Cleveland Plain Dealer Suggests Rams May Trade Up

[libertadrocks]

CLEVELAND -- With less than two weeks before the NFL draft, multiple teams have called the Browns about their No. 4 pick, league sources told the Plain Dealer, and there's a decent chance the Browns will trade down.

At least three or four teams in the top 20 have expressed interest in trading up, and the Browns are expected to have some enticing options on draft day.

Rams coach Jeff Fisher, who has the No. 6 pick, has already identified the Browns as a potential trade partner, and the Eagles at No. 15 are believed to be interested in trading up, sources said. At least two other teams are in the mix.

And it's not just Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill that teams are after. There's been considerable interest in USC offensive tackle Matt Kalil, LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne and Oklahoma State receiver Justin Blackmon.

The Rams and Eagles are attractive trade partners because both have two picks in the second round. The Rams have the 33rd overall pick and the 39th pick from their recent trade with Washington. The Eagles have the No. 46 pick in the second round and the No. 51st pick from their trade with Arizona last year for quarterback Kevin Kolb.

At the NFL Owners meetings last month, Fisher said he'd consider trading up with the Browns depending on what they wanted in return. He didn't specify which player he'd trade up for, but the Rams are believed to have interest in Blackmon. Fisher re-iterated Friday that he'll trade up, down or stay where he is.

The Eagles and Chiefs (No. 11) have both conducted private workouts with Tannehill, but the Chiefs "would probably not trade up'' a league source said. The Bills (No. 10) will also host Tannehill on Tuesday after he visits the Browns on Sunday and Monday.

The Eagles, who've already executed trades with their former general manager Tom Heckert, might be willing trade up, but nothing would happen until draft day, because the Vikings are also believed to be interested in trading down from No. 3. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Monday that the Vikings will pass on Kalil, and Vikings general manager Rick Spielman told Pro Football Weekly that he'd be open to dealing.

"There are times we have been in (the war room) and we've done deals on the clock," Spielman told the site. "It's an unknown, but you're prepared for both ways. We'll be ready and we'll have a good idea of what we think the value of that third pick is.''

The Dolphins at No. 8 and Seahawks at No. 12 also interested in Tannehill, but it's unknown if they'd be willing to move up.

Heckert said at the owners meetings that he had preliminary talks with several teams. He also said he'd be willing to trade down "a few spots'' but not all the way back to No. 27 like he did last year with Atlanta in the trade for receiver Julio Jones. (He then moved back up to No. 21 to select Phil Taylor).

Question is, would No. 15 be too far back? Maybe not. The Browns have hosted a number of players over the past two weeks that are projected to go in the teens, including Notre Dame receiver Michael Floyd, Baylor receiver Kendall Wright and South Carolina cornerback Stephon Gilmore. If the Browns picked up two extra second-round picks, they'd have three in that round, including the No. 37 overall.

They could use one of those picks to trade back up from No. 22 and grab another elite player.

I think this report is BS. It probably only comes from Fisher and our FO holding our cards close to their vest. By not definitively saying "we are not interested in trading up" we become logical trade partners due to our plethora of picks. To me it just doesnt make any sense to move up and sacrifice a pick. There is know player that is that good that doesnt have a solid chance of falling to us at 6.

Thoughts?

 

[Ramhusker]

Agreed, I'd hate to see the Rams trade up at this point. Giving up one of those 2nd round picks would be a big mistake in my opinion. I'd rather trade down a handful of picks to gain yet another 2nd or 3rd round pick but I'd much rather stand pat instead of moving up. If someone snags Blackmon, we still get a marquee player at 6 and one of need to boot.

 

[Selassie I]

It's BS for sure Bro.

 

[DR RAM]

If we were still sitting at #2, would you trade down 2 spots and pick up two additional future 1st rounders if you could still get your #1 guy?

Would you trade up from #6 to #4 for a 2nd round pick, or a third round pick which is closer to the trade chart?

I would, but the squeeze has to be worth the juice.

 

[libertadrocks]

A couple of national journalist tweeting in reference to the report:

@evansilva: I bet he is No. 1. RT @JoshNorris I'd bet T-Rich is a top 2 player on STL board

 

[Stranger]

Browns PR just trying to create a bidding war.

 

[Yamahopper]

Don't see it happening for a couple reasons.
Rams still get a great prospect at #6 and the the Browns will demand a 1st next year as a starting point and depending on what other teams are bidding maybe more. Tannehill will come into the picture at pick 3 or 4. He might be the Browns choice if they don't trade so they will want too much to trade down.

 

[steferfootball]

Re:

Browns PR just trying to create a bidding war.

I think so. Browns are in an awkward situation after loosing out on RGIII.

Doesn't make sense imo for the Rams to trade down then up. IMO stay at 6 and get an elite prospect, or trade down if the right deal is on the table.

 

[Warner4Prez]

Only reason this team would trade up is if they know someone is swapping with the Vikes @ 3 to take Tannehill. Then moving to #4 would give them a sure shot for Kalil.
Otherwise, no it makes no sense to move up. They're all but guaranteed Richardson or Blackmon.

 

[JdashSTL]

Only reason this team would trade up is if they know someone is swapping with the Vikes @ 3 to take Tannehill. Then moving to #4 would give them a sure shot for Kalil.
Otherwise, no it makes no sense to move up. They're all but guaranteed Richardson or Blackmon.

