Tuesday, October 14, 2008

First Down! Texas Popcorn Popping Soon...

You better get your popcorn ready. TO and Roy Williams are now teammates. There isn't even passes on a single team to satisfy one, much less both of them. Here's hoping that things work out well for Roy...next year. This year Dallas needs to lose as much as possible. With Romo out, Felix Jones out, their punter on IR, Terrance Newman inured, and Pacman told to pack it in by the Commish -- Dallas has got some serious issues. Thank goodness!

Even an 8-8 record and a mid-round selection in the first...third...and 6th... would make fleecing the Cowboys even sweeter.

WWJD - What Would Jerry Do? - the answer is PANIC. He has felt like he needed Roy since the beginning of the ifseason, and - quite frankly - it seems like he would be a good credible threat on the field with TO, and should really enjoy being back in Texas with his family. Roy is/can be one of the top dozen or so WR in the game. I'm surely not disputing any of that.

But back during the draft, Jerry didn't let his desires get the best of him. He held off Detroit's demands for more than their late round First. At the time, he just didn't feel it was worth it -- although better than the risks of taking a WR pretty much anywhere in the draft (as the Lions have definitively proven). What has changed? His team went from Dominant the first few games to getting outplayed by Washington, squeaking by a Cincinnati team that is as bad as or worse than the Lions right now - and far more talented. Arizona GAVE their game to Dallas with a nice Red bow. When they just wouldn't take it, even in OT, the Cards finally gave in and won the game I guess. This time. Oh, and broke their QB, Punter, and starting CB just for being so stuck up. Thhbbbt! *stick out tongues collectively at Dallas*

Even before the broken finger Romo was fumbling more than Kitna or Tatum Bell. (Averaging two per game)

So what does Jerry do to fix his teams woes? He pulls a Millen!! That's right! Jerry Jones pulled a page out of Millen's book and went an spent stupid on a skill position player when his problems right now are his Defense, his Oline, and guys dropping passes. Now, Roy might concentrate better in Texas - but he might not. If Jerry gets the Roy of three years ago -- the Roy of 2005 who went to the Pro-bowl. The Roy of 2006 who caught everything thrown his way with Furrey as the number two guy -- then he got a pretty good deal. But if he got the Roy of the second half of 06...or all of 07...or 08...who runs sloppy routes and drops easy passes -- He got totally fleeced. Panicking at 3-2...wow...what luxury. The Lions weren't even panicking til 0-4. Talk about needing a little perspective.

For once, the League is going "Wow. What the...." at a Lions trade - and it is the Lions on the good side!

To put this in real sharp perspective, last years Sack Leader at Defensive End (one of the VERY in demand positions in the NFL - more so than a #2 WR) Jared Allen went for a mid-1st, and two thirds (17, 75,83 overall) as well as swapping 6th rounders. A 6th for a 7th is about equivalent, though more in the Lions' favor -- which means that Jerry only paid a mid-third round pick less for Roy Williams than Minnesota paid for Jared Allen.

A single third round pick! Corey Williams, a starting DT franchised by GB went for a 2nd. Shaun Rogers went for a mid-third and a starting CB. Most players have been trading in the 4th or 5th round-pick range. The Jared Allen deal is the only one since Ricky Williams to the Dolphins that comes close.

I'm still not on the Mayhew for Gm bandwagon though -- while it's true he held out for an absurd price, being lucky Jerry Jones had his heart set on one fo your players isn't the same as evaluating talent.

This was a No-Brainer of a trade once that offer was out there, and for once the Lions not having a brain was a good thing.

We enjoyed your highlights Roy, but this trade is great for you and for Detroit.

See you next year in the playoffs. Wishing I had picked him up in my keeper fantasy football leagues though...

But really, who would have thought this would ever actually happen?

Is the curse truly over?? We can but hope, as always... IF...

BTW - Kitna was also placed on IR officially, along with Gerald Alexander. More on that and whoever the Lions sign to fill Roy's roster spot tomorrow. Great time to be a Lions fan - losses and all.

