Richard Seymour got traded from arguably the best run franchise in sports to arguably the worst. Yes, the Patriots have had some turnover in recent years, but how many players have they lost that they actually wanted to keep? Don't stress yourself. It's 1. Asante Samuel. Other than that every player they have let go was past his prime and over the hill. That is until Richard Seymour, who they didn't give up, but simply traded away. That being said, despite losing a 5-time Pro Bowler, New England actually got the better end of the deal in a 2011 First Round Pick. On the other hand, Oakland has made one solid roster transaction since they lost the Super Bowl 7 years ago. They drafted Darren McFadden. Nearly all there other draft picks have either busted (see Michael Huff), been over payed (see Jamarcus Russell), or were drafted far too high (see this years first two picks in Darius Heyward-Bey and Mike Mitchell and Robert Gallery who was drafted as a franchise Left Tackle and is now simply a really good guard). So for Seymour, a man in the last year of a 3 year, $30 million extension, with well over $20 million already in the bank, to say I'm going to sit out the year and not have anything to do with the Raiders, I can't really blame him. He's 29, still with at least 3 good years and 3 or 4 solid years after that ahead of him, and his deal is up at the end of the year. That means he can sign with whoever HE chooses next spring.
On the other hand, Michael Crabtree hasn't played a down of NFL football in his life. He, like every other player who is highly touted out of college, is drafted and has no control over where he goes either geographically and more importantly in his case on the draft board. I had Crabtree as the #2 player in the draft behind now Seahawks LB Aaron Curry. There was no doubt he had top 5 talent, however injury concerns, no workouts because of injury, and now validated character issues saw him fall to #10. What Crabtree doesn't seem to grasp is that if you are drafted #10, you get paid as pick #10. Aaron Rodgers made a late charge to almost become the #1 pick in 2005, an honor that instead went to Crabtree's would be teammate Alex Smith. However Rodgers fell, and fell far, all the way to #24. He didn't whine and say he wanted #1 money, he simply signed his #24 pick contract and moved on.
OK, so both players are being unprofessional, poor teammates and are passing up on an opportunity most of us would kill for, to play professional football. So what's the difference? Crabtree's issue is all about money. He wants to be paid where he thought he should have been drafted. He wouldn't care if he had to play in Antarctica so long that he got his Benjamins. On the other hand, Richard Seymour cares about winning. To say Seymour is being unprofessional would be fair, but really, how professional are the Raiders and specifically they're mentally deranged owner Al Davis. We all know about the Kiffin letter. Point made, and if you have half a brain point taken. Also Seymour owes nothing to his new "teammates" in Oakland. He hasn't played with them, and probably doesn't know most of them from a hole in the wall. And finally yes its a great opportunity, but if you don't like the company you're working for, what do you do? You quit and find work, probably doing the same job, elsewhere. Why should Richard Seymour be any different? As for Crabtree, you can't be a diva receiver unless you've done something in the league, and even then its barely tolerated. Also, doing something requires far more than simply being drafted. Someone needs to remind him, he's played as many snaps in the NFL as me, and as shocking as this may be to you, I've played 0.
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