The word on the street is that Rapids just traded midfielder Nick LaBrocca and a draft pick to Toronto FC for defender Marvell Wynne.

I’ll post more details as they become available.

[UPDATE] Both the Rapids and Toronto are saying the trade is official.  The Colorado Rapids traded midfielder Nick LaBrocca and a 3rd round draft pick to Toronto FC for defender Marvell Wynne.

Here are Wynne’s vitasl:

Marvell Wynne

DOB: May 8, 1986 (age 23)

Position: Defender

Height: 5-9

Weights: 171

Last Club: Toronto FC

College: UCLA

He has 2 goals and 13 career assists in four seasons.  Colorado will be his 3rd team.  He was drafted out of UCLA by New York before being traded to Toronto in 2007.  He’s fallen out of favor in Toronto and is looking to get back on track with the Rapids.

Rapids Official Press Release:

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. (Thursday, March 25, 2010) – The Colorado Rapids have acquired defender Marvell Wynne in a trade with Toronto FC, the club announced today.

In exchange, Colorado send midfielder Nick LaBrocca and their third round 2011 Major League Soccer SuperDraft pick to Toronto.

Wynne joins the Rapids adding his lightning pace to the club’s backline. Over the last two seasons, he has developed into more of an offensive threat scoring his first professional goals in 2008 and registering a career high five assists with TFC last season. Wynne has three caps with the U.S. Men’s National Team and was a member of the Men’s Olympic Team that competed in Beijing in 2008. The former first overall selection in the 2006 MLS SuperDraft by New York has played in 96 career MLS games, 90 as a starter, and recorded two goals and 13 assists.

Wynne will join the team in Los Angeles ahead of their 2010 season opener against Chivas USA tomorrow, Friday, March 26 at 8:30 pm MT.

LaBrocca leaves Colorado having played in more games and in more minutes than any other Rapids player since 2008. He appeared in 61 games with 57 starts and scored four goals for Colorado after originally being drafted by the Rapids with the 35th overall pick in the 2007 MLS SuperDraft.

This is the third trade Colorado and Toronto have completed in the last three months. On January 21, the Rapids acquired allocation money from Toronto in exchange for midfielder Jacob Peterson and on February 10 the Rapids acquired TFC’s third round 2011 MLS SuperDraft pick in exchange for defender Ty Harden.

Transaction

MLS

Colorado Rapids – Acquired defender Marvell Wynne from Toronto FC in exchange for midfielder Nick LaBrocca and Colorado’s third round 2011 Major League Soccer SuperDraft pick.

Coach Smith discussed the trade with the Green Army:

I headed out to training this morning and got a few comments from Gary Smith about the trade.  LaBrocca was highly regarded by Smith and he is “extremely disappointed to lose Nick.”

The move comes as a surprise to most fans.  He was a key member of the team for the last few seasons. There might be more to the story than just strengthening the backline.

“There were some personal reasons for Nick, so the move took place, and I wish him all the very best.  He’s played nearly every minute for me. It’s disappointing to see him go but we are excited to have Marvel in return.”

Wynne is an incredibly fast and athletic defender. Coach Smith is excited about the qualities he brings in right away as well as his potential.

“I think he’s a fabulous addition for us. We were very stretched in that defensive lineup. He not only adds good physical qualities, but in his present potential state we add someone for the future.”

Wynne will be with team at Chivas USA but Coach Smith is uncertain about Wynne’s participation.

“Marvel will be there for us in the weekend, obviously it’s a long journey, a bit of a time difference.  I’m hoping he’ll be in the right mental or physical shape to play a part in the game, but at this point I’m not sure how much.”

Most people see Wynne as the new starting right back. He has national team experience and brings athletic qualities that few players in the league possess.  Coach Smith thinks it’s a mistake to count out Kimura and is considering playing Wynne in different positions.

“Kosuke, I think, is one of those guys when the chips are down he’s always been there for us, I don’t expect that to be any different. He’s improved every year that I’ve been here.”

“I don’t necessarily think that Marvel is a given in that position. I’d like to explore the possibility of him sliding inside every now and then to offer us that extra bit of pace centrally, but only time will tell how that evolves.”

