TRADE 15: Pawnee Plunderers

The Week 8 results were delayed as I moved yesterday; They should be up later today. More pressing news occurred late last night, as an exchange was made that dramatically reshapes LBX, with the Pawnee Pride acquiring 5th overall pick Antonio Brown to pair him with 10th overall pick Julio Jones at WR, both receivers in compliment to the second overall pick, running back Saquon Barkley.

It is the first time that a team has assembled three healthy first round picks on a single roster in Larkspur Bowl history.

PAWNEE ACQUIRES WR ANTONIO BROWN, QB RUSSELL WILSON
BREWTANG ACQUIRES WR JARVIS LANDRY, RB LATAVIUS MURRAY, QB MITCH TRUBINSKY

So Antonio Brown is the obvious headliner, the #7 WR on the year to date and about as bankable a weekly asset as there is at the position, assured of volume and regular visits to the end zone. Russell Wilson to date has underperformed Mitch Trubinsky, but with his top wideout back in the fold his production ticked up on either side of his bye and with a long track record, he's a surer bet to maintain stability th3rough the end game. Make no mistake, this was a coup by the Pride, who upgrade at wide receiver, likely upgrade at quarterback, and throw in a spare part to open up a roster spot. It's the sort of trade offer that would typically either draw a hard line counter demanding a better third piece, or an eye roll and a decline. BUT ON MISCHIEF NIGHT, ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN.

So lets unpack the Brewtang side of things: Jarvis Landry is a perfect capable WR1. Drafted in the second round, he's a marked notch down from Antonio Brown in floor and upside, but is still a credible piece that would be a weekly play on any team. With Tyreek Hill currently second in points at the position and Marvin Jones due for a schematic upgrade going forward, this was a position of strength and continues to be a healthy spot for the Killa Beez.

At quarterback prognostication is a bit of a toss-up; Wilson is more of a known (if somewhat volatile) commodity in the box score, while Trubinsky is rolling after a lackluster statistical start to his career. Typically the team giving up the best player in the deal takes on less risk, but if Trubinsky is the Apple of the Brew-tang eye this aspect of the deal is understandable if perhaps ill-advised.

It's the last portion of the deal that is really underwhelming: The range of outcomes with Latavius Murray is vast- with volume he could maintain a legitimate claim on a RB2 role, but volume is only assured for another week. After that is a bye, then Murray's value could range down to handcuff or completely droppable; He's not a definitive long term upgrade over Frank Gore, Buck Allen, or Duke Johnson, and the team will likely end up leaning on that committee going forward.

The Killa Beez' need for another running back to compliment Mark Ingram has been well documented and the construction of the deal is sensible, but with Nick Chubb and Chris Carson on the Pawnee roster and far more likely to carry value, they were far more desirable targets- and with Saquon Barkley locking down one RB slot, either could have been expendable.

This was another underwhelming decision by the league's least successful franchise: They recently sabotaged themselves in a bid to unseat the team's top dog South Park Cows by fielding a woefully unprepared defense and in the process dropped to last in the standings and in overall points. The team will need to win out these last five weeks to clinch their first ever playoff birth. Otherwise it's new name, new logo, same incredibly disappointing results.