5 players in need of a fresh start who could be traded next
Baker Mayfield and N’Keal Harry are getting a chance to start over with new teams. Which other one-time highly drafted players could follow in their footsteps?
Earlier this month, Baker Mayfield and N’Keal Harry were traded to new teams. Both were recent first-round picks — Mayfield went first overall in 2018 and Harry was the No. 32 selection in 2019 — and both needed a fresh start.
However, their situations aren’t exactly the same. Mayfield had tasted success with the Browns, leading them to their first playoff appearance (and win) in decades, but injury and inconsistent performances led the front office to upgrade the quarterback position, no matter the steep cost it paid … in more ways than one. Harry, like so many of Bill Belichick’s wide receiver picks, just never got into a groove in New England.
Mayfield will compete with his fellow 2018 draftmate Sam Darnold for the starting position. Perhaps with a clean bill of health and a renewed desire to prove the doubters wrong (arguably his favorite pastime), Mayfield will be able to revive his career in Carolina. And maybe Harry can do the same with the Bears, who desperately needed more help at wide receiver, as one former Patriots player believes.
It’s also possible that doesn’t happen, yet I can’t help but root for a player’s chance at redemption, unless that someone is a complete dirtbag and/or went to Michigan.
There are other highly drafted players who could use a change of scenery just like Mayfield and Harry got. Which could — or should — be the next to be traded, and to where?
I’ve picked five candidates, but I’d first like to explain why I’m going to skip Jimmy Garoppolo, the most obvious name to be dealt this offseason who is still somehow with the 49ers. I don’t think there’s a clearly logical destination for him at the moment, at least not unless/until there’s a major quarterback injury or Deshaun Watson is handed down a lengthy suspension.
Instead, I’m going to start with one of Garoppolo’s teammates, who might not be in San Francisco much longer.
Dee Ford, Edge, 49ers
At 31, Ford is the oldest person on this list and the only one who has already been traded once before. The Chiefs drafted him 23rd overall in 2014 and shipped him to the 49ers almost five years later.
At the time, Ford was coming off his best season in Kansas City; in 2018, he recorded a career-high 13 sacks and an NFL-leading seven forced fumbles and was also named to the Pro Bowl. The Chiefs franchise-tagged the pass rusher, but rather than extend him or let him play under the tag in 2019, they swapped him for a second-round pick and let the 49ers give him a big new paycheck.
Ford’s first season in San Francisco was both promising and ominous. He played well alongside then-rookie Nick Bosa, was fourth on the team with 6.5 sacks, and contributed a sack and a few QB hits during the playoffs.
But he only played 11 games during the regular season due to a nagging hamstring injury.
In 2020, a back injury cost him all but one game. In 2021, he was shut down after just six games. Based on Kyle Shanahan’s recent comments, it seems that was the final appearance for Ford in a 49ers jersey. A release is more likely than a trade, but since Ford is still on the roster, we can’t rule out the latter, especially if a Super Bowl contender decides it needs a pass-rushing boost.
Suggested trade to: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Bucs have two exciting youngsters to unleash on opposing quarterbacks: Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, the No. 32 pick in 2021, and Logan Hall, the No. 33 pick this year. Both are still somewhat unproven, however, and after losing experienced depth along the DL such as Jason Pierre-Paul and Ndamukong Suh, Tampa could stand to add another veteran to its pass rush.
Ford was productive in his limited time on the field last year, tallying three sacks in his six games. If he can stay healthy, a team like the Bucs — ready to compete and with a defensive-minded head coach — would be a great place for him to rebound.
Plus, he could maybe help deliver Tom Brady a(nother) Super Bowl.
Clelin Ferrell, Edge, Raiders
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: a Raiders first-round pick has been labeled a bust. Ferrell was taken with the fourth overall pick in 2019, and he has totaled a mere eight sacks so far in his career — 4.5 of which came during his rookie season. Last year, despite playing in 16 games, he had just 1.5 sacks.
Maxx Crosby has been the pass-rushing phenom the Raiders were looking for, and this year he’ll be paired with sack god Chandler Jones. Where does that leave Ferrell, who did not get his fifth-year option picked up?
Maybe on the roster bubble, especially with a new coaching staff in place. Ferrell is only 25 years old and would be a more suitable fit on a 4-3 defense, so it’s possible the Raiders will try to work out a trade before it’s time to make a decision about roster cuts.
Suggested trade to: Detroit Lions
Not only did the Lions switch to a 4-3 defense this offseason, but they could also use more pass-rushing help. While rookie Aidan Hutchinson should make an immediate impact, most of the defensive line is a big question mark. Ferrell, despite an inconsistent career so far, could contribute right away in such a situation, especially since he wouldn’t be saddled with as high expectations as he was in Vegas.
Plus, Dan Campbell would be the kind of coach who would give Ferrell the clean slate he needs — and the encouragement too.
Saquon Barkley, RB, Giants
The Giants raised a few eyebrows when they, in the year of 2018, used the second overall pick on a running back. But Barkley had a few critics second-guessing themselves after his electric debut season, when he rushed for 1,307 yards on 5.0 y/c, hauled in 91 catches for 721 yards, led the NFL in total yards from scrimmage, and won Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.
