AP File
I’m not one who likes to rest on my laurels. Good is never good enough for me.
27 regular season wins in two seasons may be great for some teams, but unless it’s accompanied by a couple of Super Bowl championships, it’s not good enough for MY team.
Tom Brady will likely be back next season. With all due respect to recently franchised Matt Cassel, Brady’s addition alone makes the Patriots a Super Bowl contender again.
But “Super Bowl contender” isn’t enough.
The Patriots have the best quarterback in the league. They feature the most dynamic offense in the league. An offense that, with the possible exception of Jabar Gaffney, is going to return intact next season.
The reason they’re a contender, and not the favorite, is because of their defense.
The defense isn’t THAT far away.
The defensive line is one of the best in the NFL. Between Mike Vrable, Adalius Thomas, and Jerod Mayo they have the makings of a tremendous group of linebackers. If they can add another linebacker, either via free agency or the draft, they’ll be solid for at least another couple of seasons.
But the secondary is a problem. A serious problem.
Bill Belichick is a defensive genius. But his genius is limited when he doesn’t have a cornerback who can lock down one-half of the field.
Think about it. Belichick’s best defenses all featured either Ty Law or Asante Samuel. Last year, when the closest thing to a lockdown corner he had was Ellis Hobbs, his defense struggled.
When you have a guy who can lock down half of the field, you can live with lesser talent in the rest of the secondary. Ellis Hobbs is pretty good against number two wide receivers.
Not so good against number one wide receivers.
Which is why the Patriots need to make a play for Raider CB Nnamdi Asomugha.
Asomugha will be designated the Raiders’ franchise player. Al Davis absolutely loves the guy. The problem is, Nnamdi doesn’t exactly love life as a Raider.
Asomugha has indicated that he wants a fresh start in 2009. The Raiders don’t want to give him that fresh start, and are rumored to be thinking about slapping him with the exclusive franchise tag, which means he wouldn’t be allowed to negotiate with anyone but the Raiders.
But really, a trade makes sense for both teams.
The Raiders aren’t one player away. If they bring Asomugha back, they’re still not likely to challenge for an AFC title. They’re in need of rebuilding.
The Patriots, on the other hand, are a few players away. One of those players is a lockdown corner. And they have high draft picks to spare this season.
The Patriots have four picks in the first three rounds. They’ll likely get another third round pick when compensatory picks are awarded (for Samuel). They may get a few more early picks if and when they trade Matt Cassel.
Trading the 23rd pick in the first round, as well as another high draft pick like the Chargers’ second rounder, makes sense for both teams.
For the Patriots, it would get them that lockdown corner that Belichick needs to reclaim his title as defensive genius. For the Raiders, it will get them some cap relief and, more importantly, two high draft picks that they can use to help rebuild.
Would Al Davis make the trade? Probably not. Especially given his feeling that he was fleeced in the Randy Moss deal a few years ago.
But Belichick, Nick Caserio, and Floyd Reese wouldn’t be doing their jobs if they didn’t at least ask the question.
Sean Crowe is the New England Patriots Examiner and a Senior Writer / NFL Community Leader at Bleacher Report. You can email him at scrowe@gmail.com.You can check out his Bleacher Report archives here.
Click 'Subscribe' below and receive an email when there's something new to read!
Comments
If the Pats get this guy they will instantly have one of the better defenses in the league again. He is that good. Nmandi is by far the best CB in the NFL, he pretty much eliminates the top WR from the opposing team. Andre Johnson and Steve Smith were both invisible against him.
And with which money would they pay Asomugha? They already have 25% of their cap space in two quarterbacks.
you think a 23rd overall pick and a 2nd rounder will do it for Asomugha? You're crazy. If the raiders franchise him and somebody outbids them, they get two first round picks. Al Davis has said he'll again use the exclusive franchise tag on him - paying him 20% above the franchise #.... So, a franchise player is worth two first round picks... Al Davis thinks he's 20% better than this level... yet you think a late 1st / early 2nd will get it done. I'm not so sure.
Fred,
I think it would be a good deal for the Raiders, yes. Maybe throw an an additional 3rd rounder next year that could escalate to a first based on performance. The Raiders need multiple good players, not just one great one. If they were one player away, dealing Nnamdi would make no sense. But since they're multiple players away, I'm not sure keeping him makes any sense when they can get 2-3 high draft picks and $11 mil in cap space.
Jonas,
I'm assuming they trade Cassel. If they don't, you're right. No cap space to make the deal. Although, they still have $14 mil. They'd only need $11 mil to make the deal, then they'd extend Nnamdi and his cap number for 2009 would significantly drop.
-Sean
If you guys seriously think a mid/low first and a mid second is going to get that deal done you are delusional. Seymor, Warren or Wilfork would get it done but the Pats wont do that.
thank you tony.....23rd pick and a 2nd rounder for the BEST CB in the league??!! you're crazy!!
I think the reaction that you're getting shows that you are underestimating what it will take to get this deal done. This is below what Aso is worth- and you're right about one thing, because of the Moss trade the Pats would have to pony up MORE than Aso was worth to get a deal done.
