STATE OF THE SHIELD: Trades, Trades, Trades…

Did you hear the big NFL news? No, not that one. Not that one either.

Perhaps we should start from the beginning? Days ago Michael Bennett made his way to Philadelphia to bolster what was already arguably the best defensive front in the league. Many were left wondering where the salary cap addled Eagles would find the space for the DE and his 8.5 sacks. Most assumed further moves by Howie Roseman‘s team to allocate the necessary funds and they wouldn’t have to wait long. Today the team sent marginalized receiver Torrey Smith to the Panthers for young (and cheap) Cornerback Daryl Worley. It would be their second WR traded away thus far. Expect them to focus on replenishing through the draft. As for the Panthers? They get a vertical threat not seen since Ted Ginn. After dealing Kelvin Benjamin mid-season in 2017, they too will likely hunt for help through the upcoming NFL Draft and Free Agency.

But let’s get back to the really exciting thing today. No… the other one. Richard Sherman has been informed of his impending release by the Seahawks. Sherman will join CB Jeremy Lane in Free Agency as Seattle’s front office explores “financial flexibility”. Don’t be surprised if fellow L.O.Boomers Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor also find new homes. Thomas appears primed for the Cowboys “come get him” and no one is quite sure where or even if Chancellor will play next year. Pete Carroll haters rejoice.

Where was I? Oh, that’s right. The really big trade today.

Or, maybe…maybe it’s just the haul for the Browns as a whole. Yes, the Browns. Yes, the Cleveland Browns. The very same team that appears to have gotten their whole Josh Gordon fiasco sorted out. The team that already had five of the first sixty-five picks; two of them in the top five. Granted, upon swapping out QB Deshone Kizer for Buffalo’s Tyrod Taylor; they now have had all four Quarterbacks drafted in the first two rounds since 2000 waived or traded within three years of being selected. With that said, Cleveland now has John Dorsey at General Manager. Dorsey being the man directly responsible for the drafting of future Hall of Fame Quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Dorsey kicked his term off by bringing budding star receiver Jarvis Landry in from Miami and securing the necessary long-term contract to keep him. When the dust settles tonight Cleveland will have paired two Pro-Bowl offensive players and added starting caliber former First round pick in CB Damarious Randall. Better yet, they will have done it for pennies on the dollar and sacrificed none of their much-needed assets. Bravo, John. Bravo!

All-Pro Cornerbacks Aqib Talib, Sam Shields, and Marcus Peters are all on the Los Angeles Rams now. Do with that what you will. I can’t say anything about it that ESPN won’t say seven thousand times between now and next season.

Seriously though, there was really big news coming from the NFL today. None of it as big as Landry’s former college teammate Odell Beckham Jr. being caught on camera holding a blunt next to a woman chopping up lines of cocaine while he attempted to persuade her to have sex with someone else in the room. Not a lot can be gleaned from the three-second video except that people are too busy doing drugs to eat their pizza. I mean c’mon…who opens a pizza box and doesn’t take a slice? It’s ridiculous. Still, this will not likely have a positive impact on Beckhams upcoming extension negotiations. Negotiations stoked by Tampa Bay signing their own young acrobat-turned-receiver Mike Evans to a record-setting five-year deal today.

Something tells me the Dolphins will replace Landry with his former college teammate and South Beach won’t ever be the same. Or it will be exactly the same. Either way Dan LeBatard won’t shut up about it.

 

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