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Good Read about draft strategy......
By Jim Corbett, USA TODAY
Here's a look at how clandestine things get before the NFL draft: Last year, Denver Broncos coach Mike Shanahan made a stealthy move, trading up to obtain the 11th pick from St. Louis to select Jay Cutler, his strong-armed vision of a young John Elway. But Shanahan never talked to Cutler or worked him out.
It's a lesson learned from selecting linebacker John Mobley, whom he knew then-Dallas Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson coveted in 1996.
"I just believe, especially in a position like we were, you start to talk to people, people anticipate you trading up and then you lose that position," Shanahan says of the Cutler trade. "When we got John Mobley, Jimmy Johnson really wanted him. The reason he didn't move up was because he knew we never talked to Mobley as a coaching staff.
"It's like playing poker. You don't want to give your hand away."
NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock knew when Cutler would come off the board. He just never expected Shanahan jumping up for him.
FIND MORE STORIES IN: NFL | St. Louis | Denver Broncos | Dallas Cowboys | DRAFT | Mike Shanahan | Cutler | John Mobley | Tom Heckert
"I picked Cutler to go in the 11th slot," Mayock says. "I was surprised when it was Denver that traded up. Afterward, I cross-checked with some contacts across the league, and they all said, 'We didn't know Shanahan had any interest.' I give Mike Shanahan a lot of credit for that one."
Philadelphia Eagles general manager Tom Heckert says pre-draft gamesmanship includes scheduling decoy player visits. Teams are allowed to invite 30 college players to their complex for follow-up interviews after meeting at the scouting combine and pro day workouts. Some are positional bluffs to throw teams off.
Former Cowboys personnel guru and NFL.com senior analyst Gil Brandt calls April "national liar's month" in the NFL.
"Everybody's allowed to bring in 30 guys; you can work them out and talk to them," Heckert says. "We ask ourselves, 'If we bring this guy in, should we probably bring in another guy that we're not interested in?' With the Internet, everybody knows who's visited you around the league. So you have to have some smoke screens."
"If I'm asked who the best five receivers are, I'll talk about five guys and maybe the fifth is the guy we're interested in."
Cardinals general manager Rod Graves says internal mock drafts are an important exercise to prepare for draft-day situations and assess other team's needs.
Says Mayock: "Part of manipulating the draft is understanding the other 31 teams and what they consider value. What you consider value as a 3-4 team is opposite what a 4-3 team does.
"But if a 3-4 nose tackle suddenly slides a little, you have to be aware what other teams might want him so you can trade down. That's why the best drafting teams are most cognizant of the entire league. They trust the value of their board."
Posted 1h 11m ago
Updated 22m ago E-mail | Save | Print |
To report corrections and clarifications, contact Reader Editor Brent Jones
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By Jim Corbett, USA TODAY
Here's a look at how clandestine things get before the NFL draft: Last year, Denver Broncos coach Mike Shanahan made a stealthy move, trading up to obtain the 11th pick from St. Louis to select Jay Cutler, his strong-armed vision of a young John Elway. But Shanahan never talked to Cutler or worked him out.
It's a lesson learned from selecting linebacker John Mobley, whom he knew then-Dallas Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson coveted in 1996.
"I just believe, especially in a position like we were, you start to talk to people, people anticipate you trading up and then you lose that position," Shanahan says of the Cutler trade. "When we got John Mobley, Jimmy Johnson really wanted him. The reason he didn't move up was because he knew we never talked to Mobley as a coaching staff.
"It's like playing poker. You don't want to give your hand away."
NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock knew when Cutler would come off the board. He just never expected Shanahan jumping up for him.
FIND MORE STORIES IN: NFL | St. Louis | Denver Broncos | Dallas Cowboys | DRAFT | Mike Shanahan | Cutler | John Mobley | Tom Heckert
"I picked Cutler to go in the 11th slot," Mayock says. "I was surprised when it was Denver that traded up. Afterward, I cross-checked with some contacts across the league, and they all said, 'We didn't know Shanahan had any interest.' I give Mike Shanahan a lot of credit for that one."
Philadelphia Eagles general manager Tom Heckert says pre-draft gamesmanship includes scheduling decoy player visits. Teams are allowed to invite 30 college players to their complex for follow-up interviews after meeting at the scouting combine and pro day workouts. Some are positional bluffs to throw teams off.
Former Cowboys personnel guru and NFL.com senior analyst Gil Brandt calls April "national liar's month" in the NFL.
"Everybody's allowed to bring in 30 guys; you can work them out and talk to them," Heckert says. "We ask ourselves, 'If we bring this guy in, should we probably bring in another guy that we're not interested in?' With the Internet, everybody knows who's visited you around the league. So you have to have some smoke screens."
"If I'm asked who the best five receivers are, I'll talk about five guys and maybe the fifth is the guy we're interested in."
Cardinals general manager Rod Graves says internal mock drafts are an important exercise to prepare for draft-day situations and assess other team's needs.
Says Mayock: "Part of manipulating the draft is understanding the other 31 teams and what they consider value. What you consider value as a 3-4 team is opposite what a 4-3 team does.
"But if a 3-4 nose tackle suddenly slides a little, you have to be aware what other teams might want him so you can trade down. That's why the best drafting teams are most cognizant of the entire league. They trust the value of their board."
Posted 1h 11m ago
Updated 22m ago E-mail | Save | Print |
To report corrections and clarifications, contact Reader Editor Brent Jones
Conversation guidelines: USA TODAY welcomes your thoughts, stories and information related to this article. Please stay on topic
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