Jump to content

Giants get Rueben Droughns


VilmaForPrez

Recommended Posts

By Len Pasquarelli

ESPN.com

espn-146x46-0068.jpg

Filling their need for a proven running back to team with youngster Brandon Jacobs, the New York Giants on Friday acquired Reuben Droughns from the Cleveland Browns in exchange for wide receiver Tim Carter, ESPN.com has learned.

5932.jpg

Carter

5110.jpg

DroughnsCleveland has been shopping Droughns in trade talks since signing unrestricted free agent tailback Jamal Lewis to a one-year contract earlier this week. The Giants were seeking a tailback to replace the retired Tiki Barber.

Droughns, 28, should provide the Giants a solid insurance policy and a veteran and tested back who can share the ball-carrying chores with Jacobs, a two-year veteran. Jacobs has been the complementary back to Barber, playing mostly in short-yardage and goal-line situations in his two NFL seasons.

A fourth-round pick in the 2005 draft, Jacobs has logged only 134 career carries for 522 yards, but has scored 16 touchdowns. Last season, the former Southern Illinois standout rushed for 423 yards and nine TDs on 96 attempts.

Droughns came to the Browns from Denver in a 2005 trade after rushing for 1,240 yards in 2004. He gained 1,232 yards in 2005, his first year in Cleveland, and the Browns rewarded him with a three-year contract extension worth $12 million. But Droughns slumped to 758 yards in 2006 and there have been some off-field problems in the past year.

He was due a $1.75 million roster bonus on March 17 but the Browns wanted to avoid paying it, especially after acquiring Lewis, who has already been penciled in as the starter. Droughns is scheduled to have a base salary of $1.25 million for 2007 and is due base salaries of $1.75 million for '08 and $2.75 million for '09 under his Cleveland contract. It was not immediately known if he reworked his contract to help accommodate the trade.

For Carter, the deal represents a chance for a fresh start after five injury-marred seasons with the Giants.

"Tim is absolutely excited about this opportunity," agent Pat Dye Jr. said on Friday afternoon. "In discussing Tim's situation with the Giants, we wanted to identify some teams who might be a good fit for him if New York decided to deal him. Obviously the Browns, who were looking for the kind of deep-threat dimension he brings to the table, were the most proactive."

Carter, 27, was a second-round choice of the Giants in 2002. The former Auburn standout possesses sprinter's speed, but a series of injuries have kept him from fulfilling his potential. He has 72 career receptions for 967 yards and three touchdowns in 33 games, including 11 starts. Last season, Carter started eight games and had 22 catches for 253 yards and two touchdowns.

In an active market, Droughns is the fourth starting-caliber tailback to be traded in the past week. The other tailbacks to be traded were Tatum Bell (from Denver to Detroit), Thomas Jones (from Chicago to the New York Jets) and Willis McGahee (from Buffalo to Baltimore).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Can anyone name an offensive lineman that started for Cleveland the last two years?

Droughns had no help whatsoever there, but he still averaged 4 YPC in 2005. He sucked last season, but who didn't suck that played for the Browns?

I'd have rather traded a **** receiver for Droughns than a high 2nd for Jones. JMO. We'll see how it plays out on the field.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Can anyone name an offensive lineman that started for Cleveland the last two years?

Droughns had no help whatsoever there, but he still averaged 4 YPC in 2005. He sucked last season, but who didn't suck that played for the Browns?

I'd have rather traded a **** receiver for Droughns than a high 2nd for Jones. JMO. We'll see how it plays out on the field.

I agree with you, but now that I think of it he sounds a bit like Barlow..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Can anyone name an offensive lineman that started for Cleveland the last two years?

Droughns had no help whatsoever there, but he still averaged 4 YPC in 2005. He sucked last season, but who didn't suck that played for the Browns?

I'd have rather traded a **** receiver for Droughns than a high 2nd for Jones. JMO. We'll see how it plays out on the field.

We didnt trade a high second rounder for Jones. We traded a high second rounder for jones AND a low second rounder.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We didnt trade a high second rounder for Jones. We traded a high second rounder for jones AND a low second rounder.

Really? I didn't know that. Thanks for sharing.

Q: How come we don't have a high second rounder?

A: We traded for Thomas Jones.

I am sorry, but moving back to almost the 3rd round does little to make me feel better about pissing away the 37th overall pick on a 29-year old running back.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Really? I didn't know that. Thanks for sharing.

Q: How come we don't have a high second rounder?

A: We traded for Thomas Jones.

I am sorry, but moving back to almost the 3rd round does little to make me feel better about pissing away the 37th overall pick on a 29-year old running back.

ya.. and wait until his 5 million roster bonus is due..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Troll, weren't you against the TJ trade partly because you see him as a similar back as Leon and you wanted more of a compliment?

I see alot of similarities in Droughns and Jacobs in their power running styles yet you are praising the Giants in this trade.

