The NFL is first and foremost a business. Ask any borderline NFL talent on preseason cut days. They'll tell you just how fickle the game can be and how a career can be changed in an instant for the worse. On the other side of the spectrum are these seven guys. Not only will they never have to worry about being cut, they won't have to worry about being traded either (at least for YEARS to come). Here's our list of the 7 Most Untradeable Players In The NFL.
7. Cam Newton -- Carolina Panthers
This all about marketability and potential. The Panthers extended Newton this offseason despite a down year both as a passer (58.5% completion, 82.1 QBR) and the most muted season he's had as a rusher (539 yards, 5 touchdowns) Why? Because Cam Newton has transformed the Panthers brand, turning Charlotte into a desirable free-agent destination and a legit television draw. There's also his "Superman" skill set, blending size, speed and pocket awareness seamlessly. He's valuable now. We expect him to become even more valuable as the offense continued to be tailored to his needs.
6. Antonio Brown -- Pittsburgh Steelers
How would your favorite team like to have the arguable #1 receiver in the NFL on the books through 2018 at an average cap hit of about $10.7 million? Brown will likely get extended and restructured with one or two more elite seasons, but he's already an outsized marvel who has the work ethic of a legend and the ability to get open seemingly at will on any route. Brown's a combination possession/big play receiver who always plays above his head. He's a $20 million per man on a budget salary. That's the definition of untradeable.
5. Calvin Johnson -- Detroit Lions
Megatron = the Detroit Lions. He's similar to Newton in that he almost singlehandedly revived the Lions' brand and lifted them out of their moribund cycle of sub-mediocrity. 2014 was a down year by his standards, but he's still THE key cog in the Lions' offense whether it's as a decoy or an actual playmaker. Tron's tall with a planet-size catch radius and he's always just one good breakfast from a 200-yard game. He's also untradeable in your fantasy league, in case you were wondering.
4. JJ Watt -- Houston Texans
The Texans offense was a dumpster fire at times in 2014, but JJ Watt's work on both sides of the ball pushed the Texans THIS CLOSE to a playoff berth. Watt is a man-beast who alters the game on several levels, including functioning as a bowling ball as a ball-carrier on offense and absolutely obliterating opposing offensive lines/skill-position players on defense. He is the planet that the rest of the Houston defense orbits around. Everything is in sync when's he leading the charge. Take him away from Houston and they instantly go into rebuilding mode. It's a strong statement, but it's apt.
3. Russell Wilson -- Seattle Seahawks
Wilson is the ultimate game manager and dual-threat decoy. The Seahawks were once again last or near-last in a variety of NFL team passing metrics last year, but that's misdirection at its finest. Wilson executes Pete Carroll's overall gameplans seamlessly, keying in on opposing defenses' weaknesses and exploiting them with uncanny instincts for his age. Seattle's defense gets a lot of the credit for the team's first half of the decade dominance, but replace Wilson under center and things would look much different.
2. Aaron Rodgers -- Green Bay Packers
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He's the best quarterback in the league and the reigning NFL MVP. Nobody plays faster than Rodgers, who has reached the point where he acts as a second head coach in his pre- and post-snap reads. More importantly, Rodgers keeps everyone around him R-E-L-A-Xed and turns good receivers and skill position players into production juggernauts. No one does it better or makes his teammates better than Rodgers. With that being said, here's why he's not #1...
1. Andrew Luck - Indianapolis Colts
If you had to select one player to build you franchise's future around right now, you could easily pick Rodgers and bank on 7-8 years of play with 3-4 prime years and what'll likely be a graceful descent into his career twilight. Or you can pick the 25-year-old Luck -- a guy who could have a near decade-and-a-half left in him and has the Madden build-a-player dream combo of on-field smarts, a cannon arm, leadership qualities and an ability to raise his game to the moment. The Colts haven't gotten the equation around him quite right just yet, but they're close. When they do, you'll see exactly why Luck leads this list.
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