New England Trade

[SpillerThrills]

Per Adam Schefter Twitter.... Compensation not yet known.

[Slim]

Wow.

[Slim]

I like this move for Denver as long as they didn't give up much.

[Bill Cody]

Damn that should have been Lynch

[Ickybaluky]

Pats traded Maroney and a 2011 6th for Denver's 4th. The Pats had an extra 6th, as they previously had acquired New Orleans 2011 6th in a trade.

Good luck to Lawrence. He didn't pan out, but maybe a change of scenery will do him good. Not a bad kid, although he probably needs to mature some.

The Pats now have an extra first (Oakland), 2nd (Carolina) and 4th (Denver) next year. It could be a huge draft for them.

[Mad Max]

I like this move for Denver as long as they didn't give up much.

It's yet another strong move by the Patsies and therefore I HATE it.

Maroney's a scrub and they got a fourth round pick for him.

[mysticsoto]

I can't believe with 3 top RBs on our roster, we couldn't come up with this trade. Nix, what r u doing???

[RoscoeMagic]

Pats traded Maroney and a 2011 6th for Denver's 4th. The Pats had an extra 6th, as they previously had acquired New Orleans 2011 6th in a trade.

Good luck to Lawrence. He didn't pan out, but maybe a change of scenery will do him good. Not a bad kid, although he probably needs to mature some.

The Pats now have an extra first (Oakland), 2nd (Carolina) and 4th (Denver) next year. It could be a huge draft for them.

The Pats always stockpile picks. Smartest team in the league IMO. They know when to deal their players and know what to get for them.

[Mad Max]

I can't believe with 3 top RBs on our roster, we couldn't come up with this trade. Nix, what r u doing???

It probably has something to do with the Mcdaniels/ Pats bosom buddies relationship. I can't bag on Nix for this one.

[ddaryl]

I can't believe with 3 top RBs on our roster, we couldn't come up with this trade. Nix, what r u doing???

you want a 4th rd pick ? Lynch is worth more to us as depth

[psubills62]

you want a 4th rd pick ? Lynch is worth more to us as depth

It wasn't even really a straight-up 4th. It was more like Maroney for a 5th rounder.

[OpIv37]

why does the rest of the league insist on making us miserable by trading picks to NE?

This **** is really getting old.

[mysticsoto]

you want a 4th rd pick ? Lynch is worth more to us as depth

Part of a GM's job is to be a salesman. Negotiate that upward and make them realize they are getting someone worth it!!!

[Mad Max]

you want a 4th rd pick ? Lynch is worth more to us as depth

What do we need depth for? Our impending playoff push?

Trade our superfluous pieces for as good a value as we can as soon as possible. If we can get a third for Lynch...do it immediately. Then just bring the Joykster onto the 53.

[OpIv37]

you want a 4th rd pick ? Lynch is worth more to us as depth

I'd do it just to keep the Patriots from getting the pick. You know they're going to use it on some guy who will make our lives miserable for 7 or 8 years.

[justasportsfan]

Part of a GM's job is to be a salesman. Negotiate that upward and make them realize they are getting someone worth it!!!
easier said than done.

[psubills62]

I'd do it just to keep the Patriots from getting the pick. You know they're going to use it on some guy who will make our lives miserable for 7 or 8 years.

I just have to say...considering all the picks Belichick manages to hoard every year, it seems like their drafting in general has gone downhill since Dimitroff left. Belichick's gotten a few good hits in the early rounds (e.g. Meriweather, Mayo), but a decent number end up disappointing. I'm worried about him having an extra first rounder next year...the 4th rounder, not so much.

[ddaryl]

I'd do it just to keep the Patriots from getting the pick. You know they're going to use it on some guy who will make our lives miserable for 7 or 8 years.

naw.. they haven't been drafting real well the last few years... but no I wouldn't trade someone just to keep the Patriots from making a trade...

we make our own lives miserable, the Patriots are just beneficiaries

[Oldbillsfan]

A 4th for Maroney? wow

[Jan Reimers]

So, we should piss away our depth at RB - one of the few positions where we have any depth - for a 4th or 5th rounder?

[Night Train]

..And the Pats continue to stockpile picks and use them wisely..

[Ickybaluky]

I just have to say...considering all the picks Belichick manages to hoard every year, it seems like their drafting in general has gone downhill since Dimitroff left. Belichick's gotten a few good hits in the early rounds (e.g. Meriweather, Mayo), but a decent number end up disappointing. I'm worried about him having an extra first rounder next year...the 4th rounder, not so much.

There is no question the 2006/2007/2008 drafts weren't up to prior standards, although they did manage to draft three very good players in Mayo, Meriweather and Gostkowski and trade picks for a couple more in Moss and Welker. That is 5 starters, not terrible but not great.

However, the last 2 drafts have been fantastic. They already have several starters and a bunch of key role players out of those drafts.

