Trades are Exciting

The trade deadline came and went and Tony Gonzalez is still in the red and gold of Kansas City. I'm happy and sad at the same time. I'm happy I'll still get to see number 88 catching passes in KC but part of me wanted to see some shakeup. Trades are exciting and in a year of down performances debating the merits of a trade adds some spice. My question is what if anything does he say to the players in the locker room now that the trade fell through? Perhaps nothing needs to be said.

Regarding LJ. I find it suspicious on the day of the trade deadline that this assault charge gets released to the media. Call me a conspiracist but could it be someone put this out there to cool interest in him? On the outside looking in the charges look flimsy. I wasn't there and don't claim to have all of the facts but picking LJ out of a police lineup seems a bit skewed. I could pick him out of twenty of his closest relatives I've seen his face so much.

My opinion is the NFL needs to do something to make the trade deadline a bit more active. The NFL salary cap rules are so convoluted it takes a capologist to figure it out and I'm sure that has a major impact on the lack of trades that occur mid-season and in the NFL in general.

Teams in contention over-value draft picks. Picks in the second, third, and fourth rounds are some of the most over-valued by General Managers. Draft picks are a bit like playing the lottery. GMs are hoping to find a jackpot in the third round instead of taking the payout on a known quantity. Are you telling me that the Giants or Bills wouldn't be a better team with Tony Gonzalez on their team for a second round draft pick? What are the actual odds the Bills or Giants draft a player in the second round in the next two or three years that is better than a Hall of Fame Tight End still playing at a very high level? I would say the odds are very low considering your average NFL career is something like three and a half seasons. Add to this that the Bills and Giants will most likely draft in the bottom third of the 2009 draft and the odds are even less of finding value that is greater than what Tony Gonzalez or Larry Johnson bring to their team.

A combination of coveting draft picks and the salary cap make NFL trades very rare and deadline day is often a dud instead of an exciting swap of players that a lot of fans would like to see.