Jets won't get much if they trade Sheldon Richardson in 2017

The New York Jets need to unload players that either aren’t producing or are constantly being a distraction. Unfortunately, defensive end Sheldon Richardson falls in both categories where now his trade value isn’t what it once was.

Let’s rewind a bit, shall we? Back in 2014, the sophomore season of defensive end Sheldon Richardson, he was truly a force to reckon with. Richardson totaled 42 tackles and 8.0 sacks and looked to be the next premier defensive end of the NFL.

2015 saw the beginning of his decline that not only saw his stats drop steeply but off-the-field distractions putting his name in the newspapers for all the wrong reasons. Richardson only totaled 20 tackles and 5.0 sacks and was suspended the first four games of the regular season due to the NFL’s substance and abuse policy.

Last season, Richardson was such a distraction throughout the regular season, he proved that he didn’t respect his teammates or even the uniform any football player would only dream of wearing. Richardson was benched during the year and once again, started the season being suspended for the first game of the season due to an arrest he had involving speeding, drugs, and a whole bunch of things that shouldn’t be what defines a football player.

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In 2016, the Jets had a golden opportunity to trade Richardson to the Dallas Cowboys as rumors circulated that a deal was about to happen. It was rumored that the Cowboys were willing to work out a trade to acquire Richardson but the Jets wanted a first-round pick which Dallas obviously wasn’t going to entertain.

The deal fell through as it’s hard to tell what really transpired behind closed doors. Fast forward to now and the Jets will more than likely go through a massive overhaul of the team. They already started on their coaching staff as now is the time to make tough decisions across the board when it comes to their players.

In the grand scheme of things, the Jets dropped the ball when it came to trading him back when he had some decent value. Now? Not so much as the Jets would be lucky to even get a third-round pick for a player that has been suspended twice in the past two seasons. His numbers aren’t what they used to be as they might just have to settle for whatever draft pick they can get and continue to rebuild the team towards a better future. Richardson, despite having clear potential as a quality defensive end, shouldn’t be in the long-term plans of the Jets considering his lack of respect for authority and who even knows what kind of distractions he’ll be a part of in the future.

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Overall, Richardson’s days are numbered with the Jets as it would be shocking to see him kept for next season. Either way, it looks like the Jets will have to settle for a mid to late round draft pick in order to rid themselves of Richardson and the headaches he continues to bring. It’s a shame though since they could have gotten a higher draft pick had they pulled off a deal just a few months ago but now, have to simply work something out for a much lesser trade.