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NY Giants trade TE Shockey to New Orleans

Sports writers in the New York area will now need to find another topic to write about. From ESPN-

Sean Payton’s persistence finally won out. The New Orleans Saints acquired Jeremy Shockey for a second- and a fifth-round draft pick in 2009.

“Jeremy is a player that we are excited to have on our roster. He is someone I am familiar with as a player,” Payton said. “He brings a skill set to the position that I feel will be a tremendous benefit to our offense.”

The Saints had been trying since February to acquire the disgruntled New York Giants tight end. First, they offered a second-round pick. Before the draft, they increased the offer to a second- and a fifth-round draft choice, but until a few days before the start of their training camp, the Giants felt he was too valuable to lose.

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“Jeremy brought great energy to the game every time he stepped on the field,” Giants team president John Mara said. “He had a close relationship with my father from the time we drafted him, and I had a couple of long conversations with Jeremy this spring and summer. From those conversations, it was apparent to me that a fresh start was the best thing for us and for Jeremy.”

Even through the weekend, the Saints had tried to broker a deal for Shockey. On Sunday, they tried to get in the middle of the Jason Taylor trade to see whether there was a way they could make a three-way deal that brought them Shockey, according to multiple sources. Taylor went from the Miami Dolphins to the Washington Redskins for a second-round pick in 2009 and a sixth-rounder in 2010.

Shockey, 28, a four-time Pro Bowler, has 371 catches for 4,228 yards and 27 touchdowns in his six-year NFL career. He grew disgruntled with the Giants because he wanted to be more involved with some downfield passing. New York valued his run blocking.

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The Giants still have five tight ends, including Kevin Boss, who started the last six games of last season. The others are rookie Eric Butler, Jerome Collins, Darcy Johnson and Michael Matthews.

Notwithstanding his four Pro Bowl appearances, my own opinion of Shockey is that he is overrated. This is going to be one of those deals where we won’t know who will come out on top for a few years.

 
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