Trade Down Scenarios

[The Beef]

OK fellas we are virtually a week away from the draft and I want to know what you would do if you're the GM?

My target would be Cleveland. The #9 and our 4th rounder for #26 and #35.

My philosophy is to aim to get as many top 70 picks as possible, specifically top 50. Unless you are picking 1 or 2 and have a true game changer, there's too many good players to not make a move like this if possible.

For the Browns it gives them 2 shots in the first 9 picks. They can essentially land Clowney, Watkins, or Mack and then hope to grab a QB at 9. If they want a QB why wait until 26? Bortles and Manziel may slide out I the top 10 (which I doubt), but I don't see either making it to 26.

For the Bills we'd get a shot at 3 picks between 26-41, I'd take that shot. If you aren't sold on Ebron and Matthews is gon this makes too much sense. Especially if Whaley feels the need to add a CB or RB in the first 3 rounds, I'd prefer he does while adding an OT and TE to the mix.

[HAMMER]

Only so many guys can make the roster, quantity is not always better than quality.

[The Beef]

Only so many guys can make the roster, quantity is not always better than quality.

Exactly that's why you get 3 quality guys in the first 41 picks.

Im not a fan of stockpiling 5th and 6th rounders.

By all accounts the team need a RT and TE ASAP. There's depth issues at OLB, CB, and RB. There's also concerns at OG and Safety. You will never draft 7 starters, but you give your team the best chance by getting contributors in rounds 1-2.

I'd be very happy if after pick 41 the team added ASJ, Jeremy Hill/Carlos Hyde, and Su'a-Filo.

Big TE target, big RB, and an OL with versatility to play tackle or guard.

[Don't Panic]

I love trade downs, but I really like Matthews, Evans and Dennard right now. All three of those guys would be plug and play from day one, and significant upgrades at that. One of the three will almost certainly be there. IMO its hard to leave the spot when that's what's on the table.

[Bill Cody]

You just don't know who's going to be there at 9. If you read these boards there's like 14 guys that will definetely be gone by 9.:drool2: If Mack slips I'd pounce. Otherwise I'm listening with both ears to offers. Kind of prefer not to move way down though. This team needs more than lunch pail types we need some stars.

[The Beef]

I love trade downs, but I really like Matthews, Evans and Dennard right now. All three of those guys would be plug and play from day one, and significant upgrades at that.

Absolutely agree. It's going to be tough for Matthews and Evans to get that low. No doubt Matthews is going to a 15 year, 10 time Pro bowler. It's a lock. It's literally in his blood.

My only problem with Evans and Dennard is that we have capable players in slots 1-3 on both side.

Dennard was simply great last year. Awesome all around player, the B1G sometimes gets exposed but I think he's a gamer.

There nothing not to like about Evans. I just don't see it after making he trade for Williams. Williams, Woods, and SJ13 give you great balance and can line up all over the field. They don't give you great size, like Evans but to me it's a tough sell at #9. I just watched the Seahawks do work with Golden Tate and Doug Baldwin. You can have a good offense in this league without a 6'5 WR.

I think Ebron is just a natural fit. Huge athlete, playmaker at tight end. That said Chandler is no slouch and Moeaki can play if he stays healthy.

There's great arguments to be made for just about any scenario this year.

[Don't Panic]

Absolutely agree. It's going to be tough for Matthews and Evans to get that low. No doubt Matthews is going to a 15 year, 10 time Pro bowler. It's a lock. It's literally in his blood.

My only problem with Evans and Dennard is that we have capable players in slots 1-3 on both side.

Dennard was simply great last year. Awesome all around player, the B1G sometimes gets exposed but I think he's a gamer.

There nothing not to like about Evans. I just don't see it after making he trade for Williams. Williams, Woods, and SJ13 give you great balance and can line up all over the field. They don't give you great size, like Evans but to me it's a tough sell at #9. I just watched the Seahawks do work with Golden Tate and Doug Baldwin. You can have a good offense in this league without a 6'5 WR.

I think Ebron is just a natural fit. Huge athlete, playmaker at tight end. That said Chandler is no slouch and Moeaki can play if he stays healthy.

There's great arguments to be made for just about any scenario this year.

Right there with ya... so many good options at #9. I will say that if ALL the QBs drop then those 4 could all be gone, meaning it would definitely be worth listening to the trade down offers. In that case, I love the idea in the OP about getting two in the top 50 if possible.

[Turf]

I would rather take 5 1-9 first rounders in 5 years, than 35 so so players in 5 years. I can get so so players anywhere, FA, etc. Now we're talking about walking away from Spiller. This organization has to decide that they must commit to their first round pick. If they don't want to pay a half back 8 million in 4 years, don't draft him in the first. We keep turning over our talent and spinning our wheels.
Secondly, if you want to play draft game play draft game. Finishing low every year, then trading down, does nothing.

