Chad Ochocinco in New England: Why the Patriots Struck Gold

Chad Ochocinco has always been a bit of a nutcase.  From his insane yet hilarious touchdown celebrations to his ridiculous Twitter rants, to changing his name to his number in Spanish, he is an entertainer.  

On Thursday, the Patriots acquired Ochocinco in what seemed to be a bargain deal.  They traded a fifth-round pick in 2012 and a sixth-round pick in 2013 for the star wideout.  For most teams, this would be a small price to pay for such a talent, but for the Patriots, a team that gets so many late-round picks, this is minuscule.

Chad Ochocinco has been a very productive receiver his entire career.  He has 751 career receptions for 10,783 yards with 66 TDs.  He holds many of Cincinnati's franchise records, including most seasons with over 1,000 receiving yards (seven).  He has been able to do all of this with an average-to-subpar quarterback, Carson Palmer.  

So imagine what kind of a threat he would be with Tom Brady and the Patriots.  Although he is past his prime, he is still strong and very productive in gaining yardage after the catch.  His statistics may drop in Foxboro, but only because Tom Brady is one of the best at spreading the ball around.

So why would the Bengals give up such a talented player for so little? Well, for one thing, Cincinnati is in a rebuilding phase, and you never know if you could find the next late-round gem with one of these two picks.  Ochocinco had spent his whole career with the Bengals, so maybe he needed a change of scenery.  

A few years ago, he tried very hard to get traded, but in the following seasons, insisted he wanted to stay.  He and Carson Palmer have also apparently had some falling out with each other over the years.  Palmer was not a huge fan of Chad's diva attitude.  It's still a head scratcher to me, though. 

First the Bengals let go of T.J. Houshmandzadeh, then they trade Chad Ochocinco.  I know they drafted A.J. Green and have slot man Jordan Shipley, but who else? Carson Palmer hasn't even reported to camp so far, and I don't think that they want to make Andy Dalton start as a rookie.  The Bengals really are a mess.

So, in conclusion, what did each team gain from this trade?

The Bengals gained basically a couple of picks for the crap shoot that is the fifth-seventh round of the NFL draft.  They also got rid of someone who is a diva and not the best personality in the locker room, but along with him goes his production.

The Patriots gained yet another weapon for Tom Brady to work his magic with, for basically nothing.  If anyone can handle the ego of Chad Ochocinco, it is Bill Belichick.  The only possible fault in this trade is the worry that Ochocinco may be a bit too rebellious for the Pats.  

But, if that happens, they can let him leave Foxboro (like Randy Moss) and say, "Well, we didn't really have to give up anything to get him." It's a win-win situation.