Same Face, Different Place: NFL Trades, Free Agent Frenzy
ByHere are a few of the latest transactions in the NFL, along with our take on how they will work out:
Kevin Kolb (Eagles to Cardinals for Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and a 2012 2nd Round Pick) – The best second round pick in the last fifteen years has been Drew Brees, but there is a significant fall off from there. Kordell Stewart and Jake Plummer are the only two QBs drafted in that same round to make a Pro Bowl and they didn’t exactly light the world on fire in either of those seasons. The addition of Kolb should be enough to keep Larry Fitzgerald in the desert for the next few years so this has to be looked at as a possible victory already. The Cards have to be considered instant contenders in the NFC West but you can say that about any of the teams in the division. Arizona also extended Kolb’s contract, making him their franchise QB for the next six years.
Reggie Bush (Saints to the Dolphins for minimal resources) – The reason this deal got done was because Miami was willing to sign Bush to a new 2-year contract worth about $10 million. That said, Bush is a serious upgrade in terms of health, athleticism and the amount of time the opposing defense has to spend game-planning over Ronnie Brown. Second round pick Daniel Thomas will take over for Ricky Williams and, all of a sudden, the Dolphins have become younger and more explosive.
Albert Haynesworth (Redskins to the Patriots for a 2013 5th Round pick) – The Patriots will come out smelling like a rose on this one. Why? Because they always do, that’s why! Name the last time Belichick took a flier on a disgruntled star and got burnt. Corey Dillon? Randy Moss? Junior Seau? They always work out for the Pats and considering the good mojo surrounding Bob Kraft right now Haynesworth will probably be a god damn Pro-Bowler.
Donovan McNabb (Redskins to the Vikings for a 2012 6th Round pick and a conditional 2013 pick) – The Vikings took a huge chunk of salary off the top of McNabb’s. Now they have someone to branch the gap between Favre and Ponder and hopefully even teach the rookie a few things along the way. It’s a low-risk high-reward transaction that can only blow up on the Vikings if McNabb’s personality takes an entire 180 and becomes a cancer to the backfield. There’s almost no chance of that happening.
Chad Ochocinco (Bengals to Patriots for 2 future draft picks) – read here
Noel Devine (Undrafted Free Agent, Signed With Philadelphia) – The Eagles have gone a long time without a relevant ground game but now they have LeSean McCoy, Mike Vick and a hope run threat like Devine in the backfield. An underrated pass-catcher, Devine can also help in the return game and allow DeSean Jackson to take a blow in big games.
Mark Herzlich (Undrafted Free Agent, Signed With Giants) – If Herzlich can return to his 2008 form, when he was the #1 defensive player on Scouts Big Board. After battling cancer for the entire 2009 season he returned to Boston College for his senior year and lacked the explosiveness that made him such a prized prospect. He’ll get a shot in New York where there is a desperate need for linebackers.
Takeo Spikes (Signed With San Diego) – The strange thing here is that Spikes represented the 49ers throughout The Lockout and represented them well on live ESPN shows toward the end of the whole debacle. It will be interesting to see who steps up in San Francisco under Jim Harbaugh as the new player rep.
Paul Posluszny (Signed With Jaguars) – Posluszny went from a unanimous All-American selection to a borderline first rounder to a rookie who played in three games to a guy who made over 150 tackles last season to a 26-year old linebacker who is looked upon to be the centerpiece of an NFL defense. Not to mention, he has a lucrative 6-year deal to go along with the “centerpiece” tag.
