Detroit Trades For LB Julian Peterson

I missed this one at first, but the trade of Detroit's DT Cory Redding for Seattle's LB Julian Peterson was a huge NFL trade. One reason why it was such a huge trade was that NFL teams rarely make a big trade.

And these weren't two scrubs either. When Redding signed his current contract, it made him the highest paid defensive lineman in the NFL, even if Matt Millen was the one doing the negotiating. Peterson is still an outstanding linebacker and represents a huge upgrade:

I wish they could have traded down to Seattle's #4 pick as part of this deal, allowing them to draft DT B.J. Raji, but there is very little hope that a trade involving the #1 pick will ever happen.  Even so, this is a good deal that upgrades the linebacker corps immediately.

This looks like a good deal from Seattle's point of view too because it will help their franchise player, LB LeRoy Hill:

Hill is clearly a strongside linebacker. Once Seattle committed to him long term, it created a log jam that ensured someone was going to be overpaid to play out of position. Instead of letting Hill walk or overpaying Hill to toil on the weakside, Tim Ruskell has freed the logjam, returned Hill to his rightful place, freed cap space and actually added talent.

Any talent they get from the deal is just a bonus. But from a talent standpoint, Peterson is better than Redding. Arguably a lot better. This doesn't turn Detroit into a fearsome defense, but it is a step in the right direction.