I see a lot of people saying this is an unrealistic trade, but it's actually not. In looking at draft pick value charts, it's really within range, with only the value of an additional 4th rounder making it totally even.
I think, as many others have pointed out, the most unrealistic scenario is the final trade with Seattle.
Very unrealistic. No chance at all that a team with that high of a pick doesn't get another #1 in there.
shareIf you're the New England Patriots, and you're loaded with talent, then maybe you make the trade, since you got the pick through a trade and it's almost found money.
For a team looking to rebuild, it would be a horrible trade to make.
Trade your #6 for a later first round pick (same draft), a second round pick (same draft) and a second rounder the next season? Yeah, that would work, since you're probably getting three starters in two seasons, with two immediate. Getting three starters over three seasons, with only one immediate, doesn't help you very much.
Future draft picks have a discounted value because there is no way to predict what the other team's future record will be, nor can you be certain of the overall strength of future draft classes. The only way that trade comes close to making sense is if you can guarantee Cleveland drafts in the top 5 in the next two years, which obviously is impossible.
shareI agree. I don't think getting THREE second round picks for #6 is that bad of a trade. I'm not saying it's a steal, for either side, but I think they are close to equal in value. With three second rounders you can build an offensive line.
shareIt depends how badly a team wants the pick. It's highly unlikely that 5 teams would pass on a guy billed the way that Bo was in the movie. But if a team saw their franchise QB was available at 6, but wouldn't be available at 7, I can see that trade happening.
shareBuffalo had offered 2 #1s and 2 players one of which is a blue chip running back. After Cleveland passed on Callahan they would have called each team.
share3 2nd Round picks for #6 is a somewhat plausible scenario, given the strength of the draft. In a really weak draft, where the top talent isn't projected to light up the NFL, it would actually be a good move to get more players than taking a chance on top prospects with high bust potential. TYpically, that isn't the case,but there have been a few drafts where most of top 10-15 picks turned out to be a busts or were out of the league in a few years.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000495614/article/five-worst-nfl-draft-classes-of-last-25-years
I don't think any of the TRADES were terribly bad were you are looking strictly at the value of the picks. Sure some where better/worse than others, but I didn't think any of them were outrageous.
What's completely laughable, however, is the players he drafts with those picks, mainly the 1st pick. No GM in the history of any sport at any level has ever traded up in the draft and then drafted a player #1 overall knowing they could get them 10-15 picks later at a minimum.
Buffalo had offered 2 #1s and 2 players one of which is a blue chip running back. After Cleveland passed on Callahan they would have called each team.
IMO, this was never meant to be a serious, fact based football movie. It was meant to be a character movie, to show some of the personality interactions at the top and a little of how the wheels get greased.
In the movie (which we all know is BS), it was a horrible trade because the same pick was flipped for 3 1st rounders + an allegedly impact punt returner.
In real life - a GM would at least get a pick later in the 1st round, if he traded the #6 pick. The Jacksonville GM probably lost his job the next day - their owner would be asking why he didn't just call Seattle himself and get 3 #1s..
I think people are failing to take into account that Seattle didn't have any cap room, which they mentioned at the beginning of the movie.
Sonny knew how desperate Seattle wanted Bo and squeezed the crap out of him. Seattle, in their defense, was also in a salary cap no-mans-land. They had the #1 pick but no room in the cap to sign them - which, in 2014, was 4 years at $22.2M with a $14.5M bonus (which I believe is a $9.1M hit on the salary cap).
Seattle giving back the picks and getting Bo at #7 means they can sign Bo for 4 years at $14.6M and a $8.9M bonus, which averages out to a $5.8M cap hit. In 2014, the average NFL salary was around $2M a year.