Dat Trade
 

Another message board post.

http://forums.prospero.com/n/mb/mess...9053.1&ctx=128

Howard a Cowboy

This brings us to the current trade between the Cowboys and the Saints. From speaking with several people within the Cowboys camp we can now tell you that a trade is indeed in place. We can tell you that the trade infact includes sending the Saints the Cowboys 2005 2nd round pick and MLB Dat Nguyen. Despite previous reports, we can now validate that Dat Nguyen is back on the table and will be traded. Nguyen is in route to New Orleans tonight to take his physical. The Paperwork for the trade is being finalized; moreover, the trade will be sent out for final approval by the league. The Cowboys will be shelling out some big bucks for the newly acquired Darren Howard.

Howard is expected to be paid $15 million in signing bonuses and will be with the Cowboys for 6 yrs for $33 million.

Both Teams fill immediate needs. The Cowboys gain a true pass rusher they haven’t had since the 90s with Charles Haley and the Saints gain an impact MLB, with solid production.

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:weepy: happy & sad

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Well Done!

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Good trade for us... I\'m satisified. Solid MLB and with Watson playing OLB with Colby, we should be much improved. I always felt Watson didn\'t have the instincts to play MLB and was better suited outside. Sad to see Howard go but Smith will be a 10 sack guy easily.

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When this trade is official, If Dallas does go after Sharper of Houston, They will be Lethal on that side of the ball! Sharper came from a 3-4 defense scheme in Houst and Parcell\'s is sold that that\'s what he wants to run in Dallas this year. Wouldn\'t it be Ironic if these 2 teams met in the post season this year!

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Why would you think this? He has never played anything but MLB his whole career (I think, but I could be wrong, again).
He is probably the smartest, most instinctual LB the Haslet Regime has ever ever had.
The bigger question is can he play OLB as well as he plays MLB.
I agree he has all the tools to succeed outside, but I wouldn\'t hesitate for 1 second to leave him inside, where he has all the tools necessary to succeed.

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I think this will be a pretty solid crew with options. We should now have three good athletes Watson, Colby, and Ngyuen. They should be a very versitile crew. I agree that Watson does have the tools for the middle though. I think he has proven that already.

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Kind of funny, I thought he looked lost a lot last year in the middle. Maybe it was because he was a rookie learning a new scheme, or maybe he isn\'t suited for the middle. Doesn\'t matter now, he\'s going to move outside if Dat\'s here. I\'m not doubting his athletic abilities, just I personally feel he is better out there.

Darrin Smith was probably the smartest linebacker in Haslett\'s regime as headcoach. He was just getting old. Courtney comes from Notre Dame so I know he\'s not dumb either.

[Edited on 16/3/2005 by papz]

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you know-thats a good point-you can\'t just be a good athlete and go to notre dame...funny the same thing with utah..interesting.

I still would upgrade the linebacking corps in the draft, htough.

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Well - looks like all the screaming fans got what they wanted.

My take is that this is a good move, if it is true. Nguyen and a 2nd is good value and clears cap room. If the Saints can sign a DT then I might just get really excited.

Even without it, if the Saints can complete FA with a MLB, RT, FS, and TE, and no major losses other than Tebucky... I\'m happy. In fact, I might call it the best Saints offseason since the Haslett regime got here. A DT and/or any two of OT, DT, LB, CB, S, or QB in the first two rounds of the draft and I\'m stoked. Good job Saints... for once. :)

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He played OLB at ND before being forced to play MLB his senior season due to injuries that put Mike Goolsby on the sidelines for most (maybe all?) of the season. So he has played both OLB and MLB.

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And if this is indeed true (I have yet to see it on ESPN, KFFL or anywhere else), I will be one happy guy. I have thought Dat is one of the more under-rated LB\'s for a few years now. So to get him and a 2nd round pick, would be great.

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Interesting raGe I did not know that about Watson in college... thanks for the info. Getting a 2nd rounder was expected and getting Dat also is just icing on the cake. Let\'s hope they officially announce something soon though. We should still draft a linebacker, but now it\'s not as important and we can address our higher draft picks on other positions.

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yeah... not hearing anything... I haven\'t been able to confirm it thru some people from my end yet either. Starting to smell like a hoax.

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:cool:
When NEWORLEANSSAINTS.COM post it then I\'ll believe it--not until then!

KEEP THE FAITH--GEAUX SAINTS!

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The are 3 days later, once the NFL.com or other sources releases it

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Yea, thats what im beginning to think, too good to be true. But if it is, is there a certain time it will be announced??? is the 3p.m. deadline still a factor to where if something isnt werkd out by then, do we still have to pay the cap hit???? theres 17 minutes to 3, but i have a feeling something is already worked out completely if there is any truth to this rumor. If anyone hears anything, please throw it in here and quit leaving everyone in suspense..... o1higuy, im not sure if youve made my day better or worse.....

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It was a message board post that I saw earlier today. I have high hopes that its true. I would think they would say there is some kind of progress going on and I am seeing nothing as well. That scares me. I know Saturday it was all over ESPN News channel about the two teams talking. I am seeing nothing though. Accept other boards postings. Oh well. We\'ll see.

