This isn't the first time offloading things for tcp has been trie.  I
remember when TCP first made its appearance it was criticised for
using to many cpu cycles.  So, thought hardworking entrepreneurs, we
can put TCP into a separate processor and off load the work.  Summer
USENIX of '85 saw a lot of these TCP Offload Engines.  That didn't
last long.

Nice thing about being around for so long; you get to avoid stepping
in the same pile twice.