We have a companian piece out today that focuses on the biggest trades from the first round of the 2014 NFL draft.
This article will focus on each and every trade with some analysis and opinions on what the trades mean moving forward over the next two days and down the road.
Cleveland Browns trade fourth overall pick (Sammy Watkins) to the Buffalo Bills for the ninth overall pick (traded to the Minnesota vikings), a fourth-round pick in 2014 and a first-round pick in 2015
I am not exactly sure what the Bills were thinking here. They yielded a valuable first-round pick next season to move up just a few spots and select at a position that isn't of utmost importance right now. With Steve Johnson, Robert Woods, Mike Williams and Marquise Goodwin in the mix already at wide receiver, the Bills really dropped the ball here.
While Watkins was a top-five player on our big board, giving up that first rounder next year made absolutely no sense for a team that is looking to build for the future with EJ Manuel under center.
Meanwhile, the Browns scored big time here. They were able to trade down a few spots, pick up a mid-round pick this year and go into the 2015 NFL draft with two more first-round picks. That is highway robbery in its clearest form.
Minnesota Vikings trade eighth overall pick (Justin Gilbert) to the Cleveland Browns for the ninth overall pick (Anthony Barr) and a fifth-round pick in the 2014 NFL draft
On the surface, this deal made little sense for the Browns. Why trade up one spot to select at a position where they already have a Pro Bowl-caliber cornerback? It's simple. Cleveland wants to continue building what might end up being the best defense in the AFC. Adding Gilbert to the mix was huge here. In addition to that, it was worried that the Vikings, who also have a need for a cornerback, would take their top target at that position. With so many picks remaining in the draft, Cleveland could afford to give up a fifth rounder.
As it relates to the Vikings, I am not too sure about the selection of Barr at No. 9 overall. He's more of a 3-4 outside linebacker that will be tasked with playing an edge role in Minnesota. While the Vikings did need to replace the production they got from Jared Allen over the years, Barr doesn't seem to be a scheme fit. Advantage here has to go to the Browns.
Arizona Cardinals trade the 20th overall pick (Brandin Cooks) to the New Orleans Saints for the 27th overall pick (Deone Bucannon) and a third-round pick in the 2014 NFL draft
Well, I did mock Bucannon to the Cardinals this week. Outside of giving myself the proverbial pat on the back, he's going to be a tremendous fit in the defensive secondrary with Patrick Peterson and Tyrann Mathieu. As I indicated in our live blog, this has "Legion of Boom 2.0" written all over it. In addition to that, the Cardinals pick up a valuable third-round pick in a deep draft.
For the Saints, they get a player to replace Darren Sproles in the passing game. I love what Cooks brings to the table in this offense, especially as a slot guy. He reminds me a great deal of Tavon Austin from last year, and New Orleans didn't necessarily give up as much as the Rams did for Austin in 2013. This is a win-win for both sides, but I would still give the advantage to the Cardinals, who are now joining elite company in the NFC West as it relates to defensive dominance.
Philadelphia Eagles trade the 22nd overall pick (Johnny Manziel) to the Cleveland Browns for the 26th overall pick (Marcus Smith) and a third-round pick
Cleveland might have exhaused one of its third-round picks to get a potential franchise quarterback, but the value here at a need position is likely one of the top draft-day moves the franchise has made in a long time. Opinions are split on Manziel's game and whether it translates to the NFL, but it's hard to argue that he's not a game-changing and dynamic player. Absolute steal here for the Browns.
Meanwhile, Philadelphia gained a valuable third rounder in a move down just four spots, mainly due to the fact that Manziel represented tremendous value for a team looking to move up for a quarterback. Unfortunately, we had a third-round grade on Smith, which makes that selection it acquired somewhat pointless. Not exactly sure what Philadelphia was looking at here, especially with Kony Ealy, among others still available. Cleveland wins this deal going away.
Seattle Seahawks trade the 32nd overall pick (Teddy Bridgewater) to the Minnesota Vikings for the 40th overall pick (TBD) and a fourth-round pick
So do these teams make a trade every year or something? For the second time in a row, Seattle yielded its first-round pick to the Vikings in a deal. In doing so, John Schneider and Co. enabled the Vikings to acquire our No. 2 overall player with the final pick in the first round. It doesn't take a genius to come to the conclusion that Minnesota hit a homer with this deal.
As it relates to the Seahawks, they did what they needed to do. That was acquire another mid-round picking a deep draft while moving down just a few spots, where they will likely find tremendous value. Can't gauge this move from Seattle's aspect until we find out who it selects this evening. Even then, Minnesota comes out smelling like roses.