The NFL trade deadline is coming up quick on Tuesday and while the football deadline is usually not as crazy as the MLB one, this season there has been tons of rumors and one name that could get dealt is Oakland Raiders running back Darren McFadden, with teams like the Baltimore Ravens, New York Giants, Pittsburgh Steelers and St. Louis Rams possible destinations.
According to SI.com, McFadden's name has come up in some trade reports and along with Larry Fitzgerald, he is a player that could move, although there is a good chance the Oakland Raiders sit tight with him. The team came into the season knowing they had a big decision to make regarding McFadden, as he is a talented but oft-injured running back and although he is productive when healthy, he has not been able to stay on the field consistently through his career. This season he has been healthy and that puts Dennis Allen and Reggie McKenzie in the tough position of having to decide what to do next with him.
McFadden now has 340 yards this season with four touchdowns and 12 receptions for 82 yards and if he remains healthy he should have a good season, but with his contract coming up, the Raiders should take a serious look at what they can get for him. This past week he had one of his best games of the season with two touchdowns and 73 yards rushing and now might be the right time to sell high. The Raiders have looked respectable with Terrelle Pryor this season, but if McFadden ends up getting injured again and the team decides not to re-sign him, the Raiders could look foolish for not dealing him when they had the chance, especially with his value being somewhat high this season.
McFadden has never played in more than 13 games in any season and he has missed 13 games over the past two seasons entering 2013, scoring just six touchdowns during that time. His best season came back in 2010 when he played in a career-high 13 games and rushed for a best of 1,157 yards and seven scores and that season he also added 47 catches for 507 yards on the season. The 2010 year was what the Raiders envisioned every season for McFadden but he has not been able to live up to that while dealing with injuries. He has been an explosive player while on the field, but that has been the big issue for him.
Mark Ingram, Maurice Jones-Drew and Mikel Leshoure are all possible trade options and other teams like the Giants and Ravens could go after one of those instead of McFadden, who should get a decent pick in return. The Raiders have to weigh their options and see whether they want to re-sign him despite the injuries and a decision like that could have big ramifications down the road, especially with an Oakland team that has been irresponsible in the past with contracts.
The Giants and Steelers have been terrible rushing the ball, while the Ravens have been dealing with injuries. The Miami Dolphins and the Dallas Cowboys are possible fits as well.