It appears NFL teams are making room for greener pastures that lay ahead. The start of training camp appears to also be the parting of ways with troublesome players.
It started with yesterday afternoon's development and finalization (in a matters of hours), that sent Jason Taylor from the Miami Dolphins to the Washington Redskins, ending a saga that thankfully had sort of vanished into the background finally, and ensuring it won't appear again any time soon! (although as a devoted Dolphins fan it's hard for this writer to see Taylor move on, it's both better for the team AND for Taylor himself!). This move, which eliminated the 3 team trade rumour between the Saints-Giants-Dolphins, led to the next logical step: ESPN just reported this hour that the New York Football Giants have sent Jeremy Shockey packing to the New Orleans Saints , and just like in the finale of the dancing drama down in South Florida the Shockey trade was made for a couple draft picks, from initial reports.
While not tied down to these trades directly, the last few troublesome players in need of resolution are Brett Favre and Chad Johnson - although Favre would make sense in Miami ending the complication with that team at the pivot, coming out of retirement to rebuild a team makes no sense at all! And perhaps at that point, when these two are no longer nagging concerns, it will signal the arrival of the upcoming season! While I can imagine Ocho-Cinco sitting an entire season as easily as easily as I can picture Favre in purple & gold, hey anything can happen!
I am relieved to see the distractions in New York and Miami have been moved, it helps improve other teams in the League while allowing us to get away from hearing the same talk ALL SEASON LONG! For the same reasons I want Favre and Johnson sorted out, a backstory about coming back to play their team certainly beats locker room chatter and disgruntled players lashing out against their teams anyhow.
Not sure that my wishes will be granted, but it's always worth holding out hope that they do come true! With potentially the easiest schedule they've seen in some time the Patriots seemed poised to make another run at perfection, so maybe some controversy would be a nice addition to the upcoming season - however I'd rather the discussion surround knocking off the would-be Champs rather than bickering millionaires, just me personally anyways...
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4 comments:
As a Redskins fan it's a good pickup. As long as the QB doesn't suck the team should have a shot at a Wildcard. It is the NFC afterall. :)
Great trade by the Giants. They rid themselves of an overrated malcontent, and pick up some valuable draft choices in the process. Second round picks are gold in the NFL - you almost always find yourself a quality starter, and at a very cap friendly price for the first contract. Even later round choices can often produce gems, or at the very least affordable backups that allow teams to cut expensive, declining veterans.
Shockey, meanwhile, is coming off a broken leg, will soon turn 28, and never has lived up to the hype and promise. New Orleans coach Sean Payton has traded for the guy he remembers as a rookie five years ago, not the Shockey of today, whose production has steadily declined in the last few years. Even if Shockey emerges from his funk to have a good season or two, the Saints will be hamstrung by a short draft next year.
Someone probably said it already -- Jeremy Shockey had the physical skills of a wideout and the out-of-control ego of one too.
Coaches will always trade for someone who was productive for him in the past. Shockey had that big rookie season for the Giants when New Orleans coach Sean Payton was his offensive co-ordinator (that was 2002, when, speaking as a Giants hater since the late '80s, they blew that 24-point lead in the playoffs to the Niners).
Like Dennis says, a second-rounder is usually a starter. So long as you have one tight end who can catch a 10-yard underneath route and two who can block, you're fine at that spot.
I think both trades mentioned above - Shockey and Taylor - helped the teams they're leaving, despite parting ways with superstars. Both teams receive 2nd round picks (very valuable!), and the 5th/6th round still have plenty of solid pick-ups in there as well.
I also agree that, even with both players, the new teams are thinking of past editions of the player...although Shockey's past is vastly different when compared to Taylor's, who has already played at a top level. It'll be interesting to see how they do with their new squads.
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