Hide your quarterbacks, hide your running backs & tight ends, because everyone is getting traded in the NFL.
The opening of the NFL’s free agent market and trading period erupted Tuesday afternoon not with free agent signings, but with a flurry of trades involving big-name players that could shift the sport’s balance of power. Whatever has caused the NFL to become more trade happy, thank goodness for it.
The NFL once was known as a no-trade league, with teams focusing on the NFL draft and occasional forays into free agency for their roster construction. That, apparently, is no longer the case. The NFL is more fun when general managers are wheeling and dealing like they do in Major League Baseball. We’ve seen a lot of trades including picks for picks or picks for players, but we don’t see a ton of deals that are basically player for player.
The LeSean McCoy-Kiko Alonso trade just turned out to be a precursor of things to come. There were three major trades on Tuesday, as free agency began. With most of the real suspense taken out of free agency by teams and agents agreeing to deals long before the signing period began, the trades took center stage.
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The Philadelphia Eagles traded Nick Foles to the St. Louis Rams for Sam Bradford. Eagles coach Chip Kelly isn’t afraid to make a move. He’s been upsetting Eagles fans with his moves. He also has changed the dynamic of the NFC East. I feel like I'm missing something with this deal, because I don't see any benefit for the Eagles.
In the deal, the Eagles also sent a fourth-round draft pick in 2015 and a second-round pick in 2016 to the Rams. The Eagles get the Rams' fifth-round pick in 2015. There’s also a conditional pick. If Sam Bradford, who is coming off a second ACL tear, misses the entire 2015 season, the Eagles get a third-round pick in 2016. If he plays less than 50 percent of the snaps, they get a 2016 fourth-rounder. There’s no conditional pick if he plays more than 50 percent of the downs.
Foles has been the more productive NFL quarterback. Bradford doesn't seem to fit what Kelly does on offense, especially after two major knee injuries. Bradford's base salary in 2015 in a bit less than $13 million, while Foles makes about $1.52 million, according to OverTheCap.com.
So the Eagles might not be getting the best quarterback in the deal (even if you prefer Bradford, it's a lot harder to sell that when Bradford is recovering from a second straight ACL surgery), have to pay Bradford more than eight times what Foles will make, and on top of that they're giving up better picks than the Rams did. Bradford has been a below-average NFL quarterback for any extended period of time.
Maybe there's a subsequent deal that nobody knows about will clear all this up so it makes a little bit of sense. If the Eagles somehow draft Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota as a part of this deal, then it does make sense. But as it stands now, it's baffling.
Now this was a shocker. Tight end Jimmy Graham and the New Orleans Saints battled over his franchise tag status last year, but that was just business. Graham is one of the best pass-catching tight ends ever. He’s one of the NFL’s most unique players as a matchup nightmare for defenses. He was a face of their franchise.
And just like that, he was gone. The Seattle Seahawks, who are in need of a No. 1 target for Russell Wilson to throw to, they got creative. They sent center Max Unger and a first-round pick (31st overall) to the Saints for Graham and a fourth-round pick.
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The Saints have made a mess of their salary cap, so trading Graham and his massive deal makes sense from that aspect (although it’s just a $2 million savings on Graham this season, according to Spotrac). They did get a very good center and a late first-round pick back. But, it’s Jimmy Graham.
He doesn’t seem to fit with the Seahawks’ offense because it is built on the running game and Graham isn’t exactly an enthusiastic blocker. But they’ll make it work. Graham is incredible in the passing game and the Seahawks desperately need that.
Seattle clearly got the better end of the deal. The Seahawks got a lot better. And there’s no way the Saints can just replace someone like Graham in the passing game.
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The Indianapolis Colts caught running back Frank Gore after his heel turn on the Eagles, signing the 49ers' all-time leading rusher. They landed a pass rusher in Trent Cole, who was cut by Philadelphia. And reports indicate they're the favorites to land receiver Andre Johnson, who was released by AFC South rival Houston. If they can pull off the Johnson signing, that's a lot of championship- hungry veteran talent on a team that seems close to pushing through to a Super Bowl.
Gore upgrades a bad running back situation. Johnson isn't going to be the Hall of Fame talent he once was, but he seems to fit well alongside T.Y. Hilton, especially with Andrew Luck throwing him the ball. Cole is still an effective pass rusher.
There's no excuse for a team like the Colts, with a star quarterback and a team that is on an upward path, to not be aggressive in their pursuit of a title. They're closer now than they were before free agency, especially if they can get Andre Johnson.
The NFL season is far from the season starting, yet there is just as much excitement. I think I can speak on behalf of all NFL fans when I say I can't wait for football season.
Christine O'Connor
@christineeeeO
