Building a Frachise 101: The Mayhew Strategy for Trades
By Editorial Staff
Mayhew and Trades
As stated in earlier posts once, Martin Mayhew had a coaching staff in place the roster needed to be transformed. There are three ways to improve a NFL roster: FA, Trades, and the Draft. This article will focus on trades.
As soon as Mayhew took over GM responsibilities he made a trade hours before the trade deadline came into effect. Mayhew showed how shrewd he can be when he traded WR Roy Williams and a 7th Rd selection to the Dallas Cowboys for a 1st Rd, 3rd Rd, and 6th Rd selections. It wass widely acknowledged that this was way more than Roy Williams was worth. Williams was also a FA who the Lions would have allowed to leave.
In his first off season, Mayhew made a few trades. Trading FS Gerald Alexander to the Jaguars for WR Dennis Northcutt was a wash. Trading Jon Kitna to the Cowboys for Anthony Henry was a loss. Trading DT Corry Redding and a 5th Rd selection to the Seahawks for Julian Peterson was a wash. So nothing that would impact the future of the Lions was done in Mayhew’s first offseason…this was not the case in the second off season.
The 2010 offseason would signify in later years how to effectively use trading to build one’s roster. Lions traded a 7th rd Selection to the 49ers for QB Shaun Hill. This trade provided the Lions with a very talented backup QB. Lions traded OLB Ernie Simms in a three team trade for Tony Scheffler. Tony Scheffler gives us very good TE depth. Lions traded a 5th Rd Selection to the Seattle Seahawks for OG Rob Simms. Rob Simms was well worth the deal. With the Lions he is a very solid starting LG. Lions traded a 5th Rd selection to the Cleveland Browns for Corey Williams. Corey Williams has regained his Pro Bowl form and gives the Lions a veteran presence and dominate force on the DL. Lions traded a 6th Rd Selection to the Seattle Seahawks for DE Lawrence Jackson. Jackson has looked very good in a rotation. He might even be a future starter. Lions helped the secondary by trading a 6th Rd selection to the Atlanta Falcons for Chris Houston and TE Dan Grohowski and a late Rd selection to the Denver Broncos for Alphonso Smith. Both CB’s were former 2nd Rd selections who were considered busts by their former teams. Chris Houston has shown to be a rock solid CB for the Lions and Alphonso Smith showed big play ability before being injured last season.
Mayhew has shown a Bill Belichick like trading ability. He is the ultimate Rummager. Identifying players who do not fit schemes they are in that will fit into the Lions is one of Mayhew’s best abilities. Mayhew also has a knack of identifying players capable of playing up to their previous expectations, even if they are not playing at a high level with the team they are currently on. Draft picks are great to have, but effective team building can also be accomplished through shrewd trades.