2011 NFL Trade Rumors: Five Long-Shot Trades That Should Be Made Before Tuesday’s Deadline–Including Carson Palmer to the Raiders
With the 2011 NFL trade deadline set for this upcoming Tuesday, there are plenty of big players that have seen their name thrown around in rumors–but that doesn’t mean it will actually happen. Here’s a look at five long-shot trades that should be strongly considered before Tuesday’s deadline.
5. Chad Ochocinco to the San Francisco 49ers
All of a sudden, the rest of the NFL is starting to realize how good these 49ers are–especially after their big road win against the Lions in Week 6.
San Francisco contains one of the top defenses in the NFL and they have a strong running game led by Frank Gore–but they may need some more help in the passing game if they have any chance at being contenders in the NFC. Vernon Davis is one of the best pass-catching tight ends in football, but the Niners could use plenty of help at wide receiver considering it took Michael Crabtree until Week 6 to finally make an impact.
With players like Wes Welker, Deion Branch, Rob Gronkowski, and Aaaron Hernandez, the Patriots would be just fine without Ochocinco considering he’s caught just nine passes all season–none of which have been for touchdowns. On top of that, Ochocinco was shutout against the Cowboys after being targeted just once–so it would be as if he never was part of the team to begin with.
4. Jimmy Clausen to the Miami Dolphins
One thing is certain after the first six weeks of the 2011 season–Clausen has lost any chance at becoming the franchise quarterback for the Carolina Panthers after the surprise play of Cam Newton.
It was difficult to determine what to make of Clausen as a rookie considering the Panthers didn’t provide him with a strong receiving corps and the ground game wasn’t nearly as effective with DeAngelo Williams out for most of the season. With a disappointing 0-4 record along with Chad Henne being out for the rest of the season, the Dolphins appear to be strong contenders in the “Suck For Luck” sweepstakes if they continue to struggle.
Miami was linked to numerous quarterbacks during the offseason, but no trades ever happened and there’s a good chance Matt Moore will have minimum impact–if any at all–as Henne’s replacement. Carolina saw Clausen as a potential quarterback to build a franchise around before Newton came along, so Miami should consider giving him a shot as well–especially if they miss out on Luck during the 2012 NFL Draft.
3. Tashard Choice to the Detroit Lions
The regular season wasn’t even underway and the Lions already knew their ground game would be at a disadvantage after losing rookie running back Mikel Leshoure for the year with a torn Achilles’ tendon. Jahvid Best is good, but it wouldn’t hurt for Detroit to get him some extra help in the backfield–which is where Choice comes in.
Jerry Jones indicated on Sunday that he’s already received numerous calls from other teams about acquiring Choice–so he’s obviously going to be a name to keep an eye on over the next two days. Detroit ranks 25th in the NFL when it comes to rushing yards per game and it’s safe to say that number would be even lower if it wasn’t for Best’s 163-yard performance against the Chicago Bears in Week 5–so they definitely could use some help in the backfield.
2. Brandon Lloyd to the Titans
Chris Johnson has been in a slump through the first five games after rushing for just 250 yards with one touchdown. Kenny Britt is out for the season with a torn ACL.
Translation–this team could use an extra weapon on offense like Lloyd. It’s debatable whether or not Nate Washington has what it takes to be a No. 1 wide receiver and the team’s next best player in the passing game that’s an actual wide receiver is Damian Williams–which proves this team could use some help.
Nobody expected the Titans to be in first place at this point in the season and they have a legitimate shot at competing for the AFC South title this season. Tennessee took a shot with Randy Moss last season even though they knew he would be a free agent at the end of the year–so why not take a similar chance with Lloyd?
1. Carson Palmer to the Raiders
The Raiders are one of the hottest teams in football after a 4-2 start and have what it takes to win the AFC West. However, with the devastating news of Jason Campbell most likely missing the remainder of the season with a broken collarbone, there’s a good chance Oakland won’t win the division with Kyle Boller or Terrelle Pryor as their quarterback.
Unfortunately, this trade is the biggest long shot in the world considering how stubborn Bengals owner Mike Brown is about trading his once beloved franchise quarterback. Brown has always been an owner who never gives in to his player’s demands–but why keep a quarterback like Palmer on your roster the team doesn’t need when you could at least benefit from gaining a draft pick or two in return with a trade?
Palmer would give the Raiders a better chance to make the playoffs considering he’s a major upgrade over both Boller and Pryor. Plus, Andy Dalton has shined as a rookie over his first six games and it’s clear he’s the quarterback of the future for the Bengals–so both teams could benefit from this possible trade.
Dan Parzych is the Lead NFL Content Editor for www.RantSports.com/NFL, where he writes and edits NFL content for www.RantSports.com.
Be sure to follow Dan on Twitter @DanParzych
Email Dan: [email protected]
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