WR Mardy Gilyard Is Possibly Asking For A Trade

Rick Venturi of St. Louis' ESPN 101 reported that the Rams' wide receiver Mardy Gilyard may have requested a trade from the team's front office.

"It's rumored that he's asked for a trade", the show stated. "What would you give up for him? An old used kicking ball and a ticket to a fourth quarter preseason game in the NFL?"

Although the allegations have not been acknowledged by either Gilyard, or team officials (obviously, given the work stoppage), there are certainly factors that make the scenario believable.

The Rams used their 3rd and 4th round draft picks last April to draft wide receivers Austin Pettis (Boise St.) and Greg Salas (Hawaii). Those two picks were not exactly ringing endorsements for team's faith in Gilyard.

Also, the team held a player-organized mini camp this past week.

Attendance for the camp was not mandatory, as it was not a team-sponsored activity due to the lockout. However, attendance was certainly encouraged, and Gilyard was one of the players that failed to attend- possibly a result of disinterest.

The only problem with the whole trade scenario, however, is that Gilyard has almost zero trade value.

Gilyard was drafted by the Rams in the 4th round in 2010 with the No.99 overall pick. He was part of an electric offense during his college career at Cincinnati, and fans hoped his abilities would translate into NFL production.

St. Louis fans were nothing short of disappointed with Gilyard's rookie campaign, as he finished the season with only six catches for 63 yards. It was also reported that he greatly struggled to mentally grasp the playbook.

Author's Verdict:
If Gilyard thinks he's trade bait, then he does not only struggle learning playbooks, but he also struggles with grasping reality.

However, whether or not the rumors are true, it was a long shot for Gilyard to be part of the 2011 roster either way. And if he quits at the thought of a tough training camp battle, then can anyone expect him not to quit during a tough game?