Barnwell: Resetting the NFL trade market

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The NFL draft seemed ripe for a number of notable veteran players to move on to greener pastures. With key quarterbacks and disgruntled franchise players alike on the market for the past several months, it should have been a weekend where stars were swapped alongside draft picks.

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If your definition of a notable veteran player is Jamar Taylor, well, you got what you were looking for. The disappointing fourth-year cornerback was part of the draft’s final trade, as he was sent to Cleveland so the Dolphins could trade up to the 223rd selection. Taylor, ironically, was once drafted by Miami with a second-round pick they acquired from the Colts in exchange for Vontae Davis, who was a frustrated veteran approaching the end of his rookie deal at the time.

OK, so as it turns out, just about every one of the big-name players who were in line for a possible draft-day trade stayed put. That’s disappointing. It’s also foolish to think that the end of the draft also will bring an end to the trade rumors. The market may have changed as teams filled some of their needs, but there are still cranky players around the league who would be better off in new locales. Somebody like Evan Mathis, who was cut by the Eagles last June before eventually signing with the Broncos, would be a classic example of how there’s still player movement to come around the league.

Now that the furor of the draft is over, let’s hit reset on the trade market and the precious few valuable players left in free agency. One of those players signed immediately after the draft, as Brian Hoyer took a one-year deal to back up Jay Cutler in Chicago. Which players still have options left? Where might they head? And which of the players interested in a move might be stuck in their current locale for another year? Let’s run around the league, starting in Philadelphia, where all the factors for one move seem to be in place except for a crucial element …

Sam Bradford, QB, Eagles

Philadelphia decided to trade for Carson Wentz less than two months after signing Bradford to a two-year contract, a move which very clearly angered the former first overall pick. Even if Wentz isn’t ready to play, Bradford is now going to spend the next year looking over his shoulder. Eagles fans probably weren’t going to chant for Chase Daniel if Bradford struggled early in the year, but they’re certainly going to shout for Wentz, especially given the furor with which Philly fans reacted to Bradford’s public trade request.

Nothing about the Bradford situation feels tenable or helpful to either side. The Eagles would likely take back the Bradford deal if they could, and while he’s probably a better short-term option than Daniel, the Eagles would do well to get Bradford’s salary off their cap for 2017. They already owe $164.1 million on their cap next year without re-signing defensive lineman Fletcher Cox, and while $17 million would come off the cap if Bradford moves on, they could get that figure up to $22.5 million if they moved on from Bradford this year via trade.

The only problem, strangely, is that the Eagles don’t want to deal Bradford. General manager Howie Roseman very clearly said that Bradford would remain the team’s starter in the immediate aftermath of the Browns trade, and while that could have been a smokescreen to try to ensure the best possible compensation in a trade, the Eagles reportedly rebuffed all trade offers for their nominal starter during the draft. So Bradford doesn’t want to be there, the fans don’t want him there and other teams want him elsewhere, but Philly is keeping him anyway.

The Eagles may end up finding that there isn’t a common ground that makes sense for a trade. It may not be worth it for them to trade Bradford unless they get a Day 2 pick, and with the variety of quarterbacks available on the market (as you’ll see in a moment), it’s hard to justify making that sort of deal when there are similarly-skilled passers available without any draft pick compensation attached (such as Ryan Fitzpatrick) or with lower salaries (such as Nick Foles). They’ve consistently overvalued Bradford over the past 14 months, so it’s no surprise that they continue to do so now.

Colin Kaepernick is likely staying put in San Francisco — unless the 49ers surprisingly decide to cut him. Ronald Martinez/Getty ImagesColin Kaepernick, QB, 49ers

Likewise, the most plausible scenario for San Francisco’s quarterback is that he stays put. The two places where Kaepernick made the most sense were Cleveland and Denver, and both of those teams are likely out of the running after drafting Cody Kessler and Paxton Lynch, respectively. The Browns might have interest if Kaepernick were released and available on a bargain-basement deal, but if the 49ers were going to release Kaepernick, they would have done so before …

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