5 Big-name NFL players who could be traded before 2020 kickoff

JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 13: Yannick Ngakoue #91 of the Jacksonville Jaguars charges onto the field to face the New Orleans Saints before the start of the first quarter at TIAA Bank Field on October 13, 2019 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Harry Aaron/Getty Images) /

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Dee Ford, NFL (Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images) /

3. Dee Ford, DE, San Francisco 49ers

Dee Ford‘s up and down career continued in 2019. Originally drafted with the 23rd overall pick in 2014 by the Kansas City Chiefs, Ford took a while to catch on. However, he recorded ten sacks and 17 quarterback hits in 2016. Unfortunately, Ford only appeared in six games the following year before landing on injured reserve.

The Auburn product rebounded in 2017, setting career-highs with seven forced fumbles, 13 sacks, 29 quarterbacks hits and 55 tackles. Last offseason, Ford cashed in, signing a five-year, $85.5 million deal with the San Francisco 49ers. He currently makes the sixth-most money annually among defensive ends and the 11th-most among all defensive players.

However, Ford only played a limited role in San Francisco’s success this past season. He recorded two forced fumbles, 6.5 sacks, six quarterback hits and 14 tackles in 11 appearances. Making only two starts, Ford played 22 percent of San Francisco’s defensive snaps, his lowest percentage of snaps played since his rookie season.

Per The Athletic’s Michael Lombardi, San Francisco made Ford and several other veterans available for trade before the draft, hoping to grab some more picks. While the team didn’t trade Ford then, getting him off the books could clear a lot of money for San Francisco in the future. After all, George Kittle’s next deal isn’t going to be cheap.

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