[Novacane]

OK fellas we are virtually a week away from the draft and I want to know what you would do if you're the GM?

My target would be Cleveland. The #9 and our 4th rounder for #26 and #35.

My philosophy is to aim to get as many top 70 picks as possible, specifically top 50. Unless you are picking 1 or 2 and have a true game changer, there's too many good players to not make a move like this if possible.

For the Browns it gives them 2 shots in the first 9 picks. They can essentially land Clowney, Watkins, or Mack and then hope to grab a QB at 9. If they want a QB why wait until 26? Bortles and Manziel may slide out I the top 10 (which I doubt), but I don't see either making it to 26.

For the Bills we'd get a shot at 3 picks between 26-41, I'd take that shot. If you aren't sold on Ebron and Matthews is gon this makes too much sense. Especially if Whaley feels the need to add a CB or RB in the first 3 rounds, I'd prefer he does while adding an OT and TE to the mix.



Because they will be able to get one at 26. More and more people think no QB will go in the top 10.

[The Beef]

I would rather take 5 1-9 first rounders in 5 years, than 35 so so players in 5 years. I can get so so players anywhere, FA, etc. Now we're talking about walking away from Spiller. This organization has to decide that they must commit to their first round pick. If they don't want to pay a half back 8 million in 4 years, don't draft him in the first. We keep turning over our talent and spinning our wheels.
Secondly, if you want to play draft game play draft game. Finishing low every year, then trading down, does nothing.

I don't think trading down is always the best route. I see great value in moving down and getting another 2nd round pick. It worked out well last year when we got Woods and Alonso in round 2.

If you had 5 top 5 picks in 5 years and you hit on all of them you probably couldn't keep more than 2 of them. If one of them is a QB you are set but let's say you hit the jackpot:

Luck, Megatron, JJ Watt, AP, and Patrick Peterson. You can pay Luck and either Watt or Peterson. Maybe you decide to keep Megatron. You're looking at virtually 1/3rd of your cap on 3 guys. Don't get me wrong I would trade 5 first rounders for Luck and not think twice about it, but once those rookie deals are up you're going to be hard pressed to keep your team intact. I drafted free agents are a huge part of today's NFL but you aren't going to build a competitive team with 10 first round picks and 45 I drafted free agents.

When you don't have a franchise QB it's a tough sell to throw high value picks to move up unless you're going for a franchise QB. Hell Nix and Whaley traded down and landed their guy last year.

I think the Redskins made a good move getting RG3, they targeted a franchise QB. Year 1 it was great until the ACL. Now RG3 is a potential head case with shattered confidence. It's a huge risk giving away multiple top picks.

The Falcons got a great player in Julio Jones, they had Matt Ryan in place. A good QB can help cover holes, so you can afford to make moves like that. Of course 3 years down the line the Falcons were belly up because they had holes all over their defense and all over their Oline. Their wideouts got banged up and they were terrible last year.

I don't expect everyone to agree.

However if he team isn't sold on Ebron and Matthews is gone, it only makes sense to try and pick up an extra pick of value.

[The Beef]

Because they will be able to get one at 26. More and more people think no QB will go in the top 10.

I think that's a smoke screen. You got teams like New England, Dallas, Arizona, Kansas City and Philly who would love to have a shot at Manziel, Bortles or Bridgewater if they slide. There's no chance Robinson, Watkins, Mack or Clowney fall out of the top 10 but I promise you there's teams that think if they can put out enough smoke about the QB's to hope one falls.

Jacksonville, Oakland, and Minnesota deserve another top 10 pick if they pass on a QB. Chad Henne and Maat Schaub WTF? Manziel would be a great fit in Oakland or Minnesota. He makes a lot of sense to he Texans with the 2 big wide outs they have.

I think at this point TB is probably leaning QB not Evans. They've got a brand new regime, you think they want to go to battle with Mike Glennon or their own guy?

I can understand Cleveland rolling the dice on Hoyer, but I don't think that's a smart bet.

Manziel and Bortles will be gone by 26. If they think Bridgewater slides that's their best bet. I think even that is a long shot.

If they pick Carr's little brother at 26 they are a joke.

[trapezeus]

i get both sides of the argument. i could be wrong, but i think the bills defense got very luck injury wise. they really didn't have anything but carrington affect them. To that extent, they are going to need depth to keep it up.

this is a deep draft. so i think the more you push out the weak links for capable backups and keep the d fresh, the better chance this team has of winning.

the OL has back ups playing starting roles. we need to fix that and get a big body receiver as a TE or WR. they should be ok as a game managing unit if the defense can play in the top 5-10. something that isn't a stretch. it's asking a lot but it's not like they weren't dominant at times last year. they just got left on the field too long a lot of the time.

EJ really has to stay healthy and he really needs to be slighty above mediocre. not a lot to ask from him. but it's hard to guess how he's developing after such a shortened year last year.