2/21/10
2010 NFL Draft E-mails – No. 1 Pick (Bucs Trade Rumor)
There is a rumor that the Rams will trade their No. 1 pick to the Buccaneers for the No. 3 overall pick, a third-round selection and quarterback Josh Johnson. Will this happen, and if so, who wins the trade?
–> The trade’s a weird one, and being a compulsive gambler, I would wager against it happening if I could.
The Buccaneers – and even their fans will admit this – are one of the cheapest organizations in the NFL. They don’t like to spend money in free agency, and even their general manager said he doesn’t plan on pursuing anyone on the market this year. Owner Malcolm Glazer simply hasn’t put enough money into the Buccaneers since buying that precious European soccer team of his.
So, would Glazer want to dish out No. 1 overall money to an unknown commodity in Ndamukong Suh who had two knee surgeries in college? Doubtful.
Having said that, this trade is possible, so let’s imagine if this deal really does go down.
According to the Trade Value Chart, the No. 1 pick is 3,000 points; No. 3 is 2,200, and No. 67 (Tampa’s third-rounder) is 255. There are still 545 points in the Buccaneers’ favor, so that means that per this deal and the Trade Value Chart, Josh Johnson is worth 545 points – approximately the No. 36 overall pick.
Say wha?
The Rams are really getting ripped off here. Even if Tampa ponied up its second-round pick, it would still be a lopsided deal.
With that in mind, however, St. Louis should totally pull the trigger on this if it’s the best offer they can get. There is no way the Rams can take a defensive tackle with Kyle Boller and Keith Null being the only quarterbacks on the roster. Moving down to No. 3, St. Louis could still draft Jimmy Clausen or Sam Bradford, and would be able to pay less money to either guy – which is important for a team that can’t put any fans in the stands.
As for the Buccaneers, they’re getting a sweet deal. They’re barely trading anything – remember they have two second-round picks – and they’ll be able to obtain the crown jewel of the 2010 NFL Draft class. They’ll have to pay more money to Suh, but this is a once-in-a-decade bargain. They would almost have to take this opportunity.
If the Rams trade down, would they take Gerald McCoy at 3? Guess the Rams compare Josh Johnson to a better version of Vick.
–> The Rams would take Jimmy Clausen or Sam Bradford. Josh Johnson would start until either guy is ready to play.
Personally, I would rather have Johnson than QB Dog Killer. QB Dog Killer is obviously the more skilled quarterback, but consider the following two things:
First, Johnson is cheaper. Since neither guy is a good starter, I’d rather have the cheaper backup if I’m paying top dollar to a rookie quarterback.
And second, Johnson would not alienate a portion of the fans. QB Dog Killer would drive some people away. And unlike the Eagles, the Rams don’t have a long, solid fan base, and can’t afford to take a risk like that.
There have been reports that Rams scouts view Ndamukong Suh as the top prospect in this 2010 NFL Draft class. Does this change your pick?
–> I really don’t consider this breaking news. When Suh debacled Texas’ defensive line in the Big XII Championship, everyone and their evil stepmother considered him the top prospect in this class.
But that’s not the question. The real question is whether or not the Rams deem Jimmy Clausen or Sam Bradford worthy of being drafted No. 1 overall. If they do, it doesn’t matter how good Suh is. Suh could be a 10-foot, 6-inch monster who runs a 2.5 40, and St. Louis would still go with Clausen or Bradford if it liked either one. Now, Al Davis on the other hand…
Jason La Confora reports the Eagles may hold off until the preseason to trade QB Dog Killer. No way that can be possible because he is owed a 1.5 million bonus on March 5. He has to be traded or more likely (unless a team is dumb enough to trade for him) released before that right?
–> I think there are two possibilities here:
1. This is all just a smokescreen. The Eagles have no intention of keeping QB Dog Killer beyond March 5, but are saying they will do so in order to get a better offer from the Rams, Bills, or anything other team that is stupid enough to trade for him.
2. This is legit. The Eagles aren’t exactly strapped for cash, so they can eat the $1.5 million without it hurting too much. If they honestly think that they can get a better offer for QB Dog Killer over the summer when a random team’s quarterback suffers an injury, then they’ll keep the deranged psychopath for a few more months.
I honestly think that Sam Bradford will be taken first overall by the Rams. I live in St. Louis and quite honestly, I’m sick of seeing Bulger throw interceptions every five minutes. Clausen has had a very good college career but come on! Bradford trumps him in everything but two areas: throwing power and mobility. Bradford is dead on accurate and is also a much better person than Clausen.
I’m not saying that personality should be a big deciding factor, I’m just saying if it’s between Bradford and Clausen, why not pick the one with better personality? The quarterback is a leader for the team and honestly I don’t see all these guys following and seeing this jerk as the first overall.
As for the throwing power, the Rams really don’t have anyone that can spread the field, so if Bradford can’t throw 50 yards down the field, that’s fine because he won’t be doing it for quite a while.
–> First of all, Clausen’s personality is fine. He was voted team captain as a sophomore, he was seen really cheering on his backup when he was hurt early against Purdue, and plenty of people have glowing things to say about him. Is he arrogant? Yes – but isn’t Philip Rivers? Wouldn’t you want Rivers quarterbacking your team?
I also think you forgot two major areas Clausen trumps Bradford in.
One is health. Bradford had two shoulder injuries and shoulder surgery. He’ll probably be OK, but who knows? Look at Chad Pennington – he had shoulder problems and really regressed.
Two is experience in a pro-style, West Coast offense. Clausen has played in a West Coast offense for three years. Bradford has never even played under center.
Having said this, Bradford is definitely in contention for the No. 1 pick. If the Rams like Bradford more than Clausen, they’ll take him. But I think we agree that the No. 1 pick has to be a quarterback.
2011 NFL Draft Mailbag Archive:
2011 NFL Draft Mailbag Home
Post-Round 1 E-mail - April 29
Hate Mail Volume 7 - April 10
Crackhead Mail Volume 2 - April 10
Random AFC Questions and Comments Volume 5 - April 10
Random NFC Questions and Comments Volume 5 - April 10
Hate Mail Volume 6 - April 3
Crackhead Mail - April 3
Trade and Prospect Speculation - April 3
Hate Mail Volume 5 - March 28
Cam Newton Mailbag - March 28
Random AFC Questions and Comments Volume 4 - March 28
Random NFC Questions and Comments Volume 4 - March 28
Hate Mail Volume 4 - March 13
Random AFC Questions and Comments Volume 3 - March 13
Random NFC Questions and Comments Volume 3 - March 13
Random Questions and Comments - March 7
Hate Mail Volume 3 - March 7
Combine Questions and Comments - March 7
Combine Hate Mail - March 7
Hate Mail Volume 2 - Feb. 22
Random AFC Questions and Comments Volume 2 - Feb. 22
Random NFC Questions and Comments Volume 2 - Feb. 22
Quarterbacks - Feb. 15
Hate Mail - Feb. 15
Random AFC Questions and Comments - Feb. 15
Random NFC Questions and Comments - Feb. 15
2024 NFL Mock Draft - April 23
NFL Power Rankings - Feb. 22
Fantasy Football Rankings - Feb. 19
NFL Picks - Feb. 12