Will never happen, Namdi will be a Raider for years to come. If not signed long term this year it will get done before next year. The Raiders are a young talented team and over the next year or two will be adding to their record (15) AFC or AFL Championship Games they have played in. If it was even considered which is a pipe dream it would take at least 2 number 1 picks, a number 2 and a number 3 before Davis would even take the call.
very good i dont really care what the patriots need to do but they need to get this guy. in my view i see Nnamdi better than samuel so if the patriots can get this guy any way possible they would be the superbowl favorites.
they might also need another lb and wouldnt hurt to sign another wr after gaffney might leave and stallworths departure last year.
Sonny, Sam, Nik, Tony:
Jared Allen, one of the best pass rushers in the NFL, got a first round pick (#17) and two third rounders. I think that's a decent comparison.
The franchise tag doesn't set the trade value. It's there to prevent other teams from signing the guy. There are very few players in the NFL worth 2 first round picks.
Tom Brady, Peyton Manning... maybe a few others...
I think we tend to overvalue our own players. If the Raiders want to move him, they'll likely get two high picks this year, and another pick next year.
But don't you think moving him is the right move considering:
1) The situation the Raiders' roster is in today
2) The draft picks they'd get in return.
-Sean
Two High picks and what else? Two starters? Because that's what it would take. Anything less and you're dreaming. The number one cornerback in the league. One of the few players that takes away half the field. That's worth a hell of a lot more than late first and second picks. I know you like the Patsies but your head a shake. At least now I know why you'e working in print?
Two High picks and what else? Two starters? Because that's what it would take. Anything less and you're dreaming. The number one cornerback in the league. One of the few players that takes away half the field. That's worth a hell of a lot more than late first and second picks. I know you like the Patsies but your head a shake. At least now I know why you'e working in print?
Yeah, I don't think a cover corner by itself is "the answer." I certainly don't think it's worth mortgaging the farm over, which is probably what it would take to get Asomugha. Wilhite and Wheatley were coming along very quickly toward in the second half of 2008 and will probably do just fine in 09.
The pass defense in 08 was probably more significantly weakened by the lack of their solid SS/OLB-hybrid, Rodney Harrison. The ever-fragile Tank Williams was brought in last year to be groomed to take over for Harrison, but, of course, went to IR before the season even began (I'm not sure that he'll be back, frankly). Then, when Harrison went down, they had to try to rotate a bunch of guys through that spot who weren't really equipped for it, including Meriweather and Lewis Sanders. This severely limited flexibility in coverages and often left the middle wide open (especially after Adalius Thomas was also injured), or it left Hobbs on an island.
My guess is that the Pats draft a SS/OLB hybrid in the second or third round, and I think they have their eye on Nic Harris who did fairly well at the Senior Bowl.
If the Pats try to fill any position in free agency or through a trade, I think they'll go for a linebacker, either inside or outside, who's a proven performer with some years left on his odometer - some one "like" a Vilma or a Crowder. My reasoning is that the LB corps has a lot of promising rookies, a couple of "ancient wonders" in Vrabel and Bruschi, but not much in between, save for Woods and Alexander. I think it's an experience-gap they need to fill now.
Anyway, just my opinion.
This is all very clever a statement to make and all, but -> why would they give up the big money and picks now when they could have just wrapped up Asante (who is a better cornerback, anyway) a year and a half ago?
I don't see them making such an admittance on how wrong they were to let him go.
The only precedent we have is that they brought in Randy Moss after mistakingly letting Branch go, but Moss is also a HUGE upgrade (all respects to Deion).
I don't see this happening. But I do agree that /something/ needs to happen.
I hope BB and the Pats pick up safety Nic Harris from Oklahoma. He's a very versitile player. He's played cornerback, free safety, strong safety, middle linebacker and special teams. He's seems to be an intelligent and instintive player and tackles well. He also should not go extremely high in the draft making him an inexpensive prospect that could do very well in the Patriots scheme. I think this guy will surprise many in the NFL.
I hope BB and the Pats pick up safety Nic Harris from Oklahoma. He's a very versitile player. He's played cornerback, free safety, strong safety, middle linebacker and special teams. He's seems to be an intelligent and instintive player and tackles well. He also should not go extremely high in the draft making him an inexpensive prospect that could do very well in the Patriots scheme. I think this guy will surprise many in the NFL.
Nnamdi deserves better than Davis, and would actually be an upgrade over Samuel you lost after 2007
As I recall this year, Pats and Cassel went right after Nnamdi in that game in Oakland. They lit him up. He looked terrible against the Pats.
PeterO, you didnt watch that game did you??Moss beat the 3rd cb for a TD and they were moving him away from Nnamdi.Its funny the announcers dont know the jersey numbers of the players..In that game they kept saying Nnamdi got beat and he wasnt even on the guy that made the play.Nnamdi isnt number 37 hes not 26 hes not 24 hes not 28 hes 21!!Give me a break!!!
Hello,people Samuel isnt a man corner hes a zone corner!!!Man corner is always better then a zone corner he locks the field down..Nnamdi gives up 10 catches a year and hes no good...lol..Do you forget when samuel would bite on pump fakes and flush his asignments down the toilet giving up a touchdown???I Remember....Nnamdi hasnt given up a touchdown in the last 3 seasons!!!
Got something to say?
Examiner.com is looking for writers, photographers, and videographers to join the fastest growing group of local insiders. If you are interested in growing your online rep apply to be an Examiner today!