Gregg Rosenthal

Trades, not free agency, are the fastest way to acquire top-shelf talent in today's NFL.  The record amount of salary cap room makes it possible; Willis McGahee, DeAngelo Hall, Wes Welker, Shaun Rogers, and Thomas Jones are just a few of the big names dealt over the last two years.

The NFL Draft serves as a soft summer trading deadline.  If a deal doesn’t happen by late April, a player is likely stuck with his current team.   Randy Moss, Darrell Jackson, and Josh McCown all became starters after being dealt during the draft a year ago.  One of those trades worked out a little better than the others.  

Here are five trades that would make sense during this April’s draft, including one move up for the only "franchise" quarterback available. 

1. Bears trade up with Patriots to draft Matt Ryan
Ryan is easily the top quarterback in the draft, so he won't slip as far as Aaron Rodgers and Brady Quinn have in recent years.  That doesn't mean his green room experience will be entirely comfortable.

Bill Parcells, picking first, looks determined to start his Dolphins legacy with a lineman.  The new Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff comes from the New England school of drafting that emphasizes value and building up front with big uglies.  The elite linemen are safer bets than Ryan, so look for Atlanta to take whoever remains between Jake Long, Chris Long, and Glenn Dorsey.

The next likely landing spot for Ryan is with Baltimore at the No. 8 pick. That could leave New England in the enviable position of trading down to any quarterback-desperate team. Enter the Bears.

Chicago decided the mediocre quarterbacks they know (Rex Grossman and Kyle Orton) are good enough for 2008.  But neither player is a long-term solution.  Bears GM Jerry Angelo and Bill Belichick are old friends from their days together with the Giants and have done a number of deals.

Using the old draft chart values, the Bears could possibly complete the deal by sending the 14th overall pick in addition to their second round pick (No. 44) or a pair of third rounders (No. 70 and 90).

The Patriots need help at cornerback and linebacker, but may not see a player worthy of selection in the top ten.  They would be happy to move down, gaining depth and flexibility.

The Bears don’t plan on drafting this high very often, and would finally have their Rex replacement as the team's next quarterback of the future.  Angelo won’t have the luxury to pick a third. 

2. Lito Sheppard to the Saints
After acquiring Asante Samuel, the Eagles have made no secret that Lito Sheppard is available.  They reportedly tried to get the Redskins interested, but Washington didn’t bite.  Sheppard is a two-time Pro Bowl cornerback in his prime, so Philadelphia will expect a similar bounty to the second- and fifth-round picks that Oakland gave up for DeAngelo Hall.

Getting that much for an injury-prone player could be tough, but the Eagles look motivated to take the highest bid.  The most logical fits are with the Ravens, Giants, Cardinals, and Saints. 

New Orleans likes taking risks on veterans, and acquired another injured player this offseason in Jonathan Vilma.   With Mike McKenzie recovering from ACL surgery, the Saints need a new starting cornerback.  They could give up the 40th overall pick for Sheppard, and possibly a little more. 

3. Roy Williams to the Eagles
So what if this isn't likely.  Did you want to read a column full of names like Chris Simms (to the Phins) and Dewayne Robertson (to the Broncos)?

The Lions say they aren't going to deal Williams, even though he will be an unrestricted free agent after the season.  But they can't afford Calvin Johnson and a new contract for Williams, so I still think they will listen to offers.

The Eagles have aggressively pursued Randy Moss and Larry Fitzgerald this offseason, only to come up short.  They are aiming high at wideout because only then would they get a true upgrade from solid starters Kevin Curtis and Reggie Brown.   That would seem to eliminate them from going after Matt Jones, who they were high on going into the 2004 draft. 

The Andy Reid regime wants to get Donovan McNabb another playmaker, and this deal would be easier to make if they can get value for Lito Sheppard.  The Lions would have to think hard if offered Philly’s first-round pick.  

4. Matt Jones to the Cowboys
Jones' name has not been mentioned as a trade candidate lately, although reports in January indicated that most offensive staffers wanted to dump him.  Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio has defended Jones in the past, but the team has sufficient depth after acquiring Jerry Porter and Troy Williamson to make a deal.

Dallas owner Jerry Jones wants to add some “Wow” to his offense, so look for the Cowboys to get in the mix for Roy Williams.  If that doesn’t work, Matt Jones is a nice fallback plan.  He has flashed big-play ability as a pro, but isn’t consistent.  Jerry Jones can try to rehabilitate one of his treasured Arkansas Razorbacks in exchange for a mid-to-late round draft pick.

5. Jason Taylor to the Jaguars
Taylor, who turns 34 before Week 1, won’t be able to help Bill Parcells and Tony Sparano when the Dolphins are good again.  Frankly, Taylor is already past the usual expiration date for defensive ends.

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Parcells knows Taylor’s value will never be higher and should be motivated to move him.  Taylor should be motivated to play another year or two to help build his brand before moving to Hollywood. 

Unfortunately for Taylor, he may struggle to get publicity if he’s dealt to the Jaguars.  Jacksonville has an extra third-round pick to play with, so giving up a second- and fourth-round pick for Taylor wouldn’t hurt that much. 

Jacksonville is rumored to have interest, as they look to add a final piece to a possible championship run.  Taylor would give them another pass rusher to terrorize Peyton Manning twice a year.

Gregg Rosenthal is the lead NFL writer for Rotoworld.com. He co-hosts the Fantasy Fix with Tiffany Simons and is a frequent contributor to NBCSports.com.

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