Browns President Mike Holmgren disputed a report that the Browns got fooled into trading up to No. 3 with the Vikings to draft Trent Richardson according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Mike Freeman of cbsports.com reported Friday that several team executives told him the Vikings were bluffing in regards to multiple teams trying to trade up to No. 3 to draft the Alabama running back. Freeman reported that the Browns were the only team to buy the fake, giving up fourth, fifth and seventh-round picks to move up one spot. "Contrary to what was written and said yesterday, we had to compete,'' said Holmgren. "We weren’t the Lone Ranger in that deal.'' Vikings general manager Rick Spielman told ESPN Friday morning that multiple teams were after the pick, even hours before the draft. But Holmgren also stressed that he urged general manager Tom Heckert and coach Pat Shurmur not to let Richardson slip away. "You don’t want to be up there, really,'' he said. "But we were up there so it was very, very important who we chose there. That’s why we targeted Trent. We didn’t want to lose him. “My conversations with Pat and Tom were 'if you even think somebody is going to is jump us, then what are we going to do to prevent that from happening? We had that conversation many, many times – how far were we willing to go to do this? Tom did a masterful job of setting that thing up. I thought it was an excellent trade because we got the player who, Lord willing, stay healthy and all those things, is going to be a really fine player for us for a long time.'' "I won’t tell you exactly what it’s about, but this is typical of what might happen,'' he said. "I said, ‘Tom, do you want to do this?’ He said, ‘I don’t think I do. I think it’s too much or too strong or whatever.’ I said, ‘well, we might have to.’ And he goes, ‘well, if we have to, then you’ve got to tell me, because I won’t do it.’ And I said, ‘OK, then I might have to tell you. Fine.''' Source: The Redzone
whether or not they got duped, it was freaking stupid as hell. Not only did they spend a top 5 pick on a running back (insert nelson laugh), they THEN also gave up up high 4th, 5th, and 7th round picks to do it. it is an abortion on every level whether they got faked out or not.
Not if he is an All-Pro the next 8-10 years. Teams waste high picks every year on scrubs that do nothing. If he is productive, it was a good pick. As far as getting duped, they got the guy they were targeting. I don't find it hard to believe that other teams were on the phone asking to trade the pick, so they did what they at least felt they had to do to get their guy and I think it was probably the right thing to do.
What else is Holmgren going to say? "Yeah, I'm a dumb heck and traded up when I did not need to. DERP!"
IMO one guy is not going to turn this team around in the next few years. Now they might have gotten at least a couple of serviceable players with those picks they shipped. Of course this is a team that drafted a 28 year old QB in the first round. Hell I'm starting to think Holmgren is turning into Matt Millen. Instead of WR's its QB's.
i also believe other teams had probably inquired about the pick .......... i'm not really debating that. and one or more of them that inquired may have been wanting to to also draft t-rich .............. i'm not debating that either. what i'm debating is to spend so many draft picks (ostensibly, they spent the #4 overall plus a high 4th, 5th, and 7th) on a running back in today's game, when they're nothing more than complementary pieces in today's game. I would have the same problem with a team giving up this much to move up for a guard, safety, ILB, or tight end. A pick in the top 5 needs to be a franchise changer and RB's don't change crap.
