Sheldon Richardson trade rumors: Cowboys, Giants interested?
By Conor Myles
The former Defensive Rookie of the Year could be on the move, perhaps staying in the same zip code, though.
The New York Jets are clearly in a full rebuild of their roster. The team has said goodbye to their long-time cornerback and former All-Pro Darrelle Revis this offseason, along with Nick Mangold and Brandon Marshall.
Those moves might not be the final departures from the team, apparently.
The Jets are reportedly looking to move Sheldon Richardson during the NFL Draft and according to Connor Hughes of NJ.com, odds are that the Jets are able to do so.
The Jets apparently tried to move Richardson during last season’s trade deadline, but failed on that front. He likely finds himself on the team’s trade block after the huge $86 million extension the Jets gave Muhammad Wilkerson last offseason and the selection of Leonard Williams with the sixth pick in the 2015 NFL Draft.
Hughes lists a couple of teams as potential trade candidates for Richardson that include the Denver Broncos, after the team missed out on signing Calais Campbell this offseason.
Hughes also listed the Cowboys due to their dire need of pass-rush. The Cowboys opened up a lot of cap space thanks in large part to Tony Romo’s retirement, so acquiring Richardson and extending him (he’s on the last year of his contract) wouldn’t be an issue for Dallas.
Hughes put the Giants on his list as well, which would stem on the team moving on from their pursuit of retaining free agent defensive tackle Jonathan Hankins.
Jets beat writer Manish Mehta says it could prove difficult for the Jets to acquire a second-round pick for Richardson, though he says it’s also not impossible.
Mehta believes the Jets shouldn’t trade Richardson for anything less than a second-rounder, although he could see the team throw Richardson in a deal to move up in either the first or the second round of the draft.
It’ll be interesting to see if a team is willing to invest that much into acquiring Richardson, especially given the fact they’ll also have to hand him a big money extension.
Next: 2017 NFL Mock Draft: Jets take quarterback in the first-round
One thing is for sure, there’s no questioning the talent Richardson is. He’d be a huge asset for any team’s defensive line that needs an upgrade.