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So even if your team doesn't clean up at a position of dire need this weekend, the chances of improving with a recognizable player aren't dead yet.
The most prominent is Bengals receiver Chad Johnson. The five-time Pro Bowler and perennial Froot Loop doesn't want to play for Cincinnati anymore. His agent, the innovative, Barnumesque Drew Rosenhaus, has now taken the unprecedented step of trying to facilitate a trade on YouTube.
Pleads Rosenhaus: "Bengals, if you're listening to me: Please trade Chad. It's obvious that the relationship is not working. It's not going to be effective going forward. From what I hear in the reports in the media (Curran's aside: Well-played, Drew. Wouldn’t want anyone to think the Redskins have been tampering.), you have the potential of getting two first-round picks for Chad. Why not take that king's ransom and run with it? You have a player that doesn't want to play on your team anymore. Why not take the two first-round picks and run? This is something I sincerely hope happens ... it will make Chad very happy (Curran's aside: Surely a top priority for the Brown family) and it would be great for the Bengals organization to unload a disgruntled player and get two first round picks, according to the reports I've seen. Obviously I haven’t talked to any other teams. I haven't had permission. But it's evident that the Bengals can get a trade for Chad that can help rebuild this football team. Chad's 30 years old and he doesn't want to play for the Bengals anymore. Why not make the trade? Forget that I'm his agent. Objectively speaking, this seems like a smart move for the organization."
As if that wasn't audacious enough, Rosenhaus skips from an AFC doormat to an NFC doormat and upbraids the Cardinals in another video. This time, he wags his fingers about Arizona needing to redo wide receiver Anquan Boldin's deal.
"Anquan is at the mercy of the Cardinals just like Chad (is in Cincinnati)," Rosenhaus states. "A player doesn't have the ability to force a trade. It's up to the team. Obviously, the Cardinals paid Larry Fitzgerald a four-year deal worth $40 million. Anquan's present contract is nowhere close to that. Anquan has outperformed Larry Fitzgerald head to head in the last three years. We were hoping the Cardinals would address Anquan's contract. If the team chooses not to do that, I'm quite sure they could find another team out there that would be willing to trade a lot for Anquan who would then be willing to restructure his contract."
Jared Allen and Pacman Jones have already been moved. Here are the big names either rumored to be headed elsewhere or already on the market.
Jeremy Shockey, TE, Giants
Coming off a broken leg suffered last year, Giants GM Jerry Reese said the team has fielded trade offers but also said last week: "All I can say on Jeremy Shockey is he's our starting tight end. There's always a lot of chatter going on during this time of the year. There's nothing else to write about ... so that's giving you something to write about. Right now, Jeremy is our starting tight end and that's really my stance on it."
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