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I\'m reading some different info on him. the only season he played OLB was as a freshman reserve

From the official site:
COLLEGE CAREER - A three-year starter at inside linebacker for Notre Dame, where he was a finalist in 2002 and a semi-finalist in 2003 for the Butkus Award, annually given to the nation\'s top linebacker. He started his final 32 games and saw action in 43 contests in his career. Watson was an extremely productive player, finishing with 294 tackles (163 solo), 8.5 sacks for minus-62 yards, a fumble recovery, a forced fumble, eight passes defensed and seven interceptions for 202 yards in returns, including two touchdowns.



College

2003 - Third-team All-American choice and semifinalist for Butkus Award...Also a member of the American Football Coaches Association Good Works Team, becoming only the second Notre Dame player to earn the accolade...Opened all 11 games at inside linebacker, leading the team for the second-straight year with 117 tackles (69 solo) and adding 3.5 sacks and 15 stops for a loss...Also had two interceptions for 48 yards in returns...Had double-digit tackle totals in nine games...Had a season-high 14 tackles vs. Southern California...Posted 12 tackles, 1.5 sacks, an interception and four tackles behind the line of scrimmage vs. BYU...In finale vs. Syracuse, Watson recorded 10 tackles and an interception return for 48 yards.

2002 - All-American first-team choice by ESPN, The Sporting News and the Associated Press...One of three finalists for the Butkus Award...Started 10 games, missing two with a viral infection and the Gator Bowl with a right knee sprain...Still led the team with 90 tackles (51 solo), including three sacks...Also had 10 stops behind the line of scrimmage, four passes defensed and four interceptions for 123 yards in returns, including a 34-yard touchdown vs. Stanford.

2001 - Finished second on the team with 76 tackles (35 solo) and had two sacks, a 31-yard interception return for a touchdown and a fumble recovery...Posted a career-high 18 tackles vs. Nebraska.

2000 - Played in 11 games as a reserve at linebacker and had 11 tackles.

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Deadline doesn\'t matter... Howard signed the francise tender on Monday. If he didn\'t then he could become an FA and Saints could get 2 first rounders for him whomever signed him. Since he signed the tender as well the Saints can\'t work on a long term contract with him until July 15th. He also becomes a cap hit, unless traded

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Time is ticking... :shrug:

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Okay, this is not true. The only way Howard could become a free agent would have been if the Saints took the franchise designation off of him, which they would not do. Had Howard not signed the tender, he could have shopped himself to other teams but the Saints would still have been compensated had he been traded, like Orlando Pace, who did not sign his Rams tender, did by going to Houston to try and get something done. The deadline is for the Saints to trade Howard with a deal in place, protecting the team that would be getting him from having him hold out. IT had nothing to do with him becoming a FA again unless the Saints removed the tag.

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I agree, it still is not official!

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The website that wrote that article is known for writing a bunch of BS. It\'s simply not true.

Believe me .... Pay no attention to it...

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if this was from espn i would give it a lot more credit. i hope it happens. i would take just a second at thia point. but if we can get dat it would be beautiful. bockwoldt, watson and dat. boy you actually have some guys that hussle and can play.

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I\'m watching ESPN right now and they have\'nt mentioned anything about this yet, but it would not surprise me at all if this did happen. I hope this trade does happen, as it takes a alot of heat off of us in the draft. We can get a LB in the second round, QB in the first and CB with the other 2nd.

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no i havent heard anything through espn or anyone else that matters either chram. but i dont think i would take a qb in the first round. i\'d prefer to get brown. but i understand your point

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Hey SP, I just think taking a QB in the first round is going to either make or break AB and if we actually do get Dat we won\'t need to trade up or reach for another LB in the first round.

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no i agree with you that we need someone to push him. there hast been anyone pushing him and he is comfortable knowing he has the position. i\'d prefer brown in the first round. would love to get a real good tackle. but would like to pick up a qb in the draft.

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i think it was muchado about nothing with the deadline. plenty of articles are out there about edgerrin james still being traded. the t-p article stated:

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star-telegram.com

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Yea, stick a fork in these trade talks, cuz they DONE! nada going down anytime soon, but then again, ya never know. No more mentioning of this and getting everyone all giddy without some link or proof. And none of this, my cousin\'s girlfriends lil sister delivers water to the cowboys office and she heard that........ :mad:

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Hey I posted this stating clearly that this was just a post from another message board. It was not my intent for everyone to get so worked up over a message board thread. I never claimed it to be a reliable source.

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No worries bro, just saying, u keep passing on a rumor like that, people are gunna get excited. That would be a hell of a deal for the Saints, so everyone is gunna get a lil crazy. We are Saints fans, we will buy into anything. I know you stated it wasnt the most reliable source, but still, im just saying, id rather not hear anything unless it was from espn or nfl.com. i aint calling you out or anything, i just know how many saints fans contimplated suicide after the deal didnt go through. :casstet:

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Oh, no problem with your post. I just wanted to clarify myself. I was pretty excited myself. All the while knowing where it came from made me nervous. I didn\'t mean to sound so defensive. Its all good here.