Smoke on the Water: Deep Purple’s classic has been adopted by the purple-clad Minnesota Vikings, who are trying to convince teams to trade up to their lofty draft slot. GM Rick Speilman has set the Grand Hotel on fire in hopes of convincing some team to rise up and give him multiple picks in order for the Vikings to slide back a few spots.
Even though Speilman got an unexpected assist from Colts owner Jim Irsay trumpeting his admiration of Ryan Tannehill, I don’t think the Vikings trade talks are anything more than a purple haze. Part of the problem is that the teams that are within feasible trading range for the #3 overall pick are not in the position to have extra picks to spare in a trade. Sure, the Rams and Browns both have extra picks, but they need those picks to help add overall talent to their own challenged rosters. Miami might truly and desperately want Ryan Tannehill, but moving from #8 to #3 is going to cost them, at minimum, both their 3rd round picks and a pre-Saturday pick next year too. That’s asking a lot for a team with a whole lot of needs.
I don’t blame Speilman and the Vikings for trying to drum up interest. But their “leaking” that they might take Justin Blackmon is a classic smokescreen that has no fire. They do have interest in Morris Claiborne, and that could potentially scare the Buccaneers at #5 enough to pull the old David Coverdale-for-Ian Gillen swap. That move didn’t exactly work out too well for Deep Purple, and I don’t see the prospects for that sort of deal working out very well for the NFL’s one eyed, one horned flying purple people eaters either.
To Build a Fire: Drivin’ & Cryin’s 1989 underrated gem fits nicely with what Jacksonville is trying to do with the 7th pick: building interest in a trade. GM Gene Smith has set up kindling in many places, hoping to smoke out some value for their pick.
- Category: NFL
- Tags:2012 nfl draft, nfl draft
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