Lets see, who does Dallas play this week? *looks at schedule* - This week is "go St. Louis!"

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm kinda glad and interested to see Roy play on a team with a QB, RB, Tight End, hell, an actual talented football team.

However, he won't get to play with that team until a month from now.

In the meantime, I'm with DF, I'm rooting for Dallas to lose, and lose hard. Haha.

Overall, good move by the Lions, definitely the kind of thing we needed going into next year.

JJLions20 said...

I have to admit, I was never a big fan of Roy Williams. He was a pretty good receiver, but he talked a better game than he put up. You'd like the #7 pick in the draft to be dominant, and he really wasn't that. He wasn't worth the franchise tag, that's why this was a great deal. The Lions won't have to contend with a salary cap with two top 10 (probably two top five paid receivers.

I think after week 9 you'll see Rod playing all the rookies. If they show they are players, and actually win a few games, Rod and Mayhew may keep their jobs for a season.

One other interesting thing to think about. Roy's one of the few players in the NFL who actually gets 2 bye weeks. He only had a 15 game season. I wonder how that works with the pay checks.

Isphet said...

Yeah, Dallas' problem hasn't been putting points on the board, it's been their inability to keep other teams off the board. This was a silly trade on their part. The Lions got an absolute steal.

I'm nowhere near the Mayhew bandwagon, either. This was a great move, but a GM needs to evaluate and draft TALENT at least as much as he needs to be able to make good trade moves.

I really think that the Cowboys struggle the rest of the year and that they will be disappointed with Roy: he makes the EXACT same mistakes that their other more suspect WRs make: he drops passes and runs sloppy routes. I don't think that he's going to change his spots at this point: he is what he is.

Roy's certainly not worth what the Cowboys gave up for him; no matter how much we like the guy and wish him well. This was a great move for the Lions longterm.

Now I have extra incentive to root against the Cowboys, and they seem much more vulnerable now than they did a few weeks ago. If they end up like 7-9 and miss the playoffs, and the Lions also get like the first or second pick in the draft.. the new GM is gonna have a LOT of great picks to build a team with.

If we can somehow get rid of Redding to make cap room for next year, that would be even better. Our cap room issues are getting better with the C-Rog ruling and all those bad contracts for BMW and Joey beginning to fall off... This should be an interesting offseason for the Lions.

CHIEFGER139 said...

GOOD NEWS
uppon hearing it i immediatly picked up mc donald for my fantasy team and have him starting next week-what a deal-mayhew that was beautiful-too bad noone wanted kitna?? we probably just wanted too much-no hurry we can trade him in the off season after finding out if stantons worth anything.

Anonymous said...

chief

Thanks. I picked up Furrey. Mike knows Roy's position, McDonald is the inside slot guy.

I posted this over on the other place, and some were luke-warm to the idea that Furrey is better RIGHT NOW than Roy. I am NOT saying that Furrey is better, I am just saying that nine (9) drops in the past two weeks is playing "toro" with passes and Orlovsky and the team. I think Roy was starting to mail it in. Not that he never took plays off when they were designed to go to the opposite side.

Mike Furrey doesn't mail it in. He doesn't quit. He plays hard. He will block every play. He holds his blocks, and if the backs break it back against the grain, they won't have to worry about the end being sealed with the "chip" block because Furrey will get the job done.
-nubs

Anonymous said...

I was just reading a story on Mlive and saw this paragraph that Jeff Backus wrote and kinda chuckled a little bit! Maybe you guys will find the humor in it to:

Left tackle Jeff Backus said he needs to keep his focus on his own job.

"I take pride in my job, no matter what our record is, no matter what decisions are made upstairs and no matter what personnel moves are made," Backus said. "I've still got to do my job, because 52 other guys are counting on me, and I've got to look myself in the mirror. If I didn't, everything I could to prepare or let some negative things or changes hold me back from preparing, then I'm not being accountable to my teammates."

I am sorry but i think the only thing he can prepare himself for is to give up sacks!