Trader Tom' is legend in NFL Draft
math? Certain draft numbers must be mind-boggling for Browns general manager Tom Heckert.
This is where Heckert is scheduled to make his first three picks in next month’s NFL Draft, set for April 26 to 28:
No. 4, No. 22, No. 37.
This is where Heckert’s former team made its first three picks while he was Philadelphia head coach Andy Reid’s right-hand man in personnel:
2009: 19, 53, 153
2008: 47, 49, 80
2007: 36, 57, 87
2006: 14, 39, 71
2005: 31, 35, 63
2004: 16, 89, 129
2003: 15, 61, 95
2002: 26, 58, 59
2001: 25, 55, 63
On average, then, Heckert’s first three picks in Philadelphia were at 25, 55 and 89.
His philosophy then was to build through the draft, and he practiced it with picks that wound up being rather low.
What should he be able to accomplish with picks at 4, 22, 37? Not to mention a fourth pick, at 67, that isn’t far off his typical second pick from the Philadelphia days?
Overall, Heckert is sitting on 13 picks.
“It’s phenomenal,” he said this week. “It gives us the ammunition to move around, not just in the early rounds, but in the later ones.
“We did that last year with Pinkston.”
Jason Pinkston became the 2011 Browns’ starting left guard and fared well enough that the team released veteran Eric Steinbach.
If Pinkston grows into a solid starter, he will have been a great draft bargain. To get him, Heckert moved into the fifth round by sending Minnesota two sixth-round picks.
It was a nuance trade. Heckert is better known for pulling neon deals, a few of which he is exploring now.
Last year, in his second draft with Cleveland, Heckert had much higher scheduled picks than he was used to in Philadelphia — originally 6, 37, 70 and 102 — but he was not content to stay put.
The trade that rocked the 2011 draft and has a big impact in this one involved wide receiver Julio Jones.
The Falcons thought they could get to a Super Bowl by pairing Jones with Roddy White. They got him by trading with the Browns for that No. 6 pick.
Before the Jones deal, team president Mike Holmgren pointedly asked Heckert a question that added up to: “Do we really want to do this?”
Heckert, 20 years younger than Holmgren, stood up for the deal. It gave the Browns:
• A No. 27 overall pick, later used in trade that netted defensive tackle Phil Taylor at No. 21.
• A No. 59 overall pick, spent on wide receiver Greg Little.
• A No. 124 overall pick, spent on fullback Owen Marecic.
• Atlanta’s first-round pick in 2012, which would have been a No. 32 had the Falcons realized their Super Bowl dream, but instead is the No. 22 pick.
Atlanta’s fourth-round pick in the 2012 draft, which turns out to be at No. 118.
A quick review of Heckert’s hyperactive trading record speaks for itself, but ...
Sources familiar with the general manager believe he is leaning toward trading out of the No. 4 pick, without dropping too far.
The Browns would be best served by a bidding war. One possibility is that St. Louis and Jacksonville, both desperate for a receiver, would fight to get to No. 4 — and Oklahoma State star Justin Blackmon.
After the Redskins paid a ransom to trade places with the Rams, from No. 6 to No. 2, the Browns might get a juicy return — perhaps a Round 2 and a Round 3 pick — to switch with St. Louis (currently at No. 6) or Jacksonville (No. 7).
Heckert’s résumé runneth over with eagerness to trade up or down.
As a first-year Browns GM in 2010, he was so enamored with Tennessee running back Montario Hardesty that he barged into the second round to get him. He picked Hardesty at No. 59. He gave Dallas picks at No. 71, No. 134 and No. 146.
As general manager of the Eagles in 2009, Heckert gave a sixth-round pick to Cleveland to trade places from No. 21 to No. 19. The prize was wideout Jeremy Maclin.
“Trader Tom” was as busy as ever on draft day in 2007.
He didn’t love what was left when the Eagles were on the clock at No. 26. Cowboys czar Jerry Jones simply had to have Anthony Spencer. Heckert gave up the 26th pick for the Cowboys’ choices at No. 36, No. 87 and No. 159.
Dallas had the 36th pick as a result of a trade with Cleveland, which had the No. 36 pick as part of a deal that allowed the Browns to move up to No. 21 for Brady Quinn. Heckert spent the 36th pick on Kevin Kolb.
Trades can become a complicated whirl. No matter to Heckert. They are what he does.
