Once the NFL draft progressed beyond quarterbacks Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III, it was like a day on Wall Street. Everyone wanted to make a trade.
The ins and outs began before the Colts opened the proceedings as expected Thursday night by taking Happiness and the Redskins, followed by selecting RG3.
Behind closed doors were general managers around the league chatting away, maneuvering their teams to qualify for the most coveted player on their draft board to land.
When it was over, there were eight trades involving 12 of 32 of the league teams and draft nothing breathless trying to keep the organized chaos. It all started when Minnesota traded its No. 3 choice for Cleveland's No. 4 pick. The Browns also got a fourth, fifth and seventh-rounder, desperately wanted to Alabama running back Trent Richardson. The Vikings still the man they sought in Southern California tackle Matt Kalil.
"Unfortunately we had a bit of marketing in the pick to secure," said Browns coach Pat Shurmur, who later quarterback Brandon Weeden added with the No. 22 selection. "We knew if we went through the process that he is our man and we did what we had to do to secure. We had pretty good knowledge that behind those teams wanted him as well, so we gave a couple chooses sure we got him. We are an enthusiastic bunch of Trent. "
The move allowed the Vikings to make room for another first-round pick, getting the No. 29 spot in a trade with Baltimore and choosing the Notre Dame safety Harrison Smith.
"That the trade with Cleveland kind of put the tone for this design, and us to a number of things," Vikings GM Rick Spielman said. "That was a huge, huge thing to get done right before the draft started.
The Jaguars, Cowboys and Eagles also traded on, and the Patriots did it twice to the players they wanted to select.
Credit the rookie wage scale for so much, buy and sell with GM at the last moment, the knowledge that extravagant salaries for the top picks are replaced by a compensation plan.
There were no such problems for Indianapolis and Washington.
Stanford's Luck is the head of Indianapolis and the burden of replacing Peyton Manning, who only won four MVP awards and a Super Bowl. Baylor's RGIII answers the call in Washington, where he will try to make a pious but highly critical fans to calm down.
"You do not really replace a guy like that," Luck said. "You can not. Only You try the best you can do. Clearly, he was my hero growing up."
His selection as the top pick was hardly a stunner. The Colts informed Luck last week that Commissioner Roger Goodell would be called first to announce. Right behind him was Griffin, no voltage to that choice, either.
After loudly booed at the start, Goodell told a raucous crowd at Radio City Music Hall that "the season starts tonight, so let's kick off." When he did, congratulations Luck to chants of "RG3, RG3."
Luck left the stage, hit his hands with some fans in Colts shirts and went to the interview room.
"I realize you would be crazy to try to measure yourself with Peyton Manning every day. That would be an insane way of life," said Luck. "I know his legendary status, really. Big shoes to try and fill as you try to do that .... If I could one day be mentioned alongside Peyton as one of the great football that would be a football dream come true. "
In order to get Griffin, Washington had dealt a second-round pick this year and the first-rounders in 2013 and `14 to St. Louis to four points. They decided with the QB who defeated Luck for the Heisman Trophy.
RG3 team sang the fight song during a conference call:
"Hail to the Redskins! Hail Vic-tor-y!" Griffin said. "That's how I felt. It felt so good."
After Minnesota took Aldo, Jacksonville jumped up two spots to No. 5, the trade with Tampa Bay Florida neighbor to Oklahoma State Justin Blackmon, the top receiver in this crop.
"It just goes to show that anything can happen," Blackmon said, referring to the Jaguars go after him.
St. Louis must have wanted to make downward, because the Rams did it again, the trade with Dallas, that was 14th in general. The Cowboys selected LSU's Morris Claiborne, the top cornerback, adding him to sign free agent Brandon Carr and strengthen what had been a Swiss cheese secondary.
St. Louis received a second-rounder in the deal.
Tampa Bay finished a wild 30 minutes barter by grabbing Alabama Safety Mark Barron seventh overall.
A third quarterback was eighth, where Miami stayed put. The Dolphins took Texas A & M's Ryan Tannehill, who played wide receiver most of his time in college. His coach at A & M, Mike Sherman, the Dolphins offensive coordinator.
Carolina selected Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly, the nation's leading tackler. Buffalo chose cornerback Stephon Gilmore of South Carolina and Memphis defensive tackle Dontari Poe went to Kansas City for the next trading day.
Philadelphia moved from 15 to 12, giving Seattle two later harvests, took Mississippi State defensive tackle Fletcher Cox.
Notre Dame receiver Michael Floyd went to Arizona, the Rams finally involved, taking LSU defensive tackle Michael Brockers.
New England was first deal with Cincinnati to Syracuse THE Chandler Jones to get to number 21, and the second was with Denver to Crimson Tide linebacker Dont'a Hightower to number 25.
Like Minnesota, Tampa Bay also got back in the first round, at number 31 after the treatment of Denver. The Bucs took Boise State running back Doug Martin.
The Super Bowl champion Giants closed for a quick, but hectic round by choosing Virginia Tech running back David Wilson.
Bengals coach Marvin Lewis could be summed up the first of three design sessions.
