Ward-Switzer trade win-win?

[NotForLong]

David Irving 2.0

Without the drama

 

[MarionBarberThe4th]

Maybe Switzer was right in saying Dallas wanted him more as a returner and running back (web back) than as a wide receiver. If that’s what Dallas wanted w/Switzer...Tavon is clearly an upgrade, making Ryan disposable outside of the return game.

That’s a good point. They essentially just added Ward for nothing in their mind. As Tavon was essentially given away.

I was a huge tavon Austin fan. But I’m starting to think it takes a rare breed to succeed in the nfl at 5’10” or less. You gotta be willing to run upright here and there and risk a big hit. Steve Smith was a good example of a fearless smaller wr.

 

[Rayman70]

we have a good idea about what Switzer can be...we saw flashes last year. A ton of stuff to like...a weapon on special teams and as a slot receiver..HAS DECEPTIVE Edelman-like speed. Ward..we only know what we have seen thus far in shorts lol...OTA's. Yes...he looks the part physically..looks good in shorts and says the right things you want to hear. But there are a ton of unknowns with him. As of today, The Raiders got the better of that trade,hands down. Now maybe that will change this season as we go along..but for now, he is simply a camp body for us until he proves worthy of being in the rotation on Sundays.I HATE the fact we gave upon Switzer. He IMO, fit what we needed on special teams...an X factor we hadn't had...an extra weapon. Now that's gone and we apparently have put our hopes in Deon Thompson, Tavon Austin pertaining to special teams. I think this trade MAY bite us on the arse later in the year if Ward doesn't pan out and Switzer becomes a solid contributor.

 

[Rayman70]

Trades are win-win by construction - they're made when both parties think they're better off.

In this case, both sides had a good idea what they were getting and what they were giving up. More so than in most trades.

Broaddus is in love. He has Ward as his biggest veteran offseason surprise. A strong 3tech to put into rotation would be great news for us. DT was looking like a serious weakness. We got a guy at a position of need for a guy for a guy at a position with a big crowd. Made sense for us.

well..HE BETTER BE RIGHT. Otherwise it will set us back. Like everything about Ward except the 1 thing you want in a player...PRODUCTION. So lets see if he can produce before we celebrate. Usually Broaddus giving his blessings on a player is the kiss of death. Hope I'm wrong on this one.

 

[Bullflop]

well..HE BETTER BE RIGHT. Otherwise it will set us back. Like everything about Ward except the 1 thing you want in a player...PRODUCTION. So lets see if he can produce before we celebrate. Usually Broaddus giving his blessings on a player is the kiss of death. Hope I'm wrong on this one.

LOL -- Seems like everybody picks on Broaddus. Like the saying goes, "even a blind squirrel finds a nut every once in a while!"

 

[Jumbo075]

It's a mistake to think the Cowboys were displeased with Ryan Switzer. There is no indication they were actively trying to shop him to other teams. I understand that Switzer felt he didn't get a real chance to perform in Dallas - because he didn't get a real chance to perform in Dallas. He was drafted as a cheaper replacement for Cole Beasley. It was always the plan to have him learn for two years, and then potentially step into the starting lineup after Beasley's contract expires.

But the Cowboys liked Ward, and their recently departed Special Teams coach really likes Switzer. Jerry Jones said of the trade, "They knew they had to offer something pretty good to get Switzer away from us." That means the Cowboys still had a high opinion of Switzer. He wasn't in anyone's doghouse. Jerry went on to say, "They offered just enough to get him from us." In other words, the Cowboys like how Ward helps the team more than how Switzer helps the team. That's not a knock on Switzer - a 4th round pick. It simply means the Cowboys felt adding a 2nd round draft pick DT was more valuable than keeping a 4th round draft pick WR. The fact that the Cowboys signed 2 free agent WR's, drafted 2 more WR's, and traded for another WR made it easier to let Switzer go - something the Raiders were counting on.

 

[conner01]

David Irving 2.0

Not very likely
Other than being an idiot, Irving is a very unique talent

 

[CATCH17]

I'll wait until I see him on the field. I'm liking what I hear so far, but practice is one thing... being spectacular on the field is another.

When they put pads on in practice and his name is still being mentioned then I think that's the green light to get excited.

This hype right now though is just the typical offseason nothingness.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

Usually not a bad deal to trade big for small.

Yeah it's rare too. Usually you make trades and it's for similar players.

 

[Rayman70]

got to see it on the field,in real time game action before I'm buyin the Ward hype.

 

[DFWJC]

There was word that Bisaccia really wanted Switzer for his special teams, after working w/him in Dallas. We might be losing a bit in our return game.

No doubt.
It's very clear that when Bisaccia went to the Raiders, he sought to leverage his insight on special teams players from Dallas
Ryan Switzer
Keith Smith
Kyle Wilber

 

[jazzcat22]

Ward is a deep bowl of broth. Beefy and stout. In YouTube highlights you see a guy who looks extra thick in thighs and trunk...yet he’s every bit of 6’4”. Despite the sheer size he looks to move well, not like a typical tackle, nor a typical DE.

Granted it’s just a short look at a highlight reel but the guy looks eager to initiate a collision and ready to bring a little hurt.

Reading the Raider’s story...there didn’t appear to be much future there for Ward. They seemed to prefer their other options.

But Rod Marinelli has pulled surprising magic with several players not beloved by other teams. I won’t be at all surprised if our d-line whisperer can unlock something.

