Packers trade McKenzie

[Cringer]

from Packers.com

The Green Bay Packers Monday acquired quarterback J.T. O'Sullivan and a second-round selection in the 2005 draft from the New Orleans Saints for cornerback Mike McKenzie and a future conditional draft choice, GM/Head Coach Mike Sherman announced.

O'Sullivan, a 6-2, 220-pound passer out of Cal-Davis, is fresh off a spectacular campaign in NFL Europe. The third-year NFL player led the Frankfurt Galaxy to the 2004 World Bowl championship game, ranking second in NFLE with a 91.9 passer rating (120-for-196, 1,527 yards, 10 TDs, five INTs).

The Packers have been interested in O'Sullivan since the Saints took him in the sixth round of the 2002 draft.

The quarterback, inactive for his first 36 NFL games, has worked in New Orleans under Mike McCarthy, the Saints' offensive coordinator who has tutored Joe Montana, Brett Favre, Jake Delhomme, Rich Gannon and Matt Hasselbeck, among others.

O'Sullivan, 25, has led the Saints in preseason passing each of the last two years. A mobile quarterback, he also scrambled for 138 yards during the 2004 NFLE season.

McKenzie, 28, is a 6-0, 194-pound cornerback out of Memphis. The Packers' first of two selections in the third round of the 1999 NFL Draft, he earned a starting role as a rookie and held the left cornerback position for five seasons.

The Packers removed McKenzie from the reserve/did not report list Sept. 15, and he made his 2004 debut as a reserve defensive back Sept. 19 vs. Chicago. A hamstring injury, sustained Sept. 23, kept him out of Green Bay's last two games, Sept. 26 at Indianapolis and Sunday vs. the N.Y. Giants.

McKenzie signed a five-year contract extension (through 2006), on Jan. 7, 2002.

The deal is the Packers' first mid-season trade involving active players from both teams in 23 years. On Sept. 17, 1981, Bart Starr obtained wide receiver John Jefferson from the Chargers for wide receiver Aundra Thompson and three draft choices.

[cthomer5000]

interesting. good for both teams I guess.

[JAG]

I'd be pretty satisfied if I were a Packers fan.

[WSUCougar]

Originally Posted by JAG

I'd be pretty satisfied if I were a Packers fan.

Ditto. Considering the guy they traded away is a confirmed malcontent, getting a 2nd and a QB that they have coveted is close to a steal.

[Cringer]

i'm ok with it...2nd pick is not too bad. and another QB to give a shot to is fine by me....

[rkmsuf]

Overpay city for NO.

[gottimd]

I like the trade. Saints havent used JT ever and they have Todd "The hitman" Bowman to backup Brooks. Their secondary is horrendous, so maybe Mackenzie will fill some holes. Of course they just got Butt raped by the Cardinals.

[NoMyths]

aaaaaaaand the Chiefs are still unable to improve their defense. *shakes head*

[Ksyrup]

The Saints trading for a DB at this point is like the Dolphins making another deal for a RB. Well, maybe not that bad, but close.

[albionmoonlight]

McK is a headcase. As a Saints fan, I wouldn't have taken him for free.

Of course, we wouldn't need him if we had addressed our secondary in the draft or FA over the last two offseasons.

[rkmsuf]

I really think it is meaningless who the Saints have as long as they have the same core. It's unexplainable but they are destined for mediocrity.

[gottimd]

Originally Posted by albionmoonlight

McK is a headcase. As a Saints fan, I wouldn't have taken him for free.

Of course, we wouldn't need him if we had addressed our secondary in the draft or FA over the last two offseasons.

Dale Carter wasn't much better.

[gottimd]

We all know that people are the same
wherever you go
There's good and bad in everyone
We learn to live, we learn to give each other
What we need to survive
Together alive

[Hurst2112]

McKenzie signed a five-year contract extension (through 2006), on Jan. 7, 2002.

Yet another pro athelete not realizing that they signed a frickin contract to play for a certain amount of money, in a certain amount of time.

Should i be so suprised?!

[Fonzie]

Good deal for the Packers. Enjoy Mike "I'm such a dipshit that my agent fired me!" McKenzie in New Orleans!

