Ranking the Least Desirable NFL Trade Destinations Ahead of 2023 Training Camp
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Ron RiveraAP Photo/Alex Brandon
When an NFL player requests a trade, we often skip over an important factor. What’s on his checklist for an ideal landing spot? For some players, a new contract isn’t enough to lure them to a new destination.
Potential training camp holdouts and disgruntled players like Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker could push to play elsewhere this summer. Some of them will have leverage in where they suit up in the upcoming season.
Let’s take a look at what could turn off potential trade targets aside from a team’s limited cap space, ranking the five least desirable destinations.
These teams may find it difficult to acquire top-tier players because of a bleak short-term outlook with question marks at key roster positions. Veterans who want stability, a chance to compete for a Super Bowl or a clear future beyond the 2023 season should beware of the clubs below.
New England Patriots
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Patriots head coach Bill Belichick (left) and quarterback Mac Jones (right)AP Photo/Michael Dwyer
The Tom Brady-Bill Belichick tandem led the New England Patriots to six Super Bowl titles.
Since Brady’s departure from New England in 2020, the Patriots have lost their luster, going .500 over the previous three seasons with a one-and-done playoff appearance.
Last season, multiple players criticized the Patriots’ offensive system with former senior football advisor Matt Patricia, Joe Judge and Belichick involved in the play-calling.
Even though New England has reunited with play-caller Bill O’Brien to rectify its offensive issues, The Athletic’s Chad Graff wrote about a “rift” between Belichick and quarterback Mac Jones.
The MMQB’s Albert Breer noted that Belichick “has left the door open for a competition” at quarterback, and backup signal-caller Bailey Zappe has a slight chance to win the starting job.
While Lamar Jackson had a contract dispute with the Baltimore Ravens, former Patriot cornerback Asante Samuel cautioned the star quarterback about looking for greener pastures in New England.
“Lamar Jackson, my brother trust me you don’t want to play for Belichick,” Samuel tweeted.
Matt Judon responded to Samuel, tweeting, “it’s different over here”
Judon would know more about the Patriots’ locker room than Samuel, who played for the team between 2003 and 2007. However, the “Patriot Way” seems to rub players the wrong way, past and present, which is a red flag for a team that’s fallen from a Super Bowl contender to a mediocre borderline playoff squad.
Green Bay Packers
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Packers quarterback Jordan LoveStacy Revere/Getty Images
The Green Bay Packers’ allure left with Aaron Rodgers when the team traded him to the New York Jets in April.
For three decades, the Packers have had a star quarterback under center. Hall of Famer Brett Favre and Rodgers generated buzz around the organization, kept the team in playoff contention and helped deliver two Lombardi Trophies to Titletown.
Now, Green Bay moves on with Jordan Love, who’s a relatively unknown commodity with a first-round pedigree. In three seasons, he’s thrown for 606 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions with a 60.2 percent completion rate—more action than Rodgers saw in his first three NFL campaigns.
Yet players with enough leverage to control their options in trade negotiations would likely hesitate to attach their short-term future to a team that’s coming off its first sub-.500 campaign since 2018 and an offense with an unproven starting signal-caller.
Also, let’s address the obvious factor with the Packers. Green Bay isn’t a desirable destination with its late-season inclement cold-weather conditions.
The Packers rank one spot higher than the Patriots because Belichick has gone to the playoffs after losing his star quarterback. Head coach Matt LaFleur must earn the benefit of the doubt in the post-Rodgers era.
Las Vegas Raiders
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Raiders running back Josh JacobsAP Photo/John Locher
Players may need more than the Las Vegas atmosphere in a no-tax state to sign on the dotted line with the Raiders. The Silver and Black has experienced a rocky offseason.
In an interview with The Ringer’s Mirin Fader, star wide receiver Davante Adams criticized the front office.
“[The front office] think this is the best bet for us right now to put us in a position to be urgent,” Adams said. “We don’t see eye-to-eye on what we think is best for us right now.”
