News came Tuesday that tight end Rob Gronkowski was coming out of retirement and that the Patriots were trading him to the Buccaneers to reunite him with Tom Brady. This might be the blockbuster trade of the offseason, let alone the week. But it likely won't be the last trade of the week.
Veteran trades always seem to be a part of NFL draft week, and this year should be no exception. Some are disgruntled and want out. Some have become too expensive for their teams to afford. Some don't fit the new scheme. But every year, a couple of high-profile veterans end up on the trading block during and around the draft.
Last year, a couple of days before the draft, the Seahawks traded franchise player Frank Clark to the Chiefs, who were willing to give him the long-term deal Seattle wasn't. That worked out pretty well for Clark. During last year's draft, the Cardinals traded 2018 first-round pick Josh Rosen to the Dolphins. That didn't work out as well.
The point is, there's likely to be a trade or two involving current NFL players this week, in addition to all of the usual trades for picks. And with that in mind, we put together a list of 10 players who have a shot to be moved during or around the 2020 NFL draft. In no particular order:
Yannick Ngakoue, DE, Jacksonville Jaguars
It was either Vince Lombardi or Bum Phillips who said, "The best way to get yourself traded is to rip the owner's son on social media." Ngakoue has made no secret of wanting out of Jacksonville, and he took the bridge-burning to new levels Monday in a Twitter feud with Jaguars executive Tony Khan. The Jags designated Ngakoue their franchise player last month, but he doesn't want to play for the one-year, $17.8 million tag. He would like a new deal, and he'd like it to be with a team other than the Jaguars.
Ngakoue just turned 25, and he has 37.5 sacks in his first four NFL seasons. The reason he hasn't been moved yet is that Jacksonville's price has been too high for teams that know they also have to sign him long term. It's possible his market could pick up once Jadeveon Clowney signs and the teams that missed out on Clowney get desperate. It's also possible Jacksonville could take the best offer on the table Thursday or Friday to make sure they get 2020 picks for Ngakoue, instead of 2021 ones.
Regardless, don't expect Ngakoue to be playing for the Jags this season. The list of potential suitors is extensive and includes Seattle, Tennessee, Philadelphia, Buffalo, Detroit and the Giants, to name just a few.
Jamal Adams, S, New York Jets
The Jets don't have a lot of obvious reasons to move Adams. He is a bargain at $3.5 million this year, and the team holds his fifth-year option for 2021. They wouldn't even have to franchise him until 2022.
General manager Joe Douglas said this week that the Jets intend to keep Adams long term. But he is on this list because he has expressed a desire to get a long-term deal this offseason; the Jets might not share his desire to do that at this time; and the relationship between Adams and the team hasn't been consistently harmonious over the past six months or so.
The most likely scenario is that Adams stays put, but this is a situation that people around the league are watching closely.
Leonard Fournette, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars
Man, the Jaguars team that takes the field in 2020 sure won't bear much resemblance at all to the one that lost the AFC Championship Game 27 months ago. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported over the weekend that the Jags were working on trading Fournette, and it has been clear for a while now that the team isn't thrilled with the former No. 4 overall draft pick.
Fournette is scheduled to make just over $4.1 million this year, which is reasonable if a team considers him a workhorse starting running back. And with Jacksonville (or an acquiring team) unlikely to exercise his fifth-year option, it would be only a one-year commitment.
Based on the conversations I've had with people around the league, I can't imagine a team trading for Fournette, meaning it's possible the Jags will cut him. Then again, a month and a half ago, I couldn't imagine a team trading for David Johnson, and the Texans traded the best receiver in the league for him, so who knows.
Trent Williams, OT, Washington
Williams sat out the entire 2019 season due to a well-publicized dispute with the team over his mishandled cancer diagnosis, and he has said he doesn't want to play for Washington anymore. He will turn 32 in July, and he hasn't played 16 games in a season since 2013, so the return isn't going to be what it would have been earlier in Williams' career. But he is still regarded as one of the top tackles in the league, and every team needs tackles.
Williams has one year and $12.75 million left on his contract, and he is looking for a new deal as well. But Washington, which didn't trade him at the October trade deadline because it didn't like the offers, is likely to take the best offer on the table this week in order to be done with the situation. Cleveland, Minnesota and Tampa Bay are candidates that can't be ruled out.
Matthew Judon, OLB, Baltimore Ravens
Judon is another franchise player who doesn't seem likely to get a long-term deal with his current team. His situation hasn't carried the outward acrimony that the Ngakoue and Williams situations have, but he would like to get a long-term deal with the Ravens or a trade to a team that will give him one.
Judon will turn 28 in August, and he has 24.5 sacks over the past three season. His franchise tag is $16.3 million, lower than Ngakoue's because of the inane franchise designation formula that differentiates between 3-4 outside linebackers and 4-3 defensive ends. But any team acquiring him likely would have to factor in the cost of a long-term deal.
Joe Thuney, G, New England Patriots
It was a surprise when the Patriots franchised Thuney for $14.78 million in March. They could do a long-term deal with him that knocks down his 2020 salary-cap figure, but if they don't, they're stuck with only about $1 million in cap space.
Teams that have been in contact with the Patriots about Thuney say it sounds like New England is OK with keeping him, but Bill Belichick surely will be flexible with his plans and might end up making other decisions that necessitate a Thuney trade to clear cap room. Detroit, where former Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia is the coach and former Patriots executive Bob Quinn is the GM, has a crying need at the guard position.
Anthony Harris, S, Minnesota Vikings
Several teams also were surprised (and disappointed) when the Vikings franchised Harris. He was expected to draw strong interest on the free-agent market, and Minnesota is still getting calls from teams that were hoping to take a run at him if he got to free agency.
The $11.4 million franchise tag isn't likely what Harris is looking for, and while he and the Vikings have been talking about a long-term deal, they don't yet have one. Cleveland and Las Vegas would be strong candidates to make a move for Harris if the Vikings decide to deal him.
O.J. Howard, TE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The former first-round pick has one year left on his rookie contract at just under $2 million. The Bucs have yet to make a decision on his fifth-year option, and it doesn't sound as if they're overly eager to trade him. And they just traded for Rob Gronkowski.
Tampa Bay is deep enough with pass-catchers that it would consider the right offer, as Howard hasn't lived up to lofty expectations and might benefit from a change of scenery.
Andy Dalton, QB, Cincinnati Bengals
The explosion of the sun is just about the only thing that could prevent the Bengals from selecting LSU quarterback Joe Burrow with the No. 1 overall pick Thursday night. That means Dalton's days as the Bengals' starter are numbered, and he would certainly welcome the opportunity to go somewhere else (Patriots? Chargers?) and get a chance to be a starter again.
The Bengals tried unsuccessfully to trade Dalton in October, and it's unclear what the market would be for his services. He is scheduled to earn $17.5 million in 2020, but none of that money is guaranteed, so it's possible an acquiring team could rework the contract to spread that money over two years and adjust the salary to reflect a non-starting role. It's also possible the Bengals could do that and keep Dalton, who might be helpful as a mentor to Burrow and an insurance policy in case this year's altered and truncated offseason keeps Burrow from being ready on time to start the season.
Alshon Jeffery, WR, Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles need a total overhaul of their wide receiver corps. And while keeping Jeffery, who has a guaranteed $9.91 million due this year and no guaranteed money after that, isn't a bad option, there are plenty of folks around the league who believe Philly would part with him for the right price. Look for the Eagles to draft at least one wideout early in this year's draft and to continue to rework that position as the offseason moves along.