ssmitty

NEW TRADE CHART CAUSING SOME COMMOTION
Posted by Mike Florio on April 17, 2008, 6:22 p.m.
We’ve heard from a couple of league insiders regarding the apparent efforts of some teams to revise the outdated trade chart, which was developed long before the signing of a top-five draft pick to a long-term contract entailed the sacrifice of one or more testicles.

There’s a sense in some circles that the teams backing the change are the teams hoping to trade up. As one source said, “The teams trying to have a new trade chart are teams trying to steal their way into the top ten. The teams that have those picks aren’t that stupid.”

The source’s bottom-line observation? “You will not see a noticeable difference in trade value on draft day.”

But others disagree that the changes are being driven by teams looking to find an easy way to trade up. The reality is that, under the old chart, there are hardly any trades, because the combination of picks surrendered for the ability to move up and money paid to the player drafted with the higher pick makes the transaction undesirable. Indeed, teams who would like to trade out of those big-money spots should welcome a new trade chart that allows them to move down without creating the impression that they got screwed by not getting enough value in return from the team that moved up.

As Dolphins G.M. Jeff Ireland said on Thursday at his “pillar of your defense” press conference, “I don’t necessarily know if [the current trade chart] applies to the first pick anymore because no one wants to pay that value to go up and get that pick because now you’re dealing with the economics.”

The new chart knocks down the point values for the first four picks, and raises the points for the rest of the first round, making it easier to do deals.

And if part of the motivation comes from teams looking to move up, so be it. If there’s a team out there that wants to step in one of the high-dollar spots, there should be a fair way to make it happen. Under the existing chart, the combination of money and draft picks is simply too much.

That said, we think the best way to fix the trade chart is to adopt a new point system at some point after the draft and before the start of the regular season, when everyone’s record is 0-0 and no one can be perceived as having a motivation to slant the numbers in a way that helps a given team get what it wants.

hagan714

Does anyone realize this chart was invented with a hint of voodoo?

It appeared on the seen in a puff a smoke one year out of Dallas. Teams then started to use it one at a time. Hey if it help Dallas build their team in the teams of the 70s and 80's then it must work. Remember this is a copy cat sport in the front office. One team wins, the rest follow. Kinda of a pied piper mentality. This chart was never formally adopted. It was kidnapped and never returned home. So it may take some time if or when changes happen but like its mother, it will have to be taken in by one team at time before it becomes officially the new chart of the NFL draft.

The new chart does make since this year draft is all most completely void of elite talent after the top 3 are gone. Now think back to when Reggie was on the board, followed by the players of his draft. Would this change make sense? Not really. That was a draft class that was 10 to 15 players deep of great round 1 talent. To trade down from the top 10 or 15, much less the top 5 in that draft was a mistake. The same thing can be said about last years draft. Just admit it.

This Group of first rounds is awful.

There is a lot of risk in these players and the salaries they will be getting, from 5 on. The odds are not that great to find an all pro type of player. There are a few that will surprise us but right now with the cards that this draft has dealt there is no reason to raise the stakes. Yet no one on the table has cards to raise with either. So every one is passing. Knock after knock can be heard on the table as the bets go around the table. Two pair could win this pot or maybe a good bluff will take it.

Now round two through 4 is very strong. Thats where the money will be made.

"We may have lost the game, but you'll be hurting tomorrow." Doug Atkins