Trade Deadline Analysis

                        Yesterday has quickly become the most talked about trading deadlines in recent memory. Between the mammoth Carson Palmer trade and the Brandon Lloyd and Derrick Mason trades, there was a, lot to discuss. While I don’t think that these trades are going to have a big impact on the playoff chase, they are still interesting. So let’s look at them one by one.

        Derrick Mason from Jets to the Texans for a conditional draft pick (Exact round was not found)

                        This move made sense for the Texans and the Jets. The Jets, in spite of passing the ball more often this season, aren’t doing a good job in the passing game. Mark Sanchez clearly isn’t ready for the big time as a passer and while Mason isn’t the receiver he once was, he is clearly better than the way he was being used in New York. The Jets at least got a draft pick out of his time with them.

The Texans needed a receiver like Mason to help fill the void left with Andre Johnson being out with a hamstring injury. While Mason is nowhere near the caliber of receiver that Johnson is, even when he was in his prime he wasn’t that good; he still brings a veteran presence and solid hands to a team that has a lot of raw receivers. Mason’s speed has been lost over the years, but he is still a great route runner and has good hands. He can fill in as a solid possession receiver while Johnson is on mend. This would complement the speedy, but inconsistent Jacoby Jones. He doesn’t have much value to them beyond this season, but if they don’t make the playoffs this year, the team could very well be gutted anyway. So, for a one year run, with Johnson hurt, it makes sense.

        Brandon Lloyd from Broncos to the Rams for a conditional sixth round draft pick. (Can become Fifth rounder if Lloyd catches 30 or more passes)

                        For the Broncos, this move did make sense. With Josh McDaniels gone and the passing game anemic at best, the Broncos needed to get what value they could for some of McDaniels most favored, Lloyd being the most successful of those. Lloyd led the NFL in receiving a year ago, but has hardly come close to matching the production he had that year. He still has the same skill set he had a year ago, however the change in offense and poor quarterback play has led to him looking like a shadow of what he was last year. He was also getting a fair bit of playing time over younger players who would be here longer than he would going forward. His history also has to be taken into consideration. While Lloyd has made a lot of highlight reel catches in his career, he has also never been consistent enough to hold on to a starting receiver job. The Niners, Redskins and Bears could tell you that. Lloyd was not going to be a part of theBroncos plans going forward, so getting what they could for him was a good idea.

                        For the Rams, this move also made a good bit of sense. While Lloyd in no way solves the Rams receiving problems, he does provide an experienced receiver to pair with Sam Bradford for the rest of the season. Lloyd can make big plays, which the Rams have been sorely lacking at receiver since Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce departed. Additionally and, most importantly, the coach Lloyd had the most success under, Josh McDaniels, is the offensive coordinator of the Rams. If there is anyone who can find a way to utilize Lloyd’ talents and bring the Rams offense out of the malaise it has been in for the first six weeks of the season, its McDaniels. Now again, this won’t solve the problem long term, and even with a contract extension, Lloyd has been very inconsistent in his time in the NFL and could very well have used up all his talent in that one last gasp in Denver. Time will tell, but for here and now, he’s a good addition.

        Carson Palmer from the Bengals to the Raiders for a 2012 first round pick and a conditional 2013 second round pick (Should the Raiders win a playoff game this year, the pick is elevated to a first rounder)

                        Trading Carson Palmer at this point made a ton of sense for the Bengals. It was clear that Palmer wasn’t going to play for the Bengals anymore and keeping him on the roster was only going to hurt the team. Mike Brown’s insistence that he needed to keep Palmer on the team to prove a point about a player honoring their contract was foolish. Now, with his trade, the Bengals really can move forward with Andy Dalton as their franchise quarterback and have two high picks to help build this team going forward.

                        For the Raiders, picking up Palmer made sense. While Jason Campbell has helped bring the Raiders from the league’s dregs to being a mediocre team, he is often hurt and may not being able to pull them any further. Palmer has some playoff experience and the tools to be a franchise QB. I say tools because he has not been particularly good the last few years and just may not be player he was before his knee injury in the 2005 postseason. For the short-term, Palmer provides the Raiders with a solid quarterback option while Campbell is on the mend from a shoulder injury. For the long term, he provides the Raiders with a viable contender for the starting quarterback job and ideally will be a modern day Jim Plunkett. However, the Raiders are more than just a quarterback away from a title game. Either way, Palmer is getting a second lease on life and the Raiders are getting an improvement at the quarterback position, one they hope will help Darrius Heyward-Bey advance into the next Cliff Branch while Darren McFadden becomes another Marcus Allen.