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5 NFL players who should demand a trade following free agency

By Dan Ambrosino

PHILADELPHIA, PA - DECEMBER 23: Quarterback Deshaun Watson #4 of the Houston Texans celebrates his touchdown with teammate wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins #10 against the Philadelphia Eagles during the second quarter at Lincoln Financial Field on December 23, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - DECEMBER 23: Quarterback Deshaun Watson #4 of the Houston Texans celebrates his touchdown with teammate wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins #10 against the Philadelphia Eagles during the second quarter at Lincoln Financial Field on December 23, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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NFL, Deshaun Watson (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
NFL, Deshaun Watson (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) /

NFL free agency hasn’t benefited everyone and some players need to demand a trade to salvage their careers, these five in particular.

With NFL free agency coming to a close, many star players have ended up in worse circumstances due to their team’s roster moves. Whether the team brought on added competition that will cause the player to lose opportunity or let players go that will make the team less competitive, these veterans are worse off than they were before the start of the new league year.

We’ve seen players hold out and demand a trade on multiple occasions when their situation became less than ideal. Stefon Diggs constantly requested out of Minnesota until his organization finally relented and sent him to Buffalo in exchange for a bevy of draft picks. Trent Williams held out all of last season so he could be shipped out of Washington; he finally got permission this offseason to seek a trade.

I am not saying it is likely that any of these players will demand a trade, but for the sake of their careers, they certainly should. Spending another season with their current franchises can hurt their chances to produce in 2020 and damage their long-term value. Let’s take a look at five veterans whom I believe should request to be moved so they may prosper in a better situation next season.

5. Deshaun Watson

If I was Deshaun Watson, I would’ve demanded a trade as soon as DeAndre Hopkins left town. Bill O’Brien and the Houston Texans have horribly mishandled player acquisitions over the past nine months. Last offseason, in an effort to protect Watson, they traded away two first-round picks and a second-round pick to acquire left tackle Laremy Tunsil and wide receiver Kenny Stills.

Tunsil led all offensive tackles in penalties with 18 and gave up three sacks. He wasn’t abysmal, but his play certainly did not live up to his price tag. Given the front office did not agree to a long-term deal with Tunsil immediately after the trade, the left tackle has all of the leverage needed to hold out for as much as he wants. The Stills addition was adequate, but he rarely made a difference.

O’Brien also traded away Jadeveon Clowney for a third-round pick and two reserve players, hurting the defense and forcing Watson to score more points. That proved costly in the Divisional Round of the 2020 playoffs, where the lack of defensive pressure and O’Brien’s questionable playcalling allowed the Texans to blow a 24-point lead.

Now, in the final coup de grâce, O’Brien has traded away Watson’s most reliable weapon for a broken down running back with an albatross of a contract and a second-round pick. To make up for Hopkins’ departure, O’Brien signed slot receiver Randall Cobb to a deal worth $9 million AAV.

Watson is extremely talented and arguably the second-best quarterback in the AFC. Yet, his organization has failed him on multiple occasions and will continue to limit his potential. Watson should demand a trade to an organization that is not too stubborn to hire a legitimate general manager.

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