Anquan Boldin didn’t get traded this offseason, but he says it wasn’t for lack of interest.
The Cardinals receiver claims that nearly half the league was ready to acquire him.
“Honest, I know of 15 teams - this is a league where everyone communicates. So you have players everywhere - guys that I work out with in Florida, guys that I’m friends with - and they talk to their GMs, and they relay messages back and forth,” Boldin said in an interview with XTRA Sports 910.
“So, I know of 15 teams that were willing to do exactly what it took to get me and make a trade happen.”
While it’s easy to question Boldin’s sources and accuracy, his knowledge of Arizona’s inner workings is interesting.
“The Cardinals were never specific about what they wanted. They only said if the right deal came along. But what is the right deal if you’ve never said it.”
That account meshes with multiple offseason reports that the Cardinals were never particularly interested in dealing Boldin in the first place.
And why would have they been? He’s one of the top players at his position and he’s under contract cheaply for two more years.
If it sounds like Boldin is griping, the interview doesn’t come off that way. He answered the questions asked.
It sounds like Boldin knew how his offseason drama would likely end all along.
“I never thought once that I’d be traded and I wasn’t disappointed that it didn’t happen.”