The Rapids are stock piling defenders and Coach Smith is happy with the players they’ve brought.

“We’ve put together a very exciting group of defenders.  There is some huge potential in some of those guys, some of them are yet to reach their peak, Marvel is included in them.”

Coach Smith isn’t done building his team and isn’t ruling out additional moves.  Coach Smith thinks the team needs to bring in “a body or two creatively, and a body in the back four.”

Coach Smith wouldn’t give me any hints on who they are looking at, but it’s good to know that the team is moving their attention to the offensive side of the ball.

Last year’s rookies really made an impact in the league.  Guys like Steve Zakuani, Sam Cronin, Omar Gonzalez, and Chris Pontius became key players for their respective clubs.  I think we’ll see more of the same this season.

This years crop of  newcomers boasts a ton of attacking talent.  There are always surprises in this category, but here is a quick look some of the players I think you should pay attention to.

Forwards:

Danny Mwanga: Mwanga was drafted #1 and will play a major role in the Union’s attack.  The young forward has the speed, strength, and skill to be an impact player this season. It looked like he would get the start alongside Moreno this season, but Sebastian LeToux might have slipped into that spot. Nonetheless, Mwanga is a top talent.

Teal Bunbury: The young forward is a natural goal scorer, something the Wizards haven’t had in a while.  His 17 goals for Akron last season were the highest in the nation but we’ll see if he can translate that form to the pros. The Wizards don’t have a proven goal scorer so the position is his for the taking.  He has some competition but he has the tools to succeed in MLS.

Andre Akpan: Akpan slipped in the draft and slipped in most people’s minds. He has shown glimpses of his potential during the offseason but needs playing time to beat the learning curve. Luckily, the Rapids recently waived forward Pat Noonan and have forward Ross Schunk out due to a long term injury.  That only leaves Akpan to back up Casey and Cummings. This isn’t good news for Rapids but its great news for Akpan, who could see playing time right away.

Jack McInerny: The U17 standout has done more than expected in the offseason. Most have him penciled in as a dominating striker in two or three years.  I think we might see him progress sooner than that.  Will he be the next Jozy Altidore? That might be a stretch, but I expect him to score goals this season.

Zack Schilawski: The Wake Forest product had a solid preseason leading the Revs in scoring with four goals and one assist in five games. The young forward will likely come off the bench but if Twellman isn’t ready to go, he’ll jump right into the starting lineup.

Midfielders:

Eric Alexander: Third round draft pick Eric Alexander is quickly and quietly becoming one of the key players in FC Dallas’ midfield.  The kid can flat out play and has put in some solid preseason performances. He has a solid work ethic and is a competent passer. He’ll serve as a backup to Daniel Hernandez.

Michael Stephens: The UCLA product couldn’t have asked for a better situation in his rookie year.  He is getting developed by one of the best coaches in the league, Bruce Arena, and gets to play alongside experienced veteran midfielders in Landon Donovan, Eddie Lewis, Clint Mathis, and Chris Klein. Stephens isn’t a finished product, but he’s shown glimpses that might make him the Galaxy’s third Rookie of Year in as many years.

David Estrada: Seattle surprised everyone when they picked up Estrada in the first round.  The UCLA product has plenty of tools to make him an excellent player MLS. Estrada fits in nicely at Seattle because they play an attractive and skillful type of soccer. He will benefit from the talent around him and make an impact this season.

Tony Tchani: The incredibly talented midfielder had a slow start to his preseason but he’s the real deal.  The kid can play and should work his way into the starting lineup. Carl Robinson and Joel Lindpere look like the starting pair but Tchani isn’t far behind.

Defenders:

Ike Opara: Opara was the best defender in the draft.  The kid can step in and start right away.  He has a ton of athleticism and plenty of upside. The league is kind to young defensive players, meaning, Opara should excel this season.

Tim Ream: The Red Bulls second round draft pick looks like a lock as a starting center back.  Red Bulls new coach, Hans Backe, holds Ream in very high regard and stated that Ream has the potential to be a national team defender. Ream is a smart player and could work his way into Rookie of the Year contention much like Omar Gonzalez last season.