Doug: The answer is in
Apr 23, 2009, 7:22 PM | Updated: Jul 26, 2024, 2:05 pm
So Scott Pioli is on the job for only a few months and he’s one-for-two. Since this isn’t baseball, that’s not very good.
The trade for Matt Cassel and Mike Vrabel was a great deal.
The trade of Tony Gonzalez to Atlanta for a 2010 second round pick is either a joke or ignorance. I keep hitting “re-fresh” on every website to make sure I’m missing something. I’m assuming it’s not possible for someone to blindside themselves.
The guy is the third greatest tight end in the history of the game. He’s still competing at a very high level. You’ve already lost your 2009 2nd-round pick and you didn’t get one back for Saturday’s draft?
Atlanta went to the playoffs last year! The Falcons have a young QB who’s work ethic is second to only Peyton Manning for a QB straight out of college. Now you’re giving him a weapon like Tony Gonzalez? That means you’re getting a second-round pick in 2010 that will feel much more like a third than it will a 1st.
Sure, trade TG to the other side of the state for a second-round pick. You’ll be drafting 34th overall next year so it’s like a first-rounder without the price. Don’t trade him to an up-and-coming franchise that now has Ryan throwing to TG and Roddy White with a massive offensive line leading a running game behind Michael Turner. Do you really think there are going to be 60 players in the 2010 draft better than Tony Gonzalez? Because that’s how late your pick will be.
Making this trade even better for Atlanta is they keep their picks this year and then free agency clears some room next year. That’s code for compensatory picks. Atlanta won’t be drafting very far behind the pick they gave to the Chiefs with a new pick of their own from the NFL.
This obviously brings up another question. If this is all the Chiefs wanted for Gonzalez, why isn’t he a Cardinal? If the Cardinals keep heading in the right direction, they won’t need a second-round pick next year as much as they could use one of the greatest TE’s ever playing for a team with average to poor TE’s.
Entering this draft, I was wondering how well would the Patriots draft without Pioli. On the flip side, I wanted to see how well Pioli drafted without Bill Belichick. Now I see why Belichick stands alone on this list.
