What a bargain McNair was.

A 4th round pick was the best we could get for Mac and the Titans would have had to simply cut him with no compensation if they didn't get that. Of course we could have kept Mac at his asking price and not been able to sign any FAs (Hope, Thornton, Mawae, Givens and KVB) because making a commitment to Mac early would have caused the Titans to forget using any CAP space on new players. How would we look with Mac on this team and none or few of those guys? Also, thinking we could get a quality player like Suggs, Barber or Bouldin is beyond pie in the sky.

I'm sure if the Raiders had any clue how bad their QB situation was going to be this year they would have easily given a 3rd or better for Mac but either way the Titans bargaining power was not good when the deal was eventually made. Mac would not come down on his salary demands and the Titans would have been idiotic to sign him to a long term situation.

 

It's all about supply and demand. Not many people wanted McNair.

It's also all about leverage. Everyone knew we had to dump him to function this year.

 

The trades work a little bit different than say.... Madden Football '07. Everyone knew that we were going to have to get rid of McNair due to his salary, or else McNair was going to have to change his cap number. No way Baltimore gives up a Terrell Suggs, or anyone else gives up a premier player (as nice as that would have been)

Obviously, Mcnair felt that he should not have to lower his salary. Tennessee was not going to give him a multi year deal, especially one that paid anywhere close to what Baltimore is paying. I love McNair, but no matter how you look at it, he is not going to be worth what he is making 3 years from now. As young a team as we have, why pay out the butt for a player who you won't need in a year? Baltimore essentially is paying McNair a good deal of money to "put them over the top". Baltimore basically is saying that they have to win the superbowl either this year or next.

There are very few other teams that "only" needed a QB. Tampa thought they were set with Simms, the raiders need a lot more than just a QB. Arizona obviously felt good with Warner as their mentor, and I can't say I blame them, McNair obviously still wants to be The Man. Warner I think at least is OK with showing Leinart the ropes (also how to turn over the ball 4-5 times per game).

I agree that if we happened to just want to trade McNair, his value is a lot higher than a 4th, however under the circumstances I see why we only got a 4th rounder.

 

Well, if we hadn't traded him, we would have had to release him. The Ravens were the highest bidder, and frankly, they paid fair market value for him when you consider what the going rate in other trades were.

(Exception: the Dolphins overpaid for Culpepper.)

Earlier, the Ravens offered only a fifth-rounder, so Reese may have felt fortunate that he got a fourth-rounder.

This isn't like baseball, where you trade players for each other, you trade them for draft picks. Why the Ratbirds would have thrown in a good player is beyond me.

 

After watching last night a 4th rounder is a steal.

 

You can't demand anything more than a mid-round pick for someone the whole world knows you're gonna have to release anyway--Baltimore wouldn't have wanted to wait, but they would have.

The only thing about having the pick is that everybody starts to get it in their head that that's what you gave McNair up for, instead of seeing it for what it was: a consolation prize for having to release him (a de facto supplemental draft pick)

 

It sucks the Ratbirds had to be decent this season. That 4th rounder would have looked nice if it were middle of the pack or less. Either way we can us it to bolster our current draft situation.

 

It will be ironic if that 4th rounder turns out to be a difference maker for us.