[THATHURMANATOR]

I can't believe with 3 top RBs on our roster, we couldn't come up with this trade. Nix, what r u doing???
Why are we freaking out about not getting a 4th round pick????? I would rather keep Lynch than get a lowly 4th rounder....

[Jan Reimers]

Why are we freaking out about not getting a 4th round pick????? I would rather keep Lynch than get a lowly 4th rounder....
Not only that, Jackson has a tender hand, Spiller has played exactly 1 NFL game and gained 6 yards, and Bell is a PSer with no game experience.

Yeah, let's dump Lynch for a low rounder.

[FinFaninBuffalo]

It's yet another strong move by the Patsies and therefore I HATE it.

Maroney's a scrub and they got a fourth round pick for him.

Didn't they spend a 1st round pick on that scrub? I hope they have the same success on all of their picks.

[Mr. Pink]

Why are we freaking out about not getting a 4th round pick????? I would rather keep Lynch than get a lowly 4th rounder....


I'd rather have a 4th rounder who can help in another area of the team.

Lynch is no part of the future of this franchise, someone in the draft could be.

However, then you trust that the powers at be use that pick for someone who can contribute.

[trapezeus]

how do the pats have oakland's first round pick again?! god, boston got the toronto trade in hockey and now they have the raider's first pick yet again.

the afc east is a joke. they are going to cake walk to the playoffs.

[Mr. Pink]

how do the pats have oakland's first round pick again?! god, boston got the toronto trade in hockey and now they have the raider's first pick yet again.

the afc east is a joke. they are going to cake walk to the playoffs.


Richard Seymour trade.

[Mad Max]

Didn't they spend a 1st round pick on that scrub? I hope they have the same success on all of their picks.

Yes they did, but no team is going to bat 1.000 in the draft, not even the patsies. Difference between them and the teams such as the ones you and we at the Zone follow is that they OFTEN are able to recycle their trash for some value whereas our teams get stuck holding the Ted Ginn Jr./ Mike Williams bags.

[THRILLHO]

Everyone is calling the Patriots moguls for getting a fourth rounder for Maroney. The Patriots are shrewd, good business people, etc etc. (It is true btw) Remember: L. Maroney was drafted in the first round. He was traded for a fourth round selection. First for a fourth, first for a fourth.
If anything, this trade shows a lapse when compared to the usual deals that have our jaws on the floor they complete with dumb teams.

[don137]

why does the rest of the league insist on making us miserable by trading picks to NE?

This **** is really getting old.

The thing is the league knows they can trade with NE. Carolina who wanted Armante Edwards who was available deep in the third round in last years draft said the first team they called was NE because they knew they like to trade. Carolina will absolutely suck next year and I could see the 2nd round pick of Carolina be a top 10 pick in round 2.

[mysticsoto]

Why are we freaking out about not getting a 4th round pick????? I would rather keep Lynch than get a lowly 4th rounder....

First, nobody is freaking out. Second, I never said a 4th for Lynch would be ok. What I said was Nix should have seen the opportunity and used it to sell Lynch to them for a 2nd or atleast a 3rd. This is a GM's job - to take advantage of opportunities. So far, I haven't seen Nix do anything of the kind when it comes to trading. Donahoe may have been an ahole and bad at picking draft prospects, but he knew how to wheel and deal...

Considering all the holes we have, either a trade for an extra draft pick, or a trade for a backup player of theirs...OLB Jarvis Moss is probably the only one I'd have considered though.

Right now, even if GB's backup RB is decent, I'd be trying to pitch something to GB...I doubt they trade for AJ Hawk as someone suggested in a different thread, but maybe for TJ Lang young Olineman who can play both guard and tackle. He might supplant RT Green right off the bat...

It makes no sense to keep 3 valuable RBs on our roster and not get anything for Lynch who we'll lose next year. No sense!!!

[justasportsfan]

the reason why the Pats are able to stockpile picks is because they develop the talent they draft and are able to trade them for picks down the road for more picks. As far as they are concerned, every player is expendable when you have a proven coaching staff.

[X-Era]

the reason why the Pats are able to stockpile picks is because they develop the talent they draft and are able to trade them for picks down the road for more picks. As far as they are concerned, every player is expendable when you have a proven coaching staff.

I agree.

However, if you look at their roster its slowly getting worse. This is happening because they trade away good players like Seymour and arent hitting on as many players in the draft.

They traded for Burgess only to cut him.

They drafted McKenzie in the 2nd round and now he's on their practice squad.

They drafted Maroney in the 1st and now traded him.

They may lose Mankins, there best lineman, who they drafted in the 1st.

And Brady signed a huge deal which will strap their ability to sign others once the new cap goes in place.

Overall, they are slowly getting worse.

[mysticsoto]

I agree.

