A stunner? Initially, for sure.
But given a few moments to consider it, trading Seymour just makes sense. He was entering the final year of his contract, and the buzz around Foxborough on Sunday was that his request to talk contract extension this summer was denied. In all likelihood, Seymour was headed for free agency in 2010, and Bill Belichick wasn't about to let a player walk without getting something in return.
If you haven't learned by now, this is about value. Seymour knew that. His teammate and linemate, Ty Warren, said Richard hinted to him that this day might come.
After all, he's played long enough for Belichick now to know. He watched this happen to so many teammates over the years — Deion Branch, Lawyer Milloy and Mike Vrabel, for starters.
The Patriots had an opportunity to get comparable value for Seymour, who was a top 10 pick in 2001. And the chances are good, given the sorry state of the Raiders franchise now, that Oakland just sent a top ten pick for 2011 the Pats' way.
If anything, the stunner is that the Raiders were willing to part with such a high pick for a 29-year-old defensive lineman in a contract year. But then again, these are the Raiders. Questionable might as well be a part of their mission statement.
"Any transaction we make is with the goal of what is best for our team and, as difficult as it is to part ways with a player of Richard's stature, many factors were taken into account when we considered this trade," Belichick said. "As an organization, we feel the trade with Oakland brings sufficient value and is in the long-term interest of the club."
Of course, this move does nothing to help the Patriots in 2009.
Seymour is a five-time Pro Bowler who was coming off an eight-sack season. There was every reason to expect big numbers this year, especially in a contract year.
But given the salary cap situation, the Patriots needed to make a move to free up space. Seymour was set to make $3.6 million in this final year of his four-year contract extension. Maybe this was done to allow the team to address Vince Wilfork's desire for a deal.
One of Belichick's strengths is his ability to keep one eye on the future. It's just the way he does business.
As Laurence Maroney pointed out — after hearing the news first from the media — are you going to argue with it?
