New Orleans Saints running back Darren Sproles seemed upset on Tuesday night when he found out on Twitter that the team intends to trade him. Sproles is the odd man out in what was a crowded backfield last season, and he seems fine with that. He just would rather be released than traded.
“I want to get released,” Sproles told ESPN’s Josina Anderson on Wednesday, via Pro Football Talk. “I don’t want to be traded. I don’t know where they would send me because I have no control over it and I want to be able to pick. The good thing is none of the teams I’m told they’re talking to are terrible. It’s more than two. I feel I should have more of an idea later on today.”
Unfortunately for the 30-year-old veteran, that isn’t at all how the business of the NFL works. Any player would rather have the flexibility of becoming a free agent over being traded, but any team would prefer to receive some sort of compensation for a player rather than cutting him.
Sproles is obviously not a part of Sean Payton’s future plans. If Payton didn’t think the team could get a draft pick in return for him, Sproles would have already been released. The head coach’s job is to look out for the best interest of the team. Doing Sproles a favor would be unwise in this situation.
