TRADES , " WAR ROOMS " , etc. ~ ~ ~

[kelly]

Behind the scenes at the owners meetings

By Pat Kirwan / NFL.com Senior Analyst

(March 26, 2006) -- The owners meetings are always a bit of a turning point in the free-agency market. Over 125 NFL players have already switched teams in the first two weeks of the open market. Now, the money slows down, and eventually the rate of signings and trades cools off. The reason is most teams turn their main interest to the draft process and possible late bargain pick ups. With all the owners, general managers and head coaches in Orlando, it is very conducive to talking business, and as you know, it takes two teams to strike a trade.Right after the owners meetings, personnel departments and coaching staffs will begin to lock down in the war room and start stacking their draft boards. As for the owners meetings, it has always been a place where all the club decision-makers and agents with the remaining free-agent clients gather for a week. In the daily meetings at the owners convention, the agenda will feature talks about a new commissioner, the competition committee's tweaking of the rules to balance up the game, dialogue about the use of the transition tag (because of the issues involving Minnesota and Seattle), and the disclosure of the compensatory picks for clubs who lost free agents. But what goes on behind the scenes can be just as important and maybe even more intriguing.

Nate Burleson won't be the only topic of discussion in Orlando.The discussions on the golf course, in the restaurants and up in private suites usually center around potential draft-day trades, among other things. Owners meet other front office executives and coaches in case they need to make a change next offseason. As always, agents still shopping the free agents who are unsigned meet with the teams also. Every year that I attended the owners meetings, we got a good player signed and set some unofficial parameters to have a draft-day trade.

The rumor mill is churning out lots of stuff abut teams positioning themselves for a move to get a quarterback. I thought it might be a good time to separate fantasy from reality when it comes to all the "information" we are hearing about trades. The trade value chart is an excellent starting point for a golf-cart discussion. If a team has enough firepower (draft picks worth significant points), it can create a package that meets the criteria to trade value for value. The problem is whether the team that entertains the draft-trade discussions really wants to trade down too far for extra picks and miss out on someone it covets. My experience has shown me that teams close to each other in the draft order can get a deal done easier. That being said, the only two teams within reach of moving up for Matt Leinart if he works out as well as expected on April 2 are Tennessee and the New York Jets . I don't believe the Texans want to move down past the No. 4 spot, and in the end, they may not want to move at all. The other situation involves teams using the trade value chart to open discussions about a move for Jay Cutler. Anytime we are setting parameters for a trade that is not about the No. 1 spot, it usually means it has to be a draft-day trade because the player still has to be on the board for the ascending team(s) to make the move.It appears that the possible spot someone has to be to get Cutler is the No. 10 spot, which is owned by the Cardinals. So, let's look at a potential conversation between the Cardinals and two teams possibly interested in acquiring Cutler -- Minnesota and Denver. Hopefully after we finish, you will have a better understanding of the value chart, the issues at the owners meeting, and just how trades later on in April get a foothold.

1. THE TENNESSEE TITANS BUMP INTO THE HOUSTON TEXANS AND HAVE SOME CASUAL CONVERSATIONS ABOUT MOVING UP FROM THE NO. 3 SPOT TO THE NO. 1 SPOT.

Several teams may position themselves trying to land Leinart.Houston's top spot is worth 3,000 points on the value chart. Tennessee's No. 3 position is worth 2,200 points, so to open a realistic discussion, the Titans have to show how they could deliver 800 points worth of picks for the deal to work. The Titans own 560 points with their second-round pick, and 260 points with their third-round pick. Those two selections are worth 820 points, but the Houston seventh-round pick is worth close to 20 points, so one realistic scenario for discussion is Houston moving down two spots and acquiring the Titans' second and third, and giving Tennessee its seventh. At No. 1, the Titans do not have to worry about the Jets trumping them and they could release Steve McNair for the cap space to sign Leinart. Houston would love the deal if it had interest in players besides Reggie Bush. At No. 3, the Texans could not guarantee getting Bush, but they do guarantee one of the following players: Bush, D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Vince Young or Mario Williams; and they will get their man for less money than they would up top.

