Trade for Lions: Interesting deal. I like Tony Scheffler as a player. However, the Lions just spent the 20^th overall pick on Brandon Pettigrew last year (over a potential franchise left tackle guy like Michael Oher nonetheless). Yes, Pettigrew is a great blocker and Scheffler is a great pass catcher and you can use them in that way, but do you really want to make the 20^th pick in the 2009 draft a run blocking primarily. Plus, they lose Ernie Sims, one of their best defensive players, in the process. Sims probably would have left as a free agent next offseason, but still. It’s not like they’re not losing a talented player. Overall, I don’t like the idea of moving your 2009 1^st round pick tight end to the role of a primary run blocking tight end and losing one of your best defensive players in exchange for an upgrade at the pass catching tight end position and a 7^th rounder.

Grade: C

Deal for Broncos: What is Josh McDaniels doing? He has gotten rid of pretty much every talented player the Broncos had when he came in! Tony Scheffler is no Antonio Gates or Tony Gonzalez, but he had 89 catches for 1194 yards and 8 touchdowns in the two years prior to last year, before his stats dipped (as did everyone’s) in Josh McDaniels’ brilliant offensive scheme. What do the Broncos really accomplish by moving up from the 7^th to the 5^th round (other than once again making me change my mock draft)? Who is Kyle Orton going to throw to next year. Brandon Marshall is gone. Tony Scheffler is gone. This whole offensive unit is going to struggle next year and their defensive unit isn’t too great either. They good be really bad next year.

Grade: D

Deal for Eagles: In the words of Dick Vitale, I absolutely love it! (randomly flails hands in air) I love the idea of getting a starting caliber player for a 5^th round pick. What were they going to do with that 5^th rounder anyway? Ernie Sims is not a star player, but he plays a position that doesn’t require stars for your team to be a good team. Teams can have good defenses with average caliber linebackers and Sims is a huge upgrade at weakside linebacker over anyone on the roster or anyone they could have gotten in the 5^th round of the draft. At the end of the day, this is all about value and adding starting caliber players for cheap, both of which are things I love.

Grade: A