Been some discussions on Twitter about the Ravens potentially trading Ray Rice in the offseason.
Sounds crazy, I know, since he's our only blue-chip player on offense. But we've seen this year (and in 2010) that he's not the kind of back who can run with a bad OL, he will go the way of the line, and defenses have been shutting him down in the passing game. They have a very promising backup in Bernard Pierce who has actually been running better than Rice over the last few games. And they have a younger Ray Rice-esque player in Bobby Rainey, currently on IR, who showed in the preseason that he can play well in the passing game. They also like Damien Berry and Anthony Allen.
So what do you think? Is Ray Rice tradeable, or is he totally off the table? If he's a tradeable commodity, what kind of package would you need to let him go? For me, I'd call it around a 1st and 2nd this year or a 1st this year and 1st next year. Imagine how this team could rebuild their pathetic depth with a few extra high picks.
Potential trade targets: St. Louis Rams - they will not be bringing Steven Jackson back next year and they're loaded with picks from the RGIII trade. Jeff Fisher loves workhorse RBs and they need to upgrade around Sam Bradford to stay competitive in the NFC West. Atlanta Falcons - Michael Turner is on his last legs and Jacquizz Rogers is strictly a change of pace back. With better play at RB they could potentially be the best offense in the NFL, and they've shown their willingness to make a huge move to add one critical piece in the past. Miami Dolphins - Reggie Bush is a FA next year, they have extra picks from the Brandon Marshall trade, and Rice is a great fit for their young offense. Green Bay Packers - they have probably the worst RB corps in the NFL, but this seems like the least likely spot as Ted Thompson rarely trades at all, much less blockbuster trades.