Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said today that a team made a huge trade proposal for one of his players. My first thought, based on the limited information offered by Mr. Jones, was that it had to be defensive end DeMarcus Ware, who is looking for a big contract. Who else could it be? The Cowboys made a blockbuster deal last year, giving up their No. 1 pick to Detroit for wide receiver Roy Williams. And based on his 15-game Dallas career, in which he’s scored only two touchdowns and has 30 catches, the Cowboys got the short end of that deal.
So back to the ‘Boys -- what other player on their team could command a significant price? Jay Ratliff is one of the best nose tackles in football and a disruptive force. Felix Jones is a great big-play back, but the Cowboys need both him and Tashard Choice to be their lead runners. My money is on Ware since it makes good sense to keep him on the team despite the low production numbers. There can never be enough value in return for Ware to make the trade work out for the ‘Boys. Just ask the Chiefs about trading a defensive rusher. The Vikings paid dearly to acquire Jared Allen, but it was well worth it because they got the better of that deal. Trading pass rushers is never a good thing.
Lorenzo Neal sounds off…
“Yeah, LT has lost a step, but losing a step for LT is still as good as anybody in the league. Last night, he was focused, he was ready to run, and when you took that away from LT, you might’ve lost your leader. You might have lost a guy that has been a pillar in this community, a guy that has been a diehard Charger that will bleed and die for that team. When you send that kind of message to LT, I think you hurt your team."
I would disagree with Neal. LT has lost a great deal and his numbers back up this claim. Since 2006, here are the stats:
LaDainian Tomlinson rushing since 2006
YPG TD
2009 46.7 1
2008 69.4 11
2007 92.1 15
2006 113.4 28
This is a steady decline in production, in large part due to injuries but also because of age. This five-time Pro Bowler is now 30 years old, and for a running back, that’s really old. Anyone who’s objective about the way Tomlinson is running would admit that he’s no longer explosive, no longer breaking tackles and no longer able to make the first guy miss. LT’s decline, along with some other Chargers, has made them a very average team in terms of talent.
Think about this: The two best players on the Colts, Dwight Freeney and Peyton Manning, are having their best years. Meanwhile in San Diego, Tomlinson and Shawne Merriman are playing well below their once-perceived talent level. Is it no wonder the Chargers are struggling?
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Remember when 99% of the known universe hated the Mario Williams pick because Reggie Bush was a 'once in a generation player'? And then 8-10 months later those 99%er's changed their story saying clearly Houston should have taken Vince Young all along? Good times.
I am a big LT fan. He is one of my all-time favorite NFLers, but the decline in his productivity is obvious. He is not the back he was in '06, and Merriman's foolish decision not to have knee surgery after the end of the '07 season is one of the biggest reasons the SD defense is struggling. Why he chose not to have surgery after that season I will never know. I hope he gets back to the player I saw his first 3 years in the league. Trading dominating pass rushers is never a good thing. I think it is rare to find great pass rushers like finding great pass rushers. Freeney in Indy is tearing it up. I look at him just blowing things up. He truly makes other defenders on the line better. Ask Robert Mathis.
No one would ever call Richard Seymour an elite pass rusher. A great DT? Yes. A 3-down disruptor? Absolutely. But a pure pass rusher? Never. In 8 years he averaged 5 sacks a year. Good, solid production.
The trade was all about getting the most for him right now, as his contract is up after this year and the Pats were not going to pay him what he wants. The fact that they got a first rounder for him is beautiful: they drove a nice, fully loaded Cadillac (not a Ferrari) for 8 years, turned it in and got a another brand new one straight up. Try that with YOUR car dealer.
Mr. Lombardi, Ware is an OLB not a DE. I have seen you make this mistake several times now.
And no, an OLB in a 3-4 is not the same as a DE on a 4-3.
We'll take Ware in Tennessee!!! Come on now!!
RE: LT. At least I was right about ONE thing this NFL season. Yep. He's done done done. Slow. Injury-prone. A crybaby. Whiney. San Diego would have done well to have traded LT and kept Michael Turner. I knew that would bite them in the ass.
"Patriots have depth at DE, Dallas does not. "
Pay attention: Seymour is a DE in a 3-4. That makes him closer to a DT in the traditional scheme (4-3). Ware is an OLB in a 3-4, which would make him closer to a DE in the 4-3.
Traditionally a DE in a 3-4 is not a pass rusher. The OLBs are.
The trade offer for Bennett came from the Bengals, not the Patriots.
Scott Bolander, maybe you should do some research before making a claim that a player's numbers are enhanced by steroids. Since I'm a Maryland alumnus, I did the research because I like to see Merriman do well in the pros. So if you saw my comment earlier you would have seen this information on Merriman's production before and after his suspension:
"Actually, Merriman was great after his suspension. He had 8.5 sacks in 7 games before suspension, 8.5 sacks in the 5 games after suspension (2006). The next year (2007), he had 12.5 sacks in 15 games. The year after (2008) he got injured.
After his knee injury however, he hasn't been the same."
Great point, Mike. This is a pass-first league now. Pass rushers and the threat they bring as well as the need to game plan to stop them means pass rushers are premium commodities. Just like QBs.
@Scott Bolander,
Great points!
The Dallas Cowboy website states that Cincinnatti may have willing to trade a number one pick for TE Martellus Bennett.
Lombardi, in the case of LT you fail to put down his rushing attempts per game are down, sure his yards are down with the great play of Philip Rivers and the move away from Schottenheimer's power running and more to Norv Turners pass friendly offence.
Tomlinson's yards per carry has fallen each of the last four years:
2006: 5.2
2007: 4.7
2008: 3.8
2009: 3.7
While I know Felix has his injury concerns thus far into his career, you have to wonder whether Barber has much tread left on his tires with the style in which he runs as well as his own nagging injury problems as of late.
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Oct 22, 2009
08:55 AM
It was the TE Bennett. The offer came from the Patriots.