Rumors continue to circulate that New York Giants all-pro tight end Jeremy Shockey may be on his way to the Big Easy to join the New Orleans Saints. Reports of a possible trade that would send Shockey to the Saints began surfacing last month. Depending on whose blog you read, a proposal was made by one of the clubs to swap Saints safety Roman Harper and a second round draft pick for Shockey – a deal that was rejected. But rumors of a trade haven’t let up. Sports Illustrated columnist Peter King recently dropped a short note in his column that "New Orleans is not through trying to acquire Jeremy Shockey." The latest report, being picked up by several sports blogs, comes from none other than WWE announcer Jim Ross. Ross writes on his blog :
Reggie Bush was also at [WrestleMania] 24 and was hanging around Snoop Dogg’s trailer most of the afternoon on Sunday. My sources tell me that the New York Giants are going to trade outstanding TE Jeremy Shockey to Bush’s Saints, prior to the NFL draft. Shockey is an Oklahoma kid from Ada who told me last week he was looking forward to playing for the Saints.
While the rumors may likely remain just that, several commentators are fueling the speculation by noting that a deal between the two clubs makes sense on several levels. Saints coach Sean Payton was the Giants offensive coordinator during Shockey’s first years in the NFL and favored the tight end in his play calling. For the Giants, Shockey appears to be expendable. The team made its improbable Super Bowl run last year without the star tight end, who injured his leg prior to the playoffs. Shockey also commands a high salary (he has a five year deal worth $26 million) and has at times strained team relations by complaining to the media and other players.