2. THE TENNESSEE TITANS GET A CHANCE TO SIT DOWN WITH THE SAINTS AND EXPLORE MOVING UP FROM NO. 3 TO NO. 2.

In this scenario, the Texans told the Titans the top pick wasn't for sale so Tennessee pulls the Saints brass off to the side to see what their interest would be. Of course with no guarantee that the Titans wouldn't have a change of heart later this month, this deal could not get done until the day of the trade. The Saints' pick at No. 2 is worth 2,600 points, and as you know, the Titans' spot is worth 2,200. Tennessee only needs 400 points to have a conversation with substance. Tennessee's third (260), fourth (104), and fifth (43.5) add up to 407.5 points, which puts the value of the move in the real world. Of course, the Saints might want that high-ranking second-round pick worth 560 points and would be willing to give Tennessee back their fourth, fifth and seventh -- worth a combined 167 points. New Orleans doesn't need Leinart and could still get the guy they want at the third spot, so to pick up extra picks and get your player for less money at No. 3 instead of No. 2 is a no-brainer.

3. THE NEW YORK JETS LET THE TEXANS KNOW THEY TOO ARE INTERESTED IN THE TOP SPOT.

Of course, the Jets will have to package up more compensation, and there's a chance Houston does not want to go all the way down to No. 4, but here is the kind of dialogue that indicates the Jets would be serious. The Texans' top spot is 3,000 points, and the Jets hold a 2,000-point spot at No. 4. To gather up the 1,000 points, they could package the 29th pick in the first round (675) and their third (165). They are still short 160 points and could offer next year's third. No one knows where the Jets' pick will be, but the middle of the round is worth 195 points, and if the Texans thought the Jets would struggle this season, they would have some interest in a 2007 pick. It's a lot to sacrifice for the Jets to jump from four to one, but Ernie Accorsi had no trouble doing it for Eli Manning.

4. THE JETS ARE TOLD THE TEXANS DON'T WANT TO MOVE ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE FOURTH SPOT SO THEY CALL THE SAINTS ABOUT MOVING FROM NO. 4 TO NO. 2.

Mario Williams could make a nice consolation prize for some lucky team.

The Jets might be more excited if Houston said they were staying put and taking Bush or anyone but Leinart. Then they could turn their focus to New Orleans. New York needs 600 points to swap with the Saints (if you go by the chart), so the No. 29 slot (675 points) could be very interesting to New Orleans. At No. 4, they would still have a guarantee of securing one of the following: Ferguson, Williams, or anyone else they like. At No. 29, they will also get an outstanding athlete who should be able to help right away.

As for the hunt for Jay Cutler, the Cardinals could take him at the No. 10 spot, but the trade value chart has to be discussed -- especially if the Cards like a young quarterback like Brodie Croyle later in the draft. Here are some quick trade talks that could take place as grounds for later, more serious talks.

5. THE BRONCOS MENTION THEY WOULD LIKE TO JUMP FROM NO. 15 TO NO. 10 IF 'THEIR GUY' WAS STILL THERE.

To move from 15 to 10, the Broncos have to show 250 points. Their second-round pick is worth 300 points, and an Arizona giveback of their fifth-round pick (40) is close enough to keep the deal alive for now. Arizona would end up with Nos. 15, 47, 61 and 79 on the first day.

6. THE VIKINGS LET DENNIS GREEN KNOW THEY MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN THE MOVE.

The Vikings need 325 points to even get Arizona thinking about such a deal. The Vikings have two second-round selections and No. 51 is valued at 400 points, which is an overpayment The Cards' fourth-round selection in return balances up the concept.

Finally, if it gets out there that Arizona is serious about taking Cutler themselves or moving up to take Vince Young, all of these talks go up in smoke and both the Vikings and Broncos have to go back to the drawing board. Things change quickly in the NFL this time of year, and there have to be multiple contingency plans. If you don't start talking seriously at the owners meetings, most teams don't have enough time to position themselves come late April.

> http://nfl.com/news/story/9339274

[Sperm Edwards]

I'm going to be sick if we trade both of our firsts, and our third, and next year's third for one player who may not end up any better than Brodie Croyle for all we know.

[PeterNorth09]

The Seahawks gave an outrageous contract to Nate Burleson. Burleson's agent should be on the FBI Most Wanted list for how much he robbed the Seahawks. Burleson is an okay 2nd receiver making superstar money.

Let's trade down with the Arizona Cardinals or Minnesota Vikings. They both want a qb in this draft and there are really just 3 good qb prospects in this draft.

[shutout]

The Seahawks gave an outrageous contract to Nate Burleson. Burleson's agent should be on the FBI Most Wanted list for how much he robbed the Seahawks. Burleson is an okay 2nd receiver making superstar money.

Let's trade down with the Arizona Cardinals or Minnesota Vikings. They both want a qb in this draft and there are really just 3 good qb prospects in this draft.

Burleson won't see half of that contract. Only 7 million is guaranteed I believe,so he'll be restructuring within 2 years. When announcing the terms of the contract ot the press,Seattle should have left out the numbers and simply announced the offer sheet as a "big F.U to Minnesota"