From what they said on draft day, on the local radio shows, Ward did not fit into the style D the Raiders wanted to run, and drafted accordingly. So Ward was more of a casualty of that than overall performance. Hopefully he thrives in our style.

 

[jazzcat22]

Trades are win-win by construction - they're made when both parties think they're better off.

In this case, both sides had a good idea what they were getting and what they were giving up. More so than in most trades.

Broaddus is in love. He has Ward as his biggest veteran offseason surprise. A strong 3tech to put into rotation would be great news for us. DT was looking like a serious weakness. We got a guy at a position of need for a guy for a guy at a position with a big crowd. Made sense for us.

Also, Biassacia may have had some influence on this for ST's too. Since he went to the Raiders, so he could have went to Chucky, and said, hey, Dallas just drafted a WR, let's see if they will part with Switzer.

 

[jazzcat22]

There was word that Bisaccia really wanted Swizter for his special teams, after working w/him in Dallas. We might be losing a bit in our return game.

Seen this after I responded to post right above it.

 

[links18]

Nothing for nothing trade.

 

[jazzcat22]

Nothing for nothing trade.

That is what someone on ESPN said on draft day.
And it was not meant in a negative way.

Meant to say, each team got something they liked and did not give up anything they didn't want to lose.

 

[jazzcat22]

we have a good idea about what Switzer can be...we saw flashes last year. A ton of stuff to like...a weapon on special teams and as a slot receiver..HAS DECEPTIVE Edelman-like speed. Ward..we only know what we have seen thus far in shorts lol...OTA's. Yes...he looks the part physically..looks good in shorts and says the right things you want to hear. But there are a ton of unknowns with him. As of today, The Raiders got the better of that trade,hands down. Now maybe that will change this season as we go along..but for now, he is simply a camp body for us until he proves worthy of being in the rotation on Sundays.I HATE the fact we gave upon Switzer. He IMO, fit what we needed on special teams...an X factor we hadn't had...an extra weapon. Now that's gone and we apparently have put our hopes in Deon Thompson, Tavon Austin pertaining to special teams. I think this trade MAY bite us on the arse later in the year if Ward doesn't pan out and Switzer becomes a solid contributor.

Not really. We also seen bone head flashes. Heard bone head statements. But yet no one wants to dog on him as they will others.
I think it is a trade that helps both teams. I am sure there are Raiders fans that think they got the short end of the deal as well.

I will just wait until TC to how Ward looks for us. At this point I don't care how Switzer does in Oakland. I will not rue the trade no matter what. Switzer was not going to help us here this year anyway. Heck he or Beasley would have had a hard time making the team at all. After signing 2 FA Wr as drafting Gallup.

 

[Irvin88_4life]

I kinda think Switzer got in the dog house and never found his way out. He didn’t play much last year at WR. To be traded away when your main slot guy has one one year left on his second contract was kinda weird.

This isn't even close to being true. I wish folks would stop making things up. Oakland called Dallas for Switzer, Jerry said himself he wasnt looking to trade Switzer. He wasn't in the dog house, Dallas wasn't shopping him around.

I disagree with the trade but receivers were crowded and we needed more players at the DT spot since we didn't draft one. Had nothing to do with Switzer, in fact Jerry even said that he has trade value as Oakland called to get him.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

It was April 28, a Saturday...day three of the NFL’s annual gift-getting party known as the Draft. Cowboy nation’s attention was locked in on possible players Dallas might select in the waning rounds of the draft. Most of us were propped up in front of the TV with a laptop or tablet in hand so we could google the flow of names, talent, and transactions.

Then news hit—Dallas had traded Ryan Swizter for the Raider’s Jihad Ward. Say what!?

The trade features both symmetry and some stark oppositional traits.

We knew about Switzer—5’8, 185 pound...returner supreme with developmental possibilities as a position player. Most of us didn’t know—perhaps still don’t know—much about 295 lb Jihad Ward.

I assumed at the time that the move was a concession, trading Switzer away after just one year. “They just must not have liked him as a developing receiving” I concluded, esp. after I saw how Ward had been buried on the bench through 2017.

It’s only when I heard complimentary things about Ward’s spring practice sessions that I looked him up and tried to get a sense of what Dallas was looking for...and what they might have spotted.

Do you know that Ward was selected in the second round just two drafts back? 44th guy taken. He was seen as a physical force that lacked polish and development. He had a foot injury that kept him off the field for much of 2017.

Maybe this was two teams burping away their mis-calculated draft selections. But maybe both teams saw something they really prized...guys that needed a fresh system and context...and will be rewarded with true production this next season.

with Austin, a faster better, more established player, it made Switzer the odd man out. switzer's ceiling wasn't that high, at best a great returner and a good slot guy. couldn't play outside.

with that said, I wasn't aware Ward had foot injury....also he played in a 3-4 and maybe better suited to play 4-3 DT.

 

[Idgit]

I don’t get why people seem to mind moving Switzer so much. He’d probably be on the outside looking in for a roster spot right now if we didn’t flip him. We basically brought in a WR with as much potential when we selected Cedric Wilson.

Ward’s been a disappointment so far. But we wanted a DT, it was late in the draft, and Marinelli had direct experience coaching him. He’s a better talent than any player we’d have taken at that position in the 6th or 7th rounds (after the Tavon trade was made). Even if he blows and doesn’t make the team, it was a shot worth taking.