Holmgren offered entire draft for Luck

[Tron]

<a class="postlink" href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1781274-mike-holmgren-would-have-traded-all-of-browns-2012-draft-picks-for-andrew-luck" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1781 ... ndrew-luck</a>



Mike Holmgren Would Have Traded All of Browns' 2012 Draft Picks for Andrew Luck
By
Alex Kay
(Featured Columnist) on September 20, 2013


Mike Holmgren, former president of the Cleveland Browns, recently made waves when he revealed that he offered all of his team’s selections in the 2012 NFL draft to the Indianapolis Colts in order to take Andrew Luck.

Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Holmgren let that tidbit of information out during an interview discussing the shocking Trent Richardson trade between the Indianapolis Colts and Browns with Dave “Softy” Mahler of 950 KJR-AM in Seattle.

He described a run-in with Colts general manager Ryan Grigson during the owners meetings, prior to Cleveland trading their first-, fourth-, fifth- and seventh-round picks to the Minnesota Vikings to move up a spot in the 2012 draft:

I talked to [Grigson] last year before we made the trade. I said, "I'll give you all of our draft picks for the No. 1 pick, and I'll take Luck. I'll give the whole draft to you." I said, "Ryan, let's do the deal, right now, right here." He said, "We're taking Luck." We were by the pool, I might've even had a lemonade in my hand. He didn't take me seriously, because I was ready to pull the trigger.

It wouldn’t have been an unprecedented move, as Mike Ditka—then the head coach of the New Orleans Saints—dealt all of his team’s picks in the 1999 draft and two the following year to the Washington Redskins in exchange for the No. 5 overall selection. The Saints would select Ricky Williams and deeply regret the decision shortly thereafter. Fox Sports' Chris Landry called it "one of the worst trades of all time," per Bill Baker of The Times-Picayune.

This trade would have made a bit more sense, as Holmgren knew his team needed a franchise quarterback to win in the modern NFL.

Unfortunately, the Colts were sticking with Luck at No. 1, while the St. Louis Rams received a better offer than the Browns' No. 4 and No. 7 overall picks—three first-rounders from the Washington Redskins—for the No. 2 pick that would eventually become Robert Griffin III.


The former Super Bowl-winning coach knew his offer was a long shot, as Holmgren said he would have "choked" had Grigson accepted.

Did the Colts make a mistake not taking all of Cleveland's 2012 draft picks for Luck?
No way. Luck is a superstar QB. Maybe, it is too early to tell. Yes, they should have jumped at that offer. Submit Vote vote to see results

When those two surefire stars were off the board, Holmgren decided to target T-Rich, a bruising running back out of Alabama. He never lived up to expectations in Cleveland—he averaged just 3.6 yards per carry in his rookie season—and was recently dealt to Indianapolis for a first-round pick, per ESPN.com.

With Holmgren’s terrible tenure in the Cleveland front office now over, the current regime has once again made nabbing a franchise signal-caller a priority.

By trading away his best offensive skill-position player and effectively waving the white flag on the season, general manager Michael Lombardi has gone all in on the future.

It was a bold move, but one that could pay off if his organization is able to score a potential superstar like Louisville’s Teddy Bridgewater at the top of the 2014 NFL draft.



Man, imagine if that trade happened. The Colts could of kept Manning, drafted Tannehill or Ozweiler or someone to be groomed for a few years, fixed their O-line and still have picks leftover for whatever else they needed(Browns had like 13 picks).

Luck would be stuck in the hell hole known as Cleveland.

On the other hand, Luck is pretty damn good.

 

[Yamahopper]

If I was in his position as head of the factory of sadness I would have too.

Here's a ? Would you rather had his whole draft OR the deal we got from the Skins if he made the Rams that offer?

 

[Tron]

Here's a ? Would you rather had his whole draft OR the deal we got from the Skins if he made the Rams that offer?

That is a tough one, having 13 more picks woulda been awesome, Would of given us a lot of room to trade up a few times to get more players the FO liked.

I still prefer the three 1st rounders though, but just slightly, guess it all depends on how all the picks work out and what happens in next years draft. I'm still crossing my fingers that the Skin tank bad and we either get a superstar or trade it back for more picks again.

 

[Memphis Ram]

Quite frankly, I don't believe Holmgren.

Didn't something "leak" out about his so-called better offer to the Rams awhile back, too?

 

[den-the-coach]

Quite frankly, I don't believe Holmgren.

Didn't something "leak" out about his so-called better offer to the Rams awhile back, too?

I concur Holmgren is FOS. He could've had RGIII and that draft pick would've saved his job IMO. However, he did not offer the Rams two number 1's.

I feel sorry for Browns fans because every regime since they've come back have been a failure. They've had high profile guys and low profile guys & now Michael Lombardi is trying to obtain as many draft choices as he can, why? Shame on the Browns for what they are doing to their fan base.

