| The NFL trade deadline is fast approaching, with
less than a month to go before teams are barred from swapping players. With that said, I
have heard a couple of interesting rumors floating around involving potential trades.
Whether they ever come to fruition is not the point. It’s the mere fun of
speculating, thinking about the impact of each potential transaction, that is so much fun.
The first possible trade is becoming rather well-known, as details of a potential deal
are beginning to pop up in varied reports in both newspapers and on the internet. It
involves Browns WR Kevin Johnson.
Johnson was the 32nd overall player taken in the 1999 draft. After the
Browns took Tim Couch with the first overall pick that year, they wanted to get him a nice
receiving target. Johnson looked good as a rookie, catching 66 passes for 986 yards and
eight touchdowns. His numbers fell off last year, catching 57 passes for 669 yards and no
touchdowns, when both Couch and Ty Detmer were injured.
So now, there are reports that Johnson is on the trading block. New Browns head coach
Butch Davis has been involved in a roster rebuilding since arriving on the job. He also
kept seven wideouts on the final roster – fueling speculation that another pass
catcher could be dealt. (He already traded WR Darrin Chiaverini to the Cowboys before the
final roster cut down.)
Given the presence of young talent like Dennis Northcutt, Quincy Morgan and JaJuan
Dawson, there is a line of thinking that says Cleveland could live without Johnson
— especially if they could get another draft pick in exchange for him. Davis has
already added four future draft picks in previous deals. He would love to get another one,
and the price to obtain Johnson is reportedly a third-rounder.
So where could Johnson wind up? The Chiefs have called the Browns more than once about
Johnson’s availability but are balking at the asking price. The Saints also have said
that they turned down the chance to add Johnson in exchange for a third-rounder.
What about the Eagles? They certainly could use another experienced pass catcher, and
Johnson certainly is familiar with QB Donovan McNabb. They played together at Syracuse,
and in the offseason, Johnson is said to have even brought up the notion of some day being
reunited with McNabb. There are reports out of Philly that McNabb has encouraged head
coach Andy Reid to trade for Johnson.
And then what about the Broncos? After losing Ed McCaffrey to a season-ending broken
leg, you would think that Mike Shanahan would be interested in adding another wideout.
While having Eddie Kennison is nice, he is no McCaffrey. Nor is Johnson. But having two
veteran guys at the position across from Rod Smith could be very helpful. Throw in the
fact that the Browns might be interested in RB Olandis Gary, and that could be a pretty
even swap.
Speaking of the Broncos, a sportsradio talk show host I spoke with yesterday suggested
another trade that is very interesting, although I don’t know how realistic. With
McCaffrey out, could the Broncos be interested in dealing for 49ers WR J.J. Stokes? I
hadn’t heard that Stokes was being shopped around — and he very well may not be.
However, it’s a safe bet that if someone in the NFL calls to talk trade, the person
who answered the phone will almost always at least listen. What can it hurt?
There are doubts about the 49ers’ ability to run the ball this season. Gary could
be a nice addition to the San Francisco RB corps. Plus, the 49ers still believe WR Tai
Streets can be an impact performer in this league if he could just stay healthy.
There are some complications that could derail this line of thinking. Is Terrell Davis
healthy enough to remain on the field? Or will his knee swelling cause him to have
surgery? That could put the kibosh on dealing Gary. And the contract that Stokes is
currently carrying also could be a detriment to his being dealt.
But even if none of these proposed trades actually becomes reality by Oct. 16 —
the NFL trade deadline — they sure are fun to think about.
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