cornerback, Dallas Cowboys
Considering Dallas declined Claiborne’s option for the 2016 campaign, this seems highly unlikely. Any team acquiring the former top-10 pick will likely look to give up below-market compensation because he’s now set to become a free agent after this year. With that said, it’s all a numbers game in Dallas.
The Cowboys added an upper-echelon corner prospect in Byron Jones during the first round of the draft. While somewhat raw, there’s little reason to believe the Connecticut product won’t be able to contribute immediately. Teams don’t exhaust Day 1 picks on corners without expecting them to compete out of the gate.
Orlando Scandrick is the top cornerback on the roster. He finished last season in the top 15 among corners in coverage, according to official Pro Football Focus metrics (subscription required). Veteran Brandon Carr also has to figure in the plans this year. Despite recent struggles, Carr has a dead-cap hit of $12.2 million. There is little reason to believe that he will be riding the pine with that price tag.
There could be some interest in Claiborne on the trade market. Even if teams have to risk losing him after one year, the idea of bringing someone of this talent level in has to be attractive. That’s magnified by what would be pennies on the dollar compensation. Claiborne has a cap hit of $5.2 million in 2015, the final year of his rookie deal.
4. Johnathan Joseph, Cornerback, Houston Texans
More of a release candidate than anything else, Houston was reportedly fielding trade offers for Joseph during the draft. That’s not too surprising after the team selected former Wake Forest corner Kevin Johnson in the first round. It’s also not surprising considering Joseph boasts a $12.2 million cap hit in 2015. Any trade would have to come with the caveat of a renegotiated deal.
Since signing a lucrative five-year deal with Houston in 2011, Joseph has started 60 games in four seasons. He’s recorded 56 passes defended and 11 interceptions during that span. While the 31-year-old corner isn’t the shutdown guy Houston thought it was getting, he’s a darn good player. Contract issues aside, there should be interest in him on the trade market.
5. Zach Mettenberger, Quarterback, Tennessee Titans
This is quite obvious. Tennessee exhausted the second overall pick on Oregon’s Marcus Mariota. Shortly thereafter, head coach Ken Whisenhunt and company indicated Mariota would start out of the gate.
While rumors of Mettenberger demanding a trade might have been premature, he can’t possibly be happy about the situation in Tennessee.
Not only is the second-year signal caller your prototypical pocket passer at 6’5″ and 224, he boasts a cannon for an arm. He also played pretty well as a rookie, accumulating 1,412 yards with eight touchdowns and seven interceptions in seven games (six starts).
Considering the likes of Tim Tebow, Brandon Weeden, Blaine Gabbert and Christian Ponder have jobs in today’s NFL, there’s going to be interest in Mettenberger if he’s put on the market. That much is obvious.
Photo: USA Today Sports