Barkley couldn’t quite keep up that pace during his sophomore season, when he was temporarily waylaid by an ankle sprain and the Giants’ switch at quarterback from veteran Eli Manning to rookie Daniel Jones. Still, Barkley put up respectable numbers in 13 games: 1,003 rushing yards on 217 carries, 52 catches for 438 yards, and eight total touchdowns.
However, his ankle sprain was an unfortunate sign for what would come next: a torn ACL in Week 2 of 2020 and another ankle sprain that caused him to miss four contests in 2021. Other than the limited action in his third season, Barkley put up the worst stats of his career last season, rushing for 593 yard and scoring just four touchdowns in 13 games. He managed to have a few dazzling moments, at least:
The good news for Barkley is that the Giants are free from Joe Judge’s tyranny and now have a creative offensive coach, Brian Daboll, in charge who will figure out ways to use him. The bad news is that Jones is still the quarterback and the offensive line, despite a few upgrades, remains a work in progress.
As long as he stays healthy, Barkley can make a comeback this season; his chances of that, though, would improve on a superior team.
Suggested trade to: Kansas City Chiefs
The rebuilding Giants could do Barkley a solid, and save $7.2 million in cap space in the process, by sending the running back to a Super Bowl contender. The Chiefs have one of the lowest-rated running back units in the league, due in part to Clyde Edwards-Helaire’s lack of contributions to the passing game. Last season, KC’s top receiver out of the backfield was Darrel Williams, who is now with the Cardinals. The Chiefs signed Ronald Jones this offseason, but he only caught 10 passes last year with Tampa.
Barkley could step in and thrive as a double threat, particularly since Patrick Mahomes no longer has one of his favorite targets, Tyreek Hill. Kansas City doesn’t just have a better quarterback than New York, either. It has a better offensive line, which would help Barkley bounce back from his career-low 3.7 yards per carry last season.
Jalen Reagor, WR, Eagles
Reagor picked up where Nelson Agholor left off: as the favorite punching bag for vitriolic Eagles fans, with other NFL fans sometimes piping in with lazy jokes. I’ve never condoned piling on a player simply for their performance on the field, but I’m even more sensitive to it now that numerous athletes and other public figures have spoken up about how over-the-top social media criticism negatively impacts them. There are plenty of people who are actively doing harm to others; save your ire for them, not someone who occasionally drops a football.
Besides, you never know what’s going on in a person’s life. In Reagor’s case, he has lost a close friend each of the past two offseasons.
It’s true that, like Agholor, Reagor hasn’t lived up to his billing as a first-round receiver. In his first two seasons, he’s combined for just 64 catches for 695 receiving yards and a catch rate at 57.7 percent. But Agholor was able to shake off his early struggles and become a solid contributor, especially after he left Philadelphia. The Eagles are set enough atop the WR depth chart, with A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith leading the way, that they can afford to move on from Reagor — via a trade, not release — and let him jumpstart his career elsewhere.
Suggested trade to: Indianapolis Colts
The Packers could also use reinforcements at the receiver position, but I wouldn’t want to subject Reagor to another high-pressure situation, this time with a demanding quarterback. Instead, I’d like to see him with nice guy Matt Ryan, a veteran with both the experience and skills that could propel Reagor to a breakout season.
The Colts have Michael Pittman Jr., who made a second-year leap last season, and rookie Alec Pierce. After them, it’s a mix of injury-prone (Parris Campbell, Keke Coutee) and/or unproven (Dezmon Patmon) names. The 23-year-old Reagor would have the opportunity to find a spot on the roster, catch passes from a former MVP, perhaps continue as a return man, and would have a more patient fanbase behind him.
Garrett Bradbury, C, Vikings
The Vikings have tried to fix their offensive line issues for years now, to limited success. It does seem like they’re starting to make a little progress on that front, but the interior of the line is still a concern. That includes Bradbury, who hasn’t graded out very well at center after being drafted in the first round in 2019. Last year, he briefly lost his starting job and once he re-entered the lineup, he played better than he had all season and even had this athletic grab, pretty much the Vikings’ only highlight in a double-digit loss to the Packers:
But Bradbury’s future in Minnesota is still cloudy. The Vikings declined to pick up his fifth-year option, so their commitment to him is only through this season. With a new coaching staff and a couple of promising (though no sure things) younger guys on the OL, the team might decide to say goodbye to Bradbury even earlier.
Suggested trade to: San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers’ 2021 starting center, Alex Mack, retired this offseason, and the position is a big hole heading into training camp. Jake Brendel, a career backup who played but didn’t start for the Niners last year, is in line to replace Mack.
Bradbury might have had his ups and downs in Minnesota, but he’s gotten more starter reps than Brendel and could be a stronger option. In San Francisco, he’d be surrounded by a more talented OL and he’d have the more mobile Trey Lance at quarterback, rather than Kirk Cousins, who has a tendency of getting swallowed up and losing the ball every time a defender enters his vicinity. The 49ers could be the right spot for Bradbury and where he finally puts it all together.