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- I'll start with the news that the Green Bay Packers missed out on RB Marshawn Lynch, who was shipped off to Seattle for a 4th round pick plus a conditional draft pick. But did the Packers really miss out on anything? I liked Lynch coming out of college, but he's been a very bland pro. His best pro season was 2008 when he averaged only 4.1 yards/carry but still made it to the Pro Bowl. That's his best season. And according to Football Outsiders, in 2008, he was ranked as the 24th best running back, right behind Detroit's RB Kevin Smith, and he was even ranked behind Smith as a receiver. Since then, he's been beaten out for playing time by RB Fred Jackson.
While Lynch is certainly better then current No. 3 RB Dimitri Nance, it isn't obvious that he's an upgrade over either FB John Kuhn or RB Brandon Jackson. Having depth is nice, but if he can't obviously make them any better, I don't see this as a lost opportunity. The key to running out the clock last week against the Lions was the great blocking by C Scott Wells and FB Korey Hall. They didn't need Lynch to make that happen.
And don't even get me started on whether Lynch would help them establish the run early in the game.
- As you're probably reading this, WR Randy Moss to the Vikings is probably a done deal. It's a nice win-now move for the Vikings, to get Moss while he's still got some No. 1 WR juice left in him, and the Vikings have a serious need for a No. 1 WR. Whereas Lynch wouldn't provide much of an upgrade for the Packers, Moss is a big upgrade over WR Bernard Berrian or any of the other non-Percy Harvin WRs. The bad news for the Vikings is that it will cost them a 1st round pick to acquire a 33 year old receiver, but it's a win-now trade. And you've got to appreciate the unintentional humor of Brad Childress who said "I don't know anything about it. I'm watching film."
And I don't know what the Patriots are thinking here. Yes, it's a contract issue distraction, but removing Moss from the Patriots completely changes their offense, which is currently ranked as the best in the NFL by Football Outsiders.