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| Jason Cohen. 5th February, 2009 - 1:17 am
 It has been no secret that Kansas City Chiefs' tight end Tony Gonzalez is not happy with the direction that the Chiefs have been headed in recent years. A once proud franchise, the Chiefs have not fielded a playoff team since 2006. Gonzalez, who will be 33 at the start of next season, has expressed his desire to play for a team that is ready to challenge for the Lombardi trophy. It certainly appears as though the two sides are headed in opposite directions and it may be time for a change of scenery. This is where the New York Giants come in.
Since trading Jeremy Shockey to the New Orleans Saints last season, they have received a solid contribution from his replacement, Kevin Boss, who has played two seasons with the club. Although Boss has shown improvement as a target of Eli Manning, adding Gonzalez would help his development. He would also add to their core of receivers and could help offset the potential loss of Plaxico Burress as a playmaker.
Gonzalez has been to the Pro-Bowl 10 times during his illustrious career and his statistics of 916 receptions for 10,940 yards with 76 touchdowns make him the all-time leader in these categories for a tight end. Throughout his time with the Chiefs, Gonzalez has been the number one receiving threat, as he has never been surrounded by an elite receiving core. This would make him an ideal fit with the Giants as it would take pressure of the Giant receivers and Eli Manning.
What will it take to pry Gonzalez from the Chiefs? If history is any indication, it may not take much. The Giants traded Shockey, who is perceived to be a top flight tight end and who is younger than Gonzalez for a second round and a fifth round draft pick. Heck, the Patriots acquired Randy Moss from the Oakland Raiders for a fourth round pick. In the end, depending on the market, the Chiefs could agree to trade Gonzalez for a package similar to what the Giants received for Shockey.
Gonzalez may not be a long term solution for the Giants, but should Plaxico have played his last game in New York, he will certainly help alleviate the teams need for a dependable veteran receiving threat and would be a viable insurance policy. |
