Every time a new rumor pops up about some team around the NFL that may or may not have interest in trading for Kevin Kolb, I'll typically check out the comments from that team's fan base to see outsiders' opinions on Kolb. To say the least, they're extremely varied. A rare few go as far as to say they'd give up a Top 10 pick for Kolb, whereas others compare him to a modern-day Scott Mitchell. For our younger readers, you'll just have to google Scott Mitchell. Personally, I see Kolb as "1st round pick worthy," and it got me thinking... Who are the other players in the NFC East, that if they were clearly available for a trade, would get at least a 1st round pick in return.
We'll go in alphabetical order, starting with Dallas:
Dallas Cowboys | Comment |
---|---|
NO-BRAINERS | |
DeMarcus Ware | No comment necessary |
Miles Austin | Down year last year, but unquestionably worth a 1. |
Jason Witten | Some call him the best TE in the game. I don't, but he's a likely Hall of Famer that's still only 28 years old |
Jay Ratliff | Stellar 3-4 DT's are very hard to find |
Tony Romo | He turns 31 a week from today, so I think at this point it's fair to say we have a pretty good idea of Romo's ceiling. But he has a reasonable contract and is still a borderline Top 10 NFL QB. There's no question on this one. |
ON THE BUBBLE | |
Doug Free | I'd give up the Eagles' 1 for him right now, but I may have a higher opinion of Free than most. |
Dez Bryant | There's a reason 23 teams passed on him in the 2010 draft, and he has proven all 23 of them right so far. However, his talent on the field is undeniable. Personally, I wouldn't go anywhere near this kid, but someone out there would. |
CLOSE, BUT NO THANKS | |
Felix Jones | Last year I would have said yes, but the guy just hasn't produced enough, period. |
Anthony Spencer | Gets so many favorable matchups it's comical, and simply hasn't made enough plays. |
New York Giants | |
---|---|
NO-BRAINERS | |
Justin Tuck | Best player on the Giants |
Chris Snee | Among the best offensive linemen in football |
Hakeem Nicks | Was drafted as a 1, and hasn't disappointed. |
Osi Umenyiora | 11.5 sacks and 10 forced fumbles last season. Let me say that again. TEN, as in 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 forced fumbles. He's available for a 1? Yes, please. |
Jason Pierre-Paul | Was a project as a 1 last year, and looks like a find so far. |
ON THE BUBBLE | |
Eli Manning | I can already see this turning into an "Eli is great, no he's not" debate, but for me, it's more about his awful contract. He's set to make $8.5 million in 2011 (which is fine), $10.75 in 2012 (still somewhat reasonable), and then it gets really ugly - $13 million in 2013, $15.15 million in 2014, and $17 million in 2015. On talent alone, sure, some team would give up a 1 rather quickly, but Eli isn't worth anything close to those ridiculous numbers he's set to make in 2013 and beyond. I think some team out there would ultimately pull the trigger, but it's not as much of a no-brainer as some would almost certainly suggest. |
CLOSE, BUT NO THANKS | |
Steve Smith | He's a free agent but for a second we'll pretend he isn't, and has a reasonable contract - Nice player, but not quite talented enough to take a risk on with his health issues. |
Ahmad Bradshaw | Same as Smith, he a free agent, but we'll pretend otherwise - Borderline Top 20 NFL RB. Not happening. |
Philadelphia Eagles | |
---|---|
NO-BRAINERS | |
Michael Vick | I shouldn't have to explain. |
DeSean Jackson | Is there a player in the NFL that's more capable of "scoring anytime the ball is in his hands?" Chris Johnson, Maybe? Certainly nobody else is in that conversation. |
Trent Cole | Good pass rusher and an elite run stopper from the DE position. As solid as they come. |
Jason Peters | Big contract, but in a league hurting for left tackles, Peters would unquestionably get a 1 in return. He was nothing short of stellar the second half of 2010. |
Asante Samuel | When people talk about the best corners in the game , it's always Nnamdi Asomugha and Darelle Revis. Asante is right there with them. |
Jeremy Maclin | See Hakeem Nicks above. |
LeSean McCoy | The Eagles transitioned seemlessly from the great Brian Westbrook to LeSean McCoy. |
ON THE BUBBLE | |
Kevin Kolb | Anyone that reads this blog should expect me to put him in the no-brainer category, but to me it's not a "no-brainer," per se. I think he'll get back the equivalent of a "mid-1" if/when the Eagles finally get the opportunity to deal him. But if the draft shakes out the "wrong way," and all of the most QB needy teams draft QB's in the 1st or 2nd rounds, I might have to re-think things. |
CLOSE, BUT NO THANKS | |
Todd Herremans | I really wrestled with this one, and while I think he's right there as far as the best guards in the game (and right there with Snee), I just don't think anyone is giving up a 1 for a really good vetaran guard that has a history of being banged up. |
Brandon Graham | ACL. |
Nate Allen | Talk to me in a year. |
Washington Redskins | Comment |
---|---|
NO-BRAINERS | |
Brian Orakpo | Outstanding rookie season, best player on a bad defense. |
Trent Williams | Up and down rookie season, but there's little doubt in my mind he'll be quality LT for years once he figures the NFL out. |
ON THE BUBBLE | |
LaRon Landry | If highlight reel hits (both giving and receiving) did it for NFL personnel evaluators, there'd be a line around the block for Landry. He's an amazing athletic specimen, but just doesn't have the game (or the brains) to match his raw ability. He's more of a hitter than a tackler (misses way too many of them), and he's deficient in coverage in a pass-happy league. Personally, I'd want nothing to do with him, but it wouldn't surprise me to see a dumb NFL team make an enormous mistake here. |
CLOSE, BUT NO THANKS | |
Chris Cooley | Actually, it's not really that close, but I feel bad naming only 3 Redskins total. |
London Fletcher | Turns 36 in May. |
Albert Haynesworth | No. |