Patriots Player Departure Hobbs traded to Philadelphia [mergedx2]

[Urgent]

I'm surprised at the level of negativity directed toward Hobbs by some.

The guy started for four years.
He was one of the very best kick returners in the league, while playing #1 corner.
He was durable.

I've seen Hobbs blamed for the Super Bowl loss. Really? Granted, he sucks as a pass blocker, but that wasn't him in the game. He was in single coverage and was beaten on one play. He didn't allow Manning to escape a sack. He didn't fail to break up a key long pass across the middle. He didn't drop an interception in his hands.

And he wasn't worth the $2.5mm?
Anyone care to guess what the Pats are paying Bodden and Springs - who both had far worse 2008 seasons than Hobbs?
Anyone want to project what he makes as a free agent?
Young starting corners, who are also top returners, make a bit more than $2.5mm in free agency.

Clearly the Patriots decided to upgrade. With Butler added, they had plenty of depth. They wanted some cap space, and releasing Hobbs offered about the most they could get, at a position of depth.

I'm fine with the upgrade. Hobbs does get beat, especially on the outside. I believe he would make a very good nickel corner - great agility, quickness, fearlessness. As a nickel, he will get less beat up, and be fresher for returns. With Butler, Bodden, and Springs, the Patriots were free to move him inside, or make a trade.

But I respect what Hobbs delivered. Good luck to him. No need to blame him on the way out.

 

[Leave No Doubt]

Good luck to him,I wish him well He had some good days here; I'm not upset to see him go but I appreciate what he did here overall.

 

[PatsBoy12]

I remember the "other" Philadelphia CB for that one game, the Ellis I remember was the one stripping 6'5" Antonio Gates on the one yard line in the 2006 Divisional Round and outfighting 6'5" Vincent Jackson for a jump ball in that same game. He was the cover corner and Asante was the gambler, they complemented each other well.

I was merely making the point that people tend to remember the bad more than they remember the good. Most people have zero recollection of either of the plays you cited. I'm not one of them, and I'm not saying it's right for people to do that, but that's just the way it goes more often than not.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Ellis Hobbs prevented Tom Brady from becoming the only qb in NFL history to have 5 Super Bowls. What more ammo do you need to justify a trade that happens to be out of the division?

Welcome to the NE Patriots! It's obvious from your 'analysis' that you just started watching football around January 2007.

 

[PatsBoy12]

Excellent points.

Let's take whether we (or BB) like Ellis Hobbs individually out of the equation. It seems clear that BB identified the secondary as the major area of the team to upgrade this offseason, just as he targeted LB last year. At safety we had only Meriweather signed, and we had been relying on an aging, slowing and injury-prone Rodney Harrison for too long. And at CB we got torched with Hobbs and Deltha O'Neal. Wheatley and Wilhite showed flashes or promise, but I can see being much more comfortable with them as nickle/dime guys than relying on one to be a quality starter. I understande that the lack of pass rush had some impact on the secondary, but there's no excusing that the secondary was the weakest in BB's tenure.

4 months later, we now have a starting CB tandem of Darius Butler and Leigh Bodden, which could become as good as our 2003 CBs, and Wheatley and Wilhite as quality depth. And we have a safety rotation of Meriweather, Chung, Sanders and Tank Williams. And Shawn Springs for quality depth at both positions. That's certainly the best secondary we've had since 2003-2004. Hobbs became superfluous, particularly given that he was in a contract year. He is a ****y kid with a big ego, and I can't see him settling for less money to come back like James Sanders did. With the huge FA salaries given to JAG CBs this year, it seems like Hobbs will get a minimum of $6-8M/year after next year. That's just not worth it. Why not trade him now for something, and save $2.5M in cap money that can be applied elsewhere. Butler is a huge upgrade over Hobbs at a much cheaper cost (or, Bodden is an upgrade over Hobbs at similar cost). BB clearly was very cap-conscious in this draft. He obviously has a long-term plan.

I have nothing against Hobbs - not one of my favorites, but I was never into bashing him. I wish him well. But it's a good move. I would like to have gotten more, but given that he was in his contract year I'm ok with it. And BB reportedly thinks that Ohrnberger can be a starting OG for us. If so, it's a good trade.

No disrespect to anyone else, but this is the best summation I've seen thus far.

 

[Water Boy]

Let me reassure you that we have that well covered.
Brandon Tate. Just watch.

YouTube - Brandon Tate Kickoff Return TD

He showed some good speed in that clip but he didn't exactly demonstrate any kind of missability. His feet stopped dead upon first contact. I'm not going to judge the guy on one play, but that highlight doesn't do much for me.

 

[Mike the Brit]

Kevin Faulk says GFY, Mike!

Really, I was thinking that the GOAT might be asked to take a slight haircut, if it were the price of being able to dance with his friend Jason. Then there's Jarvis and even Tedy ...

 

[Water Boy]

Great trade. Can't believe Philly gave up anything for hiim. He's JAG and one year left on his contract.

i wouldn't exactly call 2 5th rounders a king's ransom for a starting caliber CB and an excellent return man.

 

[Den-in-NH]

Funny thing.

I've been at a number of events with Hobbs, and while I've always liked some of the things he can do on the field, I've always found him to be arrogant, self-serving, boastful and rather punk-ish. Still, I've been trying to add his sig to a ball that I've been collecting for awhile which has about 30 other sigs on it - guys like Adalius, Rodney, Matt Cassel, Jarvis Green, Ty Warren, even Bob Kraft. Big-time guys. But Ellis has always eluded me - he's been the whale to my Ahab.

