No green and gold for Gonzalez

By Nik Sobic  |   Tuesday, October 14, 2008  |  Comments( 2 )

Green Bay Packers
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As the trade deadline quietly passed this past Wednesday, the Green Bay Packers and the Kansas City Chiefs were unable to finalize a deal that would have sent future Hall of Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez to the frozen tundra. After missing an opportunity in 2006 to trade for current Atlanta Falcons RB Michael Turner and in 2007 for superstar WR Randy Moss, Green Bay general manager Ted Thompson faces scrutiny for having a sleepy trigger finger.

Commentary: Although Thompson has faced plenty of negative media attention for allowing former Packers legend Brett Favre to end up in New York, Thompson was right to hesitate as far as Gonzalez goes. Many speculate that Chiefs G.M. Carl Peterson played an even bigger part than Thompson did in the deal that soured just before the trade deadline. After all, Thompson was willing to send a third-round pick to Kansas City for the 32-year-old; what's more, he offered to pay the remainder of Gonzalez’s three-year, $19 million contract.

With Aaron Rodgers' lack of affinity for throwing to tight end Donald Lee, it’s likely that even if Gonzalez played for Green Bay his productivity would have dropped. Lee is a solid tight end and because of his youth and relatively low salary, allowing Gonzalez to remain a Chief makes good business sense.

Fan Pulse: One of the reasons Gonzalez expressed an interest in Green Bay is because he thought of the Packers as a “contender” to win a Super Bowl in the next few years -- one of the only things missing from Gonzalez’s illustrious career. It’s quite a compliment, considering the source, when someone refers to the Packers as a contender. After all, they haven't haven’t looked like a championship-caliber team at times this season.

Fantasy Impact: Gonzalez remains one of the top fantasy tight ends, even on a lackluster Chiefs roster. He's on pace for nearly 70 receptions this season.

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About Nik Sobic

Nik Sobic is a Graduate of Harvard University and former NFL/CFL football player. When he isn't writing about sports he's writing comedy. Nik's unique background and passion for writing make him a valuable addition to our staff. Nik was born and raised a Packer fan-he hails from Milwaukee, WI. ...
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