Have you noticed the sheer volume of NFL off-season moves this year? It really is mind blowing when you think about everything that's happened in the past few months. We're talking blockbuster trades all over the place! Donovan McNabb, Brandon Marshall, Santonio Holmes, Anquan Boldin, Brady Quinn, Ted Ginn...just to name a few. Throw in all the free agents who found new homes: Julius Peppers, Larry Johnson, Willie Parker, Antonio Bryant, Jake Delhomme, Karlos Dansby. Oh and let's not forget that L.T. and Thomas Jones were released and signed with the Jets and Chiefs respectively. And now I'm hearing that Pittsburgh is entertaining the idea of dealing Roethlisberger? I am stunned! Seriously, this amount of moves involving players of this caliber changes the league dramatically. And why is all of this happening now, this year? Seriously, I can think of 3 other trades this decade: the Clinton Portis/Champ Bailey swap, the rebirth of Randy Moss in New England, and the Roy Williams practical joke in Dallas. So what makes this year so different? I have a theory...
The NFL's collective uncertainty of what will happen during the uncapped 2010 season coupled with the potential of 2011 being locked out has sent the entire league into mass hysteria.
Hysteria is such a broad term. Let's think about it as it applies to a riot. There are a few different types of rioters, let's review:
The Looter: This person takes advantage of the chaos by stealing things when no one's looking. This would be the Redskins when they "acquired" McNabb from Phili. The rest of the league is now jealous of Washington's new boom box and microwave. On a related note, Phili could also be described as the helpless kid on the street corner who just had his lunch money stolen from him.
The Save-Yourselves: Those who realize the situation, acknowledge the threat level, and dip out. Pittsburgh and Cleveland are prime examples. "Santonio Holmes looked at me funny so he's gotta go. He may have been the MVP of XLIII but I can't take his Troy Aikman face anymore...abandon ship!" "We moved up to draft Brady Quinn, gave him ample time to develop by letting him play X Box on the sidelines for 3 years...it's just not working out, we've gotta bail. Shoulda went with Seneca Wallace all along."
The fighters: These guys simply want to join the party! The "also's" of the group - no key roles but involved nonetheless. The likes of Jason Taylor, Ted Ginn, and Jake Delhomme fit this group. You know, the guys who were fighting for a job, trying to convince at least one team they can still play.
Obviously every situation is unique, but ultimately these moves are happening here and now because of money - a desire for more, or a lack of enough, depending on what side of the coin you're talking about: trader or tradee. Well, except for the last group. They'd probably play for free room and board at this point.
A player's agent is put in place to maximize his client's worth (and bank account). They're not stupid. They already know their unrestricted free agents can make more money by entertaining different offers...so this year when there is no cap on spending, they can potentially ask for and entertain bigger offers from richer squads. Brandon Marshall and Anquan Boldin are prime examples. Throw in the fact the draft begins tonight...oh my God, more hysteria! We've probably only seen half of the off-season's trades so far.
Fact: uncapped season to players and their agents = $$$. Realizing this...uncapped season to owners = holy shit! The inevitable standoff begins...
C:\> end rant
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