Portland Timbers Player Rankings #10: Troy Perkins

Acquired from DC United in exchange for allocation money and goalkeeper Steve Cronin, Perkins was seldom out of the starting lineup during his tenure with the Portland Timbers.

Perkins was known for his awareness in front of goal and the quick reaction saves that kept the Timbers' chances alive.

Perhaps just as importantly, fans enjoyed his honesty and thoughtfulness in interviews with the media, putting words to the often harsh truths about the team's performance, when other players and coaches might have spoken more generally and optimistically.

Yes, fans were often frustrated by his tendency to forego the short throw to a defender in favor of the dropkick upfield, which, with the lack of a big target to put a head on those aerial balls, more often than not went for a turnover. Or out of bounds.

But nothing endeared Perkins to fans more than when one of his nostrils was torn off his face by means of a reckless challenge by Montreal's Sanna Nyassi. He had to wear protective headgear for weeks afterward, but he didn't miss a start.

Should he have been traded?

No. Obviously at this point we don't really know if or how the Perkins-Ricketts trade was influenced by Caleb Porter, or how it may fit into the drastic roster changes taking place this offseason. But unless some incredible deal comes up in the coming weeks that makes us all go, "Ohhh, that's why we traded Perkins," the rationale behind this trade is going to be a bit of a mystery.