Here's some trade speculation to get started this morning as teh NFL Combine gets underway. Let me parse this out as best I can.
There's a lot of talk circulating that the Jets are thinking about trading speedy LB Jonathan Vilma, the 2004 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. He had knee surgery this year to remove floating bone fragments, a simple recovery procedure.
In the forums, there's talk bubbling up of the Rams swapping their second overall pick to the Jets for Vilma and their sixth pick in the first round.
As far as I can tell, it's only speculation by people like us. That's fine. We're well within our purview in this speculation.
As you know, the NFL assigns points based on the value of draft picks that's used to determine trade value. The second pick has a value of 2600 points; the sixth pick is worth 1600 points. Whether or not the Jets and Rams feel Vilma makes up for the other 1000 points, remains to be seen. I suspicion that he doesn't, and if the Rams were to make this trade they'd have to either add something in, like a later round pick. Does Vilma's injury reduce his value?
Would you make this trade?
Here's some more insight. The Jets, the rumor goes, are looking to trade Vilma because they're concerned he doesn't fit into their plans to move to a base 3-4 defense, but they didn't play in a 3-4 until late in teh season. And I'd have to think that with Vilma's speed, he'd certainly find a home with the Rams 3-4 defense, a late adopted that seems to have done quite well with it in their initial go. He'd definitely make up for the loss of Chillar.
With the sixth pick, the Rams should still have a shot at Dorsey, Ellis, Gholston or one of the Longs. The sixth pick would also command less money than the second pick.
Something to think about.