To be clear, Adams said he’s going to trust the decision-makers and “buy into” the regime’s plans. With that said, when a star playmaker has reservations, his teammates and players around the league hear him.
Adams isn’t the only All-Pro player on the Raiders roster who’s at odds in some way with the team. Running back Josh Jacobs hasn’t signed his franchise tender and has stayed away from the club during contract negotiations. Over the past couple of weeks, he’s posted a couple of cryptic tweets that suggest he may hold out or hold-in this summer.
Other than that, the Raiders have some uncertainty at quarterback with Jimmy Garoppolo on the mend from foot surgery.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the team expects Garoppolo to be ready for training camp, but the signal-caller’s extensive injury history leaves room for doubt about his availability for a full season.
By the way, the Raiders defense has ranked 18th or worse in scoring since 2002, and this year, the unit could feature several inexperienced starters and rookies.
From the outside looking in, the Raiders have concerning in-house question marks that can scare off veterans. Moreover, they aren’t a strong contender in their division. The AFC West features a couple of playoff teams, including the reigning champions, and a Denver Broncos squad that hired a Super Bowl-winning head coach in Sean Payton.
Remember, the Raiders can cut Garoppolo (without cap penalty) if he has a setback with his foot injury, which would put the team in quarterback limbo. At least the Green Bay Packers know with certainty who will start under center for Week 1.
Washington Commanders
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Commanders head coach Ron RiveraAP Photo/Cliff Owen
The Washington Commanders hired a new offensive coordinator in Eric Bieniemy, who comes from a winning franchise in Kansas City. He’ll provide new life to the team’s offense, which has ranked 20th or worse in scoring and yards every year since 2018.
However, the Commanders’ ownership will undergo changes, and the franchise may experience turnover from the front office to the coaching staff, which tempers the excitement around Bieniemy.
Any player who considers Washington must take the new owner’s potential influence into account. Will the new shot-callers make personnel decisions that impact the roster? If the Commanders finish with a non-winning record for a fourth consecutive year under head coach Ron Rivera, the Commanders may have a new regime in place next offseason.
On top of all that, the Commanders have one of the league’s least appealing quarterback situations with 2022 fifth-rounder Sam Howell battling journeyman quarterback Jacoby Brissett for the starting job.
Bieniemy could be the elixir that balances a defensive-led squad, but the changes atop the organization combined with a make-or-break year for Rivera doesn’t make a good landing spot for a veteran who seeks stability.
Among the head coaches of the first four teams listed, Rivera probably has the warmest seat, which raises questions about the Commanders’ short- and long-term future.
Arizona Cardinals
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Cardinals quarterback Kyler MurrayNorm Hall/Getty Images
Based on their offseason moves and quarterback Kyler Murray’s uncertain timeline of recovery from a torn ACL, the Arizona Cardinals will likely finish at the bottom of the standings for the 2023 season.
Under a new regime led by general manager Monti Ossenfort and head coach Jonathan Gannon, the Cardinals have started to rebuild their roster.
They allowed defensive lineman Zach Allen and cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. to sign elsewhere in free agency, leaving starting spots to fill at those respective positions. The front office also released three-time All-Pro wideout DeAndre Hopkins.
When you consider those moves with the possibility that Colt McCoy or rookie fifth-rounder Clayton Tune may run the offense for several weeks, how can anyone get excited about a short-term future in Arizona?
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, All-Pro safety Budda Baker wants the Cardinals to make him the highest-paid player at his position or grant his trade request, and that should tell you a lot about the trajectory of the franchise.
Furthermore, the loss of J.J. Watt and Rodney Hudson, two respected veterans who retired this offseason, leaves a void in the team’s leadership core. Remember, right tackle Kelvin Beachum believes Murray has to “grow up a little bit” as a prominent player in the locker room.
Arizona has lost key players, and its injured quarterback hasn’t established himself in the locker room. The Cardinals’ 2023 season could run off the rails within the first couple of months, which sets them apart from the other teams on this list.
Maurice Moton covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @MoeMoton.
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