saintz08

Packers unload McKenzie for second-round pick, No. 3 quarterback

CB Mike McKenzie finally got his wish — sort of. McKenzie, who has begged for a ticket out of Titletown since March, was traded on Monday to New Orleans. The Saints, however, scoffed at McKenzie’s previous demand to receive a new contract. In return, the Packers accepted a second-round pick, backing off their previous compensation request of a first-round pick to deal McKenzie, and J.T. O’Sullivan, who becomes the No. 3 quarterback with Doug Pederson ailing (broken ribs).

PFW: Is this a good trade for the Packers and Saints?

Reynolds: The fans in both cities might not realize it immediately, but both teams eliminated roadblocks by executing the trade. The deck of the Packers’ ship has been wobbly since McKenzie returned to the team on Sept. 15. McKenzie didn’t talk to the media, and after logging nine snaps in the dime defense vs. Chicago, didn’t practice or play in the next two games. He was a distraction in and out of the locker room, and the Packers, unwavering and unwilling to restructure a contract with three years remaining, had no other way to repair their relationship with McKenzie. But in dealing McKenzie, the Packers traded their best cornerback. He’s physical, supports vs. the run and can cover No. 1 wide receivers. But one scout told me last week that McKenzie wasn’t a top-15 cornerback. “He’s not fast, and he sure as hell won’t last on (the Saints’ indoor) surface,� he said. “Go back and look at his last two games at Minnesota and St. Louis; he got licked.�

The Saints view it differently, even though they have traded two draft picks (they dealt a fifth-round pick to Jacksonville for CB Jason Craft on March 7) for cornerbacks in the last six months. Many NFL scouts felt New Orleans dropped the ball in 2003, when they had a pair of draft choices in the top 18, but traded up to draft DT Johnathan Sullivan with the sixth overall pick. Sullivan has been a king-sized disappointment; the Saints could have drafted CB Marcus Trufant and kept DT Grady Jackson. Now that McKenzie is on board, the pass defense should improve, but the run defense is the problem for New Orleans right now. The Saints are seventh in the NFL vs. the pass, and the defensive line is getting enough pressure that 30-something CBs Fred Thomas and Ashley Ambrose can survive.

There is potential for McKenzie to become a significant headache in New Orleans. The Saints put several players ahead of McKenzie in the line for new contracts, and if they dole out enough cash to the likes of DE Darren Howard, RB Deuce McAllister and C LeCharles Bentley, there won’t be much left in the kitty to pay McKenzie.

Regarding the Packers' QB situation, O’Sullivan is a better prospect than Craig Nall, currently listed as No. 2 behind Brett Favre on the Packers’ QB depth chart. But he has got a long way to go. O’Sullivan has an awkward release, and his best asset is his feet. He can scramble to avoid pressure and pick up yardage on the run, but he doesn’t have a pro arm and is accurate in streaks. For the Packers, who haven’t been able to keep the young quarterbacks they’ve developed since 1992, O’Sullivan was a good addition.

http://www.profootballweekly.com/PFW...pins100504.htm

WhoDat

Sounds familiar.

BlackandBlue

Craig Nall is another Louisiana QB.