Free agency begins on March 5 and the draft — expanded to three days this year — starts on April 22, but there could be plenty of player movement before either of those dates.
Last year, tight end Kellen Winslow, linebacker Mike Vrabel, quarterbacks Matt Cassel and Sage Rosenfels and defensive backs Lito Sheppard and Anthony Henry all were traded in February. Several other players, including quarterback Jay Cutler, offensive tackle Jason Peters and tight end Tony Gonzalez, were dealt before the draft.
Here are 10 high-profile players who could wind up on the trading block — or the waiver wire — in the coming weeks:
Cardinals WR Anquan Boldin
The skinny: Boldin, who caught 84 passes for 1,024 yards last season, has wanted out of Arizona for a while now. The Cardinals may have enough receivers behind Larry Fitzgerald to fill the void if Boldin leaves.
Scout’s take: "Just from a talent standpoint, I would think teams would be interested in him because he’s still a No. 1 receiver on a lot of teams."
Panthers DE Julius Peppers
The skinny: He can be a dominating pass rusher — when he wants to be. Putting the franchise tag (more than $20 million) on Peppers again probably isn’t an option for the Panthers — unless they could turn around and trade him.
Scout’s take: "The main issue with Julius is he doesn’t give it to you all the time. His price tag is going to be astronomical. If I were to spend that kind of money, I’d hope that the guy’s motor was going to run hot all the time."
Brandon Marshall’s days in Denver could be numbered.
Broncos WR Brandon Marshall
The skinny: Marshall is one of only two players (Wes Welker is the other) to catch at least 100 passes in each of the last three seasons. But his distractive behavior sometimes overshadows his prolific production.
Scout’s take: "He’s a beast. The guy can turn a game and dominate a game. Obviously, the attitudinal and away-from-the-field issues are question marks."
Dolphins OLB Joey Porter
The skinny: After putting up an AFC-leading 17 1/2 sacks in ’08, Porter had less impact last season as he was reduced to a role player. The Dolphins already tried to cut him but had to hold off because of cap issues. He will go in March.
Scout’s take: "I think he’s hit the wall. Maybe he finds a 3-4 team where he can spot play."
Giants DE Osi Umenyiora
The skinny: It’s been a tough couple of years for Umenyiora, who missed the ’08 season with a knee injury and lost his starting job late in the ’09 season. He wants to be assured that he will be a starter, not a situational pass rusher.
Scout’s take: "He’s a talented rush guy who can flat-out come off the edge. I would think there would be a market for him just from a talent standpoint."
Jets FS Kerry Rhodes
The skinny: Rhodes, who lost his starting job to Eric Smith for two games last season, may not be Rex Ryan’s type of player. He reportedly is due to make $4.8 in 2010, including a $2 million roster bonus payable in March.
Scout’s take: "He’s physical. He blows people up coming downhill. There should be a market out there for him."
Rams QB Marc Bulger
The skinny: He is the NFL’s poster boy for battered quarterback syndrome. The Rams rewarded him with a lucrative contract after a career season in ’06, but his performance has deteriorated after being hit — and injured — so often.
Scout’s take: "He’s kind of come to the end. I see his role as coming in behind a young starter, where he can be a mentor and an emergency starter or insurance policy type of guy."
Seahawks DE Patrick Kerney
The skinny: The Seahawks need to upgrade a pass rush that accounted for only one sack in the final four games last season. Kerney is 33 and has lost a step, so he no longer looks like a good fit in Seattle.
Scout’s take: "In terms of playing at the level he’s played in the past, I don’t necessarily see that. You can start him, but you (should) play him in a rotation where he doesn’t have to take all the snaps."
Titans RB LenDale White
The skinny: White lost more than 30 pounds coming into last season as he expected to play a big part in the offense. But he became lost in the shadow of Chris Johnson’s run to 2,000 yards. Javon Ringer, a fifth-round pick in ’09, could make White expendable.
Scout’s take: "He lost all that weight last year and was supposed to be rejuvenated, but I really didn’t see it. I think there will be a spot for him somewhere in the league, but I don’t know if people will be knocking down his door."
Redskins RB Clinton Portis
The skinny: Injuries limited him to eight games in ’09, and even when he did play he was largely ineffective (494 rushing yards). Poor line play accounted for some of the problems, but there also is a perception that Portis’ work ethic has declined.
Scout’s take: "He’s not the back he was three or four years ago. He’s 28, but he’s a bit of an old 28. He’s got some miles on him. If you play him in a rotation, where you have another young back to go with him, he’s still got enough to help a team."
Dennis Dillon is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at ddillon@sportingnews.com.