I guess you can praise the Giants in terms of what they gave up to get a back but if we go by your other reasoning(acquiring a complimentary back); we would have to say this is a bad pickup for the Giants. Which I feel it is.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Troll, weren't you against the TJ trade partly because you see him as a similar back as Leon and you wanted more of a compliment?

I see alot of similarities in Droughns and Jacobs in their power running styles yet you are praising the Giants in this trade.

I guess you can praise the Giants in terms of what they gave up to get a back but if we go by your other reasoning(acquiring a complimentary back); we would have to say this is a bad pickup for the Giants. Which I feel it is.

I was praising the fact that they got Droughns for a fourth-string receiver. I agree that Jacobs and Rueben are too similar, but at this point, they really didn't have much of a choice, other than trading a 2nd rounder for Tatum Bell.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well troll you had me agreeing with you in your first post about the giants doing a good job. But when you start saying things almost a third I just can't agree. I guess I'm just a black and white kind of guy. It's not a third, we traded down and are still in the second round. Giants got one heck of a player for almost nothing. I thought we were going to get the steal of the fa's, but we didn't. As far as who I'd rather have. that's a hard one. I think I would have liked the deal the Giants made. Trade McCariens for Droughns.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think that Droughs and Jacobs are very similar and this signing smells like desperation. As for TJ he will prove to be better than both.. enough with the age issue it is not like he has taken a pounding like Shaun Alexander or how Eddie George used to

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i dont feel like looking up numbers, but i know for sure that tj has probably the lowest amount of carries in the nfl as a back of his caliber and age. remember, he rotted as a bust in arizona splitting carries. this was probably the greatest jet trade pickup since curtis martin.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thomas Jones most closely compare to Priest Holmes as a runner. Which is why when the Bears went to install a similar offense to the Chargers they went out and got Jones. And that is why the Jets are getting him now. Because the Jets are installing the same type of offense.

http://football.about.com/od/teamsbears/a/aa072704.htm

What does Priest Holmes have to do with the Chargers offense?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What does Priest Holmes have to do with the Chargers offense?

They are both similar offense in what they try to do. They both use a lot of shifts and motion. They both use similar blocking schemes, and passing attacks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was praising the fact that they got Droughns for a fourth-string receiver. I agree that Jacobs and Rueben are too similar, but at this point, they really didn't have much of a choice, other than trading a 2nd rounder for Tatum Bell.

I agree. I like Droughns.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ruben Droughns was good for DEN. What RB wasn't good for them? Since then he basically sucks. He is nothing more than a Kevan Barlow type player. We are much better off with Jones.

Hogwash. Droughns matched his Denver #'s in Cleveland the first yr and their line was horrible last season.

Droughns is a solid RB w/power who can push the pile and get those extra yards.

RD is 5x the player Barlow is.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The real question now is, Where does AP fall to now

Maybe Buffalo at 12 ( I would hate that)

If not, I could see him falling to 19...

If somehow he passes pick 19, he could fall all the way back to the second round.

So this trade changes alot of things for this april

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ruben Droughns was good for DEN. What RB wasn't good for them? Since then he basically sucks. He is nothing more than a Kevan Barlow type player. We are much better off with Jones.

Yeah man like Smizzle said -- Droughns matched his best year in Clev. Are we penalizing him for what happened in Clev last year? I don't think we should.

The Giants got him for Tim Carter. Granted I think Droughns has a roster bonus due soon but Tim Carter. Carter had like 300 yards in his breakout season. Enough said.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah man like Smizzle said -- Droughns matched his best year in Clev. Are we penalizing him for what happened in Clev last year? I don't think we should.

The Giants got him for Tim Carter. Granted I think Droughns has a roster bonus due soon but Tim Carter. Carter had like 300 yards in his breakout season. Enough said.

Hey....If you get any Rb to come in and take some pressure of your main back for that price...you gotta take it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Can anyone name an offensive lineman that started for Cleveland the last two years?

Droughns had no help whatsoever there, but he still averaged 4 YPC in 2005. He sucked last season, but who didn't suck that played for the Browns?

I'd have rather traded a **** receiver for Droughns than a high 2nd for Jones. JMO. We'll see how it plays out on the field.

Kevin Shaffer and Hank Fraley. But I see your point. We could have traded a second day pick (5th or 6th round) for Droughns rather than giving up the 37th pick in the draft for an RB that isn't that much better. We gave up a 4th round pick for an absolute scrub like Kevan Barlow.

No way would the Browns have accepted McCareins for Droughns. Tim Carter is better than Justin McCareins. Unlike McCareins Carter has speed and can get separation from DB's once in a while. Plus I'm pretty sure McCareins makes more money.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Troll if this was last year's draft class I would say you have a much stronger point, but it's not. Simply enough, this class flat sucks and to gain a feature back and still keep 2 picks in the second round is a victory for the Jets. Hopefully we can turn one of those picks into 2008 picks because that's really the only way they'll be worth anything to the Jets anyway.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...