With the news of Albert Haynesworth being released from the New England Patriots today, the attention has naturally turned to their other big acquisition, Chad Ocho Cinco. Already, pundits have begun wondering as to when he will be released. However, despite Ocho Cinco’s lack of production on the field, and his supposed inability to grasp the playbook, neither Bill Belichick nor Tom Brady appear to be overly concerned. Why would that be?
Perhaps the biggest clue to the solution would be to take a look at how the roster, and subsequently, the offense, is constructed. As had been previously mentioned on the blog, Ocho Cinco is presently nothing more than the fifth receiving option at best. In fact, the argument could be made that both Danny Woodhead, and, if healthy, Kevin Faulk would be ahead of Ocho Cinco on the pass catching hierarchy. On the surface, this would make Ocho Cinco quite the luxury item.
All of this masks the probable reason for Ocho Cinco’s continued presence on this roster. Bill Belichick is known for his tendency to acquire the next piece of the puzzle, ready to slot into a starting role, even if the starter has a year or more to go before being a free agent. In Wes Welker and Deion Branch, the Patriots have two starting receivers that happen to be in the final year of their contracts. The Patriots may have Welker’s replacement with Julian Edelman. But do they have Deion Branch’s?
Now, look at the fact that Ocho Cinco signed a three year contract this offseason. Belichick knows how this offense is constructed, and had to know that Ocho Cinco would not get many opportunities this season. What that essentially adds up to is to make the 2011 season a red shirt year for Ocho Cinco. He has no pressure to perform, can work on learning the playbook, and can develop chemistry with Tom Brady. This is a move that would provide the Patriots with a player for the 2012 season who can step right in and pick up where Branch left off.
In the end, Chad Ocho Cinco was not about this season. Bill Belichick signed him for 2012 and 2013, when he will be needed to step in for Deion Branch. And that is a pretty shrewd move.
Showing posts with label Chad Ochocinco. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chad Ochocinco. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Thursday, October 20, 2011
The Time Is Now
There are no more excuses for Chad Ocho Cinco. No longer can it be said that he’s going through an adjustment period. If he is going to perform at all for the Patriots, it will happen next week, or it will not happen at all.
Let’s put aside the sarcasm for a moment. Stop with the Ocho Stinko and the NoCatchO jokes. It’s time to face facts. First, Ocho Cinco did not have a full offseason to learn the playbook, the routes, and to get extra tutelage from Tom Brady and Bill Belichick. His offseason began at training camp; his first six weeks were his preseason. Quite simply, he had not had the time to adjust from being on the Bengals to coming to a perennial playoff team like the Patriots.
Also, expectations of what Ocho Cinco can be for the Patriots have to be tempered. Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez are major targets in the passing game. Wes Welker is the third down possession guy. Deion Branch is Brady’s favorite receiver, and always has been. So, in all seriousness, Ocho Cinco is, at best, the fifth target in the passing game. How many receptions can he realistically be expected to get?
However, the bye week has come at a fortunate time for Ocho Cinco. He has obviously gotten frustrated with his lack of performance. All he really wants is to be a contributing member of a championship caliber team, which he had never had the opportunity to be a part of.
Come Week 8 in the NFL? The excuses end. Either Ocho Cinco gets it, or he doesn’t. He has had his opportunity, and he must now seize it. If he doesn’t? Well, he will be nothing more than an afterthought, a forgotten man on a deep team that looks like it’s going to have a deep playoff run. And for Ocho Cinco, to be forgotten is worse than not being productive.
The time is now for Ocho Cinco, or it will never come.
Let’s put aside the sarcasm for a moment. Stop with the Ocho Stinko and the NoCatchO jokes. It’s time to face facts. First, Ocho Cinco did not have a full offseason to learn the playbook, the routes, and to get extra tutelage from Tom Brady and Bill Belichick. His offseason began at training camp; his first six weeks were his preseason. Quite simply, he had not had the time to adjust from being on the Bengals to coming to a perennial playoff team like the Patriots.
Also, expectations of what Ocho Cinco can be for the Patriots have to be tempered. Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez are major targets in the passing game. Wes Welker is the third down possession guy. Deion Branch is Brady’s favorite receiver, and always has been. So, in all seriousness, Ocho Cinco is, at best, the fifth target in the passing game. How many receptions can he realistically be expected to get?
However, the bye week has come at a fortunate time for Ocho Cinco. He has obviously gotten frustrated with his lack of performance. All he really wants is to be a contributing member of a championship caliber team, which he had never had the opportunity to be a part of.
Come Week 8 in the NFL? The excuses end. Either Ocho Cinco gets it, or he doesn’t. He has had his opportunity, and he must now seize it. If he doesn’t? Well, he will be nothing more than an afterthought, a forgotten man on a deep team that looks like it’s going to have a deep playoff run. And for Ocho Cinco, to be forgotten is worse than not being productive.
The time is now for Ocho Cinco, or it will never come.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Top Five NFL Trade Candidates
Now that there is a light at the end of the NFL lockout tunnel, it is time to turn our attention to possible moves once the CBA is officially agreed upon. Below is a list of the top five players that are most likely to get traded.
