Once again, the NFL trade deadline passed with a whimper, not a bang.
The New England Patriots grabbed linebacker Jonathan Casillas from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for a swap of lower draft choices Tuesday, the Patriots' second linebacker acquisition in a week. The Bucs then moved safety Mark Barron, a first-round pick in 2012, for a No. 4 and a No. 6. The biggest move came less than two weeks ago when the Seattle Seahawks dumped wide receiver Percy Harvin to the New York Jets for a sixth-rounder.
Overall, the 2014 trade season was one of the weakest in years. Just 50 trades were executed, and only 25 involved players. The rest were draft-day trades of picks.
Here is the amazing summation: No team that traded a player acquired any pick better than a fourth-rounder. The Buffalo Bills gave up a fourth-round pick to acquire running back Bryce Brown from the Philadelphia Eagles. The Bucs sent tight end Tim Wright and a fourth-rounder to the Patriots for guard Logan Mankins. The Bills got a No. 4 from the San Francisco 49ers for wide receiver Stevie Johnson.
I think what we've seen in the 2014 trade season is going to be the trend of the future. Teams value draft choices so much that they aren't willing to sacrifice higher picks for veteran starters. Look at the Seahawks. They gave up a No. 1, No. 3 and No. 7 for Harvin and then moved him after one year for a No. 6. The Indianapolis Colts are still waiting for Trent Richardson to come close to the value of the first-round pick it cost to acquire him last year.
With the way the collective bargaining agreement of 2011 limits salaries for draftees, more teams are trying to win with younger rosters. To do that, general managers need quality draft choices. To succeed under the salary cap, a team must hit on picks in the first three rounds and turn them into starters. Signing starters to second contracts after four years is expensive, which is why only a little more than 20 percent of the draft choices in any given year re-sign with their teams.
A general manager occasionally will roll the dice and give up more than a fourth-rounder for a player. But the bigger the contract, the harder it is for a team to get much value in return. When it comes to trades, teams look more at a player's contract than his scouting report.
So how strange was this trade season? The best acquisition has been a retired player. Baltimore Ravens linebacker Rolando McClain came out of retirement and was traded to the Dallas Cowboys, along with a seventh-round pick, for a sixth-rounder. McClain has been one of the best middle linebackers in football this year.
The second-best acquisition was Darren Sproles, who went from the New Orleans Saints to the Philadelphia Eagles for a fifth-rounder. Sproles has been electric in Chip Kelly's offense.
From the inbox
Q: I have heard a lot of folks talk about how coach Mike Smith is on the hot seat for the Atlanta Falcons. You heard how owner Arthur Blank said after the meltdown against the Lions on Sunday, "There's no way you lose that game." At 2-6, clearly they are underachieving, but at what point does Thomas Dimitroff receive some blame for this? Coaches have to coach well to keep their jobs, and some are better at doing more with less talent than others, but Dimitroff should have done more to shore up the offensive line and the defense -- two areas of weakness last season -- than he did in the offseason.
Rob in Toccoa, Georgia
A: I'm sure both Smith and Dimitroff will be under review during the second half of the season. Both are good football people, but it will be hard for Smith to return if the Falcons have another season of double-digit losses. As for Dimitroff, he will get some of the blame, but I think Blank still respects his ability to put together a roster. Dimitroff put enough talent on the field for the Falcons to make the playoffs four out five seasons from 2008 to '12. The Falcons have a franchise quarterback in place with Matt Ryan. Blank may handle things much like Houston Texans owner Bob McNair did last year. McNair used the final month of the season to see what big names were available. He went for Bill O'Brien, hiring him from Penn State, and kept Rick Smith as the general manager. If Blank sees a coach who wants control of personnel, then Dimitroff might be in trouble. I think he stays.
Q: Will the Oakland Raiders win more than two games this year? I like Derek Carr, but I see no real running game and no defensive line -- a pure disaster if you want to win games. I also think the GM and interim coach will be gone at the end of the season.
Mike in Byron, Minnesota
A: I think they will finish 2-14. That could cost Reggie McKenzie his job even though Mark Davis, the owner of the team, likes him. McKenzie gambled on free-agent veterans. One by one they are breaking down with injuries. Carr looks promising. What Davis has to determine is whether the Raiders should stay with Carr next year or draft one of the top quarterbacks in what is expected to be a great quarterback class. Regardless, the situation is a mess.
Q: What has happened to the Carolina Panthers' defense? Last year, one could say they had the best front seven in all of football. They had the second-best run defense and led the NFL in sacks with 60. Seven games into the season and they have already given up more TDs than they did all of last year. Is Greg Hardy not playing really that big of a difference? The front seven is virtually the same as it was last year minus Hardy, and while they did lose their entire secondary, they had three new guys last year as well.
Andrew in Point Pleasant, New Jersey
A: Losing Hardy is a big reason for the decline. Along with being a great pass-rusher, he was good stopping the run. Other than Kawann Short, the defensive tackles haven't equaled last year's play. The Panthers entered the season thin in the secondary and not as talented. I thought the Panthers had the second-best front seven in football last year, behind only the 49ers. The decline has surprised me.
Q: I have been watching Trent Richardson since he was a freshman at Alabama. I couldn't believe it when the Indianapolis Colts were able to acquire him. But, despite his recent improvement, I am stunned by his inconsistent productivity. He is a legendary workout warrior, but while incredibly powerful, I believe he has become too muscle-bound and has therefore lost his burst, elusiveness and agility. His running style is now more like that of a fullback. I'd like to know your opinion on the reason for his sudden loss of speed and lack of breakaway ability.
Dennis in Indianapolis
A: Like you, I keep waiting for Richardson to have a breakout game. Last year, he spent the season learning the Colts' offense instead of concentrating on scouting reports of the opponents. He danced too much at the line of scrimmage. This year, there is improvement in yards after contact but there needs to be more. Now, he has a hamstring injury.
Q: What is with Julius Thomas catching nine TDs in five games and then barely getting looked at in the red zone by Peyton Manning the past two weeks? Given Manning's comments about the scoreboard operator last week, do you think he is teaching Thomas a lesson concerning his "it's too easy" comment caught on the mics? Conspiracy theory: Ownership told Manning to find other targets to reduce Thomas' negotiating power (stats) given contract extension discussions. There has to be a reason the past two games are different from the first five, as Thomas is too good of a red zone target.
Mike D in Chicago
A: No conspiracy theory here. Manning goes to the guys who are open. Clearly, teams are paying more attention to Thomas and giving him extra coverage. The best way to judge the stats is too look at the end of the season. Everyone gets their numbers in a Manning offense. Plus, Manning wants Thomas to do well enough to earn big money. That will all work out. What Manning wants to do most is win another Super Bowl or two.
Q: This is entirely speculation, but I wonder if the increase in ligament injuries to knees in the NFL is associated with widespread HGH use. HGH causes changes in tendons, ligaments and cartilage, generally making them stronger but less ductile, which would make them more susceptible to rupture from an impact (even a non-contact impact, such as a hard cut). It will be interesting to see if the rise in ligament injuries subsides once HGH testing has taken effect.
Eric in New Orleans
A: I guess we will start finding out over the next three years. First, we don't know the percentage of players who use HGH. If the percentage is small, then that isn't the case. But if there is a good percentage, you may be on to something. I still remember the injuries mounting up after the league started testing for steroids. It took a couple of years to sort out the problems. I think the non-contact injuries are more a result of changes in offseason training. It should be an interesting couple of years.