However, if you look at their roster its slowly getting worse. This is happening because they trade away good players like Seymour and arent hitting on as many players in the draft.

They traded for Burgess only to cut him.

They drafted McKenzie in the 2nd round and now he's on their practice squad.

They drafted Maroney in the 1st and now traded him.

They may lose Mankins, there best lineman, who they drafted in the 1st.

And Brady signed a huge deal which will strap their ability to sign others once the new cap goes in place.

Overall, they are slowly getting worse.

That's probably true, but all it takes is one good year with all the picks they have to turn that completely around. They have 2 1st rders and if they hit, they will be a great team for another decade or so...

[Ickybaluky]

However, if you look at their roster its slowly getting worse. This is happening because they trade away good players like Seymour and arent hitting on as many players in the draft.

Really? You haven't been paying attention.


They traded for Burgess only to cut him.

Yeah, bad trade. You can't win them all.


They drafted McKenzie in the 2nd round and now he's on their practice squad.

He was a 3rd rounder, actually.


They drafted Maroney in the 1st and now traded him.

Yeah, Maroney never lived up to his draft status. He has been beaten out by BenJarvis Green-Ellis, and undrafted player who has worked his way into the rotation at RB.


They may lose Mankins, there best lineman, who they drafted in the 1st.

"May". They may not as well. However, if they do trade Mankins at some point they still have a pretty good OL. They have consistently developed OL over the last decade and replaced them when they moved on.


And Brady signed a huge deal which will strap their ability to sign others once the new cap goes in place.

This is laughable. The cap is an accounting and room can be created, and the Pats have managed the cap with a long-term view. I mean, Brady's cap number was over $14M in 2008 and 2009, yet they still managed to field a team. Peyton Manning's cap number has been higher than that during the same span, and the Colts still found a way to be competitive.

You don't get in cap trouble by paying big money to really good players. You get in cap trouble by paying big money to guys who aren't that good.

Now, let's look at the idea that they are declining for a second.

I'll agree that the 2006 - 2008 drafts were not up to their previous standards. That said, they still came away from those drafts with Brandon Meriweather, Jerod Mayo, Stephen Gostkowski, Randy Moss and Wes Welker. That is 5 very good starting players, not great but not terrible.

The next 2 drafts are looking stellar, with a bunch of guys already making an impact.

2009:

Patrick Chung (starter)
Ron Brace (rotating in on the DL)
Darius Butler (starter)
Sebastian Vollmer (starter)
Brandon Tate (reserve WR and kick returner)
Jake Ingram (long-snapper)
Myron Pryor (rotating in on the DL)
Julian Edelman (reserve WR and punt returner).

Summary - 3 starters and several key role players. Add in backup QB Brian Hoyer, who made the team as an undrafted FA. Hoyer is a good player, and a better QB than any the Bills have on their roster.

2010:

Devin McCourty (starter)
Rob Gronkowski (rotating in at TE)
Jermaine Cunningham (rusher in sub-packages)
Brandon Spikes (starter)
Aaron Hernandez (rotating in at TE)
Zoltan Mesko (punter)

Summary - 2 starters and several key role players. There are other players who are either reserves, on IR, or on the PS, but these are guys already making an impact.

With the last 2 drafts and all the extra picks next year, the Pats basically re-made their team. They have one of the best offenses in the NFL, improved a great deal on ST, and a lot of young players on defense that have improved their team speed a ton.

Right now, they have questions up front on defense. Losing Ty Warren was tough, and the guys standing in for him are young and inexperienced. However, as young as they are in the back-7 on defense there is a lot of talent there. There will be growing pains, but the arrow is pointing up. I am very excited to see how it plays out.

[trapezeus]

they are getting worse, but still cakewalking to the division title. the jets and bills embarassed themselves, and the dolphins had some major issues beating a bad bills team. marshall's drop, the INT drops, henne having all day and not really doing anything of consequence. Maybe they work these things out, but when they face a team with a pass rush, henne will be useless.

[justasportsfan]

I agree.

However, if you look at their roster its slowly getting worse. This is happening because they trade away good players like Seymour and arent hitting on as many players in the draft.

They traded for Burgess only to cut him.

They drafted McKenzie in the 2nd round and now he's on their practice squad.

They drafted Maroney in the 1st and now traded him.

They may lose Mankins, there best lineman, who they drafted in the 1st.

And Brady signed a huge deal which will strap their ability to sign others once the new cap goes in place.

Overall, they are slowly getting worse.


the won't always bat 100% . Their mistake was they got rid of too much too soon. Their future still good though.

When they screw up with guys like Maroney, they make it up by developing guys like Cassel and trading him for more picks. THey know how to recoup their losses while staying competitive all the time.

[TacklingDummy]

you want a 4th rd pick ? Lynch is worth more to us as depth
Yeah his 3 carries means alot.