Well, I ran into Ellis at Vince's Party yesterday and finally got his name on my ball. Now granted there's not a lot of space left on it (it's a white Pats autograph ball), but instead of finding a small patch of open real estate he sprawls his name hugely - bigger than anybody else's on the ball, and not only covers over a piece of Antwain Spann's signature, but also right over the "Patriots" script which adorn the ball.

I thought it was perfectly symbolic. Ellis's ego is huge and so is his sig -- while really great guys have much less flamboyant autographs. Ellis thinks he's bigger than the team - he put his autograph right over the team name.

So I got my sig the search is over, and Ellis is gone. House shopping in Pennsylvania. I think attitude and the desire to cash in next year were his downfall - he was mediocre, but so are a lot of other guys on this team. The difference? They know where they stand and try to improve while Ellis already thinks he's the man.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Funny thing.

I've been at a number of events with Hobbs, and while I've always liked some of the things he can do on the field, I've always found him to be arrogant, self-serving, boastful and rather punk-ish. Still, I've been trying to add his sig to a ball that I've been collecting for awhile which has about 30 other sigs on it - guys like Adalius, Rodney, Matt Cassel, Jarvis Green, Ty Warren, even Bob Kraft. Big-time guys. But Ellis has always eluded me - he's been the whale to my Ahab.

Well, I ran into Ellis at Vince's Party yesterday and finally got his name on my ball. Now granted there's not a lot of space left on it (it's a white Pats autograph ball), but instead of finding a small patch of open real estate he sprawls his name hugely - bigger than anybody else's on the ball, and not only covers over a piece of Antwain Spann's signature, but also right over the "Patriots" script which adorn the ball.

I thought it was perfectly symbolic. Ellis's ego is huge and so is his sig -- while really great guys have much less flamboyant autographs. Ellis thinks he's bigger than the team - he put his autograph right over the team name.

So I got my sig the search is over, and Ellis is gone. House shopping in Pennsylvania. I think attitude and the desire to cash in next year were his downfall - he was mediocre, but so are a lot of other guys on this team. The difference? They know where they stand and try to improve while Ellis already thinks he's the man.

I rarely quote all. Speaks volumes.
I like Hobbs but felt that as an avg CB he over valued himself. QED.

 

[Warren94]

No disrespect to anyone else, but this is the best summation I've seen thus far.

I agree. The only thing I don't like is the fact that Butler can't tackle worth a crap.

 

[Rob0729]

Not all that shocked. I like Hobbs, but there was no way all these CBs were going to make the team. Hobbs is scheduled to be a free agent next year and probably wouldn't have been retained. He held the most trade value too.

 

[E Belichick Unum]

1. Troy Brown danced, Rosy Colvin danced, a lot of Patriots danced midfield after that game.

2. Why blame him for the Colts penalty?

3. Belichick sold out on the blitz on that play against the Giants. They didn't get to Eli in time.

Yeah, but ellis was a much better dancer.

 

[Rob0729]

BTW, I don't know if it has been mentioned (didn't read all the posts on 11 pages), Hobbs trade frees up $2.25 million of cap room. Probably enough to give Jason Taylor a multiyear deal assuming he would have something similiar to Fred Taylor who has a $2.28 million cap hit this year. Or if they were to trade for Peppers, a restructure of Brady and Light be enough to fit him under the cap with a multiyear deal.

 

[Feep50]

Good luck in Philly Ellis.... "Tough Room"

 

[dhamz]

Hobbs is an elite KR. He is a below average starting corner. Quite simply if he is a starter at CB, then it is a position in serious need of an upgrade.

He's tough, he plays hurt, he plays hard. He just isn't very good at corner and in the NFL that is the bottom line. The Pats won't miss him at all on defense.

 

[KDPPatsfan85]

Hobbs is an elite KR. He is a below average starting corner. Quite simply if he is a starter at CB, then it is a position in serious need of an upgrade.

He's tough, he plays hurt, he plays hard. He just isn't very good at corner and in the NFL that is the bottom line. The Pats won't miss him at all on defense.

Exactly what i was saying!! Hobbs is an amazing KR but a mediocre CB. Im mad that we lost the best KR in the league, but theres only so many spots on our roster. I think Brandon Tate will be our new KR (In 2010). I think Brandon Tate will be on the PUP list for a year (just like what mayok said).

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

BTW, I don't know if it has been mentioned (didn't read all the posts on 11 pages), Hobbs trade frees up $2.25 million of cap room. Probably enough to give Jason Taylor a multiyear deal assuming he would have something similiar to Fred Taylor who has a $2.28 million cap hit this year. Or if they were to trade for Peppers, a restructure of Brady and Light be enough to fit him under the cap with a multiyear deal.

Mentioned several times. Also I pointed out prior to the interview exactly what Ellis said in his departure interview...that there are several OTHER guys the Pats have to pay next season, they all can't make big bucks and something had to be done. It's business.

 

[Coach42]

No disrespect to anyone else, but this is the best summation I've seen thus far.

completely agree. This move had far more to do with the uncapped year coming up than it did about Hobbs's play. I've always like Ellis and I hate to see him go.

 

[ausbacker]

Interesting way to wake up in the morning and be greeted with the headlines Hobbs traded for Philly and should the Jets go after Plaxico Burress.