Free agency begins on March 5 and the draft — expanded to three days this year — starts on April 22, but there could be plenty of player movement before either of those dates.
Last year, tight end Kellen Winslow, linebacker Mike Vrabel, quarterbacks Matt Cassel and Sage Rosenfels and defensive backs Lito Sheppard and Anthony Henry all were traded in February. Several other players, including quarterback Jay Cutler, offensive tackle Jason Peters and tight end Tony Gonzalez, were dealt before the draft.
Here are 10 high-profile players who could wind up on the trading block — or the waiver wire — in the coming weeks:
Cardinals WR Anquan Boldin
The skinny: Boldin, who caught 84 passes for 1,024 yards last season, has wanted out of Arizona for a while now. The Cardinals may have enough receivers behind Larry Fitzgerald to fill the void if Boldin leaves.
Scout’s take: "Just from a talent standpoint, I would think teams would be interested in him because he’s still a No. 1 receiver on a lot of teams."
Panthers DE Julius Peppers
The skinny: He can be a dominating pass rusher — when he wants to be. Putting the franchise tag (more than $20 million) on Peppers again probably isn’t an option for the Panthers — unless they could turn around and trade him.
Scout’s take: "The main issue with Julius is he doesn’t give it to you all the time. His price tag is going to be astronomical. If I were to spend that kind of money, I’d hope that the guy’s motor was going to run hot all the time."
Brandon Marshall’s days in Denver could be numbered.
Broncos WR Brandon Marshall
The skinny: Marshall is one of only two players (Wes Welker is the other) to catch at least 100 passes in each of the last three seasons. But his distractive behavior sometimes overshadows his prolific production.
Scout’s take: "He’s a beast. The guy can turn a game and dominate a game. Obviously, the attitudinal and away-from-the-field issues are question marks."
Dolphins OLB Joey Porter
The skinny: After putting up an AFC-leading 17 1/2 sacks in ’08, Porter had less impact last season as he was reduced to a role player. The Dolphins already tried to cut him but had to hold off because of cap issues. He will go in March.
Scout’s take: "I think he’s hit the wall. Maybe he finds a 3-4 team where he can spot play."
Giants DE Osi Umenyiora
The skinny: It’s been a tough couple of years for Umenyiora, who missed the ’08 season with a knee injury and lost his starting job late in the ’09 season. He wants to be assured that he will be a starter, not a situational pass rusher.
Scout’s take: "He’s a talented rush guy who can flat-out come off the edge. I would think there would be a market for him just from a talent standpoint."
Jets FS Kerry Rhodes
The skinny: Rhodes, who lost his starting job to Eric Smith for two games last season, may not be Rex Ryan’s type of player. He reportedly is due to make $4.8 in 2010, including a $2 million roster bonus payable in March.
Scout’s take: "He’s physical. He blows people up coming downhill. There should be a market out there for him."
Rams QB Marc Bulger
The skinny: He is the NFL’s poster boy for battered quarterback syndrome. The Rams rewarded him with a lucrative contract after a career season in ’06, but his performance has deteriorated after being hit — and injured — so often.
Scout’s take: "He’s kind of come to the end. I see his role as coming in behind a young starter, where he can be a mentor and an emergency starter or insurance policy type of guy."
Seahawks DE Patrick Kerney
The skinny: The Seahawks need to upgrade a pass rush that accounted for only one sack in the final four games last season. Kerney is 33 and has lost a step, so he no longer looks like a good fit in Seattle.
Scout’s take: "In terms of playing at the level he’s played in the past, I don’t necessarily see that. You can start him, but you (should) play him in a rotation where he doesn’t have to take all the snaps."
Titans RB LenDale White
The skinny: White lost more than 30 pounds coming into last season as he expected to play a big part in the offense. But he became lost in the shadow of Chris Johnson’s run to 2,000 yards. Javon Ringer, a fifth-round pick in ’09, could make White expendable.
Scout’s take: "He lost all that weight last year and was supposed to be rejuvenated, but I really didn’t see it. I think there will be a spot for him somewhere in the league, but I don’t know if people will be knocking down his door."
Redskins RB Clinton Portis
The skinny: Injuries limited him to eight games in ’09, and even when he did play he was largely ineffective (494 rushing yards). Poor line play accounted for some of the problems, but there also is a perception that Portis’ work ethic has declined.
Scout’s take: "He’s not the back he was three or four years ago. He’s 28, but he’s a bit of an old 28. He’s got some miles on him. If you play him in a rotation, where you have another young back to go with him, he’s still got enough to help a team."
Dennis Dillon is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at ddillon@sportingnews.com.
