WesDawg
'Burghapologist
Change is the only constant in today's NFL. Division champions and playoff teams rarely repeat, so much so to the point that more often than not, Super Bowl losers miss the playoffs the following season. Top-notch players rarely finish their careers with the teams that draft them, and parity has overtaken dynasties as the norm. With that said, I'll give you 3 changes that would be mutually beneficial to both teams for various reasons, and why they should be done prior to draft day.
1. Sam Bradford (QB) to the Browns for Colt McCoy (QB) and the 4th and 22nd overall picks in 2012's 1st round.
Helps the Browns because: They got shut out of the great QB derby of 2012. No Peyton Manning, no Matt Flynn, no Robert Griffin III, and they desperately need a face of the franchise. This will also enable them to not reach for Ryan Tannehill at #4, where he would be drastically overdrafted. They can afford to lose the multiple picks since most of their glaring needs are at the offensive skill positions which run deep, well into the middle rounds. They have a burgeoning #1/2 WR duo in Greg Little/Mohamed Massaquoi and a handful of decent TE's that will provide Bradford with options. If they can snag a dual-threat RB in round 2 such as Chris Polk to take workload from Montario Hardesty, we're looking at a solid foundation to compete in the rugged AFC North.
Helps the Rams because: They need to completely rebuild, period. So many needs and not enough picks. This, along with the Washington trade, gives them multiple solid choices in the 1st 2 rounds of this year's and next year's drafts to address critical areas. It also frees up a significant amount of cap room to go after a top free agent next year. McCoy gives them a credible stopgap for this season, and a placeholder next year when the Rams will have 1 or 2 top-10 picks to snag their QB of the future. (Matt Barkley, Landry Jones, Aaron Murray, Tyler Wilson). With #4 and #6 this year, they can grab Oklahoma St.'s Justin Blackmon and Iowa's Reily Reiff, look at another lineman at #22 such as Georgia's Cordy Glenn, and at least bring their future QB into a favorable situation unlike what Bradford was thrust into as a rookie.
2. Cincinnati agreeing with Mike Wallace (WR) to an offer sheet and sending their #21 overall draft pick in 2012 to Pittsburgh.
Helps the Bengals because: At #21, they won't sniff a player as talented and useful as Wallace, and they still attain the #17 overall selection they swiped from Oakland in the Carson Palmer trade. A.J. Green and Andy Dalton are the future of this team, but they could certainly use an elite speed guy like Wallace to complement A.J. and take Dalton to the next level, all while weakening a division rival. They'd be essentially taking house money and parlay'ing it into the next Chad Johnson/T.J. Houshmanzadah combo.
Helps the Steelers because: They're reasonably set at the skill positions, but have glaring needs elsewhere. This scenario allows them to add 2 first round lineman such as Stanford's John Martin and Ohio St.'s Mike Adams, or a lineman/CB combo (Martin/Adams and South Carolina's Stephon Gilmore), which they've largely ignored early in previous drafts. It also alleviates serious salary cap concerns going forward by getting Wallace's impending restructure off the books. They can survive just fine with Antonio Brown and Emmanual Sanders in the meantime, and look at a groomable big WR in the 3rd round such as Wisconsin's Nick Toon, North Carolina's Dwight Jones, or Arkansas' Greg Childs.
3.Houston sends Ben Tate (RB) and the #76 overall pick in the 3rd round for LaGarrette Blount (RB), Arrelious Benn (WR), and the #140 overall pick in the 5th round.
Helps the Texans because: Benn gives them the young established complement to all-world WR Andre Johnson that they've been desperately seeking for years. They can then focus their 1st round pick on shoring up the offensive line after the loss of Eric Winston, or addressing the linebacker positions after losing Mario Williams and DeMeco Ryans. If the aforementioned Mike Adams or Alabama's Dont'a Hightower were to slip to their #26 spot, they'd be ecstatic. Blount profiles as a better running mate to Arian Foster then Tate was, only because Tate and Foster were so similar. Blount can assume a short-yardage and goal line role, and spell Arian for 6-8 carries per game to keep him from wearing down. Houston can use the attained 5th rounder to look at a quick slot WR/return man such as Alabama's Marquis Maze or Fresno St.'s Devon Wylie.
Helps the Buccaneers because: Tate gives them the 3-down RB needed for this offense, allowing them to address their primary need at CB with Morris Claiborne of LSU at #5 overall. Every mock draft in the world seems to have them taking Trent Richardson, but a legit lockdown defender is critical in a division with Drew Brees, Matt Ryan, and now Cam Newton chucking the ball against you 6 times a year. Benn became expendable with the signing of Vincent Jackson, and the Bucs can look to replace him as their third wideout starting in round 3 with the likes of Florida International's T.Y. Hilton or Oklahoma's Ryan Broyles. They can also consider Temple's Bernard Pierce in the 3rd round, or Baylor's Terrance Ganaway in the 4th round since either could capably fill Blount's role as a bruising power back.