[mckerney]

Am outstanding deal by Green Bay, New Orleans overpaid.

[Masked]

After watching the Cardinals rush for 200 yards yesterday, I'm glad the team made this move. McKenzie immediately upgrades the run defense.

Secondary didn't need help as much - the team was ranked 8th against the pass last year, but the corners are old.

Interesting that this move, which has been rumored for months, happens after yesterday's games.

[JAG]

Originally Posted by rkmsuf

I really think it is meaningless who the Saints have as long as they have the same core. It's unexplainable but they are destined for mediocrity.

I disagree. Throw a good coach in there and watch them succeed (with possibly a few rooted out).

[rkmsuf]

Originally Posted by JAG

I disagree. Throw a good coach in there and watch them succeed (with possibly a few rooted out).

I guess that's what I meant by the core. Haslett and his band of merry men, Brooks and some of the vets.

I'm really not much of a Brooks guy but maybe he just needs some direction.

[Token Asian Guy]

anybody know anything bout this O'Sullivan guy, is he worth anything, or another qb prospect for the packers to try out but then end up cutting?

[Masked]

Originally Posted by JAG

I disagree. Throw a good coach in there and watch them succeed (with possibly a few rooted out).

I agree, although I still had some confidence in the staff until yesterday. The offensive coordinator should go. He just doesn't know how to use the talent he has. And I think it is obvious that the defensive coordinator is worthless. There is really only one player that I think needs to go, Victor Riley. He is consistently missing blocks and getting penalties.

[gstelmack]

Originally Posted by Masked

Interesting that this move, which has been rumored for months, happens after yesterday's games.

I think Favre's concussion made getting a QB they covet all the more imperative.

[rkmsuf]

Originally Posted by gstelmack

I think Favre's concussion made getting a QB they covet all the more imperative.

I don't think that had much to do with it. I'd say covet is a stretch in terms of anyone's opinion of that QB.

The 2nd round pick and McKenzie's bad attitude and suckitude along with NO willingness to deal is more like it.

I think NO got torched and needed something to divert attention/indicate they are taking action to their fans.

[mckerney]

The Packers seemed to be playing the waiting game for whoever caved first to their demands of a second round pick, which New Orleans finally did.

[Masked]

Originally Posted by mckerney

The Packers seemed to be playing the waiting game for whoever caved first to their demands of a second round pick, which New Orleans finally did.

Packers had been demanding a first throuhout the offseason. The Saints offered a second back in June I believe.

[Mustang]

What, the Saints didn't have any spare punters to trade us? I thought every team carried 2 like the Packers...

Good riddance to McKenzie. I think the final straw was that he was inactive for the game and didn't even bother showing up. . .

[primelord]

Originally Posted by Hurst2112

Yet another pro athelete not realizing that they signed a frickin contract to play for a certain amount of money, in a certain amount of time.

Should i be so suprised?!

I am fairly certain this conversation has been had here before. Probably around the time that Portis was going to hold out. However unlike other sports I am not certain I have as much of a problem with NFL players holding out. In a league where none of your base salary is garaunteed why should the owners be able to end the contract at any time and not pay the players the remainder of their contract that they signed, but the player can't do the same?

It would be one thing if like in baseball the money was garaunteed. Then the deal you signed should be the deal you play for. Both sides agreed that the player would be payed x dollars for x years. However an NFL owner can choose to at any time threaten to release you if you don't renegotiate your contract. I don't see why it is so awful that a player would do the same if he feels he is under paid.

[Eaglesfan27]

I think New Orleans overpaid. J.T. Sullivan has looked really good in practice and is worth more than the Saints valued him apparently. I would have liked the deal IF the pick that went with Sullivan was lower.

[Fonzie]

Originally Posted by primelord

I am fairly certain this conversation has been had here before. Probably around the time that Portis was going to hold out. However unlike other sports I am not certain I have as much of a problem with NFL players holding out. In a league where none of your base salary is garaunteed why should the owners be able to end the contract at any time and not pay the players the remainder of their contract that they signed, but the player can't do the same?

