49ers: No regrets on Pats trade

As if we expected him to say otherwise - classic case of a surprising team making a decent step forward, record-wise, decided to play for the "now," not realizing that next year's more difficult schedule would make a repeat performance difficult. Every year there's a team in this position; before them, it was the Jets. It comes down to identifying who could disappoint next year, and making a deal.

Bill and Scott straight up fleeced him.

Joe Staley will be the Niners starting left tackle for the next ten year. Great trade for the Niners.

That move is also a financial win. Very good, high impact players are also had late in the 1st round, but their first contracts are significantly lower. This move yields what should be the starting LT of the future at a very reasonable cost and the first round pick this year will have a lower cost and risk associated with it. Even then, there are some great prospects that will be available to fill the need at DE, NT, DE, OLB or WR that the team desperately needs.

We all expected Willis to be great and he is. The trade for Staley, however, mihgt well be the best move in the draft over the long haul.

We got the second best tackle in the draft for 28th pick money. Joe Staley is, and will continue to be - better than last years second tackle taken (by AZ) with the fifth overall pick. That is value. Obviously, they didn't think they would have the 7th pick this year, but the move still got them a top 10 pick & their starting LT for the next 10 years.

Also, I bet the Pats aren't too thrilled with having to pay a rookie top-ten-money.....that goes against their whole phillosophy. That is a salary cap risk that they have carefully avoided over the past 7 years. This deal could end up hurting the PATs.......especially since they are going to have to open up the pocket book for Moss.

Matt Daigle: if that's what keeps you warm through the winter of the pats' discontent, run with it. Meanwhile, back in reality, your buddies Bill and Scott made as good a trade as the niners did.

For as talented as Staley is, they got him at a good price. A top 10 pick wil cost tens of millions more than what the team is paying Staley, who was probably the team's best offensive lineman this past year. An offensive tackle who runs a 4.7 40? If Joe Thomas and Levi Brown hadn't been in the same draft, Staley probably would have been a Top 10 or top 15 pick. Anyways, the team's top need is at wideout, and there aren't any that seem to warrant the #7 pick in this year's draft, but at #29, there should be many options.

1, the Jets made the playoffs last year, the niners didn't. Don't compare the two.

If this guy (and yes the jury is still out) makes the move to LT the trade will be great.

Oh, and btw Joe Montana never lost a superbowl!!! BWhaaaaaaaaa!

Oh, and Bill Walsh never needed to video tape other walk-throughs to win games!

BWHAAAAAAA!!!!

And, Joe will be making a lot less money over the next several years than what the Pats will have to pay to the #7 pick. Face it, Pats fans!! Picks in the top 10 of the draft represent less value and more risk relative to their compensation than veteran, experienced FAs

A franchise LT which most say Staley is on his way to becoming at a late first round price. If Staley were in this years draft, I wonder where he would slot...probably the 2nd tackle after Jake Long...the winner/loser of this trade will also depend on who NE picks @ 7th & how good or bad that pick turns out to be...
Right now, both teams seem pleased with the trade

I'm a Niner fan and I think it was a good trade for everyone involved, though based on the Niners injury problems and poor record last year the Pats definitely came out a little ahead. If the Niners had stayed healthy and won the games they were supposed to win (i.e. against the Falcons, Rams, and Ravens), the #7 would instead be a pick in the 12-16 range.

I'm a niners fan (yes i have a bag on my head) the pats are well coached and owned i'm assuming they will trade the 7th overall pick and move down end of with some 3rd or 4th round future hall of famers (wish our team had the talent ) but what alot of our fans arent facing is our problems start and end with ownership york will never hire the right coach as nolan did improve the talent theres a lack of coaching and chemistry here so this year i'm not expecting a whole lot.

I think both sides won. SF got a cheaper pick, a year early, so hopefully he will be ready to play when the team starts to play better.

NE got a high pick, but there are only 5 elite players this year, so the high pick isn't even that great. They have to pay a lot of money for a player who might be of equal value to one selected at #20. I'm confident they will pick well, but I wish there was more elite talent.

I am also curious what it would have been like to have Staley on the Patriots this year. The breakdown in the Super Bowl was due to the interior rush, so he wouldn't have made much difference, but it would have been interesting.