I did not realize that even though we have a lockout we can still talk to the player/agents about possible deals. We just cannot sign a contract. Many teams are already poised to strike the moment the lockout/strike ends. The Bengals have clearly stated they will not trade Carson Palmer and Palmer has clearly stated he will retire. This sounds stupid on the Bengals part. Palmer has only been in the league for 8 years. Following is from the Philadelphia Inquirer:
"March 22
Philadelphia Inquirer
"Could the Eagles trade Kevin Kolb before the NFL lockout ends?
No. But also yes, in a way.
"You can have trade discussions, but until the CBA is done, you cannot complete a trade," Eagles general manager Howie Roseman said yesterday, the day when Sports Illustrated's Peter King reported that one team has offered the Birds a first-round pick in next month's draft for the 26-year-old quarterback. Neither Roseman nor Eagles president Joe Banner denied the King report (and why would they? It boosts the market). They did not offer official confirmation, though they said there is considerable interest.
But even though Roseman wouldn't say so, for obvious reasons, the fact is the Eagles are perfectly free right now to reach an agreement on Kolb's future home, pending a lifting of the lockout prior to the April 28-30 draft. They just can't make it official. If the lockout isn't lifted before the draft, of course, it all gets way complicated - and the league yesterday filed 57 pages of reasons why the U.S. District Court in Minnesota should not issue the injunction the players want that would end the lockout.
The vibe from Eagles people here at the NFL meetings, though, is that if the lockout is lifted even temporarily, the team is ready to act, despite the fact that King's report yesterday indicated the Eagles are hoping for an even better offer than the first-rounder. (King didn't say where in the round it would be.) Most scuttlebutt concerns NFC West teams such as San Francisco, Arizona, or Seattle, who might be a QB away from making the playoffs in a weak division. A Comcast SportsNet report cited a league source as saying Arizona has expressed the most interest. Arizona has the fifth overall pick. Hard to imagine the Eagles not jumping on that.
Kolb, who did not return messages yesterday, might be the NFL player sweating the lockout the most. Not only does it become unclear how much the Eagles can help their team in 2011 by trading him if the lockout continues through the draft, his value to a new team is clouded if months are frittered away. Nobody wants to bring a quarterback into a new system in August."
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"March 22
Philadelphia Inquirer
"Could the Eagles trade Kevin Kolb before the NFL lockout ends?
No. But also yes, in a way.
"You can have trade discussions, but until the CBA is done, you cannot complete a trade," Eagles general manager Howie Roseman said yesterday, the day when Sports Illustrated's Peter King reported that one team has offered the Birds a first-round pick in next month's draft for the 26-year-old quarterback. Neither Roseman nor Eagles president Joe Banner denied the King report (and why would they? It boosts the market). They did not offer official confirmation, though they said there is considerable interest.
But even though Roseman wouldn't say so, for obvious reasons, the fact is the Eagles are perfectly free right now to reach an agreement on Kolb's future home, pending a lifting of the lockout prior to the April 28-30 draft. They just can't make it official. If the lockout isn't lifted before the draft, of course, it all gets way complicated - and the league yesterday filed 57 pages of reasons why the U.S. District Court in Minnesota should not issue the injunction the players want that would end the lockout.
The vibe from Eagles people here at the NFL meetings, though, is that if the lockout is lifted even temporarily, the team is ready to act, despite the fact that King's report yesterday indicated the Eagles are hoping for an even better offer than the first-rounder. (King didn't say where in the round it would be.) Most scuttlebutt concerns NFC West teams such as San Francisco, Arizona, or Seattle, who might be a QB away from making the playoffs in a weak division. A Comcast SportsNet report cited a league source as saying Arizona has expressed the most interest. Arizona has the fifth overall pick. Hard to imagine the Eagles not jumping on that.
Kolb, who did not return messages yesterday, might be the NFL player sweating the lockout the most. Not only does it become unclear how much the Eagles can help their team in 2011 by trading him if the lockout continues through the draft, his value to a new team is clouded if months are frittered away. Nobody wants to bring a quarterback into a new system in August."
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