Gaffed!
Cleveland calls and offers their 4th, 5th and 7th round selections for the right
to move up one spot to the 3rd pick to select Trent Richardson. The stains
play hard ball, securing the deal about an hour before the draft begins by
telling Rick Spielman ... "One time offer ... take it or leave
it". It was like watching a monkey in its pen scoop up a healthy
fresh steaming pile ... ripe for flinging ... to see what would stick. It
was a masterful bluff ... nudging Viking decisions off center. The
petulant Spielman panics, and accepts the offer. All that needed to be
said was ... "(taking a deep breath) I'd like to feel what its like to be
on the clock at 3. Click!" This is nothing less than poker
101.
Someone that's willing to dole out that kind of ice cream for nothing is
probably willing to sweeten it with some nuts, cherries, whipped cream and maybe
some awesome strawberries. One can only hope that this offer was not an
answer to a question ... "What do you think its going to take to have that
#3 pick?"
It's not as if the Brown's and the Buc's would have to endure four or five (15
minute) stanza's to await the fate of Trent Richardson, especially if the
Vikings had selected him at 3 .... verbally opening the door for a trade.
Tell me ... what would have happened to Cleveland's and Tampa's war room
awaiting the pomp & circumstance of both Luck & RG3 ... awaiting the
final ticks of the Vikings pick? Watching every Viking war room official
speaking into dead silent phones, motioning hand signals and orchestrating body
language directed at Rick Spielman for our entertainment? A touched up
Speilman sweating profusely for the cameras writhing over the decision.
Tick-Tick-Tick. Just imagine those prolonged 15 minutes ticking away in
the Vikings war room awaiting that 3rd pick.
It never happened. Wasn't this the biggest possible Spielman-gaff
ever? Well ... now that you put it that way ...
Instead Rick Spielman comes off being a big hero, for knocking down the
equivalent of late round 3rd, 4th & 6th round picks (both 4th {Detroit}
& 6th {Titan} round picks in 2013) however the stink of it was that there
were 2012 impact players looming.
The news reports that the Buc's were not willing to deal. Then why did
they trade out of the 5th pick, after Trent Richardson flew the coup?
Wasn't it absolutely clear that Trent Richardson was their guy but the
perceived price was too high. Why do I say perceived, because for the next
10 years, the Buc's are going to be kicking themselves for not offering a
"straight-tabled" #1 swap with a #2 or #3 sweetner. It never
happened.
The one statement that Spielman uttered that passed my desk was that he was
going to wait until the Vikings were on the clock. I thought Spielman was
a man of truth. Why didn't he hold to his word? It's my firm believe
that the Buc's war room was relying on Spielman's statement ... just as I was
... as if it were written in stone. Again, it never happened.
So your saying, now we'll never know. There is a funny thing about that
statement. Watch what happens in Cleveland? Trent Richardson is
going to be anything but invisible. The Buc's are going to deny their lust
for Trent Richardson till the end of time however they are not going to be able
to hide their body language. You cannot hide a direct shot to the heart.
Was this calculated? In my opinion ... absolutely! Tampa has been
out of the NFC Central Division for some time now however you'd be hard pressed
to tell me that these games are not played as if they were divisional games ...
hard fought ... slobber knockers. Once a divisional rival ... always a
divisional rival. There is no love lost between these two
franchises. So the question ... do you want to potentially face Trent
Richardson every year or would you rather face him once every four years (except
the Super Bowl)? Slam dunk! Heart Shot! No question about
it. Put another way, how eager would the Vikings be in facing Adrian
Peterson every year? That's right ... things are tough enough.
Pick
your poison ... "Heart Shot" or "Monumental Gaff". I'd
rather have the shot at more impact picks.
The Viking Ghost Writer
http://MyVikingBlood.org
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