"I think that perhaps one-night format is a good thing," he said. "Everybody was fired up to do something in the night."
The ins and outs began before the Colts opened the proceedings as expected Thursday night by taking Happiness and the Redskins, followed by selecting RG3.
Behind closed doors were general managers around the league chatting away, maneuvering their teams to qualify for the most coveted player on their draft board to land.
When it was over, there were eight trades involving 12 of 32 of the league teams and draft nothing breathless trying to keep the organized chaos. It all started when Minnesota traded its No. 3 choice for Cleveland's No. 4 pick. The Browns also got a fourth, fifth and seventh-rounder, desperately wanted to Alabama running back Trent Richardson. The Vikings still the man they sought in Southern California tackle Matt Kalil.
"Unfortunately we had a bit of marketing in the pick to secure," said Browns coach Pat Shurmur, who later quarterback Brandon Weeden added with the No. 22 selection. "We knew if we went through the process that he is our man and we did what we had to do to secure. We had pretty good knowledge that behind those teams wanted him as well, so we gave a couple chooses sure we got him. We are an enthusiastic bunch of Trent. "
The move allowed the Vikings to make room for another first-round pick, getting the No. 29 spot in a trade with Baltimore and choosing the Notre Dame safety Harrison Smith.
"That the trade with Cleveland kind of put the tone for this design, and us to a number of things," Vikings GM Rick Spielman said. "That was a huge, huge thing to get done right before the draft started.
The Jaguars, Cowboys and Eagles also traded on, and the Patriots did it twice to the players they wanted to select.
Credit the rookie wage scale for so much, buy and sell with GM at the last moment, the knowledge that extravagant salaries for the top picks are replaced by a compensation plan.
There were no such problems for Indianapolis and Washington.
Stanford's Luck is the head of Indianapolis and the burden of replacing Peyton Manning, who only won four MVP awards and a Super Bowl. Baylor's RGIII answers the call in Washington, where he will try to make a pious but highly critical fans to calm down.
"You do not really replace a guy like that," Luck said. "You can not. Only You try the best you can do. Clearly, he was my hero growing up."
His selection as the top pick was hardly a stunner. The Colts informed Luck last week that Commissioner Roger Goodell would be called first to announce. Right behind him was Griffin, no voltage to that choice, either.
After loudly booed at the start, Goodell told a raucous crowd at Radio City Music Hall that "the season starts tonight, so let's kick off." When he did, congratulations Luck to chants of "RG3, RG3."
Luck left the stage, hit his hands with some fans in Colts shirts and went to the interview room.
"I realize you would be crazy to try to measure yourself with Peyton Manning every day. That would be an insane way of life," said Luck. "I know his legendary status, really. Big shoes to try and fill as you try to do that .... If I could one day be mentioned alongside Peyton as one of the great football that would be a football dream come true. "
In order to get Griffin, Washington had dealt a second-round pick this year and the first-rounders in 2013 and `14 to St. Louis to four points. They decided with the QB who defeated Luck for the Heisman Trophy.
RG3 team sang the fight song during a conference call:
"Hail to the Redskins! Hail Vic-tor-y!" Griffin said. "That's how I felt. It felt so good."
After Minnesota took Aldo, Jacksonville jumped up two spots to No. 5, the trade with Tampa Bay Florida neighbor to Oklahoma State Justin Blackmon, the top receiver in this crop.
"It just goes to show that anything can happen," Blackmon said, referring to the Jaguars go after him.
St. Louis must have wanted to make downward, because the Rams did it again, the trade with Dallas, that was 14th in general. The Cowboys selected LSU's Morris Claiborne, the top cornerback, adding him to sign free agent Brandon Carr and strengthen what had been a Swiss cheese secondary.
St. Louis received a second-rounder in the deal.
Tampa Bay finished a wild 30 minutes barter by grabbing Alabama Safety Mark Barron seventh overall.
A third quarterback was eighth, where Miami stayed put. The Dolphins took Texas A & M's Ryan Tannehill, who played wide receiver most of his time in college. His coach at A & M, Mike Sherman, the Dolphins offensive coordinator.
Carolina selected Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly, the nation's leading tackler. Buffalo chose cornerback Stephon Gilmore of South Carolina and Memphis defensive tackle Dontari Poe went to Kansas City for the next trading day.
Philadelphia moved from 15 to 12, giving Seattle two later harvests, took Mississippi State defensive tackle Fletcher Cox.
Notre Dame receiver Michael Floyd went to Arizona, the Rams finally involved, taking LSU defensive tackle Michael Brockers.
New England was first deal with Cincinnati to Syracuse THE Chandler Jones to get to number 21, and the second was with Denver to Crimson Tide linebacker Dont'a Hightower to number 25.
Like Minnesota, Tampa Bay also got back in the first round, at number 31 after the treatment of Denver. The Bucs took Boise State running back Doug Martin.
The Super Bowl champion Giants closed for a quick, but hectic round by choosing Virginia Tech running back David Wilson.
Bengals coach Marvin Lewis could be summed up the first of three design sessions.
"I think that perhaps one-night format is a good thing," he said. "Everybody was fired up to do something in the night."
