It might not officially be summer yet, but it is in theNational Football League—and not just because Memorial Day has come and gone. OTAs are underway across the league. Mandatory minicamps arejust around the corner.
Before you know it, training camp will be here. Thenthe preseason. And then the beginning of fall—when the Kansas City Chiefs hostthe Baltimore Ravens on September 5.
There's a boatload that will happen between now and then. Some young players will shine on the practice field. Others will disappoint.
Sadly, some players will go down with injuries—we have already seen the Denver Broncos lose linebacker Drew Sanders to an Achilles tear. Many NFL teams already have holes on the roster. More will have them open up.
Some will be plugged with free agent signings—there's still some meat left on that bone. But in some cases, the only way for clubs to overcome adversity this summer will be to swing a trade. Of course, for there to be buyers there have to be sellers,and now that June 1 has come and gone, changing salary cap implications haveshaken up the trade market—in many cases making dealing big names morepalatable.
Most of the players listed in this column will open theregular season on the teams they are already on. But a few may well be dealt. Because on every team in the NFL, there's one player that franchise should consider dealing—if the price is right.
This is hardly the first time that Arizona Cardinals safetyBudda Baker has been mentioned as a trad.