The Saints dumped tight end Jeremy Shockey on Tuesday and while some are surprised by the move, it’s hard to fault New Orleans given the circumstances.
Shockey was scheduled to make $4.5 million next season, is injury prone and was less effective than fellow tight end Jimmy Graham in Sean Payton’s offense last year. At 30, it’s clear that Shockey’s best days are behind him and his nine seasons in the league have taken a toll on his body.
As often the case when a player is cut, his release got me thinking about the trade the Saints made in 2008 to acquire him from the Giants. On paper, New Orleans definitely got the better end of the deal. Shockey racked up 139 receptions, 1,460 yards and six touchdowns for the Saints over the last three seasons. He also helped them beat the Colts in Super Bowl XLIV by catching a touchdown pass in the second half.
The second round pick that the Giants acquired in the deal was used on linebacker Clint Sintim, who only has 33 tackles in two seasons and regularly can’t find the field. The fifth round selection that New York also received in the trade netted quarterback Rhett Bomar, who is now on Minnesota’s roster.
But just because Sintim hasn’t panned out (yet) doesn’t mean the Giants didn’t find value in trading Shockey. It’s well known that he was a constant distraction for Eli Manning, who went on to have a career-year (statistically, at least) in 2009 when Shockey was in New Orleans. It has also been noted that Manning played better the year the Giants won the Super Bowl because Shockey suffered a season-ending injury in December.
Thus, trading Shockey offered New York addition by subtraction.
Where he’ll resurface is anyone’s guess but if I were to make a prediction I would say Miami. He played for “The U” in college and while Anthony Fasano is a solid option as both a blocker and receiver, new offensive coordinator Brian Daboll loves to work the middle of the field with his tight ends (almost to a fault).
Of course, the Patriots proved last year that teams can be highly effective with two tight ends, so Shockey could wind up anywhere.
