It's become a matter of assumed fact that the St. Louis Rams can trade their second overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft to a team looking to move up and take Baylor QB Robert Griffin III. Picking immediately after the Rams, the Minnesota Vikings are in a similar situation. They have a first-round pick, Christian Ponder, drafted last year to be their franchise cornerstone. Their third pick could just as easily be had, undercutting the Rams for a quarterback-needy team.
The Vikings made it known yesterday that their third pick can be had by the highest bidder. "We're the third overall pick, so we'll be looking at all the options," Rick Spielman, the Vikings' GM, said. "If someone wants to come up and get our pick, we're going to be more than willing to listen."
Teams that do want to move up for RG3 - the Redskins have already been identified in recent rumors - could hold out until the clock gets to Minnesota. That's a risky move, since there could be another team willing to make the deal for the second pick.
However, a new rookie wage scale takes away the barriers to move up in the draft, and picking between two and three doesn't offer much difference in terms of the trade asking price or the player contract. The second pick last year, Denver LB Von Miller, signed a four-year, $21 million deal. Last year's third pick, Bills DT Marcell Dareus, signed a four-year, $20.4 million deal. Six hundred thousand dollars is a small price to pay for a team willing to bet that they're drafting a franchise cornerstone.
The odds would certainly still favor the Rams' second pick as the preferred destination, but there will definitely be some intrigue between now and until the clock starts ticking on the Rams' pick.
Something else to factor in here is the possibility of the Vikings and the Rams both trading their picks. A team could target the Vikings third pick with an eye on Matt Kalil or Justin Blackmon. If Blackmon was off the board when/if the Rams traded down to Cleveland's fourth spot or Washington's sixth, that could effect their draft board.
0 recs | 56 comments
It's this easy
Trade down to 4, take whoever is left between Kalil and Blackmon
King Sam Rules! - January 27, 2012 via mobile
Trade down to 4,
then trade up to 3?
Danrarbc - January 27, 2012
I think its worth clicking that link
‘the Redskins have already been identified in recent rumors,’ as some Skins troll wandered over and started running his mouth
DCRamFan - January 27, 2012
and after reading this
the Vikings are assholes. Don’t undercut us, son!
DCRamFan - January 27, 2012
This helps us
Now you have to have our pick to assure getting RG3
King Sam Rules! - January 27, 2012 via mobile
+1
jmo53 - January 27, 2012 via Android app
Right king sam its just gonna make some team want the 2nd pick even more.
BamaRam247 - January 27, 2012
how is our pick any different than theirs now?
DCRamFan - January 27, 2012
I can think of 5 teams that would want RGIII off the top of my head
If a team really wants him they go through us.
jmo53 - January 27, 2012 via Android app
yea, I'm aware that teams want him, but at what price?
I don’t think its a foregone conclusion that teams trade up to our spot. All speculation at this point, but we also have no idea what the Rams are going to ask for our pick
I’m guessing teams know we don’t want to take RG3, which we can’t even be certain of at this point. Trading to the 3 spot would come cheaper I’m guessing, and ensure that the Browns don’t scoop him up. I hope you’re right though
DCRamFan - January 27, 2012
The thing is that even someone will want our pick
Cause if you trade for the 3rd, and someone swoops into our spot and takes him, you traded up and missed your guy.
King Sam Rules! - January 27, 2012 via mobile
i get that logic
i just hope you’re right
DCRamFan - January 27, 2012
this
jmo53 - January 27, 2012 via Android app
exactly. so, washington trades up…what stops the browns from getting the 2nd overall pick?
regardless, id be ok with the rams draft kalil if they cant get what they want for #2
itsvon - January 27, 2012
I wouldn't
Kali is a fine prospect but not worth the additional 1st round pick, at a minimum, that we’d be giving up for him. Frankly he ain’t that good.
Sggladden - January 27, 2012
This takes down our trade value
We can’t hold a team hostage now
Ram_Redemption - January 27, 2012 via mobile
My God are you people all brain damaged?
