The rumors that have been circulating for the last month involve Jeremy Shockey to the Saints for safety Roman Harper and their second round pick (40th overall). The trade on the surface appears to have some validity. Shockey had his greatest success under Saints HC Sean Payton when he called the plays in New York. Plus, for different reasons, Shockey is not the focal point of the Giants offense (in fact, he greatest contribution currently may be his blocking in the running game). And when you consider that the Giants most pressing need is at safety, the trade makes even more sense (Harper started every game for the Saints last season). However, in my opinion, the trade should be avoided by both teams, and here’s why.
First, from the Giants perspective, Shockey is a proven commodity in the NFL. While he may not be the dynamic player he was early in his career, he still draws the attention of defenses and as mentioned above, really is a fine blocking TE. Combined with the emerging Kevin Boss, the Giants have great depth at this position (something that proved invaluable last year). With Boss, Shockey’s role may not be that prominent anymore, but he can still be very effective. Shockey doesn’t have to be the superstar TE, just a good TE. That old adage applies: less is more. Furthermore, Shockey is signed through 2012, making him even a more attractive asset. There are of course the well known negatives. Shockey is way too animated on the field, and frankly doesn’t back it up anymore. He doesn’t appear at times to be on the same page as Eli Manning (whose fault that is debatable, but it’s Shockey who doesn’t show for voluntary workouts). He still suffers from the occasional drop, and is constantly hampered by nagging injuries. I feel these negative, however, will be squelched due to the fact that this is now a football team, and it’s Eli’s team. That mark was stamped with the performance in the playoffs. Shockey will have little option but to follow marching orders.
From the Saints perspective, this player and a high pick is too much to give up and why would you be willing to give up a young defensive player when your main weakness is on that side of the ball? Harper was a high draft choice in 2006 who has started every game when healthy (21 games total), putting up nice stats. There definitely appears to be more upside to Harper’s game. Would Shockey enhance their offense? Surely. But you’d have to wonder about the baggage mentioned above that he would bring. The Giants can minimize this because Kevin Boss can take some of the focus away. With the Saints, Shockey would be front and center, and you’d be giving up a second round pick for a player that you can make the argument for is on the decline. But a change of scenery could just be the tonic needed for Shockey.
So is this truth or rumor? Would Jerry Reese really pull the trigger on this deal? Remember, Reese is playing with house money – he won the Super Bowl last year doing it his way. He rid the team of constantly injured players such as Pettigout, Emmons, and Arrington. Is Shockey next? Harper solves the safety issue, but immediately opens a hole at tight end, not a very strong position in this year’ draft. In all honestly, the trade makes more sense from the Giants perspective, as they’d be trading a player they don’t get max performance out of in return for more youth. In the end, though, I’m biased. I like Shockey, despite all his faults and believe that the combination of him and Boss will be dynamite. If it were next year, I’d be more tempted to make the trade. We’ll see if it happens, but I hope Shock stays. But I am not Jerry Reese.