 

[CGI_Ram]

Wouldn't it be awesome if that Redskins pick ends up being high enough to do a deal with Cleveland? :sly:

Rams with three 1st rounders!

 

[den-the-coach]

Wouldn't it be awesome if that Redskins pick ends up being high enough to do a deal with Cleveland? :sly:

Rams with three 1st rounders!

Funny I was thinking the same thing & FWIW's am I the only one who thinks the best college QB is Aaron Murray of Georgia?

 

[max]

Quite frankly, I don't believe Holmgren.

Didn't something "leak" out about his so-called better offer to the Rams awhile back, too?

I concur Holmgren is FOS. He could've had RGIII and that draft pick would've saved his job IMO. However, he did not offer the Rams two number 1's.

I feel sorry for Browns fans because every regime since they've come back have been a failure. They've had high profile guys and low profile guys & now Michael Lombardi is trying to obtain as many draft choices as he can, why? Shame on the Browns for what they are doing to their fan base.

I felt that way about Holmgren for a while. He's a pompous phony.

This is all damage control of his reputation. He totally screwed up the Browns and he looks really bad now.

Even going back to the Julio Jones deal with Atlanta. Holmgren screwed that up as well.

And to top it all off, he always gave me the impression that he was out to screw the Rams any chance he got. So screw Holmgren,

 

[CGI_Ram]

I felt that way about Holmgren for a while. He's a pompous phony.

This is all damage control of his reputation. He totally screwed up the Browns and he looks really bad now.

Even going back to the Julio Jones deal with Atlanta. Holmgren screwed that up as well.

His record as a GM out in Seattle sucked too. So, as a talent evaluator and decision maker; total FAIL.

I don't think he's a lousy coach, but I think he road Brett Farve's coat tail.

At the end of the day Holmgren's been overrated in my book for quite some time.

 

[Thordaddy]

I felt that way about Holmgren for a while. He's a pompous phony.

This is all damage control of his reputation. He totally screwed up the Browns and he looks really bad now.

Even going back to the Julio Jones deal with Atlanta. Holmgren screwed that up as well.

His record as a GM out in Seattle sucked too. So, as a talent evaluator and decision maker; total FAIL.

I don't think he's a lousy coach, but I think he road Brett Farve's coat tail.

At the end of the day Holmgren's been overrated in my book for quite some time.

I don't really agree with all that he did trade for Hasselbeck and IMO Seattle was jobbed in that SB by bad calls ( not alleging a fix mind you just sayin' the refs screwed a call that gave Pitt. a TD that should have been called back and called one back on Seattle that was a BS call) which means they were good enough to win.

However, I sorta think in Seattle he had a great owner who had the money to spend outside the cap to make the team better and would and in Cleveland well ,it's Cleveland, and he was expected to work magic AGAIN when the grand imperial wizard Paul Allen wasn't there to help duplicate it so he made desperate deals out of....... .desperation

 

[max]

I felt that way about Holmgren for a while. He's a pompous phony.

This is all damage control of his reputation. He totally screwed up the Browns and he looks really bad now.

Even going back to the Julio Jones deal with Atlanta. Holmgren screwed that up as well.

His record as a GM out in Seattle sucked too. So, as a talent evaluator and decision maker; total FAIL.

I don't think he's a lousy coach, but I think he road Brett Farve's coat tail.

At the end of the day Holmgren's been overrated in my book for quite some time.

I don't really agree with all that he did trade for Hasselbeck and IMO Seattle was jobbed in that SB by bad calls ( not alleging a fix mind you just sayin' the refs screwed a call that gave Pitt. a TD that should have been called back and called one back on Seattle that was a BS call) which means they were good enough to win.

However, I sorta think in Seattle he had a great owner who had the money to spend outside the cap to make the team better and would and in Cleveland well ,it's Cleveland, and he was expected to work magic AGAIN when the grand imperial wizard Paul Allen wasn't there to help duplicate it so he made desperate deals out of....... .desperation

He tried to get cute with the RG3 deal and it backfired on him. Holmgren is not a straight shooter, he is always out to deceive other teams, thinking he is outsmarting them. Then when it backfires on him, he blames someone else.

Sure, he coached well in Seattle, but as a GM he sucked.

 

[CGI_Ram]

I don't really agree with all that he did trade for Hasselbeck and IMO Seattle was jobbed in that SB by bad calls ( not alleging a fix mind you just sayin' the refs screwed a call that gave Pitt. a TD that should have been called back and called one back on Seattle that was a BS call) which means they were good enough to win.

