Shock Value

July 22, 2008 10:35am CDT

To say the past eight months in the life of tight end Jeremy Shockey have been tumultuous would be a massive understatement. Shockey broke his fibula and sustained ligament damage to his ankle late last season, injuries that required surgery and landed him on injured reserve. The New York Giants then rubbed salt in the wound by upsetting the New England Patriots 17-14 in Super Bowl XLII, without him. Shockey watched the game from a luxury suite and appeared to be pounding drinks on national television. Since then, he has been the subject of trade rumors and was a no-show for the team's victory parade in New York, a visit to the White House and the championship ring ceremony.

Though Shockey attended the Giants' June mini-camp, he was still rehabbing the injured ankle and unable to practice. During mini-camp, Shockey took disrespect to a new level when he had a heated exchange with general manager Jerry Reese and refused head coach Tom Coughlin's orders to join the rest of his injured teammates, who were viewing practice from the sideline. In reality, Shockey has had issues with the organization for the past few seasons. The veteran tight end has complained about his role in the offense, which requires him to block more often than he would like. And, he was also reportedly angered by media reports that suggested the team was better off without him following last year's successful playoff run.

Now that we have provided you with a snapshot of his drama-filled offseason, it was announced Monday that the Giants have traded the disgruntled Shockey to the New Orleans Saints for second- and fifth-round draft picks. This is essentially the same compensation the Saints offered prior to the 2008 NFL draft, which the Giants originally turned down. It appears the emergence of Kevin Boss and the potential distraction of Shockey in training camp have provided the impetus to get the deal consummated. At press time, the transaction is pending approval from the league, as well as Shockey passing a physical with the Saints medical staff, but we'll assume the deal goes down and take a look at how this transaction alters the fantasy landscape going forward.

During Coughlin's tenure, the Giants have predominantly been a running team that has finished top-10 in rushing yardage for the past three seasons. On the flip side, New York has finished 19th or worse in passing offense during three of the past four seasons on his watch. Landing in the Big Easy should be a boon to Shockey's overall fantasy numbers, as the Saints have fielded a top-five passing offense during each of head coach Sean Payton's first two seasons. From 2006-07 (with Drew Brees at the helm), New Orleans has compiled 8,817 passing yards on 1,232 pass attempts, which equates to an average of 1,302 more passing yards and 82 more pass attempts than New York in each of the past two campaigns. It should also be noted that Shockey notched one of the best seasons of his career (74-894-2) during his inaugural campaign (2002) under the tutelage of Payton, who was the Giants' offensive coordinator at the time. The difference in offensive philosophies, playing with an elite talent in Brees, and being reunited with Payton should result in a confluence of factors which are favorable for Shockey to excel in 2008.

Shockey has never navigated the full 16-game schedule during his six-year career, but he has ranked in the top-seven at his position in the fantasy realm during four of the past six seasons, and has never finished lower than TE11 in this timeframe. During the past four seasons, Shockey has averaged a statistical line of 62-700-5, numbers that should improve in the Saints high-octane offense, and possibly propel his ascent into the top-five at his position in 2008. Keep in mind that opposing coordinators already have their hands full in defending wide receiver Marques Colston and running back Reggie Bush, so Shockey, who is a four-time Pro Bowler, will add another quality target to an already lethal passing game. Additionally, Brees has shown he can mesh well with a stud tight end (Antonio Gates) during his time in San Diego. From 2004-05, Gates averaged 85 receptions, 1,032 yards and 11 touchdowns working with Brees, though it has to be noted that the Bolts didn't have a wide receiver the caliber of Marques Colston on the roster during those campaigns. Shockey currently carries an ADP of 9.01, and is generally the ninth tight end off the board in 12-team leagues. The trade to New Orleans will certainly increase his ADP by as much as a complete round, assuming he proves to be healthy in training camp, which opens for the Saints on July 23.

Now we will take a quick look at the effect this trade could have on some of the peripheral players in both New Orleans and New York.

Drew Brees- ADP: 3.08- Brees is already an elite quarterback and if Shockey proves himself to be healthy between now and the start of the season, the decision to draft Brees or Tony Romo could be rendered more difficult for fantasy managers. Brees will need to establish chemistry with Shockey, but this shouldn't be much of an issue for two Pro Bowl-level talents.

Reggie Bush- ADP: 3.11- The addition of Shockey could negatively impact Bush's reception digits. However, Bush is explosive in space and the team hopes to get more splash plays out of the third-year runner this season, so we don't expect a substantial drop-off in his reception numbers. Look for Bush to continue to be the second option in the passing game, and the extra attention that Shockey receives could mean more big plays for the underachieving running back this year. This trade should also help the Saints' running game, as Shockey is one of the more accomplished blocking tight ends in the NFL. He should definitely help open some holes for Bush, Deuce McAllister and Pierre Thomas on the ground.

Marques Colston- ADP: 2.11- At first glance, you would think this news would be bad for Colston, but in reality, it should take some of the pressure off of the third-year player, who is looking to reach elite status this year. Colston might see fewer targets; however, this news does more damage to the stock of the No. 2 and 3 options at wide receiver in New Orleans. This situation reminds me a little bit of Terrell Owens and Jason Witten in Dallas, given the fact the Saints don't really have a great No. 2 wide receiver option. I know many of you (myself included) have Robert Meachem on your deep sleeper list, but the addition of Shockey will certainly reduce the number of targets for the other receivers on the depth chart.

Eli Manning- ADP: 8.07- This transaction cannot be construed as a good thing for Manning, given the fact that replacement tight end Kevin Boss has only 17 games of experience (six starts) on his resume. During his rookie season (including the playoffs), Boss compiled 14 receptions for 208 yards and one score. While Boss has displayed plenty of potential, he's attempting to fill the shoes of a four-time Pro Bowler. Not an easy thing to do under the glaring spotlight of the Big Apple.

Brandon Jacobs- ADP: 3.08- The removal of the second-best option in the passing game could mean more carries for Jacobs this year. It should also provide a minor uptick in the reception numbers of the running back corps, as a whole. But don't underestimate the effect the loss of Shockey could have on the Giants' running game. As I mentioned earlier, despite his diva attitude of late, Shockey is one of the best blocking tight ends in the NFL.

Plaxico Burress- ADP: 3.06- The departure of Shockey could hasten the contract extension for Burress, who just became an even more important cog to the offense. Burress, who has averaged a statistical line of 69-1,075-9 over the past three seasons, could better those numbers in 2008. He will likely see more double teams, but he possesses the size and skill set to overcome the extra attention. There should also be additional opportunities for Amani Toomer or the other Steve Smith to step up to the plate, and increase their respective numbers this season.

Kevin Boss- Prior to the trade his ADP was stuck in the mud, but now Boss will surely enter the conversation as a backup with upside potential in 12-team leagues. Like I mentioned earlier, Boss brings limited experience to the mix, so be careful about investing too heavily in an over hyped commodity who will likely fall short of the production that Shockey has provided the past few seasons.