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

Trades could be on the near horizon still for former NFL Pro Bowlers and All-Pros.

With the NFL Draft and first wave of free agency behind us, football fans are in for a long offseason. However, some trades could spice up the dull summer stretch in the NFL, especially with the big names that could switch teams.

New signings, draft picks, and contract disputes generated a shortlist of players who could find themselves on the move this offseason.

Teams won’t trade players unless it’s in their financial interest, or they feel like they’re getting something of equal or greater value in return. The following five players are candidates teams could receive offers for that they can’t refuse.

5. Desmond King, CB, Los Angeles Chargers

Per The Athletic’s Daniel Popper, the Chargers told free-agent signee Chris Harris that he’ll play in the slot this coming season. Harris rose to prominence in the slot with Denver before the Broncos moved him outside last season. The shift didn’t sit well with Harris and ultimately increased the tension between him and the team. Now, Harris gets his favorite position back.

However, the move leaves Desmond King in a precarious position. The former fifth-round pick spent the majority of his first three seasons in the NFL playing in the slot. He’s arguably a top-five slot defender, but Harris is the best slot corner of the 2010s.  He even earned a spot on the Pro Football Hall of Fame 2010s All-Decade Team.

So, where does that leave King? It’s hard to say. King earned a First-Team All-Pro selection as a defensive back in 2018 and a Second-Team All-Pro selection as a punt returner, so he’s still an extremely valuable player. However, as King enters the final year of his rookie contract, his role is largely undefined in Los Angeles.

The Chargers also drafted Joe Reed in the fifth-round of the 2020 NFL Draft. At Virginia, Reed amassed the second most kick return yards in ACC history. He could usurp kick and punt return duties from King this season.

With his role and importance on the Chargers quickly deteriorating, King could find himself on the trade market before the 2020 season.

4. Marlon Mack, RB, Indianapolis Colts

The Colts caught some fans off guard when they selected Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor with the 41st overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Taylor set records in college, and he’d start immediately for several teams in the NFL. Which begs the question, is Indianapolis one of those teams?

More from NFL Spin Zone

• Dallas Cowboys made the trade everyone else should have made
• Pittsburgh Steelers rookie sleeper everyone should be talking about
• Anthony Richardson putting jaw-dropping talent on display immediately
• Denver Broncos’ stud wide receiver might be out for a while
• Washington Commanders: Three takeaways from win over Ravens

Over the past three seasons, Indianapolis built one of the deepest backfields in the NFL. However, Taylor’s arrival could signal an upcoming trade for Marlon Mack, who led the Colts in rushing in each of the past two seasons. A former fourth-round pick from 2016, Mack is in the final year of his rookie contract. Indianapolis owes him $2,237,912 this year.

While he isn’t a superstar, Mack is a reliable back who performs at a borderline Pro Bowl level. Over the past two seasons, he averaged 4.5 yards per carry and 76.9 rushing yards per game. In 26 appearances and 22 starts, he totaled 1,999 rushing yards and 17 rushing touchdowns. Mack doesn’t play a significant role in the passing game, which is primarily dominated by Nyheim Hines.

If the Colts feel satisfied with Taylor and believe he’s a Day 1 starter, there’s no reason for the team to waste a year of Mack’s prime. If a running back-needy team like the Buccaneers or Texans float a second-rounder Indianapolis’ way, the deal might be hard to resist.

So far, reports remain firm that the Colts don’t want to trade Mack, but Taylor makes him an expendable option.

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.

2. Jamal Adams, S New York Jets

Two weeks ago, Jamal Adams wouldn’t have appeared on this list. However, the former sixth overall pick generated headlines last Thursday. According to ESPN’s Rich Cimini, the All-Pro safety requested a trade from the Jets as talks of a contract extension stall. ESPN’s Adam Schefter even acquired a list of the safety’s preferred destinations.

The Jets did pick up the fifth-year option on Adams’ rookie deal, meaning he’s under contract for another two seasons. Technically, New York doesn’t even have to entertain the idea of extending Adams for another year and a half. However, Adams is applying pressure and could force his way out of New York if he refuses to play for the team again.

After this past season, Adams’ teammates voted him team MVP for the second consecutive year. The versatile safety is one of New York’s few stars, and he was the team’s only player voted to the Pro Bowl last season. With Le’Veon Bell still looking for his rhythm and C.J. Mosley recovering from a season-ending injury, the Jets rely heavily on Adams.

However, if Adams’ actions over the past week indicate his true intentions, the safety is done playing for New York. In his three seasons with the team, Adams generated two interceptions, 25 passes defensed, six forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, 12 sacks, 273 tackles and two defensive touchdowns.

1. Yannick Ngakoue, DE, Jacksonville Jaguars

Yannick Ngakoue tried to force his way out of Jacksonville before the NFL Draft, even getting into a heated exchange on Twitter with the team’s co-owner, Tony Khan. However, no teams offered Jacksonville the compensation they wanted for the former Pro Bowl defensive end. Instead, teams might wait until the Jaguars are forced to trade Ngakoue or until his deal ends after the 2020 season.

The Jaguars applied their franchise tag to Ngakoue in March. If Ngakoue reports to the team when camp starts, he’ll make $17.788 million on the one-year deal. However, it’s looking like Ngakoue has no intention of getting caught in a Jaguars jersey ever again. Hays Carlyon, who covers the Jaguars for 1010 XL, even admitted on CBS Sports’ Pick Six Podcast that he’d “be shocked if he [Ngakoue] ever plays for the Jaguars again.”

Jacksonville drafted Ngakoue with a third-round pick in 2016. Over his first four years with the team, the Maryland product produced 14 forced fumbles, 37.5 sacks, 85 quarterback hits, 122 tackles, and two defensive touchdowns. He’s not an elite pass rusher, but he’s a second-tier defensive end.

I also considered Ngakoue’s teammate, Leonard Fournette, for a spot on this list. ESPN’s Adam Schefter even reported that the Jaguars had trade discussions with other teams about Fournette before the draft. However, those talks went nowhere, mainly because Jacksonville couldn’t get the compensation they wanted for their fourth-year running back. The team declined Fournette’s fifth-year rookie option in early May, meaning this is his final year with the Jaguars.