Shockey Shipped Out of NFC East

Jeremy Shockey's wish has been granted as the stud TE has been traded to the New Orleans Saints for second and fifth round draft picks, according to FOX's Jay Glazer. Back in March, Matt discussed whether we'd like a Lito-for-Shockey deal but the Saints were clearly heavy on the TE and got their man. With one great talent entering the East yesterday, it's good to see one leave.

Comments

[Kulp]

Nice that the Giants lose another Pro Bowler, but this news isn't exactly reassuring. The Saints were already shaping up to be one of the most improved teams in the league.

Lots of good teams in the NFC this year.

[Chewy Wellington]

glad to see him go but I can't believe NO paid such a high price. that's ridiculous.

[theKrisheim]

shockey loved himself some Hoboken, just imagine the damage he'll be doing in the french quarter, i expect a down year.

[Zack]

Even though he seemed to not have amazing years the past few...this guy always scared me in games. He seemed to look for contact...but he was the one making it.

Also...now we won't see that beautiful tattoo of his twice a year.

[Rob O]

New Orleans has really bolstered their team with some strong moves this year. Last year may have been a fluke much like it seemed it was for the Eagles.
I don't look forward to seeing him again in a playoff game against the Saints since he always rose to the occasion when he played the Eagles.

[Lenny]

Shockey was not a great talent.

[Scott]

The most overrated player in the history of football.

[Ben]

now that shockey has a QB that wont take his crap, he might actually be more of a help.

[Kulp]

I don't think that's a high price at all for one of the best tight ends in football. Not only is Shockey an excellent receiver, he also does the little things that get overlooked. He blocks, he protects the ball, and he finishes plays.

The Giants aren't likely to find any two players in the second and fifth round that can impact a game like Jeremy Shockey.

"Shockey was not a great talent."
"The most overrated player in the history of football."

Consistently top 10 in major receiving categories among tight ends, and unlike most of his peers, he is also an effective blocker. Maybe he's not great, but he is a major upgrade for one of the best offenses in the league.

[TH]

Super Bowl wins with Shockey as main TE = 0

Super Bowl wins with Kevin Boss as main TE = 1

Yeah, I'm not really as excited to see him go as everyone else.

@ Kulp

Alex Rodriguez is constantly at the top of most major hitting categories. How many times has a team anchored by him won a title?

[AG]

Well, of course Shockey is one of the better TE's...it'll be interesting to see how he does statistically in one of the more passing friendly offenses in the league (Brees lead the league in attempts last year)

And the Giants got lucky last year. I don't think Shockey being sidelined had anything to do with it. They played really well defensively...how did Shockey change that one way or another?

The Saints are still pretty bad defensively...but it will be interesting.

[James Beale]

he may be overrated and he may be a team cancer, but I remember that one catch he pulled down over BDawk and I don't shed any tears to see him gone.

[Kulp]

@ TH

That information is misleading to say the least. Kevin Boss is far from a proven commodity. He had 5 catches in 4 playoff games. Sure, they went on to win the Super Bowl, but what does that have to do with Kevin Boss? He didn't cost them the game, that's it. Every team in the NFL, even the Giants, would still take Shockey over Boss.

He may have a big mouth and an attitude problem, but he's also fiercely competitive and very good at what he does.

@ AG

The Saints should be far better defensively if their off-season moves work out. Sedrick Ellis, Jonathan Vilma, and Randall Gay was a pretty nice haul.

[DCGreg]

@ Scott

No, that title precedes the Cowboys Roy Williams.

[GreggyD]

"The Giants aren't likely to find any two players in the second and fifth round that can impact a game like Jeremy Shockey."

Sadly enough, I worry that they might because simply based off of their 2007 draft class, Jerry Reese clearly knows what he's doing.

Kevin Boss does have a future in this league and he definitely will benefit from having Plaxico Burress and Steve Smith drawing attention away from him as a receiver, not to mention their excellent crop of backs including Jacobs and Bradshaw. I am not sad to see Shockey leave the division. Despite the fact that he was not the player he used to be as his career progressed, the guy is still one of the best in the league. I completely agree with Kulp that every single team in the NFL would take Shockey off the market if they needed the help at TE and the price wasn't too high. I think that this trade for the Saints (as well as the one for Jason Taylor that the Redskins just completed) were very smart moves for them. They gave up picks to acquire some of the best talent in the game.

[EricStAngelo]

I'm so tired of this whole judging a players greatness or even goodness by what the team has or hasn't won.
You can try your ass off and not achieve it all if you just don't have the talent, luck, health, heart or SO many other things around you.
I bet everyone on this board gets chills remembering Barry Sanders and all of his brilliant runs. Who on here is gonna say that Emmitt was better?
I have this same retarded conversation all the time with fellow guitar players. People come at me like the amount of albums you sell can translate somehow to being a better guitar player.
It would be nice if "success" were so easily measured, but we all know, in ALL walks of life, it's not.
Shockey's a beast, and we'd all be psyched if 5 were going over the middle to him, he was takin some brutal shots and giving em out just as bad, then he was getting up and screaming at the top of his lungs without his helmet, which had been knocked away from the violent collision. The Linc would rock and you know it.
Anybody else jonesin for some football?

[John]

Yeah, I'm ready for some football. While I don't like Shockey I can see him having a solid year for the Saints. I'm interested to see how the Eagles use Westbrook, Booker, and Jackson together. I would like to see a lot of end arounds, screens, and reverses that utilize Jackson.

[TH]

Sure, the stats say that Shockey's better, but he was part of the attitude problem that held the Giants back. I mean, is it any wonder that Tiki Barber had to retire and Shockey had to get hurt for the Giants to finally break through and win it all? Stats tell less of a story in football than they do in baseball.

[Kulp]

In the past decade:
Eagles NFC Championships w/ T.O. starting = 0
Eagles NFC Championships w/o T.O. starting = 1

What does that prove? Nothing. Even though T.O. didn't play against the Falcons, he contributed in 14 games prior. Shockey also played 14 games last season, and the Giants were 9-4 before he was injured. They were a good team with him, and they were a good team without him.

During the Giants playoff run, no team scored more than 20 points. Last season, when a defense held the opponent between 14 and 20 points, they won 67% of the time. Not coincidentally, the Giants were also 9-0 in the regular season when holding teams to 21 points or fewer.

The obvious reason for the success in these games in because it deflects the pressure away from the offense. When the other team isn't scoring, Eli Manning isn't forced to take over a game, and the Giants are able to use their power running game to eat up clock. That's one area where Shockey excels that won't show up in the box score; he is one of the top blocking tight ends in football.

Shockey has a noted attitude problem, but he is not the first. The Patriots have made success stories out of Randy Moss and Corey Dillon. Warren Sapp was constantly under scrutiny in Tampa for his mouth until he got his ring. Sometimes all these guys need is a change of scenery, or they just need to fall into the right situation.

I'm not predicting he goes on to win the Super Bowl with the Saints, but he certainly makes a good team even better. They have a franchise QB, a Pro Bowl left tackle, a #1 receiver, and a dynamic running back. When you add a Jeremy Shockey to that mix, you're looking at potentially the best offense in the NFC.

Hell yeah, I'm ready for some football.