With less than a month to go before the 2017 NFL season starts, the receiver will have to learn a new offense and get into rhythm with a
http://www.texansprosale.com/kareem-jackson-jersey-c-1_42.html new set of quarterbacks after being traded last week from the Bills to the Rams.
In baseball or basketball, a newly traded player can usually step into the action with his new team immediately. In football -- where terminology and philosophies can vary significantly from team to team, and where being in sync with your teammates is so crucially important -- it's not so easy to swap squads.
That said, I think it's easier for teams to pull off trades today than it was when I was with the Dallas Cowboys. Teams are putting a lot more resources into pro scouting than they did in my day, meaning pro scouting departments are much better, which leads to greater knowledge among potential trading partners. Combine that with the urgency to win, and trades are just more likely to happen than they once were.
Last week's moves -- Buffalo sent Watkins and a 2018 sixth-round pick to Los Angeles for cornerback E.J. Gaines and a 2018 second-rounder and also traded cornerback Ronald Darby to the Eagles for receiver Jordan Matthews and a 2018 third-rounder -- reminded me of a pair of trades I made in the 1970s. The first: In the 1972 preseason, Roger Staubach went down with an injury, leaving us with just one quarterback, Craig Morton. So we had to make a deal with the Bears to bring in Jack Concannon in August. The second: In 1975, coach Tom Landry walked into my office and declared that he wanted to
http://www.armacan.com/ed-dickson-jersey-c-1_25.html trade John Niland away. I asked if he was sure -- Niland was a six-time Pro Bowler -- and Landry said he was, because we had Herb Scott to play behind him. With Scott likely to beat Niland out for a job that year anyway, Landry reasoned, why not try to get some value back for Niland first? So I shipped Niland to Philadelphia that September. Niland played one more year, while Scott played 10 more -- and the player we drafted with the pick we got back for Niland, Tony Hill, was another 10-year player who made a three Pro Bowls.
As for Bills' moves, I think they make sense for all teams involved, at least as it seems now.
The Rams needed to make a splash. If he stays healthy, Watkins can be a big-play machine and inject some serious excitement into Los Angeles' offense. The Eagles, who had a surplus at receiver, added a press-man cover corner in Darby who should thrive in coordinator Jim Schwartz's defense. The Bills got back a corner in Gaines who is probably a better fit for their defense than Darby and a receiver in Matthews who will work hard to make an impact. Importantly, Buffalo also added two picks for next year, further bolstering the team's war chest (the Bills now have six picks in the first
Ed Dickson Kids Jersey three rounds) ahead of what is expected to be a strong quarterback draft.
Of course, it's too early to truly evaluate these moves. But it's not too early to take a look back at some prominent late-summer trades from the past few years. Below, I've reviewed and ranked five relatively recent preseason deals that worked out.
