Rather Than Trade Down, Draft Sam Bradford
March 12th, 2010
Though it’s looking more and more like the Bucs will be able to select either defensive tackles manbeast Ndamukong Suh or Gerald McCoy, there’s still the very real possibility that the Bucs will get neither, that the Lambs and Kittens will grab both players before the Bucs draft at No. 3.
While the conventional wisdom for the Bucs would then be to trade down, thereby picking up more draft choices and still getting the player they want (Eric Berry?), a Bucs fan, using the TBO.com Bucs question-and-answer vehicle, believes the Bucs should go unconventional:
Draft quarterback Sam Bradford.
Q: Submitting a hypothetical draft day scenario: Let’s assume that the two teams drafting before the Bucs, the Rams and Lions, choose DTs Ndamukong Suh and Gerald McCoy, the players that the Bucs seemingly covet the most. Knowing how stocked with talent this draft is, doesn’t it make sense for the Bucs to then select the next-most valued player, QB Sam Bradford? Not to keep him, but to use him as trade bait. After all, the Redskins and Seahawks –and very possibly the Bills, Broncos, etc. — are looking to land a franchise-type QB like Bradford, and by holding his draft rights, the Bucs would be in a favorable position to quickly trade him to the team ready to make the best deal. By doing so the Bucs would acquire a high-to-mid 1st round choice plus additional pick(s) in the second or third round. Your thoughts?
Andy Pollack, Atlanta, Ga.
A: It’s not far-fetched to consider trading back if Suh and McCoy are both gone by pick No. 3, but the Bucs have to be careful not to go move back so far that the other prospects they covet are off the board by the time they make their first selection. If players like Berry and Okung and gone within the top 7 and the Bucs slide back to No. 9, they may not get the kind of impact player they need so desperately.
Your scenario makes sense, but the Bucs would have to have several big-time players in mind they could choose from with a realistic chance of still being available after they slide back.
— eye-RAH! Kaufman
This is actually an interesting proposal and perhaps smart, but very risky. Let’s be honest, if the Kittens draft McCoy/Suh, Bucs general manager Mark Dominik has a grand total of 12 minutes to consummate a deal. Not a whole lot of time to barter.
By drafting Bradford, you essentially hold whatever team wants him hostage. You have hours, days to get a deal done with the highest bidder; Dominik wouldn’t be under a gun.
Though this type of maneuver is rare, it worked for San Diego when the Chargers drafted — against his will — Eli Manning and squeezed the Giants out of more than maybe they would have gotten by trading the pick earlier.
March 12th, 2010 at 2:01 pm
This issue has been rigorously discussed in TBBBS. When Bucs try to deal Bradford to other teams such as Bills or Hawks, they know we will not need Bradford and will look to somehow get rid of the guy, our FO will not have the upper hand in negotiations and we will end up with a bunch of picks of far lesser value.
March 12th, 2010 at 2:19 pm
What’s WRONG with drafting Bradford?
Jonny are 100% confident that Josh Freeman IS the Bucs QB of the future? Maybe Johnson will be like Matt Lienart.
Did Rah-Rah say he wanted competition? What better than to have Bradford and Freeman competing for the #1 slot!!!
March 12th, 2010 at 2:19 pm
Jimminy Christmas you gotta take a QB with your pick – especially if Bradford is available.
March 12th, 2010 at 2:26 pm
Trade the pic for marshall, bring back Chucky, get Jake or Anderson or Vick, unretire Brooks, and win the Division……………………..just like the good old days before this total nightmare started.
March 12th, 2010 at 2:54 pm
I prefer Bradford to Freeman. I would draft Bradford while considering trade options for Freeman.
Freeman played okay last year, very K State like. He has the talent to make exceptional plays but he is very mistake-prone, inaccurate and has always had the tendency to throw a harmful untimely pick and miss a wide open receiver.
Bradford will be a Pro Bowl QB who is extremely accurate. I realize Rah and Dummy will never do this but I am willing to bet that Bradford ends up in 5 years being a better player than Freeman.
March 12th, 2010 at 3:02 pm
I wouldn’t mind it IF THEY CAN MAKE THE TRADE. It is the same as trading down really, which is something I have been harping on all along. Doesn’t matter to me if they trade Freeman or Bradford in that scenario because no one knows how either will turn out, although I did come around and really liked what I saw from Freeman.
I think they should trade down NO MATTER WHAT. They could get another 2nd and a 4th. This draft is loaded and that would give them 8 picks between round 1 and the 3rd pick in round 5. Play the percentages. Most likeley 5-6 of those guys are starting by next year. This team has a lot of holes to fill and are obviously too broke to get free agents so stock up on draft picks.
The two best things that can happen for the Bucs:
1. They trade down and get a mid first, another 2nd and another 4th
2. The investment group in Europe convinces the Glazers to sell Man U for 1.5 billion.
March 12th, 2010 at 5:09 pm
Its funny how the message of this article has changed completely. Dump Freeman and keep Bradford? You guys got to be kidding me.
Morons that suggest we need to trade Freeman and draft Bradford. Freeman could become a bust after an year or two, but with a high pick you go with BPA to fill your need. In case Freeman turns out to be a good QB, teams won’t give a 1st for Bradford, because he is a back up QB that rode the bench for 2 years and is as unproven as a rookie coming out of college. Also in case Freeman turns out to be a good QB, we have a wasted 1st round pick on the bench when it could have been a superstar safety or a combination of two picks (starters) that could make team a lot better.
March 12th, 2010 at 9:01 pm
Anyone who wants Bradford that badly will trade up with us before we make the pick.
It’s a really dumb-ass thing to even consider….
March 12th, 2010 at 9:47 pm
Radio wrote “it’s [picking Bradford] a really dumb-ass thing to even consider…”
NO RADIO
Dumping me and hiring Raheem Morris – now THAT was really a dumb-ass thing to do… 🙁
March 13th, 2010 at 12:31 am
Gettin rid of Chucky was something that should’ve been done two years earlier!! He tried to fill in wholes just to keep his job and didn’t care about the teams future. WAY TO GO!!!
March 13th, 2010 at 9:03 am
Hey Funyy – so i guess you’re more satisfited with Raheem not even filling holes??????
2007 Bucs go 9-7 and to playoffs
2008 Bucs go 9-7 and miss playoffs
2009 Bucs go 3-13 and SUCK
Boy it’s obvious to me where the team made a move in the right direction. NOT!!!!
March 13th, 2010 at 1:16 pm
Filling holes is a good thing if ya ask me….
March 13th, 2010 at 4:14 pm
do not agree with this post…if both big boys are gone…why not take the top rated DE, top rated LB and go from there..there are other needs then trying to draft bradford and start holding an auction on teams to see who wants him…i rather have a solid pick thats going improve and not have the guy get passed on because we want to gain more picks…get value for your picks! shoot if there both gone lets take mcclain or someone in that area…that too me makes way more sense than drafting bradford
March 14th, 2010 at 11:19 am
this proposal is extremely stupid….
yes we would have leverage holding bradford over teams that need a qb, but they also know we already drafted a qb, and know we would NEED to deal bradford because we aren’t going get stuck paying 2 first round qbs, there is no advantage to this, unless you want to dump freeman completely.