Before the draft, rumors were rampant about Shockey going to the Saints, and today it finally came to fruition. Just days before the opening of camp, the Giants cleared the air and get a #2 and #5 from the Saints in next year’s draft for the disgruntled tight end. Back in April, I discussed the reasons for not doing it. However, during the OTA’s, in which Shockey was present but wasn’t seen anywhere near the field (he was supposedly rehabbing), there was quite a bit of uneasiness when the tight end’s name was brought up, and an apparent shouting match between Jerry Reese and Shockey could have been the final straw. Whether it ever happened (or to what degree) we’ll never know, but that could have been the clincher which ended this saga.
In the end, the Giants did the right thing. While the prospects of having Kevin Boss and Shockey in double sets is very appealing, it doesn’t really work if one of them isn’t on the same page as everyone else. And if Shockey was going to be this huge distraction during camp (with a press egging him on too), it really was the last thing the defending champs needed. Shockey was the last remaining player in that offensive huddle that looked through Eli. Now with both Tiki and Shock gone, everyone looks to the QB, not beyond him.
To steal a line from BBI, in which one of their loyal members posted: “I love Shockey, but I love Superbowls more.” I couldn’t have said it better myself.
