It's Official: The Rapids Acquire Tim Howard

The Colorado Rapids announced the signing of US Men's National Team Goalkeeper Tim Howard this morning on their website and over social media.

Howard will presumably join the Rapids after the EPL season, and once the MLS Secondary window opens, on July 4th. The Rapids are scheduled to face the Timbers that night at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. (Nice. The Secretary of Defense. On our Nation's birthday.)

The move is the long-awaited and long-rumored conclusion to the Rapids deal-making during the 2016 MLS SuperDraft on January 14th, in which they moved up from the #2 spot in allocation to #1 by trading the 12th and 22nd picks in the draft to Chicago. Those picks eventually became central defender Jonathan Campbell and forward Alex Morrell.

The Rapids also needed additional moves in the off-season to acquire the Targeted and General Allocation Money (TAM and GAM) to pay for the multiple high profile moves during the Transfer window, including dishing the 2nd overall pick of the draft, and trading Clint Irwin, Maynor Figueroa, and Marcelo Sarvas for various GAM & TAM.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but ESPN FC's Jeff Carlisle reported on February 27th that Howard and the Rapids agreed to $2 million a year for 4 years, plus a $700,000 transfer fee with Everton.

Howard is currently out-of-favor at Merseyside, and has sat on the bench the past few weeks.

On the one hand, the Rapids complete a long rumored move that brings in a talented, legendary, and well-respected GK, and finally make use of the Allocation Spot they had wheeled and deal-ed to get.

On the other hand, well, we at Burgundy wave have had our reservations here, here and here about whether this is a good idea.

Your thoughts, burgundy fans?