How hard is it to understand this simple statement: you need our pick more now, because someone will trade up to the Vikes pick and take RG3
King Sam Rules! - January 27, 2012 via mobile
Therefore, our pick just became the only way to ensure you get RG3
King Sam Rules! - January 27, 2012 via mobile
Sorry for kind of going off there
I just dont see how you guys don’t understand how this works
King Sam Rules! - January 27, 2012 via mobile
even after your childish rant there
I still don’t get it, so apparently I’m brain damaged. But I’ll trust that you’re right, because of course, you always are
DCRamFan - January 27, 2012
Here how it works
Lets say the Skins want to add RG3, then they start talking to the Vikes, knowing we don’t want RG3. Then the Browns, who have been sitting at four thinking “neither Rams or Vikes take RG3, he’s ours”, now have to trade up to our pick to get him. This causes the Skins to then start talking to us more, which starts a bidding war between the teams. Now, you have to have our pick, cause whoever sits at 3 will be taking RG3, as opposed to when the Vikes had the pick
King Sam Rules! - January 27, 2012 via mobile
Simply put, if they don't talk to us, they were never serious about acquiring RGIII
dbcouver - January 27, 2012
I do understand actually. My point was
We cant go into draft dayasking for the house if both teams decide that we are too rich for their blood and battle it out wit the vikes. With the loser staying put. We are no longer the ONLY option that hurts the stock of our pick. U see? When we were the ony trade partner u HAD to talk to us and u had no choice.. Now we can’t get too greedy and risk both teams turning to the vikes
Ram_Redemption - January 27, 2012 via mobile
So my point is basically that being the better option isnt as good as being ur ONLY optiom
Ram_Redemption - January 27, 2012 via mobile
Except there are a lot of teams IMO who are gonna want RG3
So one of them will take our pick, ours is the one you NEED, cause now the team sitting at 3 is trying to get him. This raises the value of our pick, it’s the only way to ensure getting RG3. We could always draft RG3 and then start the bidding as well
King Sam Rules! - January 27, 2012 via mobile
that is what i am thinking
if a team tries to outflank us by dealing with minn we simply draft rg3 and trade him for the most picks. someone will trade for him and if not we keep. just think sam and he on the same team. that would not last long before a team comes crawling.
hbwb - January 27, 2012
+1 to hb
I mentioned that before. Can’t we draft him and trade him. I’m positive someone will bite. Or we run a 2 qb system. Defenses would play hell trying to keep up with it.
Mudsharktoo - January 27, 2012
Yea I see what your getting at now
More of a threat that rg3 won’t fall to them now. I just liked it more when everyone was coming straight to us. If the vikes hadnt stepped up the skins and dolphins would have had to overpay for our pick. Now if someone underpaid the vikes to move up.. There’s a chance that teams wouldnt wanna take that huge hit to move up to us
Ram_Redemption - January 27, 2012 via mobile
Overpaid (fukn swype ahhh)
Ram_Redemption - January 27, 2012 via mobile
that's what I was thinking
teams are going to want to ‘give away the farm’ to get our spot. Minnesota is like the Diet #2 Spot
DCRamFan - January 27, 2012
*aren't*
DCRamFan - January 27, 2012
EXACTLY!
It only strenghtens our position, as long as more than 1 team want RG3
Jae-So - January 27, 2012
More leverage for us
If the Vikings take 3, that makes number 2 even more valuable if you are a team that wants RGIII…. Pretty simple , gives us a better negotiating position
LARams72 - January 27, 2012 via mobile
EXACTLY
So many people don’t understand this bit lol
Jae-So - January 27, 2012
For christs sake we get it
but no matter how you slice it this isn’t better than saying “we’re your only option.overpay us or die”. More option is never a good thing
Ram_Redemption - January 27, 2012 via mobile
but the rams are
the only option that guarantees any team RG3 (or Luck i suppose)
itsvon - January 27, 2012
This guy from Minn opening his mouth and saying 'make a bid'
gives teams the ‘we don’t like what the Rams are asking’ backup plan. I liked it better when we were the only spot and Minn was taking Kalil. I’d just assume that the Browns would rather switch spots with the Vikes now. It would certainly cost them less. And if the Redskins don’t come knocking, or don’t like what we’re asking, who else is? Don’t say the Dolphins
DCRamFan - January 27, 2012
If prople think we ask too much
We take RG3, and sell him to the highest bidder
King Sam Rules! - January 27, 2012 via mobile
Exactly what I'm thinking
Either Pay us or take him off the board and trade him on the open market.
