After months of rumors and speculation, Sean Payton finally got his tight end. The Saints finalized a deal with the Giants to bring in TE Jeremy Shockey. The trade costs the Saints a second- and a fifth-round pick in the 2009 draft.

I’m not too high on Shockey as many people are. Yes, he is a great talent and shows unparalleled passion. His emotions get to the best of him, however. He often shows up his quarterback. He also drops more passes than you’d like to see from your tight end. The fact the Giants just flat out took off without him makes me a little leery of what negative things he brings to a team.

If Shockey puts his faith into Coach Payton’s philosophy this could work. Drew Brees and Antonio Gates were a great tandem in San Diego so maybe they could develop a similar chemistry. Shockey will also have an incredible chip on his shoulder. Maybe this works. Maybe not. But it’s more gratifying the Saints made this move after retooling the defense, not before.