Jeremy Shockey was traded to the Saints for two 2009 draft picks, a deal that's been rumored since the NFL Draft in April.
Shockey, last seen roaming the sidelines on crutches and then forced to sit in a luxury box and get toasted while his team shocked the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII, had worn out his welcome in New York, butting heads with the media, coaches, teammates and management alike. He also spent a good amount of time on the trainer's table, including a broken leg that relegated him to being just a spectator during the Giants' remarkable playoff run. That led many to suggest the team, and particularly developing QB and Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning, are better off without Shockey's antics. But make no mistake - when healthy, the Shockster has been as productive as any QB in the league not named Antonio Gates, averaging 62 catches and six TDs over the past four seasons.
Shockey should have no problem fitting in with the Saints and head coach Sean Payton, his offensive coordinator during his rookie year with the G-Men. He gives them the kind of receiving threat Eric Johnson and Billy Miller have been unable to provide, and the Saints should be able to create some nice mismatches lining up unique offensive players like Shockey, Marques Colston and Reggie Bush as targets for Drew Brees. If he proves himself to be fully recovered from that broken leg, consider Shockey a definite No. 1 fantasy TE, among the second tier of talent just below Gates and maybe Jason Witten.
And as for the Giants, Kevin Boss is a nice player but he's no Shockey. His real-life potential is probably greater than his fantasy prospects at this point. Count him as a backup.
Photo by The Associated Press
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