In 2012, Heckert’s likeliest trade splashes would be moving down from No. 4 and moving up from No. 22.
Because the deals are so good
Tom Heckert became Andy Reid’s top personnel man in Philadelphia in 2001 but was not given the title of general manager until 2006. That year, Heckert began magnifying his reputation as a hyperactive trader. Heckert’s draft-day moves in his first year as a GM:
• Moved up six spots in the second round for Winston Justice. Price: A Round 4 pick.
• Moved up five spots in the third round for Chris Gocong. Price: A Round 7 pick.
• Moved up nine spots in the fourth round for Max Jean-Gilles. Price: Veteran defensive tackle Hollis Thomas.
• Moved up six spots later in the fourth round for Jason Avant. Price: A Round 6 pick.
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Browns find themselves in a QB quandary
The Browns are in the deadliest market in the NFL. That doesn’t change a lick after Robert Griffin III got stolen out from under them.
Still shopping for The Man, the sign keeps blinking like a warning in the night: Be careful out there.
Item: The 1999 Browns spent a No. 1 overall draft pick on quarterback Tim Couch, who was never the Man.
The 2012 Browns might have traded up to draft Griffin. Instead, Washington got itself in a trillion-dollar deficit, so to speak, with the freaky mortgage required to nab RG III.
The Browns might have paid a bunch, too. It can be argued the Redskins stole Griffin. It could play out that Washington paid a stupid price and saved the Browns from themselves.
Heckert warns against believing reports of what was offered.
“The media stuff is ... it’s crazy,” he says. “I mean, some of the stuff is just bizarre.”
On the other hand, Heckert admits he talked with the Rams two years ago when Cleveland was parked at No. 7 and inquired about dealing up to No. 1 to pick Sam Bradford.
“We were willing to give up a lot,” Heckert said.
Shortly before Washington did the deed, Heckert gave a scattered view of Griffin. It’s funny how treading through the deadliest market in the NFL makes a GM talk.
Heckert said:
“I don’t know if it’s a once in a life ... I ... I don’t know. I think from an athletic ... I mean, you look at Cam (Newton). I mean, last year ... last year, Cam’s 6-6, 250.
“I mean, THAT might be a one-in-a-lifetime deal with Cam last year. Talk about a guy that runs the football and tough and all that stuff, so, with ... that’s a giant ... so, where this guy (Griffin) is a super athlete that’s super fast, but he’s obviously not near the size of Cam Newton, so, you know, I guess to answer your question, the last two drafts have been pretty impressive, you know. And then, I mean, like I said, you throw in (Andrew) Luck.
“I mean. Luck ran — what? — 4.56 and that ... I mean, he’s a PHEEE-NOM athlete for a guy he’s size, so ... the last two have been pretty good, if you can throw those three in there.”
When talking about less sensitive subjects, Heckert usually speaks with clarity and often candor.
ITEM The Atlanta Falcons spent a No. 1 pick on once-in-a-lifetime quarterback Michael Vick. Thirteen games into Vick’s third season, head coach Dan Reeves got fired.
The sense is that Griffin will be a better player than Vick. At the moment, he has the same number of NFL victories as Josh Booty.
On the other hand, Matt Flynn has won in the NFL — once, with Green Bay. Yet, he has been in the NFL for four years. What about going after a free-agent quarterback to be the starter, Mr. Heckert?
“Ummm,” Heckert said. “Yeah, I mean, I think so, yeah, you know ... it ... because ... I still ... we’ve got to make sure we’re ... you know, we’re not down on Colt McCoy.”
Pardon the gibberish. It’s not a question of whether the Browns are interested in Flynn. It’s a question of who will offer him what, and whether Cleveland appeals to him.
McCoy, meanwhile, has the same NFL quarterbacking record Seneca Wallace: 6-15. McCoy was a Heckert-Mike Holmgren third-round pick in 2010, Wallace a Holmgren fourth-round pick in 2003.
Heckert notes that NFL starters tend to be first-rounders. His notes get fuzzy when he is asked if McCoy can outplay his draft status.
“If you look throughout, I mean, it’s just ... it’s hard to explain,” Heckert said. “I mean like ... obviously when Aaron Rodgers came out ... I’m not comparing Colt to Aaron Rodgers (looks a questioner in the eye).
“People killed Aaron Rodgers. They KILLED him. He went 26th (actually 24th overall in the 2005 draft), and they were like, WHY did you take him?
