Trade Deadline Possibilities
The trade deadline is quickly approaching come Week 8 of the season. Bleacher Report put out an article putting together some possible moves the Patriots could make. That got me to thinking.
Now we all know Bill isn't too fond of making big mid-season acquisitions, the last being trading away Randy Moss and bringing back Deion Branch. However, with some of the woes and holes in this Patriots team (*cough* defense *cough*) it may not be too bad an idea. Here are some of my ideas as to how this can go down.
First up on the chopping block is Kyle Arrington. I agree with Oliver here (Bleacher Report). He needs to go. After his breakout 2011 season with 7 picks, he has begun to regress and become more of a liability than a reliable starter. This past Sunday against Seattle he was actually benched for his poor play and replaced by rookie Alfonso Dennard. Look how that turned out... but I digress. Before Arrington gets any worse, he needs to be traded for a maximum value - even though it won't be very much - before his value declines along with his playing ability.
Next, dismantle the stockpile of tight ends on the roster. This is something that I didn't quite understand this off-season. What's with all these guys? Where we are a pass-first run-never offense, why have blocking tight ends like Fells and Hoomanawanui on the roster (besides backup purposes). Multiple sources have come out saying that Shiancoe is eligible for practice beginning this week and would be able to make his first on-field appearance after the bye week. There are plenty of teams out there looking for blockers to bolster the run game. I'm looking at you Jacksonville and Tennessee.
What we need.
If you can't guess this one then you missed last weeks game. We need a veteran cornerback or safety. Plain and simple. Just a solid coverage player. A name that has been floated out there has been Zack Bowman. Reported by ESPN Boston, he recently worked out with the Patriots. He doesn't have the most stellar career numbers but he has played in good programs with strong defensive game plans (Chicago and Minnesota). I personally think we can do better. Some names that come to mind are Cortland Finnegan at corner back or Michael Griffin at safety. Griffin got the franchise tag and extension from Tennessee this past off-season but hasn't done anything special to deserve it. Finnegan is just a scrub who gets under any opponents skin (see Andre Johnson) but plays stellar man to man for a shorter corner.
My final idea is an odd one. Keep Ninko on the D-line permanently and replace him. His pass rushing skill this season has proven to be very useful and versatile. He could be a permanent spy, similar to what Wilfork does when he pulls out of a rush, and would keep an offensive line on its toes. I'm not sure when Hightower is set to be recovered from his injury but if it is extensive, the Patriots should go out and get someone to fill the void for the time being.
Now sadly, I don't see anything big really getting done by week 8, but I can be hopeful. Let me know who you think we should go after. We all know that we need the helps and some more experience in the back end of our defense. Find me on Twitter @I_Am_Edlund and share your thoughts.
Now we all know Bill isn't too fond of making big mid-season acquisitions, the last being trading away Randy Moss and bringing back Deion Branch. However, with some of the woes and holes in this Patriots team (*cough* defense *cough*) it may not be too bad an idea. Here are some of my ideas as to how this can go down.
First up on the chopping block is Kyle Arrington. I agree with Oliver here (Bleacher Report). He needs to go. After his breakout 2011 season with 7 picks, he has begun to regress and become more of a liability than a reliable starter. This past Sunday against Seattle he was actually benched for his poor play and replaced by rookie Alfonso Dennard. Look how that turned out... but I digress. Before Arrington gets any worse, he needs to be traded for a maximum value - even though it won't be very much - before his value declines along with his playing ability.
Next, dismantle the stockpile of tight ends on the roster. This is something that I didn't quite understand this off-season. What's with all these guys? Where we are a pass-first run-never offense, why have blocking tight ends like Fells and Hoomanawanui on the roster (besides backup purposes). Multiple sources have come out saying that Shiancoe is eligible for practice beginning this week and would be able to make his first on-field appearance after the bye week. There are plenty of teams out there looking for blockers to bolster the run game. I'm looking at you Jacksonville and Tennessee.
What we need.
If you can't guess this one then you missed last weeks game. We need a veteran cornerback or safety. Plain and simple. Just a solid coverage player. A name that has been floated out there has been Zack Bowman. Reported by ESPN Boston, he recently worked out with the Patriots. He doesn't have the most stellar career numbers but he has played in good programs with strong defensive game plans (Chicago and Minnesota). I personally think we can do better. Some names that come to mind are Cortland Finnegan at corner back or Michael Griffin at safety. Griffin got the franchise tag and extension from Tennessee this past off-season but hasn't done anything special to deserve it. Finnegan is just a scrub who gets under any opponents skin (see Andre Johnson) but plays stellar man to man for a shorter corner.
My final idea is an odd one. Keep Ninko on the D-line permanently and replace him. His pass rushing skill this season has proven to be very useful and versatile. He could be a permanent spy, similar to what Wilfork does when he pulls out of a rush, and would keep an offensive line on its toes. I'm not sure when Hightower is set to be recovered from his injury but if it is extensive, the Patriots should go out and get someone to fill the void for the time being.
Now sadly, I don't see anything big really getting done by week 8, but I can be hopeful. Let me know who you think we should go after. We all know that we need the helps and some more experience in the back end of our defense. Find me on Twitter @I_Am_Edlund and share your thoughts.