Could these players get traded?

With the NFL trade deadline quickly approaching in the 2009 season, there have been some names floated out along the media wires—big names that are rumored to be on the market.

But the question remains—what would it cost and what would their true value be? Let’s take a look at three names that have been mentioned over the last week.

1. Julius Peppers, Carolina

Peppers is the most intriguing name right now because of his upside. But can you always count on that? The talk around the league has always been that Peppers is a guy who takes plays off. But despite the talk, it is hard not to envision how the Carolina defensive end could fare with your team. In ’09, Peppers has three sacks in five games playing in defensive coordinator Ron Meek’s Tampa 2 scheme. On paper he looks like the ideal guy to rush off the edge in a 4-3 scheme, but he is even more attractive as a 3-4 DE, as a guy who can hold the edge and get pressure in an attacking scheme—which is what the Green Bay Packers run. However, Peppers is playing on a one-year franchise deal, and it might be a case of trading for his rights for the rest of this season and working towards a long-term deal. Peppers is going to want starting quarterback money.

2. Terrell Owens, Buffalo

There is plenty of talk about the Bills moving T.O. these days—but is it for real? Owens doesn’t have much of anything to show for his ‘09 production, having only caught 12 passes for 202 yards and a TD. You can look at Owens’ average yards per catch, which is sitting at 16.8, and still see some hope for some big play potential. But how much does he have left? I don’t see the value of trading for a WR that will be 36 this season and can’t get off the line of scrimmage—and that is just the issue. Defenses don’t have to roll coverage to his side, and coordinators don’t have to game plan specifically to stop his production anymore. If you are looking for a “quick fix” to your team’s No.2 or even No.3 option on the outside, T.O. could be an answer. But spend draft picks or players on a guy that could unseat the locker room within a week if he doesn’t get his way? I don’t see much value for Owens at this point in his career.

3. Brady Quinn, Cleveland

The rumors about Quinn are hot right now after reports that the former first-round pick had put his house on the market in suburban Cleveland. But what are you getting in return? It is hard to pull the trigger on a deal for a player that was just benched, and considering the downfalls of Quinn’s overall game and lack of big-play capability, is there really a market out there for him? As a backup QB, yes. But if you are thinking about bringing Quinn in via a trade and looking for meaningful production, I don’t see it. Add in the fact that current Cleveland starter Derek Anderson just went 2 of 17 on Sunday in the Browns win, and Eric Mangini might think twice about trading off his second option. Quinn has the name and he has the first-round draft tag attached to him, but his play tells us another story.

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