“I mean, no one liked him. You know ... He was average size and just ... and so ... I mean ... and that’s obviously a different example, but ...
“Andy Dalton. It was the same. You know, people ... it was like ... this guy’s small ... So, I don’t know ...
“So, it (finding QBs outside the top of the draft) is done. And, and ... look at the top guys who have been terrible. I mean, It’s way more of those guys that are bad than ... I mean, it’s ... it’s NOT good.”
Understood, Tom.
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ITEM In 2002, the first and third overall draft picks were quarterbacks David Carr and Joey Harrington. Coach Dom Capers was 18-46 in Houston after Carr was selected. At least he wasn’t fired until after his fourth year. The Lions canned coach Marty Mornhinweg at the end of Harrington’s rookie year, then went less than three years with Steve Mariucci before deciding he couldn’t make Harrington fly, either.
The 2012 QB draft pool seems far more promising than it was 10 years ago. Andrew Luck and Griffin will be gone before the Browns pick at No. 4. Maybe the Browns could get lucky by drafting Texas A&M’s Ryan Tannehill at No. 22.
“(Tannehill) is fairly new to the position,” Heckert said. “He was playing wide receiver.
“He’s a big kid, strong arm. He’s another kid who looks like a quarterback. I think he’s got a lot of upside to him. I really do.”
Short and sweet.
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ITEM The last three quarterbacks picked at No. 22 were Rex Grossman, J.P. Losman and Brady Quinn. Their teams soon got rid of them or their coaches or both.
Maybe it would be less risky to spend a lower pick, perhaps the Browns’ 37th selection, on sleeper Brandon Weeden. Then they could keep the No. 4 and No. 22 picks and have a still have a quarterback who could be weighed against McCoy in camp.
“The kid (old man Weeden turns 29 this year) obviously is pushing the stuff, but it’s true,” Heckert said. “He’s mature, and he’s telling you it’s a positive, and it IS.
“He’s been through a lot. He’s played baseball. He’s won a ton of games and has thrown for a ton of yards at Oklahoma State.
“So he’s a really interesting guy as to where he’s gonna go. But we like him. We really do ... like him a lot.
“He’s a great kid. Super smart. I’ve got a buddy on the staff down there that just raves about the kid.”
Hmmm ... He had a lot more to say about Weeden than he did about Tannehill.
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ITEM Veteran quarterbacks who have received chances to start with teams other than their original stops include Matt Schaub, Matt Cassel, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Kevin Kolb. Their growth graphics look like Peyton Hillis’, not Peyton Manning’s. Even the best among them, Schaub, has been stifled by injuries.
Where does that history leave Flynn in the minds of Heckert and Holmgren?
Heckert was in Philadelphia when the Eagles spent a second-round pick on Kolb.
“I’ve only drafted two (quarterbacks), Kevin Kolb and Colt,” Heckert said. “I still think Kevin’s going to be a good player. Time will tell on that.
“He still hasn’t played a whole lot, even last year ... he was hurt.
“Colt ... I think Colt’s proven that he can play.”
Whatever that means. At this time last year, Heckert was saying Brian Robiskie might break through at wide receiver.
It can be amusing, at least, to hear Heckert talk about The Man.
Here he is, for example, responding to a question about how Luck compares to Griffin. Get a load of this:
“Boy. They’re just ... they’re different. They’re different. They’re different. Yeah ... they’re just different.
“I think you can say that about RG III and everybody. I mean, they’re just different. They’re different types of guys.
“I mean, Andrew Luck and RG III are (pause) 100 percent different guys. They are. He’s just ... he’s just such a superb athlete that umm ... you know it’s ... it’s ... some of the stuff is like ...”
There are still several directions Heckert and Holmgren, could go. How is one to cut through all of this?
Maybe Heckert did it in two words on Thursday.
Asked whether he would attend Griffin’s Pro Day on March 21, he spat out two words almost before the question was out:
“Oh yeah.”
Now what? Oh no? RG III or no RG III, Heckert still has to somehow make it OK.
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(old man Weeden turns 29 this year) obviously is pushing the stuff, but it’s true,” Heckert said. “He’s mature, and he’s telling you it’s a positive, and it IS.![[Linked Image]](http://www.dawgtalkers.net/uploads/FL_Dawg/Logo5_1.gif){kind=logo}
