Back in September, New England shipped the five-time Pro Bowler to Oakland eight days before the season opener. It was a cold, harsh reminder that the NFL is a business. Seymour was in the final year of a $30-plus million extension he signed in 2006, and was set to make $3.685 million (with a $9.79 million cap hit) this season. With nose tackle Vince Wilfork also in a contract year and due a base salary of only $2.2 million (with a $2.8 million cap hit), the Patriots decided re-signing both defensive giants wasn’t in the budget.
So they moved Seymour. It wasn’t an easy choice, kind of like parents deciding which child they love more.
"Any transaction we make is with the goal of what is best for our team, and as difficult as it is to part ways with a player of Richard's stature, many factors were taken into account when we considered this trade," Belichick stated in classic coachspeak after the deal was struck.
"As an organization, we feel the trade with Oakland brings sufficient value and is in the long-term interest of the club," Belichick added. "We are extremely grateful for the huge impact Richard's elite level of performance had on our success, and we wish him the very best during the rest of his career."
The Patriots rolled the dice that they could replace the big hole on the defensive line left by "Big Sey."
The results have been mixed. Jarvis Green (28 tackles), Mike Wright (four sacks), Ty Warren (46 tackles) and Derrick Burgess (three sacks) have done a decent job filling the Seymour void on the field. But the four have combined for just three tackles for loss (as many as Seymour has by himself with the Raiders), and recent injuries have thinned the depth chart.
However, the bigger issue is that no one has been able to fill leadership gap off the field. And that is what the Patriots miss most about Seymour.
Physical skills can be replaced. Teams can get younger and quicker. But wisdom and experience are qualities that don’t transfer over as easily. They are intangibles that can’t be taught — either a player is a leader or he’s not.
Seymour was the last member of the 2001 Super Bowl championship defense still in New England. He helped the Patriots win three Super Bowls. He was a proven winner. He had earned the respect of everyone in the Patriots’ locker room, and when a 6-foot-6, 310-pounder is gone, it doesn’t go unnoticed.
Do you think it’s a coincidence that the Patriots have had some discipline issues this season?
Is it happenstance that the defense hasn’t made too many big stops, in crunch time, against any top-notch teams?
There's nobody to rally the troops on defense and keep everybody focused. No trusted voice to say "Let’s go" and back up those words.
Tedy Bruschi and Rodney Harrison have moved to analyst chairs. Mike Vrabel is in Kansas City. And Seymour is wearing silver and black.
All of them were great football players. All of them led by example. All of them are missed.
But a case could be made that Seymour was the most valuable of them all on defense. He wasn’t a rah-rah guy. He didn’t give speeches. He was just a rock, an anchor. He set the tone in the trenches and didn’t let anybody lose sight of the big picture over the course of the season.
Teams need more than one leader across the board — on both sides of the ball. Tom Brady can’t do it all. And sometimes, it’s easy to overlook quiet leadership. It’s something you don’t miss until it’s gone.
Belichick may have not factored that into the equation when making the Seymour deal with Al Davis. It’s perhaps even possible Belichick underestimated Seymour’s impact on the team. If the coach could take a mulligan, would he ask for a review of the trade?
The first-round pick could yield a big-time player down the road, but that doesn't help the Patriots much now. They need everybody to step up to keep their Super Bowl dreams alive this season.
Otherwise, Belichick might be reaching for the red flag.
