Preparing To Trade Down
April 29th, 2014
A lot of Bucs fans believe Tampa Bay’s best move is not to pick at No. 7 at all. Instead, these same fans insist, trade down.
Aa Bucs general manager Jason Licht discussed this afternoon, that’s a whole lot easier to talk about than actually pull off. It’s not like the 31 other NFL teams aren’t aware that in this draft, several positions are very deep.
However, that hasn’t stopped Licht from greasing the wheels for such a move. Licht confessed he already is working the phones with others in order to trade down. The catch is, if the Bucs don’t find one of their targets available at No. 7.
“It is deep, 98 underclassmen helped that,” Licht said of the draft. “Twenty-five more than last year. We have 50 [underclassmen] that we have deemed draftable. That’s essentially adding almost two rounds. That affects the top.
“[Trading down] is definitely something we will look into. We’ve already reached out to teams. If our player isn’t there, we’d really be open to conversations about moving back to pick up picks. “
That’s just it. The Bucs are looking to add to their roster. Add good players. Right now the Bucs do not have a fourth-round pick. Trading back just a couple of slots should net them at least a fourth in return.
Of course, to cover all bases, just seconds after Licht talked about trading down, Bucs coach Lovie Smith, while echoing Licht about how deep the draft is, asked rhetorically, “How about moving up?”
April 29th, 2014 at 5:05 pm
They’re in full smokescreen mode. I’m starting to thing the Johnny Foosball rumors are not rumors and I think they will draft him if he’s there. I’m not against it if L&L have confidence in the kid to take on learning to prepare as a pro and reign in his sandlot tendencies a bit.
April 29th, 2014 at 5:17 pm
You can think about all the best possibilities, however when the time comes your only option is to take or not take the best choice that presents itself.
April 29th, 2014 at 5:20 pm
Does anyone know why we lost the tiebreaker to all the other 4-12 teams? Not losing an extra game may have kept us from getting Manziel.
April 29th, 2014 at 5:20 pm
I believe a 7th pick is a special player. You keep the pick and take the player. It would make more sense to trade down in the 2nd round where there is less talent level variance from pick to pick. Several teams have multiple 4th and 6th round picks. Teams with fewer open roster spots may well want to improve quality and sacrifice some quantity. Now the Bucs can move down and still get quality players of need in rounds 1 through 3 while still adding much needed late round picks to fill out their depth. Therefore keep pick 7 and trade down in the 2nd round.
April 29th, 2014 at 5:21 pm
@Joe. you always have pictures of great looking females on your site. However your probably like an old dog of mine that chased trucks. I Never could figure out what he was going to do if he caught one.
April 29th, 2014 at 5:25 pm
@Patrick – Since this thread is about draft smokescreens, just now that the tiebreaker is alphabetical order. [T]ampa Bay is near the end.
April 29th, 2014 at 5:28 pm
Strength of schedule was the tiebreaker. Tampa’s schedule was technically harder so we lost the tie.
April 29th, 2014 at 5:42 pm
Great picture….. caused me to read 0 of the content in the article but still great picture!
April 29th, 2014 at 5:43 pm
@ Theodore
Not alphabetical order….we had the stronger schedule therefore our 4-12 was technically better than other teams….
April 29th, 2014 at 5:44 pm
This is my final mock draft one week before the May 8th NFL draft. I have looked at all of the top 7 team needs, offseason FA moves, player visits and respected draft analyst opinions. I have come to the following conclusion for the first 7 picks.
One – The Texans are going to trade down with the Falcons. The Falcons will not have to pay a fortune (RGIII money) as the Texans are motivated to trade down. The Falcons will select DE Jadaveon Clowney.
Two – The Rams need a left tackle and Fisher has a history with the Matthews family. As much potential as Greg Robinson has, he is a promise for the future that cannot pass-protect yet and will only play RT or OG for a year or two. Jake Matthews is ready now day one LOT and can play all positions on the O-Line. The Rams will select OT Jake Matthews.
Three – Jacksonville will take a QB. Don’t believe the hype there is too much tape, they like Bridgewater. They will take Blake Bortles or Teddy Bridgewater. The Jaguars will select QB Teddy Bridgewater.
Four – The Browns will take one of two QBs – Johnny Manziel or Derek Carr. The Brown s will select QB Johnny Manziel.
Five – The Raiders will take the best player on the board. The Raiders will select WR Sammy Watkins.
Six – The Texans will select the player that best fits their 3-4 defense. The Texans will select OLB/DE Khalil Mack. They will trade a pick for QB Ryan Mallett from the Patriots.
Seven – The Bucs will select OT Greg Robinson or WR Mike Evans or they will entertain three trade-downs. Macabee would trade down, too many WRs and O-Linemen in the deepest draft in 10 years.