1. Sam Bradford (QB) to the Browns for Colt McCoy (QB) and the 4th and 22nd overall picks in 2012's 1st round.
Helps the Browns because: They got shut out of the great QB derby of 2012. No Peyton Manning, no Matt Flynn, no Robert Griffin III, and they desperately need a face of the franchise. This will also enable them to not reach for Ryan Tannehill at #4, where he would be drastically overdrafted. They can afford to lose the multiple picks since most of their glaring needs are at the offensive skill positions which run deep, well into the middle rounds. They have a burgeoning #1/2 WR duo in Greg Little/Mohamed Massaquoi and a handful of decent TE's that will provide Bradford with options. If they can snag a dual-threat RB in round 2 such as Chris Polk to take workload from Montario Hardesty, we're looking at a solid foundation to compete in the rugged AFC North.
Helps the Rams because: They need to completely rebuild, period. So many needs and not enough picks. This, along with the Washington trade, gives them multiple solid choices in the 1st 2 rounds of this year's and next year's drafts to address critical areas. It also frees up a significant amount of cap room to go after a top free agent next year. McCoy gives them a credible stopgap for this season, and a placeholder next year when the Rams will have 1 or 2 top-10 picks to snag their QB of the future. (Matt Barkley, Landry Jones, Aaron Murray, Tyler Wilson). With #4 and #6 this year, they can grab Oklahoma St.'s Justin Blackmon and Iowa's Reily Reiff, look at another lineman at #22 such as Georgia's Cordy Glenn, and at least bring their future QB into a favorable situation unlike what Bradford was thrust into as a rookie.
2. Cincinnati agreeing with Mike Wallace (WR) to an offer sheet and sending their #21 overall draft pick in 2012 to Pittsburgh.
Helps the Bengals because: At #21, they won't sniff a player as talented and useful as Wallace, and they still attain the #17 overall selection they swiped from Oakland in the Carson Palmer trade. A.J. Green and Andy Dalton are the future of this team, but they could certainly use an elite speed guy like Wallace to complement A.J. and take Dalton to the next level, all while weakening a division rival. They'd be essentially taking house money and parlay'ing it into the next Chad Johnson/T.J. Houshmanzadah combo.
Helps the Steelers because: They're reasonably set at the skill positions, but have glaring needs elsewhere. This scenario allows them to add 2 first round lineman such as Stanford's John Martin and Ohio St.'s Mike Adams, or a lineman/CB combo (Martin/Adams and South Carolina's Stephon Gilmore), which they've largely ignored early in previous drafts. It also alleviates serious salary cap concerns going forward by getting Wallace's impending restructure off the books. They can survive just fine with Antonio Brown and Emmanual Sanders in the meantime, and look at a groomable big WR in the 3rd round such as Wisconsin's Nick Toon, North Carolina's Dwight Jones, or Arkansas' Greg Childs.
3.Houston sends Ben Tate (RB) and the #76 overall pick in the 3rd round for LaGarrette Blount (RB), Arrelious Benn (WR), and the #140 overall pick in the 5th round.
Helps the Texans because: Benn gives them the young established complement to all-world WR Andre Johnson that they've been desperately seeking for years. They can then focus their 1st round pick on shoring up the offensive line after the loss of Eric Winston, or addressing the linebacker positions after losing Mario Williams and DeMeco Ryans. If the aforementioned Mike Adams or Alabama's Dont'a Hightower were to slip to their #26 spot, they'd be ecstatic. Blount profiles as a better running mate to Arian Foster then Tate was, only because Tate and Foster were so similar. Blount can assume a short-yardage and goal line role, and spell Arian for 6-8 carries per game to keep him from wearing down. Houston can use the attained 5th rounder to look at a quick slot WR/return man such as Alabama's Marquis Maze or Fresno St.'s Devon Wylie.
Helps the Buccaneers because: Tate gives them the 3-down RB needed for this offense, allowing them to address their primary need at CB with Morris Claiborne of LSU at #5 overall. Every mock draft in the world seems to have them taking Trent Richardson, but a legit lockdown defender is critical in a division with Drew Brees, Matt Ryan, and now Cam Newton chucking the ball against you 6 times a year. Benn became expendable with the signing of Vincent Jackson, and the Bucs can look to replace him as their third wideout starting in round 3 with the likes of Florida International's T.Y. Hilton or Oklahoma's Ryan Broyles. They can also consider Temple's Bernard Pierce in the 3rd round, or Baylor's Terrance Ganaway in the 4th round since either could capably fill Blount's role as a bruising power back.
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