Evaluating Seymour Trade based on Raider and Pats Game

[billsTOfan]

The Pats pass rush was no where like it was in past games.

He instantly made the Raiders front better. He just shows up after o practice and has 6 tackles and 2 sacks.

With the way Oak drafts and the draft being a crap shoot this could be a good deal for Oak esp. cause Seymour is talking extension.

I along with everyone may have jumped gun blasting Oak on it. If Seymour continues this type of performance and the Pats struggle especially if Mayo is hurt. Could be bad news

[PECKERWOOD]

It's a nice long term move for New England but very bad in the short term.

[Oldbillsfan]

The Pats arent as good as the hype...

[Ickybaluky]

I'm not sure the trade can be evaluated after one game. I'm don't think any conclusions can be drawn after one game, about anything.

[Mr. Pink]

Looks like a smart move for the Raiders.

Seymour really solidifies their defense.

[billsTOfan]

I'm not sure the trade can be evaluated after one game. I'm don't think any conclusions can be drawn after one game, about anything.

I agree about that. I'm making the conclusion based on everyone blasting Oak for doing it at the time.

[Goobylal]

I'm not sure the trade can be evaluated after one game. I'm don't think any conclusions can be drawn after one game, about anything.
I evaluated the trade prior to any games being played. I knew that it would weaken the Patriots' defense, which it did, and thus their chances at winning the division, much less reaching (much much less winning) the SB. Seymour was the Patriots' best defensive player, despite his injury-marred 2007 season, and the earliest the Patriots will see a return on that trade is 2011 (and if the Raiders get their QB situation squared-away in 2010, the pick could be a late 1st rounder because they have a great defense and some talent on offense), and by then the window will have closed for them. Chinks are already starting to appear in the armor.

[billsTOfan]

I'd trade for Seymour based on his Patriot Knowledge alone

[BleedinGreenNC]

IMO i think the trade of RS was bad on the Pats part, he was a leader on the D, and every QB in the AFC East is breathing a little easier tht he is gone!

[Ickybaluky]

I was actually encouraged based on the Pats play last night. My biggest concern was the secondary, and I think they acquitted themselves quite well. I think with all the overhaul it will take the Pats defense some time to adjust, but I think the secondary could be a strength by the end of the season.

I'm still concerned about the pass rush, but I'm not going to judge after one game. For one thing, they opened in a 3-4 (probably because Buffalo has struggled with it recently) and had to switch to a 4-3 look when Mayo was hurt. The 4-3 is something they probably do a lot more of this year, and it will take some time for it to come around. Secondly, I think they have a lot of new pieces, and they need to get up to speed.

There is no doubt that Seymour is a terrific player when healthy and motivated, but he was last year and they still struggled on 3rd down and in the redzone, finishing near the bottom of the NFL. Defense isn't about one player, it is about all 11 guys. When the Patriots have been good in the past they played excellent team defense, performing above the individual talents of the players. It takes time to build that type of chemistry, so I'll wait to judge.

I wouldn't count them out, though. People over-react to individual games. What matters is how you are playing late in the year, not now. There have been too many times in the past people have counted the Pats out and were ready to bury them, and they usually respond. The whole season is ahead of us.

I remember after the Milloy game back in 2003, where everyone thought they were ready to fall apart after Buffalo crushed them. Brady was coming off a shoulder injury from the year before. They lost a key player for 6 weeks (Ted Washington) on defense. They had re-vamped their secondary then as well, and were coming off a year they tied for the division lead but lost out on the playoffs due to tie-breakers. That season turned out OK. The Pats have earned the right to make controversial decisions like trading Seymour and get the benefit of the doubt. In my book, anyway.

[billsTOfan]

Lawyer Milloy was nowhere near the dominant game changing player Richard Seymour was.

Milloy was good. Seymour is a great player.

[nateodoms'bff]

I'm not sure the trade can be evaluated after one game. I'm don't think any conclusions can be drawn after one game, about anything.

Really?

Its not like Seymour is Cameron Wake. The guy is a 5 TIME PRO-BOWLER. A 3 TIME SUPER BOWL CHAMPION!

I think its safe to say that this was a good move for the Raiders. Seymour has nothing to prove. Nothing to learn. Just go out and make plays. Its not like the Raiders or any team runs a scheme this guy can't pick up.

[MountainMan]

There is no doubt that Seymour is a terrific player when healthy and motivated, but he was last year and they still struggled on 3rd down and in the redzone, finishing near the bottom of the NFL. Defense isn't about one player, it is about all 11 guys.

I'm leaning towards Seymour being one of those overthinking things- the Pats have been IMO better than any other team at recognizing that premium quality interior D-Linemen are the key to winning in the contemporary NFL, and by that I mean moreso than any other position. You're a fan- you know the drafts- when they get down in the top half of the 1st round they've taken more talent inside their DLine than anywhere else over the last decade. They've still got a roster flush with lots of young, premium interior DLine talent to play in their sets (although Wilfork is overweight right now and that meat skirt he was sporting last night isn't going away any time soon) so the move of Seymour offers obvious points in any argument in support of his trade.

I'm more in the camp that in BillyB's defense, the utilization may not have featured Seymour in his best- it's possible to have too much specialization, and we're going to find out in Oakland if Seymour was a victim of the system. He could be heading for a very big season, instantly moving an Oakland game for any opponent from a snoozer to something to be approached with caution.

At the same time the Bill's are hardly a giant-killer this year, and the struggles NE* had against them last night looked more to me to be the Pats poor play than any huge surge in the quality of product on the other side of the ball.

By midseason this conversation will become something with some substantiation. I hope we come back to it as the season rolls on.

[Ickybaluky]

There is no denying that Seymour is a great player. However, the Pats have a lot of new players on defense and have changed their scheme a great deal. I'm willing to give them a shot to prove they can get the job done, based on their history.

BTW, Seymour has missed games in the past. The Pats are 12-2 in games Seymour has missed, including playoff wins against the Colts and Steelers during the playoffs in 2004. Here are the games:

2004:
17 01/02 SF W 21-7
19 01/16 IND W 20-3
20 01/23 @ PIT W 41-27

2005:
5 10/09 @ ATL W 31-28
6 10/16 @ DEN L 20-28
7 Bye
8 10/30 BUF W 21-16
9 11/07 IND L 21-40

2007:
1 09/09 @ NYJ W 38-14
2 09/16 SD W 38-14
3 09/23 BUF W 38-7
4 10/01 @ CIN W 34-13
5 10/07 CLE W 34-17
6 10/14 @ DAL W 48-27
7 10/21 @ MIA W 49-28

Granted, it isn't a perfect comparison since Seymour also suffered a bad elbow injury in 2006 (in a game against Buffalo), but he played injured and didn't miss any games. He did play less, with Jarvis Green rotating in.

This may end up being a terrible trade, I just don't think you can tell yet. I still think they will be fine on the DL, it is probably LB they could use help at.

[PECKERWOOD]

I'm not sure the trade can be evaluated after one game. I'm don't think any conclusions can be drawn after one game, about anything.

It definitely is a move for the long term, which doesn't make sense. The Patriots are a win now type of team, isn't Brady 32? The window is starting to close, the move doesn't make sense to me.

[Ickybaluky]

It definitely is a move for the long term, which doesn't make sense. The Patriots are a win now type of team, isn't Brady 32? The window is starting to close, the move doesn't make sense to me.

There is no doubt the Pats offense is going to have to put up big points to cover for the defense in the short-term. However, I'm willing to give the defense until the end of the season to gel because there is so much change and so many new players.

However, this was true whether they kept Seymour or not.

[YardRat]

Too early...only been one game.