In principle, I agree with you. However, in McKenzie's case he signed the current deal well before his rookie contract ended. He could have waited to become a free agent and gotten considerably more money, but he opted to sign for less money earlier as a way to secure at least some guaranteed money (and avoid the risk of becoming injured and getting no guaranteed money later). That was the tradeoff that he and his agent agreed to. To turn around two years later and complain about being underpaid is a bit silly, as its his own damn fault. He was correct that he was underpaid, of course, but that was the price he was paying by skipping free agency and re-upping with the Packers.

I'm glad he's gone. The dweeb.

[Masked]

From the Saints GM - the second round pick is the Saints and not Washington's. The conditional pick is a 6th rounder and the GM refused to disclose the condition.

[primelord]

Originally Posted by Fonzie

In principle, I agree with you. However, in McKenzie's case he signed the current deal well before his rookie contract ended. He could have waited to become a free agent and gotten considerably more money, but he opted to sign for less money earlier as a way to secure at least some guaranteed money (and avoid the risk of becoming injured and getting no guaranteed money later). That was the tradeoff that he and his agent agreed to. To turn around two years later and complain about being underpaid is a bit silly, as its his own damn fault. He was correct that he was underpaid, of course, but that was the price he was paying by skipping free agency and re-upping with the Packers.

I'm glad he's gone. The dweeb.

That makes sense. I am still not certain I completely agree with it since the Packers still could have cut him at any time, but I do agree that it clouds the issue more for me.

[Masked]

To sway Primelord a little more back the other way - McKenzie apparently had some very unusual de-escalators in his contract. I don't know the details, but from the little I heard from Packers fans, his gripe had some legetimacy. Now of curse McKenzie and his agent agreed to these terms. McKenzie has since fired theat agent. He made a mistake signing that deal and hired that original agent. However, if a team takes advantage of a bad agent, they should be prepared for the player to be pissed when the find out about it. Much like what happened to the Saints with Ricky Williams.

[rkmsuf]

He's not even that good is what I don't get in the whole thing.

[st.cronin]

Isn't McKenzie's agent in jail for fraud? I thought that was what started his holdout...

[fantastic flying froggies]

Originally Posted by st.cronin

Isn't McKenzie's agent in jail for fraud? I thought that was what started his holdout...

Welcome to the board st.cronin!

[Yossarian]

JT was 'da bomb' in doses over in NFLEU this year.

He's one of those 'gamer' types in the favre mould (no, i'm NOT saying he's of that calibre) he's got decent mobility too - and unlike a lot of mobile guys, he does seem to use his to buy time for the pass as opposed to just running with it.

I liked him this year.

This trade means that Green Bay now have two of the best NFL EU QB's (from this year's crop) on their roster this year

[-Mojo Jojo-]

Originally Posted by rkmsuf

He's not even that good is what I don't get in the whole thing.

McKenzie is a kick ass bump-n-run corner. He's a tough a little bugger. Darren Sharper gets more press, but McKenzie has been the team's best DB the past few seasons. Heck, he's been the best defensive player for the Packers period. Sucks to lose him, but there's not much you can do when he wants to be a whiny bitch.

[Fonzie]

Originally Posted by -Mojo Jojo-

Sucks to lose him, but there's not much you can do when he wants to be a whiny bitch.

Sure there is. Just convert him to a punter and then trade him to the Saints.

[LloydLungs]

Originally Posted by rkmsuf

I'm really not much of a Brooks guy but maybe he just needs some direction.

Give Brooks a competent head coach and he would be fine, I think.

There is no mystery about the Saints. Haslett just sucks. Pretty simple really. He's spent three seasons rooting out "cancers" but the real cancer is him.

[ice4277]

So are the Packers going to cut a qb or carry four?

[Cringer]

Originally Posted by ice4277

So are the Packers going to cut a qb or carry four?

good question.....dunno

[Tigercat]

I think its a good trade for the Saints. A top 15 NFL starting QB for a 2nd rounder and a backup QB? Sweet.

That being said, welcome to the sinking ship Mike. Put on your life preserver cause with Haslett at the helm and not able to spot icebergs, we are all sinking into the freezing water fast.

[Masked]

Originally Posted by ice4277

So are the Packers going to cut a qb or carry four?