1. Kevin Kolb, QB - With the franchising, and eventual resigning, of Michael Vick in Philadelphia, Kolb has become a bit of a luxury. He is a young quarterback who has shown flashes of brilliance when he has had the opportunity to play. He turns 27 in another month, and is just about to hit his prime as a quarterback. He has a good arm with solid accuracy, and while he doesn't run, he can escape a pass rush. Teams desperate for a quarterback that they can build around should be calling Philadelphia as soon as players can be traded.
Possible destinations - Seattle, Arizona
2. Chad Ochocinco, WR - With Ochocinco, a lot of attention is paid to his antics and colorful personality. Yet, lost in all of this is that he is a productive receiver who can stretch the field. Since he became a regular starter in 2002, he has only had one season of fewer than 65 receptions. He is on the final year of his contract as well, and will be motivated to get the next payday. Chad also just wants to win. Do not discount how much the affect of leaving a losing culture like Cincinnati will have on him.
Possible destinations - New England
3. Kyle Orton, QB - Suppose you found out that you could get a quarterback for your team who has back to back seasons of over 3500 yards passing, very good accuracy, does not turn the ball over, and had previously taken a mediocre team and brought them to the playoffs. Then suppose you found out you could get him without giving up a lot. You would be pretty excited, right? So why is it that people regard Kyle Orton as not being a worthwhile option? He would be a safer option than Kolb, and would cost much less.
Possible destinations - Arizona, Minnesota
4. Carson Palmer, QB - The Carson Palmer situation is a sticky one. He has stated repetitively that he has no interest in being a Bengal and will retire if he is not traded. Meanwhile, the owners of the Bengals are stating that they will not trade him, as that would establish a dangerous precedent. So, for now, Palmer is stuck in limbo. However, if the Bengals' front office realizes that getting something is better than having nothing, Palmer will draw interest from teams looking to have a veteran presence ahead of a developing quarterback.
Possible destinations - Miami, Tennessee
5. Donovan McNabb - Ah, Donovan McNabb. A quarterback that for much of his career was overrated to the point where he almost became underrated. Now with the fiasco that is Mike Shanahan and the Washington Redskins, McNabb is on the block just one year after he was the darling of their eye. Again, it probably would not take much to get him, as they are seemingly just wanting to make McNabb disappear. Yet, this is a guy that still has something left in the tank, and would be a good mentor for a young, mobile quarterback.
Possible destinations - Minnesota, Tennessee
It should be interesting to see where these players end up, if they do get moved. Look for a lot of movement in the abbreviated free agency and trade period before camp. This will be fun to watch.
1. Kevin Kolb, QB - With the franchising, and eventual resigning, of Michael Vick in Philadelphia, Kolb has become a bit of a luxury. He is a young quarterback who has shown flashes of brilliance when he has had the opportunity to play. He turns 27 in another month, and is just about to hit his prime as a quarterback. He has a good arm with solid accuracy, and while he doesn't run, he can escape a pass rush. Teams desperate for a quarterback that they can build around should be calling Philadelphia as soon as players can be traded.
Possible destinations - Seattle, Arizona
2. Chad Ochocinco, WR - With Ochocinco, a lot of attention is paid to his antics and colorful personality. Yet, lost in all of this is that he is a productive receiver who can stretch the field. Since he became a regular starter in 2002, he has only had one season of fewer than 65 receptions. He is on the final year of his contract as well, and will be motivated to get the next payday. Chad also just wants to win. Do not discount how much the affect of leaving a losing culture like Cincinnati will have on him.
Possible destinations - New England
3. Kyle Orton, QB - Suppose you found out that you could get a quarterback for your team who has back to back seasons of over 3500 yards passing, very good accuracy, does not turn the ball over, and had previously taken a mediocre team and brought them to the playoffs. Then suppose you found out you could get him without giving up a lot. You would be pretty excited, right? So why is it that people regard Kyle Orton as not being a worthwhile option? He would be a safer option than Kolb, and would cost much less.
Possible destinations - Arizona, Minnesota
4. Carson Palmer, QB - The Carson Palmer situation is a sticky one. He has stated repetitively that he has no interest in being a Bengal and will retire if he is not traded. Meanwhile, the owners of the Bengals are stating that they will not trade him, as that would establish a dangerous precedent. So, for now, Palmer is stuck in limbo. However, if the Bengals' front office realizes that getting something is better than having nothing, Palmer will draw interest from teams looking to have a veteran presence ahead of a developing quarterback.
Possible destinations - Miami, Tennessee
5. Donovan McNabb - Ah, Donovan McNabb. A quarterback that for much of his career was overrated to the point where he almost became underrated. Now with the fiasco that is Mike Shanahan and the Washington Redskins, McNabb is on the block just one year after he was the darling of their eye. Again, it probably would not take much to get him, as they are seemingly just wanting to make McNabb disappear. Yet, this is a guy that still has something left in the tank, and would be a good mentor for a young, mobile quarterback.
Possible destinations - Minnesota, Tennessee
It should be interesting to see where these players end up, if they do get moved. Look for a lot of movement in the abbreviated free agency and trade period before camp. This will be fun to watch.
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