With The First Pick
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NFL Trades frenzy: One man’s trash is another man’s treasure

By Maurice Barksdale

SEATTLE, WA - AUGUST 25: Wide receiver Jermaine Kearse
SEATTLE, WA - AUGUST 25: Wide receiver Jermaine Kearse /
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There’s been an unprecedented amount of NFL trades leading up to roster cuts.  Here’s the reason teams have made so many trades in the past week.

Reason 1: Try to get something for next to nothing

Typically when a team cuts a player they don’t expect to get anything for him.  They know he’s not going to make the team and they’re ready to move on with no compensation.  But why not try to get something in return for a player who may have value to another team through NFL trades?

Even if it’s for a late round draft pick, if you can get something for the player about to cut it’s worth making a deal.  The Detroit Lions traded 2015 first round pick Laken Tomlinson to the San Francisco 49ers for a 2019 fifth round pick.

The Lions were going to cut Tomlinson anyway, but by trading him they got something in return.  Yes, a fifth round pick is later in the draft but teams find good players all the time with late round draft picks.

You never know, that pick could turn into something later on the Detroit Lions.  Or, they could turn around and package that pick with some others to move up the draft to take a player they really want.

Reason 2:  One man’s trash is another man’s treasure

On the flip side of the Laken Tomlinson trade, there’s value for the 49ers in an NFL trade for him.  Tomlinson was a first round pick because he was a highly rated talent coming into the 2015 NFL Draft.

There are a number of reasons things didn’t work out with Tomlinson as a Detroit Lions.  But just because it didn’t work out there, doesn’t mean it can’t work out with the San Francisco 49ers.

The Niners know they have some raw talent to work with in Laken Tomlinson.  A player who might fit their scheme better than the Lions.  And they only had to give up a fifth round pick to get first round caliber talent.

If it doesn’t work out then they only lost a late round pick and no harm done.  But if it does work out, then they acquired a good player without taking a chance that another team could sign him before he cleared waivers.

Reason 3:  Lots of matches for good players that teams don’t want

The Sheldon Richardson for Jermaine Kearse is a prime example of a reason for this frenzy of NFL trades.  Neither the New York Jets or the Seattle Seahawks wanted these players any longer.  The Seahawks needed a  defensive tackle and the Jets needed a wide receiver.

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The Jets are tanking and they didn’t want to pay Richardson for what they felt he brought to the team.  They recently lost their top receiver Quincy Enunwa to a season ending neck injury, so they needed a wide receiver badly.

While Kearse isn’t a number one receiver, he’s better than what they have found after cuts.  The Jets also pick up a second round pick along with Kearse, so they fill a need and get something for the future.

The Seahawks could jumpstart Sheldon Richardson’s career in their system.  He’s a former pro bowler in the league and if the Seahawks could get Richardson back to that level again, then what they gave up for him is more than worth it.

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