a genius at work again

the genius that is bill belichick was in full bloom on sunday when he stunned the football world by trading his veteran starting defensive left end/tackle to the oakland raiders for the raiders #1 pick in the 2011 college player draft ... i fully understand some will suggest i am drunk on the foxboro kool-aid ... if i am, it is only because foxboro kool-aid has been so refreshing and fulfilling the last 8 years

ok, i'll concede ... short term, the trade adds to the many questions about the strength of this year's defense ... vrabs is gone to kc ... rodney to nbc ... tedy to espn ... and now the big sea to oakland ... that's alot of rings ... that's alot of leadership ... gone ... quickly ... clearly the defense is being retooled around vince wilfork, ty warren and jerod mayo ... three days ago the defensive line unit was a known strength ... now there will be questions about jarvis green, derrick burgess, ron brace (r) and myron prior (r)

longer term, this trade is grand larceny ... this trade is just one more example of why many say bill belichick is often 3 steps ahead of everyone else ... kinda like a 4th round pick to oakland for randy moss

the facts

• richard seymour was a first round draft pick (6th overall) of the new england patriots in 2001
• 8 years a starting defensive end/tackle for the patriots
• 3 times a super bowl champion (xxxvi, xxxviii and xxxix)
• 5 times selected to the pro bowl (2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006)
• in the last of a 3 year, $30 million contract
• a $3.65 million salary cap hit to the patriots in 2009
• a free agent at the end of the 2009 season if not resigned or franchised by new england
• the patriots would have received a 3rd round compensatory pick in the 2010 draft if/when seymour signed with another team as a free agent
• traded to oakland for the raiders #1 pick in the 2011 draft

the variables

• the patriots were not going to resign or franchise (@ $12 million) seymour after the 2009 season ... allegedly richard requested a new deal at the beginning of training camp ... and the patriots said no thanks
• the oakland raiders have sucked as a football tean since early in the decade ... and with owner al davis in charge of the franchise and quarterback jamarcus russell leading the team's offense ... the raiders will probably still suck in 2010 ... meaning their 2011 1st round draft pick should be top 10
• the nfl should have in place a new collective bargaining agreement which would govern the 2011 draft ... this new agreement may well include a rookie salary cap making a top 10 draft pick far more valuable than it is today with out of control rookie salaries

what are the experts saying

mike lombardi of national football post has this to say

christopher price of weei.com wrote this

cold, hard football facts says this

more to come