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Boy, Rex Ryan had an eventful weekend.
The Jets' head coach underwent a surgical procedure that he hopes will help him fight obesity and he also added a future Hall of Famer to his roster in running back LaDanian Tomlinson.
No big deal.
Ryan wasn't the only one making some moves, however.
Mike Holmgren continued the roster turnover in Cleveland by signing quarterback Jake Delhomme to a two-year deal and trading quarterback Brady Quinn and fellow former first-round pick (how's that for some alliteration?) Kamerion Wimbley.
The Steelers are apparently getting in on the offseason action as well, as they reportedly are closing in on a deal with linebacker Larry Foote. Foote would be the second former Steeler to return to Pittsburgh this offseason, joining wide receiver Antwan Randle El, who signed with his old team last week.
I thought I'd direct your attention to an article written a few days ago by ESPN.com's John Clayton that discusses the best way for teams to acquire top wide receiving talent.
Clayton points to the draft as the ideal method, saying that having a patient approach with young receivers can pay off in the long run. But Clayton also says that when teams decide to trade for a proven receiver, patience is the name of the game as well, and he singles out the Ravens' trade of Anquan Boldin as an example.
We've obviously talked about the Boldin deal quite a bit, but one aspect of the trade that I failed to touch on was the way GM Ozzie Newsome handled the negotiations over the last year or so.
As Clayton points out, last offseason, the Cardinals reportedly were asking for a first-round pick in return for Boldin. The Ravens were desperate for wide receiving help, and Newsome was getting pressure from fans and some media members to pull the trigger and make the trade.
Instead, Newsome waited for Arizona's price to drop, and only ended up surrendering third and fourth-round picks in return for Boldin and the Cardinals' fifth-rounder.
Would it have been nice to have Boldin in purple and black last season? Of course. But patience paid off for the Ravens, and they eventually got their guy without having to sacrifice a top pick.
One might say that the trade that brought Boldin to Baltimore can already be considered a "win" for that reason alone.
