Trade talk continues to swirl around Denver Broncos wide receiver Brandon Lloyd with the NFL trade deadline just a fe days away. Experts tend to disagree on whether or not Lloyd will be traded, as the NFL trade deadline is notorious for being all talk, little action. One NFL Network insider said last night that he believed there was a 90 percent chance that Brandon Lloyd will be traded.
Michael Lombardi, discussing the matter on "Around The League," described the Lloyd situation with a high degree of certainty that he would be traded by Tuesday's deadline.
Here's what Lombardi said about the likelihood of a Lloyd trade and the potential landing spots:
They have to shop Lloyd. Lloyd doesn't have (his) contracted extended after his season. So if they don't trade him now, they'll get nothing but a compensatory pick for him. What I find humorous is they have said they will take a third-, fourth- or fifth-round pick. If I was a GM, why would I offer anything but a sixth-round pick for him since they put out the price? I really believe Lloyd will be traded by Tuesday of next week.
Lombardi named the St. Louis Rams, Tennessee Titans and Carolina Panthers as possible destinations, even though Carolina's brass has denied their interest. He added that he believed there was a 90 percent chance Lloyd gets moved.
Speaking of odds, ESPN's John Clayton puts the odds on Lloyd being traded at 15 percent. Will Lloyd get traded? Stay tuned.
As far as the Rams go, the move only makes sense if they can workout a long-term deal. As is, Lloyd is a free agent after this season, a season which has already slipped away from the Rams after a dismal start. Having Lloyd on the roster next year would improve a position that has been overlooked for too long. Of course, having Lloyd would also help the offense this year, at least making them a more competitive team.
Rams GM Billy Devaney talked about valuing draft picks, but the Rams haven't gotten many results out of their fourth- and fifth-round picks, a couple of depth guys in Darell Scott and Justin King. Lloyd would be more of an instant return for one of those picks.