What’s up RaiderNation? I am sure you have all heard the news of the Murphy trade to Carolina by now. But was this trade a big mistake on the part of the Raiders? Of course, there is no way to know how all of this will pan out right now. But let’s take a closer look at it.
First of all, let me say, that I have always been a Louis Murphy fan. From the moment Al Davis picked him, I just knew that he had found another one of those “diamonds in the rough” that he was so famous for. But I felt the same way about Chaz Schilens, and he just could not ever stay healthy enough to play. Now on the tails of the trade I am hearing that Murphy is injured again, tweaking a hamstring. My guess is he was trying to impress and went a little too hard. Hopefully, he will bounce back quickly.
So let’s take an objective look to the options the Raiders had with Louis Murphy. One option would have been to keep him. Murphy is a solid reciever, and when healthy, has proven he can contribute to the team. But with the latest additions to the Raider roster, Murphy would have had to spend a lot of time on the bench, if he even made the roster. There is no question that he could have been no better than 4th on the depth chart, and that was before the addition of Juron Criner, and Rod Streater, both of whom really impressed in mini-camps and OTA’s. Add to that the fact that Murphy’s salary cap hit for this year was $1.2 million. With his history of injuries, and the fact that there were 5 other WR’s who impressed more than he did during the off-season, it is easy to see why the Raiders would be tempted to trade him. It appears to be for a 6th or 7th round conditional pick. What those conditions are, I don’t know as they have not been disclosed, but the decision to pay someone 1.2 million to ride the bench, or trade them for a 6th or 7th rounder, is a no-brainer in my book.
Let’s also look at this from Murphy’s perspective. Yes, he was happy to be a Raider, and had a great camaraderie with the other players. But he had almost no chance of starting (barring multiple injuries to other WR’s), and might not have even made the roster. With him going to Carolina, he is now on a team that, aside from Steve Smith, has an extremely weak group of WR’s. In fact, if he can overcome this hamstring tweak quickly, he could possibly be a starter opposite Steve Smith. Add to that the fact that he will now be teamed up with a young, up and coming star QB in Cam Newton, I think Murphy is now in a better position than he was with the Raiders.
To me, this is a win, win, win situation in which Murphy, the Raiders, and the Panthers all get something good out of the deal. You can’t go wrong with a win, win, win. I will miss Louis Murphy being a Raider, and I wish him the best of luck, but I think this trade was the best thing for everybody concerned.
Well, that’s it for this week. Take care! Peace out RaiderNation!!
Old Timer
Questions? Comments? Email me at OldTimer@silverandblackdaily.com
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Did the Oakland Raiders make a mistake in trading Louis Murphy?
What’s up RaiderNation? I am sure you have all heard the news of the Murphy trade to Carolina by now. But was this trade a big mistake on the part of the Raiders? Of course, there is no way to know how all of this will pan out right now. But let’s take a closer look at it.
First of all, let me say, that I have always been a Louis Murphy fan. From the moment Al Davis picked him, I just knew that he had found another one of those “diamonds in the rough” that he was so famous for. But I felt the same way about Chaz Schilens, and he just could not ever stay healthy enough to play. Now on the tails of the trade I am hearing that Murphy is injured again, tweaking a hamstring. My guess is he was trying to impress and went a little too hard. Hopefully, he will bounce back quickly.
So let’s take an objective look to the options the Raiders had with Louis Murphy. One option would have been to keep him. Murphy is a solid reciever, and when healthy, has proven he can contribute to the team. But with the latest additions to the Raider roster, Murphy would have had to spend a lot of time on the bench, if he even made the roster. There is no question that he could have been no better than 4th on the depth chart, and that was before the addition of Juron Criner, and Rod Streater, both of whom really impressed in mini-camps and OTA’s. Add to that the fact that Murphy’s salary cap hit for this year was $1.2 million. With his history of injuries, and the fact that there were 5 other WR’s who impressed more than he did during the off-season, it is easy to see why the Raiders would be tempted to trade him. It appears to be for a 6th or 7th round conditional pick. What those conditions are, I don’t know as they have not been disclosed, but the decision to pay someone 1.2 million to ride the bench, or trade them for a 6th or 7th rounder, is a no-brainer in my book.
Let’s also look at this from Murphy’s perspective. Yes, he was happy to be a Raider, and had a great camaraderie with the other players. But he had almost no chance of starting (barring multiple injuries to other WR’s), and might not have even made the roster. With him going to Carolina, he is now on a team that, aside from Steve Smith, has an extremely weak group of WR’s. In fact, if he can overcome this hamstring tweak quickly, he could possibly be a starter opposite Steve Smith. Add to that the fact that he will now be teamed up with a young, up and coming star QB in Cam Newton, I think Murphy is now in a better position than he was with the Raiders.
To me, this is a win, win, win situation in which Murphy, the Raiders, and the Panthers all get something good out of the deal. You can’t go wrong with a win, win, win. I will miss Louis Murphy being a Raider, and I wish him the best of luck, but I think this trade was the best thing for everybody concerned.
Well, that’s it for this week. Take care! Peace out RaiderNation!!
Old Timer
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Questions? Comments? Email me at OldTimer@silverandblackdaily.com