It appears that everyone has warts, no?

[Ed B]

This is always my favorite time of the drafting season..........the two weeks before the draft when teams really start doing their homework and realizing that none of these guys are the perfect specimens of football evolution that they've claimed them to be all this time.

Palmer had 8 good games in his college career.....the rest were pedestrian. Newman has nerve damage in his shoulder. Rogers had a "questionable" urine/drug test at the combine. Suggs had a miserable workout and an off-field incident. Kennedy has his weight up and down. Boller only did it for one season. Andre Johnson can do everything but catch the ball.



When you really stop to look at it, you remember that the draft is 100% crapshoot and every one of these guys has a skeleton in the closet. No one is a lock. You do your research and make your best decision based on the information you have.

 

[Cardinals.Ken]

Originally posted by Ed B
This is always my favorite time of the drafting season..........the two weeks before the draft when teams really start doing their homework and realizing that none of these guys are the perfect specimens of football evolution that they've claimed them to be all this time.

Palmer had 8 good games in his college career.....the rest were pedestrian. Newman has nerve damage in his shoulder. Rogers had a "questionable" urine/drug test at the combine. Suggs had a miserable workout and an off-field incident. Kennedy has his weight up and down. Boller only did it for one season. Andre Johnson can do everything but catch the ball.



When you really stop to look at it, you remember that the draft is 100% crapshoot and every one of these guys has a skeleton in the closet. No one is a lock. You do your research and make your best decision based on the information you have.

Agreed! That is why I believe that it would be in the best interest of the Cardinals to either trade down, or trade away their 1st round pick this year for a stud DL if possible. That way they will at least get a known commotity.

 

[Ed B]

Re: Re: It appears that everyone has warts, no?

Originally posted by Cardinals.Ken
Agreed! That is why I believe that it would be in the best interest of the Cardinals to either trade down, or trade away their 1st round pick this year for a stud DL if possible. That way they will at least get a known commotity.

Well I don't know too many teams looking to trade a veteran star for a draft pick this year, but theoretically if it would be possible, it would be a good idea.

Trading down, in my opinion, just doubles the uncertainty!

Actually that's mostly a joke, I usually think trading down is the right thing to do. 4 good players will do more for a team than one (supposedly) great one.

 

[Cardinals.Ken]

Re: Re: Re: It appears that everyone has warts, no?

Originally posted by Ed B
Trading down, in my opinion, just doubles the uncertainty!

Well, if you're going to be uncertain, double it up! Make sure you can't even buy a clue!

Like my old-man used to say, "If you're going to be bad, be the worst! That way, people remember you..."

 

[Ed B]

The difference between this year and others is that now we actually might have some willing trade partners (NE and the Jets) whereas in the past people would go nuts saying "Let's trade down!" when no one wanted to trade up.

 

[JeffGollin]

Agreed! That is why I believe that it would be in the best interest of the Cardinals to either trade down, or trade away their 1st round pick this year for a stud DL if possible. That way they will at least get a known commotity.
Actually they'd draft commodities who were equally as unknown as the higher picks - only without as much talent.

The reason why you're seeing more negatives about players at the top of the draft board than you are about players farther down is that (a) GM's and coaches are planting disinformation on top prospects in an effort to have them drop down to where they can either draft them directly or trade up and nab them, (b) the media doesn't have anything to do for a week or so and good juicy tidbits about highly rated players sell papers/improve ratings and (c) no one has bothered to dig dirt on less highly rated players because where's the fun in that?

Read Rod Graves' Q & A's. His comments reinforce what I believe is the prevailing philosophy from most teams - Each situation is specific, and there are no "blanket" one-size-fits all" rules about trading down. You evaluate what can best help the team - the player(s) available at your draft position or additional players you'd wind up with lower down and base your decision on that. And remember - other teams aren't necessarily in business to "do you any favors" in any trade.

 

[Cardinals.Ken]

Originally posted by JeffGollin
Agreed! That is why I believe that it would be in the best interest of the Cardinals to either trade down, or trade away their 1st round pick this year for a stud DL if possible. That way they will at least get a known commotity.
Actually they'd draft commodities who were equally as unknown as the higher picks - only without as much talent.

I think I'm being misunderstood. I wouldn't trade down for picks in my statement, I would trade down or trade away to get a veteran DT/DE from the other team (ie. John Abraham, Kevin Carter, Grant Winstrom, et. al.)

 

[JeffGollin]

That's reasonable - except -

I would trade down or trade away to get a veteran DT/DE from the other team (ie. John Abraham, Kevin Carter, Grant Winstrom, et. al.)
That's reasonable - except you are dealing in remote possibilities. I don't recall the Jets, Rams etc. offering any of these guys in trade for a high draft pick? We don't even know what the cap, no-trade clauses or salary ramifications might be for each player. And - if you were any of those teams, would you in good conscience want to make that trade?

 

[Cardinals.Ken]

Re: That's reasonable - except -

Originally posted by JeffGollin
I would trade down or trade away to get a veteran DT/DE from the other team (ie. John Abraham, Kevin Carter, Grant Winstrom, et. al.)
That's reasonable - except you are dealing in remote possibilities. I don't recall the Jets, Rams etc. offering any of these guys in trade for a high draft pick? We don't even know what the cap, no-trade clauses or salary ramifications might be for each player. And - if you were any of those teams, would you in good conscience want to make that trade?

True. I only used those names so that others could get the jist of the point I was trying to make. I in no way intended that it would sound like these teams were itching so bad to move up that they would "gift" us a player of their caliber. If I were the GM's for those teams, no way I let them go for a 1st round pick alone.

But looking at the situations of other teams in the league, my most plausable trade theory would be our 2003 (or 2004) 1st round pick and Marcel Shipp to the Titans for Kevin Carter. Not that I want Shipp gone by any means, but it guarentees the Cardinals the impact pass-rush specialist they are seeking with out the question marks of a draft pick.