For some reason, anytime a trade goes down in the NFL writers and pundits like to ascribe a winner and loser to the proceedings. Usually, it’s all just bullshit based on conjecture and perceived value.
The NFL trade deadline hit Tuesday and the league went a little wacky, making player moves like the NBA and MLB. In-season trades usually don’t work out as well in the NFL for specifically the reason they do work out in baseball and basketball. Those sports are keyed more to individual performance. Football is more about team performance and it doesn’t matter how much talent you have when you don’t know the playbook and on-field calls.
While I usually hold off on tossing the trade “loser” label around, the events of the past couple of days are filled with them. I’ll explain.
LOSER: CAROLINA PANTHERS
Let’s toss this out there. You have a former first round receiver that, anytime he’s on the field, plays like a first round receiver. He’s currently leading your team in receiving yards and your team, let’s call you the Smarolina Smanthers, is in playoff contention.
Do you accept an offer to trade that elite, first round receiver who has always, when healthy, played at a high level for a third and seventh round pick? Of course you don’t. That would just be stupid.
What a great way to celebrate trick or treat Halloween … I love the move @kelvinbenjamin welcome fam!!
— LeSean Shady Mccoy (@CutonDime25) October 31, 2017
Yet, Tuesday it’s exactly what the Panthers did. They shipped Kelvin Benjamin, a guy with 32 catches, 475 yards and two touchdowns, to the Buffalo Bills for those piddling picks. Benjamin is 6-5 and 240 pounds. He missed one season with a knee injury, but bounced right back with a 63 catch, 941 yard and seven touchdown year. He’s an elite player and the Panthers gave him away for expired Hardee’s coupons.
Panthers general manager and idiot Marty Hurney explained his reasoning for the trade Wednesday morning to the Charlotte Observer.
“This was more about getting more speed on the field,” Hurney said, dumbly. “We’ve got some young players who we think have some real ability. Kelvin was a very good player and was productive for us. It was more getting a mix of skill sets on the field and more speed.”
When you wake up and realize you can throw to Kelvin Benjamin. #GoBills pic.twitter.com/BsGnTSbs2X
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) November 1, 2017
Now, since the Panthers didn’t add any players in this deal, that “speed” Hurney is talking about is already on the team. If they couldn’t get on the field before with Benjamin there, what the hell makes them a better option with him gone?
Carolina picked up Benjamin’s fifth year option this off-season, so he’s still under contract through 2018 at a reasonable price. This is the guy they shipped to Buffalo? And for a third and a seventh? The Bills had two second round picks after trading Sammy Watkins to the Los Angeles Rams. No thought about at least getting one of them?
Was Benjamin a problem? Other than the fact he liked to close down the Golden Corral in the off-season, I haven’t heard any. This was just a stupid move with absolutely no value for a team that probably screwed up their lackluster playoff chances.
LOSER: NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
When the Patriots shipped back up quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to the San Francisco 49ers, no one was more shocked than their fans who were sure the guy that had started a total of three NFL games and only finished two was worth about four first round picks.
It turns out nobody, not even the Super Genius Bill Belichick himself, believed that. Garoppolo’s value is exactly what the Patriots got for him (and used to pick him), a second rounder. So why did they lose in this trade?
Nothing but ❤.
Thanks and good luck, @JimmyG_10! pic.twitter.com/o84uPkcJKl
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) October 31, 2017
Because the Cleveland Browns offered them more for Garoppolo in the off-season. Now, Cleveland has denied ever putting a first round pick on the table for the fourth-year pro, but they have admitted they offered a second rounder and “more.” How much more? It doesn’t matter since all the Niners had to give up was a second.
There’s plenty of reasons Belichick didn’t go for the deal in the off-season, even a reported old grudge against the Browns, the team that give him (and fired him from) his first NFL head coaching job. I think Belichick didn’t pull the trigger because he wasn’t sure Tom Brady would play at this level. He was concerned about the quarterback cliff hitting his star player. It obviously hasn’t. Brady looks as good as ever and with Garoppolo hitting free agency next season, it made sense to move him.
But, he could have gotten more back in March. Belichick gambled on that and lost.
LOSER: HOUSTON TEXANS
The only position more difficult to fill on an NFL offense than starting quarterback is starting left tackle. The Houston Texans had one, Duane Brown, a guy they drafted in the first round of the 2008 NFL draft. He’s been elite, made three Pro Bowls and was an All Pro. Now he plays for someone else.
The Texans traded Brown and a fifth round pick to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for their second and third round picks. Originally, cornerback Jeremy Lane was part of the deal, but he failed a physical with Houston.
when russell wilson finds out the seahawks traded for duane brown pic.twitter.com/gfBgZ7IL3U
— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) October 30, 2017
Now, compensation-wise, that’s not a bad haul for Houston. These won’t be high second and third rounders. Seattle is a playoff team, but they’ll have their choice of some top tier players in the coming draft. No, they lose because a player of Brown’s talent is damn hard to replace, regardless of where you pick.
With a young offense led by rookie Deshaun Watson, the Texans have been one of the more exciting teams this season. Brown held out for a new contract as he entered the final two years of his current deal. He’s probably got another five years of elite play in him, if not more. Houston had their left side locked down and just let him slip away.
If they draft his replacement and he performs at Brown’s level, then this is a win. Brown obviously wanted to move on, but the new contract he desired (that Seattle will most certainly give him), would have fixed everything. Now Brown is gone and the Texans have, at best, an average left tackle in Chris Clark.
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