1.They may trade down with #9 Bills to get Greg Robinson or they may trade down to #10 Lions to get Mike Evans. The Bucs will get a 2nd round pick. If they trade down with the Bills or the Lions, they will select DT Aaron Donald.
2.They may trade down with the #26 Browns who wish to trade up to pair Manziel with WR Mike Evans. The Bucs will get a 2nd, a 4th, and next year’s 1st (Julio Jones 2011 trade). They will select BPA with pick #26. Derek Carr, Blake Bortles, or Teddy Bridgewater may be there!
3.They may trade down with the #30 SF 49ers who covets Mike Evans and has publicly voiced their interest in trading up. The 49ers have 11 draft picks. The Bucs will get a 2nd, a 4th, and next year’s 1st (Julio Jones 2011 trade). They will select BPA with pick #30. OT Cyrus Kouandjio or OG Xavier Su’a-Filo may be there.
April 29th, 2014 at 5:46 pm
Trading down is a great option with a very deep draft at the top and beyond…..
If our player is taken…ie Watkins or Mack….I think trading down makes some sense.
Many think we should choose for need & pick Evans, for example….but it may be possible to trade down 3 or 4 slots and still select Evans….
There are some great playeres like Mosley & Ebron & Matthews that will probably be available to us later than 7…..
April 29th, 2014 at 6:08 pm
If we can find a dance partner, I’m all for trading down.
April 29th, 2014 at 6:11 pm
Can the Johnny Football Mob explain something to me. IF we select him you do realize we have a QB controversy from day one.
How long before the JF Mob starts clamoring for him to start whether he’s ready or not. As it is the pecking order is clear. McCown #1 and Glennon a comfortable competent backup. If the Bucs want to take Aaron Murray or make another value gamble later in the draft at QB I’m on board. #7? Not so much.
April 29th, 2014 at 6:27 pm
30% chance of Evans or BPA at 7 or 70% chance they trade down. Yep I’m leaning heavily that they will trade down.
April 29th, 2014 at 6:27 pm
One good possibility is Cleveland takes Watkins, then trades their second number one (26th overall) and a number 2 to us to get the seven spot.
That would give us four picks in first three rounds.
If JF isn’t there at 7, which is likely.
April 29th, 2014 at 6:48 pm
If Manziel is gone, they trade down. If he’s there, we finally have a franchise QB.
April 29th, 2014 at 7:10 pm
70% chance they find no team willing to give up what they want to trade down (or as I’d rather put it, they stand pat at #7 and take their guy). About a 25% chance they find some team willing to give up at least fair trade value to move up to #7, and about 5% chance they find a guy they REALLY want and move up a couple spots to get him.
April 29th, 2014 at 7:15 pm
The 2014 NFL Draft should have been over last Sunday night around 8 PM +-…
April 29th, 2014 at 8:05 pm
Eric Says:
April 29th, 2014 at 6:27 pm
One good possibility is Cleveland takes Watkins, then trades their second number one (26th overall) and a number 2 to us to get the seven spot.
That would give us four picks in first three rounds.
If JF isn’t there at 7, which is likely.
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That is extremely poor value. It cost Atlanta two number 1s, two number 2s and a 4th rounder to go from 27 to 6 which is a similar jump. Has to be at least two #1s and a #2. A future #1 from Cleveland has top 5 potential of course.
April 29th, 2014 at 8:06 pm
@Macabee
Thank you for pulling all the reports together, for analysis. Good Work!
April 29th, 2014 at 8:14 pm
@Macabee —
What about the Rams @12? They too may want to trade down for safety and cornerback help, but if they regard Evans as the key to an exceptional passing game they could pull the trigger on the way up.
I wonder if a MLB, perhaps Ohio State’s Shazier, would tempt the Bucs. Strength up the middle is never a bad thing. Donald, of course, but the Mike backer looks like a play. Though I do not expect Lovie to put faith in rookies.
April 29th, 2014 at 8:21 pm
We have a dance partner, and she is holding all the cards! Which casino is that?
April 29th, 2014 at 8:49 pm
LUV,
Thanks for the nod, but it’s a mock and as everybody knows anything can happen so it’s just a guess, but it’s my best guess.
Lou,
Your guess is as good as mine. I think the Rams will sit tight for help in the secondary as you suggest. I’m even seeing mocks giving them a QB because Bradford has not closed the deal. That is why I think some of the top 5 teams will take a QB because there are other teams like the Rams, Titans, Cardinals, Vikings, and of course the Bucs that could take a QB. The top QBs may not make it to the 2nd round.
April 29th, 2014 at 8:50 pm
@macabee
Good job – like the creativity.
