Division Rivals Opihi and Freedom swing a deal

[Philadelphia Freedom]

The Freedom have acquired the Opihi's 1.11 and 2.15 selections in the 2004 rookie draft.

In return, the Opihi will receive TE Jeremy Shockey

The Opihi will confirm.

[Royal Hawaiian Opihi]

Always hating to give up a first round pick (especially with this year's new "owner friendly" scale)... the OPIHI are ecstatic to welcome a player of Shockey's caliber to the islands... even if he is a tight end!

We confirm the trade!

[Flaxwless]

Sorry Freedom, I can see what you're doing but I don't like this deal much either. Shockey is a stud TE and sooner or later he'll start grabbing more TDs giving him the chance to vye for #1 TE with Heap and Gonzo. Shockey gave you an advantage or 3/4ths of the league at TE, while it may not be much it's still an advantage.

In return for a player picked at 1.6, you'll recieve 1.11 and what equates to a 3.8 pick. Maybe if it were an actual 2nd rounder the deal would be a bit better, but right now I really don't like it much. The talent you grab at 1.11 could potentially be equal to Shcokey's output, but you're going against your reasoning for the Shipp deal. Proven commodities over rookie picks. But with 3 picks between 11 and 20, you will have a nice core. There should be a lot of WRs, possibly a franchise QB, and maybe even a TE or longshot RB.

However, I have to congratualte you on taking risks and making deals. That's how fantays football is won.

[Preds]

I disagree with the Insects, Shockey is 2 years into his rookie contract with 3 remaining. He's already paid as the #2 TE, and if he continues to perform his salary is only going to continue to increase in the last couple years of his deal.

That 1.6 from 2 years ago devalues as time goes by. IMO, you can't consider the 1.6 from 2 years ago to still be worth a 1.6 today, especially for a TE.

Matt got 2 very good years out of shockey. I think netting the 1.11 and 2.15 was a great deal on his behalf, WAY more than I would have paid.

[Flaxwless]

I would not be against the trade so much if he hadn't made the Shipp deal or vice versa.

For me in the Shipp deal he traded 1.3 for a known commodity in Shipp.
But in the Shockey deal he traded an known commodity, Shockey, for an unknown one.

So really for me his two trades does nothing to improve this year and slightly improvement for the future, although that's debatable.

Really he has traded the:

1.3 and Shockey
for
Shipp, 11th overall, LJ Smith

I would have much rather have...

Shipp
Shockey
16th overall
18th overall

instead of

Shipp
LJ Smith
11th overall
16th overall
18th overall

The 11th pick overall is less than the value of Shockey IMO, and apprently the Opihi agree. The way I see it he would recieve the same quality of talent at 1.16 and 2.1 than at 1.11 so there isn't any pressing need to pick up that pick.

To put it simpler:

Shockey, 16th overall, 18th overall > LJ Smith, 11th overall, 16th overall, 18th overall

But we'll see. The Shipp deal, is a solid deal if Philly wanted to win this year, but in dealing Shockey he almost negated the Shipp deal.

[Royal Hawaiian Opihi]

I figured the "primo" rookies will be gone by 1.11... oh sure, there'll still be some really good WRs, but we all know how many years it takes a WR (whose name isn't Moss or Boldin) to "come into their own" in the NFL. So I was basically giving up an "unknown" at 1.11 for a REALLY, REALLY GOOD TE in Shockey. I have 3 2nd round picks (2.09, 2.12, 2.15), so to lose the 3rd of those picks in order to make the Shockey trade, isn't that big of a deal for me.

Who knows... maybe Matt snags a "diamond stud in the rough" at 1.11... but no matter if Shockey's salary goes up in the last few years of his contract, he'll be worth it... and I think my Opihi will be a bit better off.

[Flaxwless]

agreed