It's only fair that a former first round pick with 7 Pro Bowls, 2 of which came after he was traded, would be a popular candidate for a guy Belichick let go too soon. Was the unexpected September 2009 trade of Richard Seymour a case of letting a guy go too soon?
It wasn't a popular trade when it happened, and it is still one which hurts most fans to think about. The last Sunday before the 2009 NFL season the Patriots traded Seymour to the Raiders for their 2011 first round pick.
WHY MAKE THE TRADE?- Heading into the 2009 season both Seymour and Vince Wilfork were heading into the last year of their current contracts. Being a little cash-strapped and anticipating Seymour would becoming a free agent, Belichick chose to get a 2011 first round pick over a 2011 third round compensatory pick. So, as usual, Belichick made one of his "what's best for the team" decisions. Since Wilfork did end up in a Patriots uniform for a few more years, it's hard to fault his decision to take that gamble.
WHY MAKE THE TRADE?- Heading into the 2009 season both Seymour and Vince Wilfork were heading into the last year of their current contracts. Being a little cash-strapped and anticipating Seymour would becoming a free agent, Belichick chose to get a 2011 first round pick over a 2011 third round compensatory pick. So, as usual, Belichick made one of his "what's best for the team" decisions. Since Wilfork did end up in a Patriots uniform for a few more years, it's hard to fault his decision to take that gamble.
PLAYERS GAINED BY THE EXTRA 1ST ROUNDER- During April of 2015 Tom E. Curran wrote an article Patriots still reaping rewards from Seymour deal. In it he points out the many players the Patriots acquired because of having that extra first rounder. Here are some highlights from his article:
- The Patriots selected Nate Solder with the Raiders pick
-
Ripple effect players
- Shane Vereen
- Chandler Jones
- Dont'a Hightower
- Mike Felger hated the trade (IMO- if Felger hates it, you know it was the right call)
MONEY SAVED- The Patriots saved just under $3.7 million by making the trade. Looking at Miguel's (@patscap) 2009 Salary Cap page, there appears to have only been one player who's cut or trade would have yielded a bigger cap savings. That player was Matt Light. His savings would have been $3.79 million. Considering his contract at that time was good through 2010, that wouldn't have been a good decision.
VERDICT- It was a hard decision for Belichick to make, no doubt. Had Bill not completely missed on the Adalius Thomas signing two years earlier, there might have been enough money to keep both Big Sey and Big Vince. I don't think this was a case of letting a guy go too early, as it was a financial decision made when the time was right. Seymour was coming off his first healthy season in a long time and the Raiders gave us a first round pick. A painful but correct business decision.
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Part 2
VERDICT- It was a hard decision for Belichick to make, no doubt. Had Bill not completely missed on the Adalius Thomas signing two years earlier, there might have been enough money to keep both Big Sey and Big Vince. I don't think this was a case of letting a guy go too early, as it was a financial decision made when the time was right. Seymour was coming off his first healthy season in a long time and the Raiders gave us a first round pick. A painful but correct business decision.
Part 1
Part 2
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