No, this is the one time where converting a player to a punter will actually help the team.

[Pumpy Tudors]

I'm not a Saints fan (Go Broncos!), but living in New Orleans, I hear a lot about the Saints. By most accounts, J.T. O'Sullivan is a very smart quarterback. He makes lots of good decisions. I don't really know about his arm strength, but he minimizes mistakes. Saints fans had been calling for him to become the #2 (and sometimes even the #1 with the way Aaron Brooks plays) for two years now. Very few Saints fans actually wanted Bouman back this season, especially after O'Sullivan had a great preseason and Bouman flat out sucked.

I don't expect the Packers to groom O'Sullivan to be Favre's immediate successor, but I think ol' J.T. will get a chance to show what he can do. He could become yet another recent Saints backup or draftee quarterback to move on to success elsewhere (Delhomme, Bulger, Doug Nussmeier... I'm kidding!).

[Tigercat]

J.T. is a poor mans Delhomme. Same intanibles that will continue to develop but prolly even less physical ability. I don't think hes that much better than Craig Nall, but may be soon enough.

[Arles]

An interesting wrinkle in this is that McKenzie was supposedly assured by Haslett and the GM that they would redo his deal in the offseason for much more money. However, rumor is now that both guys may be out at the end of the season.

I wonder how McKenzie will act in the offseason if the new guy comes in and isn't all that eager to throw another $4-$5 mil into McKenzie next season.

As to the trade, I think it's pretty fair value. Mike is a nice corner when healthy and has always been a little underated (IMO). Getting what appears to be a front-half second round pick and a nice QB prospect seems like a deal that works for both sides. Plus, as a Packer fan, I anticipated Mike pulling a Nomar on GB for the rest of the season and sitting out games with an "injured hammy" as long as he possibly could while still picking up a paycheck. On Sunday, he was quoted as saying it didn't look good for him to be ready next week because of his leg. My guess is he will be pretty close to 100% on Sunday for the Saints after a miraculous mid-week recovery

[Cringer]

Mike McKenzie finally gets his contract. I was starting to think the Saints wouldn't give him one either....

From ESPN.com

It took an entire year, an acrimonious holdout and a trade, but veteran cornerback Mike McKenzie finally landed the big-money contract he had been seeking.

The six-year veteran on Saturday reached agreement with the New Orleans Saints on a three-year extension through the 2009 season. The five-year contract created by the extension -- McKenzie had two years remaining on his old deal -- is worth $22 million.

McKenzie will receive a $7 million signing bonus. The base salaries are $550,000 (for 2005), $1.5 million (2006), $2 million (2007), $3 million (2008) and $4.45 million (2009). There are roster bonuses of $1 million each for the 2006-2008 seasons and also annual workout bonuses of $125,000. McKenzie can earn an additional $3 million in escalators principally based on playing time and interceptions.

Ironically, agent Drew Rosenhaus finalized the extension while he was in the parking lot at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, where McKenzie once played for the Packers.

Under his old contract, McKenzie was scheduled to earn base salaries of $3.43 million in 2005 and $4.1 million in 2006.

The extension for McKenzie, acquired in a trade with the Packers in October, continues a spending spree by the Saints. The club earlier this week agreed with star tailback Deuce McAllister on a seven-year extension that included bonuses of $12.5 million and then on Friday signed first-round offensive tackle Jammal Brown.

Saints officials continue to pursue an extension for standout center LeCharles Bentley.

One of the NFL's top man-to-man cornerbacks, McKenzie skipped all of the Packers' offseason workouts last year while he sought to have his contract upgraded. He finally reported to Green Bay, but after appearing in one game, was dealt to the Saints for quarterback J.T. O'Sullivan and a draft choice.

With the Saints, McKenzie appeared in 10 games, all starts, and had 33 tackles, five interceptions and 11 passes defensed. He got off to a slow start but, after the Saints installed more one-on-one coverages, came on strong over the second half of the year. New Orleans officials had frequently cited McKenzie as a player with whom they hoped to complete a contract extension.

A former Memphis star, McKenzie, 29, has played in 80 games in his career. He has 319 tackles, 20 interceptions and 82 passes defensed.