Trade offer - include dropped players?

[Tsunami]

Am I right in thinking that people perceive a trade offer to be worse if you include the players you're going to drop? For example, I just sent:

Cameron Meredith and Randall Cobb
for OJ Howard, John Brown, Jamaal Williams, Teddy Bridgewater.

Does that look like a better offer than this?

Jason Witten, Leonte Carroo, Cameron Meredith and Randall Cobb
for OJ Howard, John Brown, Jamaal Williams, Teddy Bridgewater.

It seems like whenever I send an offer like the 2nd one I get a reply saying "No thanks I don't want Witten". It's like the presence of a bad player taints the value of the good ones. Anyone else noticed this or am I imagining things?

[sugbear65]

I've noticed this is the past too. I agree, an empty spot can look better in a trade than a bottom end roster guy. I'm not sure but there must be a psychological answer to it.
Another thing I've noticed is when trading a RB, no one ever seems interested in the handcuff or committee mate. Like if I was to sell Ajayi and try to toss in Drake, it doesn't add any value at all. But if I were to sell Drake on his own, I could at least get a late round pick for him. So u may as well keep that backup and not involve him in talks unless the other owner specifically targets him.

[onetwothree]

A 6 player deal is what gets a quick rejection from me. It's not the filler. It's a team trying to give up maybe 1 good piece and 3 spare parts for the best two players in a deal. Pretty typical of deals of 5+ players. I don't want to have to waive 2+ players on my team to accommodate a trade.

[clarion contrarion]

when I send an offer like that I just include in the note " hey I know these guys are not worth anything ( or much) , I would have to cut them anyway so I included them just in case you want them you won't need to make a waiver claim" . I do not attempt to pretend they have any real trade value so by admission they are likely worthless or of little value , I hopefully gain some credibility with my trade partner.
Especially in the listed offer as witten and carroo would have wholly different teams that might be in need of their services . Witten perhaps a depth guy for a team ready to in a short window , Carroo for a total rebuild that might want to stash him for a potential breakout . Really difficult to imagine any team being interested in both guys at opposite ends of the career spectrum.

[ericanadian]

when I send an offer like that I just include in the note " hey I know these guys are not worth anything ( or much) , I would have to cut them anyway so I included them just in case you want them you won't need to make a waiver claim" . I do not attempt to pretend they have any real trade value so by admission they are likely worthless or of little value , I hopefully gain some credibility with my trade partner.
Especially in the listed offer as witten and carroo would have wholly different teams that might be in need of their services . Witten perhaps a depth guy for a team ready to in a short window , Carroo for a total rebuild that might want to stash him for a potential breakout . Really difficult to imagine any team being interested in both guys at opposite ends of the career spectrum.

This.

[Pac_Eddy]

I, too, try to explain that those "other" guys I included in my offer were guys I would cut and they could have for free, but it does seem to hurt the offer's strength.

I think some owners think you're trying, despite the explanation, to sell them some garbage players and they don't want to be seen buying them. It depends on the other owner. Some will absolutely reject them, others will see it as it is & know those are just guys to even up the number of players traded or guys they can cut right after accepting a trade.

[skip]

Unlike the last few posts, I almost never send any explanation with my trade offers. Reason being is it looks like you are trying to convince someone too hard that a deal is in their best interest to make.

To the OP...I think it just depends on your trade partner. I don't see any value to Witten or Caroo. But I'm not going to dismiss a deal if there are pieces I like. Your offer (with or without the pieces), for example...it's basically Meredith for Howard (a wash) and Cobb for the rest (prefer Cobb). I think the psychological component with including the other two pieces comes down to an aspect of ownership and reluctance to let go...so once I have Witten on my roster (if you sent the 2nd offer), am I going to be more averse to just releasing him under the premise he has at least a small trade market? Or am I better off not having a deal with him in it at all?

[Balzac]

I usually discuss that bit after the trade has been agreed on. As long as there is no penalty for dropping players people seem completely fine with it.

[maxhyde]

Am I right in thinking that people perceive a trade offer to be worse if you include the players you're going to drop? For example, I just sent:

Cameron Meredith and Randall Cobb
for OJ Howard, John Brown, Jamaal Williams, Teddy Bridgewater.

Does that look like a better offer than this?

Jason Witten, Leonte Carroo, Cameron Meredith and Randall Cobb
for OJ Howard, John Brown, Jamaal Williams, Teddy Bridgewater.

It seems like whenever I send an offer like the 2nd one I get a reply saying "No thanks I don't want Witten". It's like the presence of a bad player taints the value of the good ones. Anyone else noticed this or am I imagining things?

It is the time of year people worry about roster cutdowns so offering deals with marginal players tacked on can come across like a #'s dump.
Although I would want Caroo and Witten so the deal above I would do because I have roster space

[IBall2]

I tend to look at these sort of trades in a different manor. If you're trying to dump some players on me in a 'bigger' deal, what are they worth to me as a WW pickup? Maybe I value Carroo as $10 of my $100 budget? I would then weigh my options of making the deal without Carroo and maybe picking him up on the wire later for $10, or I could save the $10 and get him in the deal if I have roster space.

Maybe I know someone else in the league wants him so I would take him anyways and then offer Carroo to the 2nd owner for $10 or $15? If I have temporary roster space, I will take the players knowing they add no value to my team or the trade being offered. If I don't have roster space I look to see what I'm willing to spend on them on the wire and weigh the options.

[Kramer]

I'm usually talking to the other owner when making deals. Either face to face or online. I'll include the major pieces initially to see if we're close. Then if he's debating. I'll say that I'll have to drop one or two players if we did the deal, so I could toss in someone like blank or blank if you want them as a throw in as well. It usually comes off better than including the player initially and it gives them a choice, which always makes the other person feel better about it.

Although this didn't work out for me last year as the other guy asked for Terrell Pryor to be thrown into a deal.

[Tsunami]

I usually discuss that bit after the trade has been agreed on. As long as there is no penalty for dropping players people seem completely fine with it.

If they agreed to do the deal without those players wouldn't throwing them in be collusion? Giving something for nothing?

My offer was turned down.