Vets on the block … While much of the focus in the hours leading up to the start of the draft remains on which QB goes first, second and maybe even third and fourth when the actual picking starts in less than 24 hours, one of the major subplots of the 2016 draft could involve trades of veteran players including more than one experienced QB. For example, San Francisco G.M. Trent Baalke’s musings earlier this week that 49ers’ QB Colin Kaepernick could be traded this week suggested that the on-again, off-again trade with Denver could be back on again. Recall that earlier this month the teams agreed on the parameters of the deal, but the teams ended up in a game of chicken when the cash-strapped Broncos balked at picking up all of Kaepernick’s $11.9M contract. Now it may come down to when either the 49ers or the Broncos get on the clock with the 7th and 29th picks respectively tomorrow night. Needless to say if the Broncos haven’t acquired at veteran by the time their pick arrives they will feel some pressure to take one of this year’s second-tier QBs. Meanwhile, Philadelphia’s Sam Bradford is also technically out there for the right price, but it appears that for now the Eagles aren’t going to let him just walk away. Bradford demanded a trade after the Eagles secured the 2nd pick in tomorrow’s opening round with the obvious intention of selected whichever of QBs Carson Wentz of North Dakota State or Cal’s Jared Goff Los Angeles passes on with the #1 pick. Denver, in fact, reportedly called the Eagles to talk about Bradford, but hung up when they heard the asking price. A couple of other veteran QBs who could be moved this weekend include Mike Glennon of Tampa Bay, who has started games in the past, while one of LA QBs Nick Foles or Case Keenum likely will be expedable once the Rams take a QB with the top pick tomorrow. Meanwhile, the most interesting positional player who could be moved for picks this weekend is New York Jets’ star DT Muhammad Wilkerson, the team’s franchise player with whom the Jets are not close at all to coming to terms on a long-term deal. While its still a longshot, its possible that Jets, who pick 20th on Thursday, could use Wilkerson as trade bait in order to move up into range to grab a QB like Paxton Lynch of Memphis somewhere closer to the top ten. Stay tuned.
