Total BS: Which NFL Team Made the Best Summer Trade?

Earlier this year, co-editor Joe Soriano and I began a new series on the site called “Total BS” (a play on the fact that our last names are “Baxter” and “Soriano”). We gave it a test ride and after a few months of fine tuning, we have opted to bring it back this year as a Wednesday staple.

So just when you thought it was safe…

Which NFL Team Made the Best Summer Trade?

Baxter says…

As we know, regardless of who’s playing behind center, who’s running the football and who’s catching it, nothing happens without a well-schooled offensive line in which all five players are on the same page.

That has been an issue as of late for the Atlanta Falcons, who have finished 29th, 32nd and 24th in the league in rushing, respectively, in rushing yards per game the last three seasons.

Yes, there has been a change of philosophy with this club since the days of rumbling Michael Turner. But with the addition of wideout Julio Jones in 2011, the Falcons have leant more towards throwing the football than running it with persistency. In recent seasons and with the team moving on from Turner, the team opted to replace him with veteran Steven Jackson. The team also added running back Jacquizz Rodgers as a change-of-pace option was part of the equation as well.

For the most part, the offensive line has let this team down on numerous occasions. Former first-round tackle Sam Baker battled injuries in his last few years with the club and was released this offseason. Surprisingly, the team’s new regime parted ways with reliable guard Justin Blalock. Head coach Dan Quinn appears determined to get this area secured.

Nov 24, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Tennessee Titans guard Andy Levitre (67) at the line of scrimmage during the fourth quarter against the Oakland Raiders at O.co Coliseum. The Titans defeated the Raiders 23-19. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Hence the addition of one-time Buffalo Bills and former Tennessee Titans guard Andy Levitre (for a pair of future draft choices) appears to be a tremendous move. In six NFL seasons with two clubs, he’s never missed a game and made all 96 starts with the Bills and Titans. While his two-year stint in Nashville didn’t necessarily live up to the billing or his lofty contract, he also played for two different head coaches in two years with the club.

There could be a lot of new faces on Atlanta’s offensive line in the coming days so stay tuned. For now, Andy is a dandy pickup for the Falcons.

What sayeth you, Joe?

Soriano says…

There were more trades than usual in the month of August, as teams were able to find trade partners willing to give up a mere late-round pick in order to guarantee that they would be able to snap up a player who would have otherwise been released. The “seventh-round conditional pick” has become the new throwaway piece that ensures a team will be able to take a gamble on another team’s trash, so to speak, and two notable deals of this nature were the Matt Barkley and Terrance West trades.

Sep 14, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders outside linebacker Sio Moore (55) catches the ball before the start of the game against the Houston Texans at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

The best recent trade, however, involved a sixth-round pick, as the Indianapolis Colts were able to bolster their pass rush further by sending a nearly inconsequential pick to the Oakland Raiders for Sio Moore, who was a third-round pick just two years ago. Moore is coming off of a serious injury and fell out of favor with head coach Jack Del Rio, so the Colts did well to scoop up a strong, fast, scheme-versatile, and athletic playmaking outside linebacker.

Moore’s tools give him upside, but he’s more than just a shot-in-the-dark on the part of Ryan Grigson and the Colts. This is a guy who has put up a combined eight sacks in his first two seasons, and he was one of the stronger 4-3 outside linebackers against the run last season with 89 tackles.

The Colts will be getting Robert Mathis back and signed underrated veteran edge rusher Trent Cole, but Moore gives them a younger player at the position and greatly aids their depth. Ideally, a contender with question marks in the secondary that is also missing their big-money 3-4 DE for the entire season would like to have serious depth at the outside linebacker position. Erik Walden and Bjoern Werner weren’t big enough factors last season, but Moore, Cole, and Mathis could give them a fearsome pass rush in 2015.

Although Moore isn’t a star and isn’t a sure-fire bet to have a big season for the Colts, his resume through two seasons is strong with respect to the stat sheet, and his measurable pop off the charts. With Mathis’s status up-in-the-air for Week 1 against the Buffalo Bills, trading for Moore is also a way for the Colts to hedge their bets with a cheap, young player who will make just $643,000 and $719,170 in the final two years of his deal.

Next: NFL: Greatest moments in every team's history

More from NFL Spin Zone

Home/NFL