For Kalil I can understand why they would consider trading up, but I still wouldnt do it. Watch someone trade up for Tannehill and then see what happens. If someone trades up with the Vikes I would REALLY like our chances of seeing Kalil fall to us, but the only issue could be someone else jumping up to grab him at #4 or #5.

 

[libertadrocks]

Only reason this team would trade up is if they know someone is swapping with the Vikes @ 3 to take Tannehill. Then moving to #4 would give them a sure shot for Kalil.
Otherwise, no it makes no sense to move up. They're all but guaranteed Richardson or Blackmon.

I thought about that scenario, but if that happens I think Kalil actually falls to us assuming no one else trades up for him. Cleveland doenst need an LT, they have one of the best. TB has bigger needs at CB and RB and will likely take whoever is left between Mo and TRich.

 

[Angry Ram]

Re: Re:

Browns PR just trying to create a bidding war.

I think so. Browns are in an awkward situation after loosing out on RGIII.

Doesn't make sense imo for the Rams to trade down then up. IMO stay at 6 and get an elite prospect, or trade down if the right deal is on the table.

I don't think there will be a right deal, unless said trade gives us a young, proven, and starting player.

 

[libertadrocks]

PFT This Morning:

Setting aside for now (as if we ever truly respect it) the unwritten rule that journalists shouldn’t speculate about each other’s sources, it’s hardly a stretch to conclude that Cabot is getting her info from someone with the team she covers on a daily basis. And it wouldn’t be the first time that a team with a broader agenda uses a local writer to advance it.

That’s not a knock on Cabot. It’s not for her to say who is and isn’t telling her the truth, especially when the folks who run the Plain Dealer have shown an inclination to hide under the bed whenever the Big Show starts bellowing. She’s reporting what she’s being told, and there’s no practical way to confirm that it’s 100 percent accurate without administering strong doses of truth serum to her sources in Cleveland, to Rams coach Jeff Fisher, and/or to Eagles coach Andy Reid.

The truth is that no one is telling the truth at this time of the year. If the Browns actually want quarterback Ryan Tannehill at No. 4, the Browns should be worried that the Vikings will trade down from the third spot with a team that thinks the only way to get Tannehill is to get in front of the Browns. By creating a sense of nonchalance regarding the prospect of moving down, the Browns send a not-so-subtle message that they aren’t planning to use the fourth pick on Tannehill.

The other impediment to a potential trade comes from the massive haul the Rams obtained from the Redskins for the second overall pick. Whatever the Browns get for the fourth pick will be compared to the three ones and a two that St. Louis finagled for stepping back only four spots. Though there’s a inverse Richter scale quality to the upper reaches of the draft, many Browns fans will try to make an apples-to-apples argument — especially since it would be the third time in four years that the Browns opted not to pull the trigger on a top-1o pick but instead chose to trade down.

So look for more reports and rumors and related scuttlebutt to circulate before the draft, and then look for all of that to be forgotten once the Commissioner starts shuttling back and forth to the podium.

 

[Ramhusker]

PFT This Morning:

Setting aside for now (as if we ever truly respect it) the unwritten rule that journalists shouldn’t speculate about each other’s sources, it’s hardly a stretch to conclude that Cabot is getting her info from someone with the team she covers on a daily basis. And it wouldn’t be the first time that a team with a broader agenda uses a local writer to advance it.

That’s not a knock on Cabot. It’s not for her to say who is and isn’t telling her the truth, especially when the folks who run the Plain Dealer have shown an inclination to hide under the bed whenever the Big Show starts bellowing. She’s reporting what she’s being told, and there’s no practical way to confirm that it’s 100 percent accurate without administering strong doses of truth serum to her sources in Cleveland, to Rams coach Jeff Fisher, and/or to Eagles coach Andy Reid.

The truth is that no one is telling the truth at this time of the year. If the Browns actually want quarterback Ryan Tannehill at No. 4, the Browns should be worried that the Vikings will trade down from the third spot with a team that thinks the only way to get Tannehill is to get in front of the Browns. By creating a sense of nonchalance regarding the prospect of moving down, the Browns send a not-so-subtle message that they aren’t planning to use the fourth pick on Tannehill.

The other impediment to a potential trade comes from the massive haul the Rams obtained from the Redskins for the second overall pick. Whatever the Browns get for the fourth pick will be compared to the three ones and a two that St. Louis finagled for stepping back only four spots. Though there’s a inverse Richter scale quality to the upper reaches of the draft, many Browns fans will try to make an apples-to-apples argument — especially since it would be the third time in four years that the Browns opted not to pull the trigger on a top-1o pick but instead chose to trade down.

So look for more reports and rumors and related scuttlebutt to circulate before the draft, and then look for all of that to be forgotten once the Commissioner starts shuttling back and forth to the podium.

Nothing else to be said here.

 

[Stranger]

PFT This Morning....

The truth is that no one is telling the truth at this time of the year.

Exactly.

In fact, rarely does anyone use the media to disseminate 'truth', irrespective of the time of yr.

 

[Ramhusker]

:sly: :sly: :sly:

 

[Thordaddy]

I think the Rams are open to any deal,but if we trade up it's for Kalil OR TR and IMO Kalil is the inside choice there.
But IMO the pick they'd trade for is the Viking pick which would give them probably a net of two first round picks for moving down one slot and still getting the guy they wanted.
How about this
Kalil
Still
LaMicheal James

I'd take that

On the other hand talking to people about moving up keeps the trade talks going and makes offers to trade down more common as well.