Star players are not often traded in the NFL. Even in a league driven by efficient labor, the common wisdom is that there is just no replacement for a true five-star guy.
This is why we don’t often see trades involving stars. In many cases, there are only one or two bright spots on rebuilding teams, and those players shoulder the bur- den of fans’ expectations for the most part. Sending away such franchise cornerstones requires a foresight of the impending back- lash and the perfect deal.
Jonah Baker
Oakland Raiders head coach Jon Gruden clearly felt as if he could check both boxes when he sent linebacker Khalil Mack to the Chicago Bears. The Raiders may have received two first-round picks and some others in exchange for the 2016 Defensive Player of the Year, but Gruden and co. will have to select two stalwarts with both picks for this trade to even be considered a minor loss for Oakland.
Merits of big trades aside, there are an astounding number of great players on bad teams. With so many organizations focused on finding value and dumping their larger fi- nancial obligations, it is fair to forecast which players could be the next to find new homes.
Patrick Peterson, cornerback for the Arizona Cardinals
There may be no team in the deeper crevasses of a rebuild than Arizona. The Cardinals have been outscored 58-6 in their first two games of this season. Their defense has largely been gutted for parts since its last NFC West title in 2015. Management took UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen in the first round of this year’s draft but seems content to let him sit on the bench and learn from starter Sam Bradford.
Peterson is still only 28 years old and will be under team control until after the 2020 season. He has been the gold standard for seven years, earning Pro Bowl honors in each season. After a down year in 2016, he put together the best season of his career according to Football Outsiders.
The Kansas City Chiefs are lighting the world on fire on offense, but their defense has been decimated, especially in the secondary. For a team like the Chiefs that are either in a Super Bowl window or have one coming soon, a shutdown corner nearing the end of his prime like Peterson would easily be worth a first-round and second-round pick or even a little more.
Amari Cooper, wide receiver for the Oakland Raiders
If Gruden was willing to part ways with one of the very best players on either side of the ball in Mack, then the rest of the roster should be on notice. Few have trade value and only Derek Carr could be argued as untouchable, so logic follows that Cooper could be the next to go.
While any team could use a defensive star like Peterson, Cooper fits fewer teams’ needs. He set career lows in yards and receptions last year, including a three-game stretch in which he had less than 10 yards receiving. His first two seasons gave merit to his fourth-overall selection in the 2015 NFL Draft, but a considerable amount of shine has worn off in the years since.
Few teams would be willing to give substantial capital for Cooper, especially after Oakland picked up his fifth-year option that will count as almost double his $7.2 million salary cap hit this year to $13.9 million next year.
Fortunately for Oakland, the Jacksonville Jaguars are not like most teams. After letting go of wideouts Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns last offseason, Jacksonville’s depth chart is full of receivers who are unproven, underwhelming or both, and Cooper could be worth a second round pick and a sixth rounder if the Jag- uars’ offensive production drops off a little.
Russell Wilson, quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks
Safety Earl Thomas has gotten all the trade buzz in Seattle, but a much more surprising move could be in the works. Wilson has redefined what it means to be a dual-threat quarterback, and few have been as vital to their teams’ success in recent years as Wilson.
That being said, the Seahawks organization is not really moving on the same timeline as Wilson. Even a lightning-fast rebuild that would surprise everyone would be nearly impossible with only one more year of Wilson under contract after this year and no progress on a contract extension so far.
Sure, many teams would trade a consid- erable amount of draft capital for a player like Wilson. The darkest timeline, however, may also make the most sense. Tom Brady claims that he wants to play another four years, but his wife, body and coach could all convince him that this is his last year. If that turns out to be the case, New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick could make a play for Wilson.
In spite of the history between the two teams, both Seattle general manager John Schneider and Belichick have proven they will always act in what they believe to be their teams’ best interests, and this could be a win for both sides.
Wilson entering an age-30 season next year would be more than enough for Belichick to compete for as long as
he wants to remain on the sideline. The Seahawks could easily draw at least three first- and second-round picks for one year of Russell Wilson, and New England could very well be the team willing to offer the most.
Jonah Baker can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @jonahpbaker