Two New Players “Added” To NFL Trade Block

The two Bay Area NFL teams might very well be active on the trade market prior to the 2014 NFL draft in about three weeks. According to Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee, the San Francisco 49ers are currently shopping backup running back LaMichael James.

First things first. It’s been well known that the 49ers are looking to move their second-round pick from the 2012 draft. James hasn’t found a role on their offense in two seasons with the team, tallying a total of 39 rush attempts in 14 games in his first two NFL seasons. During that same span, James has been a healthy inactive 18 times.

With Frank Gore likely entrenched in as the start and the likes of Kendall Hunter and Marcus Lattimore prepared to take their fair share of attempts, keeping James on the roster would have been a waste.

The talent is there for James to succeed in the NFL, but he was never really a fit in the 49ers down-hill rushing attack. James seems best suited on an offense that runs a zone-blocking scheme, which might further limit potential suitors. As more of an outside runner, he should at least draw some interest as a COP (change of pace) back.

San Francisco can’t fool itself into thinking that its going to get much value for James. First off, running backs just aren’t valued in the NFL today. Secondly, everyone knows that James is on the trade block. If he’s able to net anything at all, it will likely be a mid-to-late round pick this upcoming May or in the 2015 draft.

Further east in Oakland, the Raiders seem hellbent on moving former supplemental pick Terrelle Pryor. There has been a growing rift between player and team since Pryor’s former agent made some off-handed remarks directed at head coach Dennis Allen late last season.

After acquiring Matt Schaub from the Houston Texans in a deal earlier this offseason, there doesn’t seem to be room on the Raiders roster for Pryor. Add into account that they seem high on Matt McGloin and will likely draft a quarterback next month, and the writing was on the wall here.

Pryor should net the Raiders a mid-to-late round draft pick as well. He still possesses upside as a project backup quarterback. The raw talent is most definitely there, as exampled by some pretty decent runs (no pun intended) as a part-time starter for the Raiders last season.

The best situation that Pryor can find himself in would be as a backup on a team with a proven veteran starter. Looking at potential suitors, which only includes conjecture on my part, the New England Patriots, Green Bay Packers and Atlanta Falcons could make some sense here.

Could a Pryor for James deal be in the cards? San Francisco is still going to look for a backup quarterback in the draft next month. A project backup, at that. If it deems Pryor to be a better option than the Logan Thomas’ and Tajh Boyd’s of the world, San Francisco could very well call the Raiders up. Unfortunately, Oakland might not be interested in a player-for-player swap. It signed Maurice Jones-Drew and retained Darren McFadden at the running back position earlier this offseason.

In any event, it will be interesting to see how this situation plays out in the coming weeks.

Photo: Kirby Lee, USA Today