RVJ Posted March 12, 2005 Posted March 12, 2005 All of a sudden a couple of very good running backs appear available for a trade. Buffalo's Travis Henry has been on the trading block the longest period of time. Now, Indianapolis' Edgerrin James and Seattle's Shaun Alexander are possible trade targets. I know James and Alexander are two of the best backs in the NFL, and Henry is no slouch, but with all of these options and three running backs in the draft rated in the top 10 players, the asking price may never be met by teams looking for a ball carrier. Personally, I don't have a problem with a running back on a one-year franchise tag salary as long as they show up for work. These guys get hurt more often than left tackles, and even quarterbacks. Sometimes a long-term financial investment for a running back is dangerous business. The concept of trading these star athletes is understandable, so I asked a few front-office executives what they would give up for guys like James, Alexander and Henry. Keep in mind, James and Alexander combined for 3,897 yards and 29 touchdowns in 2004, and both men are still in their 20s. The consensus answer was two second-round picks. One personnel director said a late first-round pick this year and a third. Henry was in a different area and no one felt he was in the same ballpark. The immediate reaction is that these guys are worth more than any of those ideas. But when you factor in the franchise tag price of $6.3 million, that is eating up the Colts' and Seahawks' salary cap. I may be time to consider a "lower" offer than true value in order to build up the rest of the team. I get asked every day why the agent is given permission to facilitate a trade. Why don't the clubs' general managers negotiate the deal and leave the agents out of the whole thing? Because the club that is interested in trading for the player has to know if they can strike a long-term deal. This is especially true with James, Alexander and Henry. No GM will give up players or draft picks if all he is getting is someone else's headache. This will be an interesting few days to see if a deal can actually get done to move any of these running backs
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