Trading Shockey, Giants Create a New Problem

[Woodmonkey]

With one trade on Monday, the Giants solved one problem and created another, losing a habitually disgruntled star player and a perennial Pro Bowl tight end.

Jeremy Shockey, the rough-and-tumble Oklahoman with the fiery personality, was traded to the New Orleans Saints for a pair of draft picks in 2009 — one in the second round, one in the fifth.

The trade ends an intriguing and sometimes combustive relationship between the Giants and Shockey, who turns 28 on Aug. 18. And with it begins a potentially difficult challenge to find Shockey’s replacement.

Shockey leaves the Giants after 371 catches, for 4,228 yards and 27 touchdowns in 83 regular-season games. The five tight ends left on the Giants’ roster have combined for 15 N.F.L. regular-season receptions. Three of them have caught no passes.

Shockey, drafted in the first round of the 2002 N.F.L. draft ,, immediately became a key part of the Giants offense, catching at least 48 passes in all six of his seasons and making the Pro Bowl four times. His emotion, often revealed after making a big catch or after bowling over an opponent, was contagious for teammates and fans.

But Shockey struggled to remain healthy, missing the end of the regular season in each of the past five seasons. After fracturing a fibula and sustaining a serious ankle injury on Dec. 16 last season against the Redskins, he missed the Giants’ post-season run, which included three road victories and an upset win over the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. Shockey watched that game from a luxury box, and did not participate in the subsequent victory parade in Manhattan, the rally at Giants Stadium or the ceremony where players received their Super Bowl rings.

Instead, increasingly frustrated by what he perceived as a supporting role instead of a starring one, and feeling overused as a blocker and under-used as a receiver, Shockey asked to be traded. The Giants had discussions with the Saints, among other teams, about Shockey leading up to April’s draft, but the Giants spurned all overtures.

Shockey’s absence from the Giants will add a different measure of intrigue to training camp, where the tight-end position becomes a sudden spot of concern. The Giants report to Albany on Thursday and begin practices on Friday.

Kevin Boss, a fifth-round draft choice in 2007, took on the bulk of Shockey’s responsibilities after the starter was hurt. Boss had his first career touchdown against the Redskins, and had nine regular-season catches and five receptions during the four playoff games.

Jerome Collins, Darcy Johnson, Michael Matthews and rookie Eric Butler will try to fill in the gaps, too.

With the Saints, Shockey will be reunited with Coach Sean Payton, who was the Giants’ offensive coordinator during Shockey’s breakout rookie season. Shockey, when healthy, has been a consistent performer on the field since his first year, but he has stumbled into bouts of controversy off of it. He gained notoriety as a playboy, and his loose lips sometimes led him to forced apologies, as when he used unflattering names for both Bill Parcells and Giants Coach Tom Coughlin. Shockey has long rankled coaches by refusing to take part in off-season workouts with the Giants, choosing to stay in South Florida, instead.

But Shockey was one of the late team owner Wellington Mara’s favorite players. It was Shockey and running back Tiki Barber who were called to visit Mara just before his death in 2005.

Trading Shockey is just the latest episode in the evolution of the Giants team that has lost players popular with fans who spoke their minds. Barber retired after the 2007 season, and defensive end Michael Strahan retired this spring. Now, except for receiver Amani Toomer and guard Rich Seubert, every player on the roster has joined the team since 2003.

The Giants and Saints, playoff hopefuls from different divisions in the National Football Conference, do not play one another in the upcoming regular season.

The Source