Trade Analysis 2

Nick Gets:
Torrey Smith WR BAL
Matt Schaub QB HOU
Le’Veon Bell RB PIT

Gutman Gets:
Steven Ridley RB NE
Philip Rivers QB SD
Jerome Simpson WR MIN


#HotSportsTake: Wow Ridley is really worth that much?? I understand the flexibility that Philip Rivers allows Gutman but giving up a WR2 in Smith and a starting RB in Bell is an awful lot for one big name…

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Most Valuable Addition: Even if I am hesitant about his long term potential Ridley is the
unquestioned star of this trade. If he can last a few more games without fumbling then
maaaaybe he will finally take all the carries back from Bolden and Blount. The real questions come in Week 11 when Shane Vereen is projected to come back from his injury. Ridley only has 4 games as unchallenged RB1 before then so if he is unable to seize control of the job then you know that Bill Belichick will have no problem giving the load to Vereen when he gets back.

Potential Starters Gained: This is a huge trade for Nick as his wide receivers have been an abomination since the draft. With Torrey Smith on board he finally has a WR comfortably within the top 25 and most weeks is a top 20 receiver. While Le’Veon Bell is highly unlikely to get two touchdowns every week he still is a starting running back every week in our league and once his bye is over will be in the lineup every week. The fear is an aggravation of his foot injury could sideline him once again later this year. Giving up Rivers hurts this week because Griffin is on bye but from now on you won’t have to deal with a QB dilemma which will make your weekly roster decisions easier.

Gutman is actually quite deep at WR so Torrey doesn’t hurt him as much as I originally assumed. T.Y. Hilton has been a pretty big disappointment this year after being on most people’s sleepers list before the season started but between him, Steve Smith, Anquan and Jerome Simpson you should be able to field at least two capable receivers every week. And Ridley can replace Bell in your lineup next to the Muscle Hamster. Philip Rivers becomes Kaepernick insurance and your QB position now comes down to matchups which can be difficult to successfully predict every week. The real question is why do you have the Cowboys defense on your roster when they are playing premier offenses until week 9 against Minnesota? I think it’s time to drop them and probably Kyle Rudolph for deep sleepers like Kenjon Barner, Keenan Allen, or Terrence Williams so at least you have potential for growth/injury insurance as the season progresses.


Nijo Trade Grade: Originally I loved this trade for you, after looking a little deeper I still like it I just don’t think it was as much of a robbery as I anticipated. You get two every week starters out of the deal and the receiver options you had to deal with before Torrey were really disgusting. Even if Ridley ends up doing significantly better than Bell over the course of the year I don’t see you getting too worked up about it because of your security at wide receiver now. So I’m going to give you this. Overall Trade Grade: A-


Gutman Trade Grade: After looking at your other wide receiver options and your clear need to make a deal at 1-3, I understand why you did what you did. Ridley could be the home run that sneaks you into the playoffs. And I also like the flexibility of having Philip Rivers to play the matchups with Kaepernick so you can stop being so 49er reliant. So my original take was a little strong, I give you credit for making the move when Bell’s value was high.
Overall Trade Grade: B (could be an A if Ridley returns to RB1 status)