Patriots Trade Richard Seymour to Raiders

The Patriots apparently no longer have one of the best defensive lines in the league. I woke up this Sunday morning, and to my absolute shock, learned that Richard Seymour was on his way out the door, having been traded to the Oakland Raiders.

The compensation, a 2011 first round pick. While that pick could end up being top 5 or top 10, and as Mike Reiss points out, the first year with a rookie pay scale.  Richard Seymour’s contract was expiring after the season, so that was probably another reason for the trade now.

Certainly, this is a trade aimed at the future, but I don’t get it because the Patriots want to win NOW.  This Patriots team is clearly a contending squad, and trading away arguably your best defensive player isn’t going to help in the short term.  Sure, Jarvis Green or Mike Wright can step in, but will they cause the same fear that Seymour has caused for years?  Absolutely not.  In my opinion, absolutely not.

Seymour, 29, can do say many things for a defense.  He is the prototypical 3-4 end, with the height, size, and strength to hold up blockers.  Yet, unlike most 3-4 defensive ends, he has great quickness and burst, and is an elite pass rusher who can stay in on passing downs.  He can also shift inside, as well as play outside in the 4-3.  He was the jack of all trades for defensive lineman, who got consistently double and triple teamed week in and week out.

In his eight years with the Patriots, Seymour clearly established himself as one of the franchise’s all-time greats.  He was the last remaining defensive player who won all three Super Bowls with the Pats, and he will get some hall of fame consideration after he retires.  There is always hope that the Pats could make a move to re-sign him next offseason, but that is really just wishful thinking.  For now, we should just sit back and remember the great moments from one of the all-time greatest Patriots, Richard Seymour.

#93 will always have a place in the heart of Patriots fans | Courtesy Patriots.com