I get the feeling the bucs will do something no one is thinking about. like trading up to 2 for mack / clowney….take Murray in the 3rd..stay at 7 to take Aaron Donald…or the Oregon wr. (Over Draft someone per the Draft experts)
April 29th, 2014 at 9:13 pm
🙂
April 29th, 2014 at 9:33 pm
If the Bucs were to trade down…say maybe into the 10-15 range…they could pick up an extra 2nd rounder and turn those picks into something like this…1)Eric Ebron TE 2A) Kyle Van Noy OLB) 2B) Jordan Matthews WR 3) Aaron Muuray/Tom Savage/AJ McCarron QB. 5) Spencer Long OG 6) Derrick Hopkins DT. 7) Jeff Janis WR. Something along these lines would fill some holes and provide some quality young starters.
April 29th, 2014 at 9:49 pm
I think it is interesting that the only QB our OC went see a pro day for was Jake Bortles.
But I want Dereck Carr.
The way he learns quick, reads defenses, can place the ball where you want it (and actually has the rapid instinct to figure it out), and uses hand signals to call plays (real and false ones)…to me he’s the best QB in this draft.
He’s the guy I want.
April 29th, 2014 at 9:54 pm
I suspect several players expected to be taken sooner will fall. Not just first rounders.
I finish my mock draft today, plan to refine it through the weekend. I’m the only one that cares, but I do one mock and put it out there just before the draft. I’m sure a lot of us have our lists.
Joe, will you create a Mock Draft thread for us to post in next week?
April 29th, 2014 at 10:08 pm
Oh, and, Joe…will we ever see one of these girls in pics become JillBucsFan?
April 29th, 2014 at 10:31 pm
Not a fan of trading down. We do not need training camp bodies. We need a difference maker. Bring on Johnny Football.
April 29th, 2014 at 10:46 pm
StPeteBucsFan Says:
April 29th, 2014 at 6:11 pm
Can the Johnny Football Mob explain something to me. IF we select him you do realize we have a QB controversy from day one.
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Not alone will he bring controversy. He will bring us another QB in 2 years. Christian Hackenberg, Everett Golson, Jeff Driskel, Kevin Hogan, Gunner Kiel, and Jameis Winston.
April 29th, 2014 at 11:44 pm
PLEASE Manziel be on the board and take Evans instead. PLEASE!
April 29th, 2014 at 11:51 pm
@Macabee
Good thought process but.. Why on earth would Atl trade a pick to the Patriots for Mallet? You do realize that Ryan is going into year 2 or 3 in that 100 million dollar deal right?
Been tweeking it a bit but my final mock will look similar to this…
Texans – Clowney
Rams – Watkins
Jaguars – Bortles
Browns – Robinson
Raiders – Evans
Falcons – Mack
Bucs – Manziel
Vikings – Bridgewater
Bills – Matthews
Lions – Dix
Titans – Gilbert
Giants – Ebron
Rams – Lewan
Bears – Donald
Steelers – Beckham Jr
Cowboys – Pryor
Ravens – Mosley
Jets – Lee
Dolphins – Moses
Cardinals – Dennard
Packers – Nix
Eagles – Cooks
Chiefs – Filo
Bengals – Barr
Chargers – Fuller
Browns – Carr
Saints – Shazier
Panthers – Allen Robinson
Partriots – Jernigan
49ers – Ford
Broncos – Roby(might switch him with Ealy)
Seahawks – Verrett
April 29th, 2014 at 11:59 pm
And Mallet is in the final year of his contract I believe…
April 30th, 2014 at 12:07 am
Phillip,
I’m laughing because the same thing that happened to you happens to me all the time after reading so many mocks.
If you go back and look at my mock, you will see that the Falcons traded with the Texans. What you saw at pick#6 was the Texans trading a pick for Ryan Mallett, not Matt Ryan. I got that from a rumor suggesting O’Brien’s past relationship with Mallett at the patriots coupled with the fact that Belichick is bringing in top QBs for on-site workouts.
April 30th, 2014 at 12:28 am
@Macabee
DUH okay ya it’s late lol… Just so used to seeing the Falcons picking 6th and we both got them taking the same two players at the same spots just forgetting the trade… My bad! lol
I honestly think the Cardinals might make a move for Mallet and can also see the Texans/Titans/Raiders doing it as well
I don’t predict trades because they are so hard to predict with so many rumors of literally every team wanting to move up that’s at the end of the 1st and everyone wanting to move down that’s at the top of the 1st lol
I can also see the Raiders pulling another DHB/Hayden/Mitchell pick by selecting Beckham JR or Lee over Evans… People thinking they will select a QB with that 1st pick are crazy… Their HC and GM are on the extreme hot seat and know if they don’t win this year there won’t be a next year so they are gonna select someone who they think will be able to start day one and make an impact and they wouldn’t have traded for Schaub as well
April 30th, 2014 at 11:21 am
My Mock is Buccaneers only (7 round). Though I might add a 1-10 overall mock.