Chiefs 'Blocking Legitimate Trades' For Jarrad Page?

(Note: This news came out last week, but I didn't get around to writing about it until now.)

The holdout of a Chiefs safety would usually mean nothing to Lions fans, but in this case it is something worth following because Detroit was reportedly at one time interested in trading for Jarrad Page. There's no telling if they are still interested as the safety position takes shape, but even if they would like to make a trade, it doesn't appear likely based on a statement released by Page's agent last week.

"Jarrad Page requested to be traded away from Kansas City after the third Pre-Season game last year (vs. Seattle Seahawks). We requested a trade again this year on 6/17/2010 for the second time.  Beginning in the Pre-Season and continuing all year, Coach Todd Haley mishandled Jarrad last season causing him to end up on IR.  (Jarrad never missed a game in his NFL career prior to last season). 

"There has been interest for Jarrad and the Chiefs are blocking legitimate trades.  There's been plenty of time to get a trade done and at this point, in our opinion, it's clear that the Chiefs are being Vindictive.  Front Page Sports Management called Chiefs Front Office on Monday, 7/26/2010 before Training Camp began, to discuss 'trade request'. Call was returned by member of Front Office who has been involved in Jarrad's negotiations who claimed, "he didn't know anything about a trade request and had never heard of it".  A subsequent call made hours later on the same day to the GM has not been returned to this date.  Jarrad no longer has a residence in Missouri or Kansas and has moved to California."

The part about "blocking legitimate trades" is what interested me the most because it probably involves the Lions. Detroit was desperate to find a starting-caliber safety, and they reportedly believed Page could be that guy. Unfortunately for Detroit, it doesn't look like Kansas City was willing to reward Page's decision to hold out by trading him, and nothing with that situation appears to have changed.

All I can say as a third-party observer is that this is a really ugly situation. You have an agent accusing a team of some pretty nasty things, and now he is even accusing Chiefs coach Todd Haley of intimidating Page into playing while he was injured. Needless to say, there is a lot of drama surrounding this situation, and it seems like the only thing that will bring it to an end is the Chiefs letting Page go. Hopefully for Detroit's sake (If they're still interested in Page), that does happen at some point.