My co-host Nick Slegel and I covered players who could possibly find themselves on the trade block around the National Football League prior to the start of the regular season. Check out that specific episode of eDraft Sports Radio right here.
Recent reports that the Arizona Cardinals are closing in on a deal with free-agent offensive tackle Eric Winston could add another player to this rather watered-down list.
As most of you already know, trades in the NFL just aren't nearly as common as they are in the other three major professional sports in the U.S. That being said, there are teams out there who need to solidify certain positions in order to be considered serious contenders for a postseason spot. Upper-echelon teams may be looking for upgrades at certain positions, other teams in that category may look to move a player from an area of strength.
Let's take a look at five players who could be on the move.
Malcom Floyd or Robert Meachem, Wide Receivers, San Diego Chargers
Depending on how Keenan Allen performs in his first training camp and whether Vincent Brown proves he is healthy, one of these receivers will likely be on the way out in San Diego.
Floyd can be a decent No. 2 or No. 3 receiver for a good team. The issue in San Diego is that he was tasked with being the true No. 1 after Vincent Jackson bolted for Tampa Bay last offseason. Floyd has put up a minimum of 700 receiving yards in each of the last four seasons. He is owed $10.8 million over the next three seasons.
The San Francisco 49ers had Floyd in for a visit and seemed to be close to signing him after the new league year opened up when the lockout concluded back in 2011. They seem like a logical pick with the injury to Michael Crabtree. They also have the cap room and a surplus of picks that it might take to bring Floyd on.
Meanwhile, Meachem seemed to have been a product of Drew Brees and the system in New Orleans. He put up over 600 yards and a minimum of five scores in three seasons between 2009-2011 with the Saints. The issue here is that Meachem is owed over $22 million in the next three seasons. No team in their right mind will take that type of contract on for a player who recorded just 14 receptions for 207 yards last year. He's not even a release candidate considering that San Diego owes him over $10 million guaranteed on his original contract.
Levi Brown, Offensive Tackle, Arizona Cardinals
Brown still has bust written all over him. The former No. 5 overall pick has been among the downright worst offensive tackles in pass protection since joining the NFL in 2007. According to Pro Football Focus, he ranked second-to-last in pass protection in 2011 before missing all of last season with an injury.
Why would anyone take on a player that seems to be below average on the surface?
Well, Brown is set to earn just $14 million over the next four seasons. He also improved a great deal in pass protection towards the latter part of his last healthy season. It's also important to note that any team taking him on wouldn't be expecting brown to be a left tackle. Teams such as the New Orleans Saints, Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers could use an upgrade along the right side of the line.
Nate Washington, Wide Receiver, Tennessee Titans
Don't look now, but Washington has been a mighty effective receiver for Tennessee of the last handful of seasons. Since the start of 2009 (a four-year span), the veteran has racked up 209 receptions for 3,025 yards and 23 scores. That's mighty impressive for an un-drafted free agent from Tiffin College.
The 29-year-old receiver is owed just under $10 million over the next two seasons, which isn't bad for someone who has produced at his level over the past four years.
The San Francisco 49ers, Washington Redskins and New England Patriots could make the most sense here.
Golden Tate or Sidney Rice, Wide Receivers, Seattle Seahawks
You'd have to think one of these guys will be on the way out of the Pacific Northwest prior to the start of the season, especially if glowing reports on Doug Baldwin are true. The addition of Percy Harvin may seem to suggest that Seattle would want to part way with Rice's contract, but we can't be too sure that any team would want to pick that up. He is set to earn nearly $30 million over the next three seasons. Any trade would have to come with the condition that Rice re-negotiates his contract beforehand.
Rice did put up 748 yards and seven scores for a Seattle offense that ranked dead last in the NFL in pass attempts. He also played all 16 games for just the second time in a six-year career.
Tate is a more attractive option for potential suitors. The 24-year-old receiver put up nearly 700 yards and seven scores last season and is owed just $880 thousand in the final year of his rookie contract. Options for Tate appear to be unlimited at this point, but New England could make sense.