If I called the shots: Five draft weekend plans for needy teams Story By Michael Lombardi, SI.com Michael Lombardi is a 22-year veteran of NFL personnel departments, spending eight years with the Raiders and nine years with the Browns, in addition to brief stints with the Broncos, Eagles and 49ers. Draft weekend is one of my favorite times of the year. NFL executives have spent the past nine months studying and now it's finally time to take the exam. As they enter the war room it is essential that they rely on their knowledge of every team's strengths and weaknesses and, most importantly, how those teams will think and react. Here are my recommendations for several teams this weekend: If I worked for the Jets, I would ... Prepare for the unexpected. The draft for the New York Jets does not start until the Atlanta Falcons make their selection at No. 3. Before the Falcons make their pick, I would have two plans in place. Plan A would assume the Falcons did not select Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan. I would then be on the phone with Arkansas running back Darren McFadden and his representatives, telling them he would be our guy at No. 6. I'd do this while knowing and hoping the phone calls might force the Raiders hand in actually selecting McFadden at No. 4. At the same time I would make numerous trade offers to the Raiders -- with absolutely no intention of trading -- knowing Al Davis hates to trade down on draft day. If the Raiders suspect we are trying to trade up to get McFadden then this freezes the pick, meaning the pick is not for sale to anyone else at that moment. My main goal is to tie up the Raiders' phone lines, freeze their pick and determine what Baltimore is thinking at No. 8. The Ravens are my main competition for a quarterback and I need to do whatever is possible to determine their course of action. I don't expect the Raiders to move, but I am hoping they will offer me some vital clues with each one of my calls. On draft day, every team's strategy has to be declared; it's now time to show your hand. Every phone call I make, I closely listen to the voice on the other line to determine if they are bluffing or if they have something concrete in the works. If the Raiders pass on every deal offered and select McFadden, as I suspect, and I also determine that Baltimore is on the move to acquire Ryan, then I call the Kansas City Chiefs at No. 5 to discuss flopping picks. I know I cannot freeze Kansas City's pick because the Chiefs have so many holes that they will be trying to acquire picks all day. Carl Peterson, the Chiefs president, is not an easy trade partner. He has to win every deal. That is just Carl's nature. He will suspect I am desperate, willing to pay his price to acquire Ryan. But I will offer what I believe is a fair deal based on the value of the picks being exchanged and not back down. If Peterson thinks he can intimidate or bluff me into a deal, then he is dead wrong. I also know Baltimore GM Ozzie Newsome is not likely to overpay for the pick nor get strong-armed by Peterson. Newsome is a value drafter and rarely does he throw in all his chips. But if Newsome is willing to overpay, that still will not change my thoughts or offer. So I make my offer and stand firm. If I lose Ryan to the Ravens then my choice is pretty simple: I take Jonathan Stewart, the Oregon running back. Stewart is not receiving the accolades his talent deserves, mainly because of his recent turf toe surgery, yet he may prove to be the best back in this draft. One thing I definitely don't do is sit still. I start making calls to teams in the back end of the first round. With Ryan in Baltimore, I know my competition for Michigan quarterback Chad Henne has been reduced by one team. I start calling Seattle at 25, San Diego at 27 and Dallas at 28, with trade offers using my second-round pick (No. 36 overall) to get back into the first round. I also will worry about the Chicago Bears trying to move into the bottom of the first round. But I know Bears GM Jerry Angelo very well. He is strict and disciplined when it comes to valuing draft picks. He loves multiple picks and is very reluctant to part with any. I also know the Chiefs are potential players in the quarterback market. Depending on what position they take at No. 5, that will help me understand where they may be headed with their 17th pick that they just acquired in the Jared Allen trade. Now, Plan B. If the Falcons pick Ryan at three, then I stay where I am and pick Stewart, assuming the Raiders take McFadden. I will still work my plan to get back into the first round to get Henne. But now I know Baltimore will be even more serious competition. So I may have to move further into the first round, calling the Redskins at 21 and the Steelers at 23. I have to work every