LARams72 - January 27, 2012
Exactly
Make no bones about it, we simply need to threaten to pick RG3 and be prepared to do so. It’s like when the Chargers drafted Manning after he stated he wouldn’t sign with them. Sometimes you have to be prepared to call someone’s bluff and the fact that at the RG3 is a valuable commodity makes it a no risk situation. Actually drafting him then trading him might be a better strategy than just taking the first offer that comes along.
My basic thought is we need to push our advantage as far as we can. Sure it would be great if the Browns would trade with us but it looks like they won’t. That being the case, I’m stubborn enough to go as far as keeping RG3 on the roster if it means a better deal when someone get’s desperate for a QB.
Sggladden - January 27, 2012
Cowboys, Seahawks, Jaguars, Redskins, Dolphins, Browns
jmo53 - January 27, 2012 via Android app
nope, nope, nope, maybe, i told you nope, maybe
DCRamFan - January 27, 2012
ha
jmo53 - January 27, 2012 via Android app
watch this rams 2011 highlight video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A634RpmfU9Q&feature=youtu.be
Deu - January 27, 2012
I think we are good
Because if more than 2 teams want RGIII and I am assuming that is true then teams can trade up to 3 all they want, he will be gone by pick 2, unless we keep our 2 and use the pick on someone else. I think it would make more sense to kust take him and trafe him because he will fetch a tidy sum from another team that needs a QB. So the road to RGIII still goes through us.
LARams72 - January 27, 2012 via mobile
negotiations for picks
if washington or cleveland (not sure why they would move up one spot though) negotiate a deal with the vikings, what is stopping them from bringing that to the rams to ensure that they end up with RG3?
like, “hey, we can move into #3 with x, y. we know you dont want RG3, will you take x, y, z for #2?”
people are acting like only the vikings can negotiate and the rams are sticking to a stiff sale price.
itsvon - January 27, 2012
best scenario
would be for washington to trade up early to #3. then because of negotiations between the rams and browns, make another bold move to #2, giving the rams the pick of the litter after the 2 QBs. and the rams still get to draft the best player – matt kalil and get other compensation in return.
itsvon - January 27, 2012
This possibility exists until a second team wants RGIII.
At that point this possibility goes right back where it came from and both suitors realize that we’re the team to deal with.
dbcouver - January 27, 2012
In fact it exists only until the possibility exists that a second team wants him.
dbcouver - January 27, 2012
If nobody wants to trade up oh well.
then we still have to make our pick for the two players mentioned. problem solved. if anybody wants to trade up great. i believe someone will, but like i said if not then we move on.
crazy mike - January 27, 2012
easy fix
Vikes wanna force our hand? We take RG3 then trade him to the highest bidder
quartermidget - January 27, 2012
If we just draft him that will give us interesting options
If we take him then we have the option to trade him to a team that is way down in the draft and doesn’t have the leverage to trade up to the second spot, we could the get future drafts and good veteran players for a team on the cusp that needs a QB but is in the bottom 3rd of the draft.
LARams72 - January 27, 2012
we can thank cam newton for all this
without his banner rookie season rg3 would not be worth as much. the dude is going to the pro bowl. how crazy is that?
hbwb - January 27, 2012
oh absolutely
never thought I’d say “Thank$, $Cam!”
sergey606 - January 27, 2012
Crazy Cam
funny he helped the Rams….but he did
fearsomefoursum - January 28, 2012
Minn can have our pick at #2, .
Them trading down is riskier than us trading down.
But if they want #2 they can have it.
I have a feeling that Washington wiil be our partner in this.
look closer - January 27, 2012
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