PA Season Ticket Holder
05-04-2003, 12:02 PM
We're hearing that the Chicago Bears almost drafted quarterback Rex Grossman with the fourteenth overall pick in the draft, which was acquired via a trade down from No. 4 to No. 13 with the Jets and a swap of No. 13 and No. 14 with the Patriots.
The Bears were concerned that the Packers, picking at No. 29, might move in front of the Bears, picking next at No. 22, to snag Grossman. In the end, the Bears decided to risk leaving Grossman on the board, and it paid off.
Though it's not clear whether the Packers would've drafted Grossman at No. 29, given recent reports regarding Brett Favre's apparent intentions to play beyond 2003, the fact that no one made a move to take Grossman ahead of the Bears at No. 22 could be attributable to the fact that the Bears kept their interest in Grossman tightly under wraps -- like any prudent team should in the days and weeks leading up to the draft.
Based on reports that had surfaced in the days prior to last Saturday's draft, most folks suspected that the Bears would focus on either Dave Ragone or Chris Simms in the later frames of the draft.
Really, the smartest approach to the draft (or to any personnel moves) is to restrict the flow of information -- and to fuel rumors suggesting that the team actually is interested in other players.
Human nature often gets in the way, however, especially since most folks will share a juicy story with at least one other person "in confidence," who then will share the info with at least one other person "in confidence" -- and so on. The basic challenge for every organization is to overcome the inherent human desire to show others that we're in the know.
Fortunately for us, most teams can't pull it off.
http://www.profootballtalk.com/rumormill.htm
The Bears were concerned that the Packers, picking at No. 29, might move in front of the Bears, picking next at No. 22, to snag Grossman. In the end, the Bears decided to risk leaving Grossman on the board, and it paid off.
Though it's not clear whether the Packers would've drafted Grossman at No. 29, given recent reports regarding Brett Favre's apparent intentions to play beyond 2003, the fact that no one made a move to take Grossman ahead of the Bears at No. 22 could be attributable to the fact that the Bears kept their interest in Grossman tightly under wraps -- like any prudent team should in the days and weeks leading up to the draft.
Based on reports that had surfaced in the days prior to last Saturday's draft, most folks suspected that the Bears would focus on either Dave Ragone or Chris Simms in the later frames of the draft.
Really, the smartest approach to the draft (or to any personnel moves) is to restrict the flow of information -- and to fuel rumors suggesting that the team actually is interested in other players.
Human nature often gets in the way, however, especially since most folks will share a juicy story with at least one other person "in confidence," who then will share the info with at least one other person "in confidence" -- and so on. The basic challenge for every organization is to overcome the inherent human desire to show others that we're in the know.
Fortunately for us, most teams can't pull it off.
http://www.profootballtalk.com/rumormill.htm