However, I sorta think in Seattle he had a great owner who had the money to spend outside the cap to make the team better and would and in Cleveland well ,it's Cleveland, and he was expected to work magic AGAIN when the grand imperial wizard Paul Allen wasn't there to help duplicate it so he made desperate deals out of....... .desperation

Record as a GM, before stepping down;

 

[Memphis Ram]

Funny I was thinking the same thing & FWIW's am I the only one who thinks the best college QB is Aaron Murray of Georgia?

If he is, then the Browns screwed up, IMO.

 

[Thordaddy]

I don't really agree with all that he did trade for Hasselbeck and IMO Seattle was jobbed in that SB by bad calls ( not alleging a fix mind you just sayin' the refs screwed a call that gave Pitt. a TD that should have been called back and called one back on Seattle that was a BS call) which means they were good enough to win.

However, I sorta think in Seattle he had a great owner who had the money to spend outside the cap to make the team better and would and in Cleveland well ,it's Cleveland, and he was expected to work magic AGAIN when the grand imperial wizard Paul Allen wasn't there to help duplicate it so he made desperate deals out of....... .desperation

Record as a GM, before stepping down;

Still not budging from my assessment, his duties as GM produced some pretty decent results even though he was doing it part time,I think overall few GM/ Coaches give either the time and focus needed to excel at either ,one man doing two mens jobs is gonna struggle, doesn't mean he can't do well at one.

Do you refute the rest of my contention though that he had an elite owner in Paul Allen ?
Look at the difference our franchise has effected in short order with a committed well funded owner.

FWIW I think Haslam will get that franchise going if he can stay out of jail

 

[Thordaddy]

I felt that way about Holmgren for a while. He's a pompous phony.

This is all damage control of his reputation. He totally screwed up the Browns and he looks really bad now.

Even going back to the Julio Jones deal with Atlanta. Holmgren screwed that up as well.

His record as a GM out in Seattle sucked too. So, as a talent evaluator and decision maker; total FAIL.

I don't think he's a lousy coach, but I think he road Brett Farve's coat tail.

At the end of the day Holmgren's been overrated in my book for quite some time.

I don't really agree with all that he did trade for Hasselbeck and IMO Seattle was jobbed in that SB by bad calls ( not alleging a fix mind you just sayin' the refs screwed a call that gave Pitt. a TD that should have been called back and called one back on Seattle that was a BS call) which means they were good enough to win.

However, I sorta think in Seattle he had a great owner who had the money to spend outside the cap to make the team better and would and in Cleveland well ,it's Cleveland, and he was expected to work magic AGAIN when the grand imperial wizard Paul Allen wasn't there to help duplicate it so he made desperate deals out of....... .desperation

He tried to get cute with the RG3 deal and it backfired on him. Holmgren is not a straight shooter, he is always out to deceive other teams, thinking he is outsmarting them. Then when it backfires on him, he blames someone else.

Sure, he coached well in Seattle, but as a GM he sucked.

Two hats one head,just sayin if he'd gone the other way quit coaching and concentrated on being a GM in Seattle IMO he'd have had a much better chance of success BK of Paul Allen.

As for his trustworthiness it wouldn't surprise me if his account wasn't refuted by the Colts and MAYBE the deal went down between those franchises so amicably BECAUSE he isn't there and the two franchises are mending fences he fucked up, dunno. Agreed he is a whiner and Martz pretty well owned his ass AND the 12th man's too so I've always taken some delight in that.

 

[sostl]

Still wondering what would have happened if we had the #1 pick.

 

[Thordaddy]

Still wondering what would have happened if we had the #1 pick.

I'm good with Sam ,but if I'd had that pick I'd have traded him for the Browns whole draft and I THINK considering who their coach was we'd have gotten everything BUT their second round . SO we'd have had Luck and ........................ man you can't make that shit up.

 

[iced]

Holmgren's full of shit. RG3 would be a brown right now if they weren't trying to lowball us.. then he tried to blame it on people in the FO for the rams, based on past experiences..uhh what? lol man this guy is full of it. you wanted to be stingy then,in hindsight it doesn't work for you - and here you are, a year removed and STILL trying to save face.

although i do wish we would have traded with the browns - there is a curse on that team and we would have had 2 top 10 picks in a row

 

[Memphis Ram]

Still wondering what would have happened if we had the #1 pick.

Don't know about Fisher, but if I were charge Andrew Luck and his cheaper contract would be the Rams starting QB and Bradford would be dealt to the highest bidder.

 

[iced]

Still wondering what would have happened if we had the #1 pick.

Don't know about Fisher, but if I were charge Andrew Luck and his cheaper contract would be the Rams starting QB and Bradford would be dealt to the highest bidder.

i got a hunch it wouldn't have mattered to fisher - he would have kept bradford. although at #1 having to choose from luck and rg3, that would have driven up the bidding wars substantially.

they preached all off season, pre draft, during the combine, etc. bradford was their QB. cleveland offered the #4 pick for bradford as well, still refused it.