Last week I wrote a column after DE Jason Taylor signed with the Miami Dolphins. My take was after losing out on Taylor, the Patriots lost their chance of finding a competent veteran replacement for LB Mike Vrabel.
Just today I read in The Boston Herald that New England was discussing a trade with the Oakland Raiders for DE Derrick Burgess. Apparently these talks have been going on since around draft time. Oakland’s asking price is a second or third round pick for the veteran entering his eighth year.
Wait a moment…it’s coming…ah…Ah…AH…
…Uhhhhhhhhh…nothing. Nope, I don’t get a feeling of excitement for this potential trade.
It’s not that I’m unfamiliar with Burgess. I remember he started with the Philadelphia Eagles and signed with the Raiders as a free agent. Burgess had his best two years upon arrival in Oakland, with 27 sacks over two years and two Pro Bowl births.
Since then his production dropped to eight sacks in 2007 and just 3.5 last year. Injuries played a part in his reduced production.
Part of the appeal of Burgess is he’s in the final year of a five-year contract that pays him $2 million in 2009. If this trade happens, hopefully $2 million doesn’t buy just 3.5 sacks.
Some of the thinking behind this possible trade is Burgess could cash in on one final big contract as a free agent in 2010 if he has a highly productive season. Burgess will be 31 by the start of the ’09 season and he realizes this is his last chance to get paid. Motivation won’t be a problem.
Yes, Burgess has the potential to be a very good pass rusher. He proved it in the past. He also seems capable of making the transition from defensive end to linebacker as he played a hybrid role for the Raiders in the past. But, at 30, I wonder if his best years are far behind him.
It would be one thing if he had a long period of high production over his seven-year career. But a three-year 35-sack period bracketed by 12 sacks in his other three years (one season Burgess played one game so I’m not counting it against him) doesn’t make me a believer in Burgess.
Some will draw comparisons between Burgess’ situation with the trades for RB Corey Dillon and WR Randy Moss: players hungry to escape losing environments and play inspired ball now that they are in winning situations and games have meaning.
That’s stretching it. There’s a huge difference between Burgess and Dillon/Moss. Derrick doesn’t have nearly the production that Dillon and Moss had before arriving in Foxborough.
Dillon had six 1,100-plus seasons and three Pro Bowl selections in Cincinnati before the Pats traded for him. Moss was a five-time Pro Bowler with three All-Pro selections as he averaged more than 1,200 yards in his first six seasons with Minnesota. With that kind of history, it was easy for me to believe that they could return to form with the Patriots.
What’s the Burgess standard? Is he the man that exploded in his first three seasons with the Raiders? Or are expectations more in line with Derrick’s career average of about 7.5 sacks per season?
7.5 sacks would be a good year. It would be an upgrade over Vrable, but it’s not the kind of production that makes me want the Pats to get the deal done. Burgess would be an upgrade over the collection of unknowns, but his possible acquisition isn’t a move that excites me.
Keywords: Derrick Burgess, Mike Vrabel, New England Patriots, Oakland Raiders, Randy Moss
