If you had told an NFL fan that by the time preseason football was getting underway the Cincinnati Bengals were still struggling to sign or deal star defensive end Trey Hendrickson, they probably would be surprised. But if you also told them Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin and Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons were also asking for trades in lieu of stalled contract negotiations, then they'd probably be floored.
That's where we find ourselves just four days from a full week of preseason games kicking off and it's anybody's guess whether those players will be putting on their respective team's uniforms by the time we get to Week 1.
Ranking which of Micah Parsons, Terry McLaurin and Trey Hendrickson are more likely to be traded
Speculation will remain through the roof until each of these situations is resolved. Let's examine which is most likely to end up with a star wearing another jersey this year.
3. Micah Parsons
We all know this is just business as usual for Jerry Jones and the Cowboys. It's not the healthiest path but it's apparently all they know down there. Jones himself dismissed Parson's request as just a "part of negotiations."
"I don’t really place that with any real seriousness," he told reporters on Saturday.
Jones is willing to call Parson's bluff and hold on to him as long as it takes to get his signature on a new deal, whatever form that takes. So, Cowboys fans should probably listen to his advice for once and "don't lose any sleep over it."
2. Terry McLaurin
While nearly just as unlikely as a Parsons trade, McLaurin is putting slightly more pressure on the Commanders considering the team has literally no other top wide receiver option to lean on in his absence. The only thing stopping general manager Adam Peters from giving in to his demands is McLaurin's age (he turns 30 in September).
There are going to be a myriad of teams that give Peters a call inquiring over McLaurin but it would need to be a Godfather-esque offer to get Washington to give up the best offensive weapon it has for quarterback Jayden Daniels.
1. Trey Hendrickson
It's a bit ironic that Hendrickson has been asking to leave Cincinnati since last offseason and he's considered the most likely to get dealt now but that's just how the chips have fallen. There's going to be plenty of teams interested in his services and owner Mike Brown is infamously cheap in negotiations. This is just a matter of time before the Bengals realize they need to get something back before Hendrickson hits the free agent market at the end of this season.