single one of my options and keep applying the pressure on all the teams to finalize a deal. My goal is to come out of this draft with a running back and quarterback, two cornerstones of the future for my team. Nothing can stop me from achieving that goal. (end) You can check out the whole link here: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/20...s/draft/2008/04/24/lombardi.iwould/index.html I really liked this article because Lombardi gives a pretty in depth view of all the wheeling and dealing that happens while teams are on the clock. He also paints pretty interesting portraits of the men on the other end of the phone. However, "My goal is to come out of this draft with a running back and a quarterback?" This article would have been so much better if he said "Here's how I'd go after Chris Long" or "Here's how I'd go after Vernon Gholston." A running back and a quarterback are your top goals? If Jon Stewart and Chad Henne are our top two picks, yeesh. It really has made me think about the Jets "interest" in Matt Ryan though. QB needy teams are saying to themselves "We can't let Ryan fall to the Jets, we MUST trade with KC to get Ryan!" Also, I'll bet Al Davis is thinking "Damn, I'd sure love Chris Long, but how can I let Darren McFadden fall to the Jets? They LOVE him!" You know what happens then? Davis takes McFadden, New England is blocked from trading with KC and KC trades the pick to Baltimore/Carolina/Whoever to pick up Matt Ryan, and the New York Jets draft the quintessential Mangini-guy who, surprise, surprise, we've shown relatively no interest in. CHRIS LONG.
I think I may throw up in my mouth if we trade up and get anyone other than McFadden. If we stand pat I'll be happy with Long or Gholston, even Ryan. Nobody else, no reaches thanks.
This is a very interesting thread. I like his breakdown, but my options would not be Henne as a QB or Ryan, I think we need to wait until next year to really know what our QB situation is like, but otherwise great post..
It is amazing that everyone see what a need the QB position is for the Jets except the majority of fans. I will be thrilled if we come out of the first round with Matt Ryan.
Your chosen name for this board works for this post, Vision. You also see what could come out of drafting Ryan. The most important position is not settled and is ranked 27th in the league- no contention for the Jets until that is improved to top 10. I think Ryan can get us there, and it is a small amount of Jet fans who are willing to take the risk on Saturday and support taking a franchise QB. I think its also the fact that he doesn't look like God coming out of BC, but how many QBs do? What most experts focus on is how he is the main reason for that team going 11-3 with the talent they had. He may be the answer...
I'm not thrilled with the prospect of taking a QB that high when we have so many other pressing needs, or taking Stewart that high when we can get him in the middle of the round instead. That being said, it was an interesting read to see kinda what goes on in the minds of someone running a draft-day war room. It turns into one giant poker game, trying to read the other GMs' minds and still getting the player you want without overpaying for him.
I agree with ya there. QB is the most important and most unsetled area on our team. We are in a postion to geta very good QB if we land Ryan. If Kellen Clemens becomes the real deal, then we have two good young QB's on the team. That would just suck, wouldn't it?
He doen't even talk about Long or Gholston as an option. Talk about not covering your bases if you worked for the Jets. Thank god Tangini is doing homework on everyone.
This was a good in-depth article, about the behind the scenes that we all I'm sure already assumed it happened. However, Lombardi as my GM would be the complete WORST! Does anybody have trouble swallowing any of his plans? As I understand it, we move down to #8 with the Ravens and select Jonathan Stewart?! At 8?!? Since when was a RB a NEED?! I mean, I'd take McFadden at #6 because he's a luxury pick, but drafting a late 1st rounder with the 8th overall?? So, I move on to see what his Plan B was if we stay at #6 and he'd select...JONATHAN STEWART?!? AT 6?!? This guy needs to get real. Then I saw Henne's name (Chad 2.0) in there as an option moving back into the late 1st round and I had to stop reading this article. With his Plan A at #8, I'd go CB (NEED). Then, if I were to move up into the LATE, LATE (even later than he has it) 1st, I'd look to move somewhere around the 30's. To take Flacco (another need). With his Plan B, at #6, I'd stick to the game plan and take Gholston. The End.
He has it as if QB is our #1 priority. I disagree with that. I sit at 6 and wait for C. Long, DMC, Gholston, or Ryan to fall to me.
