Shocking! Patriots trade pro bowl defensive lineman Richard Seymour to the Oakland Raiders

September 6, 2:55 PMNew England Patriots ExaminerSean Crowe

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Seymour, a five-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman,
   has been traded from the New England Patriots
   to the Oakland Raiders.
   (AP Photo/Winslow Townson, file)

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In what has to be considered a shocking move, the Patriots have traded pro bowl defensive lineman Richard Seymour to the Oakland Raiders for a 2011 first round draft pick.

Seymour has been the leader of the Patriots defensive line since he was drafted in 2001. He was a part of all three Super Bowl championship teams.

Some thought Seymour’s play had been in decline coming into last season. He’d been hindered by nagging injuries and wasn’t putting up the type of number everyone expected from the dynamic defensive end. But Seymour rebounded in 2008 and put up a career high 8 sacks, which for a 3/4 defensive is a pretty big number.

We’ve gotten used to the Patriots fleecing Al Davis in trades ever since the Randy Moss deal was made, but the Raiders may have gotten the better end of this one.

If healthy, Seymour is worth more than a single first round pick from a draft that won’t take place for another year and a half. He will instantly improve that run defense, and in a 4/3 he’ll likely add an inside pass rush as well.

That said, his contract is up after this season. If Al Davis hasn’t at least talked to the player about a contract extension, this is a terrible move. The Raiders aren’t one player away from a Super Bowl, so they shouldn’t even consider giving up a first round pick (even one that’s two years away) for a one year rental.

If Davis made this move without having at least the framework for a contract extension in place, he’s once again proven that he’s the worst owner / GM in professional sports.

If Davis made this move and is able to extend Seymour’s contract, this is the best move he’s made in over a decade.

From a Patriots perspective, the move, while shocking, makes sense. The Patriots were not going to be able to resign Richard Seymour and Vince Wilfork. They weren’t going to be able to franchise both of them. So in moving Seymour now, they’ve gotten a first round pick for a player they weren’t going to retain past this season.

Why a 2011 first round pick instead of a 2010 first round pick?

The Raiders aren’t very good. They project to have a top ten pick in next year’s draft. The Patriots probably believe they’d have to play a top-10 pick in the 2010 draft ridiculous money, something they loath to do. A rookie slotting system is likely to be included in the next collective bargaining agreement, which will go into effect prior to the 2011 draft. So if the Raiders still stink (and let’s be honest, they probably will), the Patriots won’t have to give insane money to an unproven player.

But does this move make the Patriots a better team next Monday when they suit up against the Buffalo Bills?

In a word: No.

The Patriots have guys who can step in and play, like Jarvis Green and rookie Myron Pryor. But there’s nobody on the roster who can step in and do what a healthy and motivated Richard Seymour can do.

This may be an indication that the Patriots will play a significantly greater amount of 4/3 than previously expected. Maybe they’ll go to a 4/3 almost exclusively, with Wilfork and Warren in the middle.

Regardless, it’s hard to see how this helps the 2009 Patriots win a Super Bowl.

Shocking.

Or was it?

This is what we said about Seymour back on June 7th:

Combine the $3.3 million in cap savings with the injury history and Seymour could be moved before the season starts. He certainly won’t be cut, but a trade isn’t out of the question.

Just call me Nostradamus.

To fill Seymour’s spot on the roster, the Patriots have signed former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive guard Kendall Simmons. We'll have more on this move later tonight.

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Questions? Comments? Insults? You can email them to Sean Crowe at scrowe@gmail.com.