MovieChat Forums > Draft Day (2014) Discussion > The last trade doesn't make sense

The last trade doesn't make sense


So the first trade was this:

Cleveland - 1st Overall pick

Seattle - Three first round picks

Seattle Seahawks really wanted Bo in the first overall pick but obviously they saw and thought there was more value in three 1st round picks

This is how the second trade went down

Cleveland - Three first round picks, Some Punter

Seattle - 6th Overall Pick

Now the only reason Seattle made this trade was because they still wanted Bo and he dropped down to 6th. The problem is why would they give back more for Bo then they traded him for? If they saw him as that valuable they should have gotten more for him in the initial trade with Cleveland. Second if they wanted him that bad don't even trade the 1st pick overall since no one could have imagined Bo dropping like that (forget the signing bonus you make sure you get your guy). So Seattle conceded on Bo they moved on they were comfortable. They thought they had a better deal in their hands so why flip-flop. Second seattle had Costner on the ropes not the other way around. Costner bungled up the draft with his moves and was just trying to save face. Costner even dug himself into a deeper hole by trading away three 2nd rounders so if Seattle refused then Costner is left holding the bag. Seattle should have used that to their advantage. Third the Jags GM knows Seattle really wants Bo so leverage the Browns three 2nd round picks on the Hawks into four 2nd round picks from them. Would have been a better deal compared to what the Hawks made with the Browns.

Also from Costner's POV when he decided he was going to take a RB he could have attained at a much lower pick, he should have tried to trade back down to a lower draft slot like how Seattle did with him. Retain some drafts picks, salvage it as much as you can, perhaps even get back in return what you gave up if not receive more since Costner would likly trade with a team with a lower pick than 7th overall. He wouldn't look like an idiot then. Costner didn't know Bo would drop, that was inconceivable, so at that point in time that was the best move to make with no change in sight.

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I know, your analysis is exactly correct. There was never any indication that Seattle absolutely wanted Callahan or they would never have traded the #1 to begin with. They obviously had another player in mind to pick at #6, so why when Bo drops they suddenly are willing to give all the picks back and a punt returner is illogical. Sure Seattle could have made out great when Bo started falling but he wouldn't have been in their discussions after they traded away the #1 pick. Even if they suddenly got interested after he started falling, there's no way they give all the picks back and a player especially after you correctly point out that Seattle would have seen Cleveland just gave away the next three years 2nd round picks too. Seattle might have made a deal but not for what the movie shows. If I was Seattle's owner I'd fire the GM for screwing up the deal so badly. Even a superstar like Callahan isn't worth three first round picks.

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Seattle found more value in Bo at the 6th pick because they really didn't lose anything except a punt returner that they probably didn't need but they also saved $7mil on the cap which is huge. It's like being able to have 1-2 more players on the cap for another year.

There was more value in getting Bo at 6th easily.

They didn't lose any picks, they gained $7mil on their cap for that year, and they still got the QB that they originally wanted and what the fans wanted.

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Exactly. Big difference in pay from no. 1 and no. 7

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Big difference in pay from no. 1 and no. 7


No there's not, with the rookie wage scale set by the last CBA. Jadeveon Clowney (#1 pick in 2014) makes $5.5m a year and Mike Evans (#7 pick in 2014) makes $3.5m a year. The 2014 salary cap was $133 million and bad teams typically have LOTS of cap space (because, well, they don't have very many good players). Making a horrendous trade to only save $2m is laughable. The movie is pure fantasy.

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What Costner said to the Seattle GM, was he would get the player he wanted all along at #7 vs #1 overall, and save $7M in signing bonus.

This is TRUE.

NFL contracts are all about guaranteed money and signing bonuses...the rest of the money is really just funny money, and may never see the light of day.

Clowney at #1 got 4 years, $22.272M fully guaranteed; $14.518M signing bonus.

Evans at #7 got 4 years, $14.6M fully guaranteed; $8.96M signing bonus.

So about $7.6M less of guaranteed money.



Whose idea was it for the word "Lisp" to have an "S" in it?

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still got the QB that they originally wanted and what the fans wanted


I remember Costner telling the GM that the Seattle message boards wanted him gone because he gave up Bo. Picking Bo was a chance to get back on the fan's good side.

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Yes, I think so too. They had discovered that their fans would want their heads on a plate if they didn't get Bo. They didn't want him that badly but the demonstrations outside their stadium made them get Bo for a very high price. I think they were afraid of the backlash. And if it were discovered that Bo was picked right under their nose it could have gotten bad. They also saved 7m.

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Seattle wasn't super psyched about Bo from the beginning. They were only going to take him because they thought the rest of the "farm" sucked. It was a shot in the dark to trade away the pick in the first place, when someone bit, he fleeced him out of the 3 1st rounders. Seattle felt that was the best move, but Seattle fans hated it and demanded the gm be fired. After the Jaguars trade, Seattle has no idea what Costner gave up for the 6 pick, he doesn't know he has leverage. All he knows is that he can get Bo which will satisfy the fans and save his job, plus it's 7 million cheaper, so he loses but in the long run he wins(in the public eye at least). He throws in the punt RETURNER because Costner has won and shoved it in his face the same way he did to Costner earlier and again, in the long run, the returner is meaningless.

And no Costner didn't know Bo would drop, that's the point, he took a gamble to attain his team and it worked, same thing after the jags trade. He doesn't try to trade down to get the rb cause there's really no need to. He walks away with 2 great players, an extra punt RETURNER and all he gave up was 3 years of 2nd rounders. Plus he has made a splash to the public, the other gm's in the league, his boss, and his staff. He's no longer gonna be seen in Cleveland as just Coach Weavers son, but as a leader.

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Someone else sorta mentioned something similar, but let's distill it a little more...

Essentially, Seattle traded a punt returner for the Heisman Trophy winner.

Plus, they saved $7 million or so in the process.


A coward hides behind freedom. A brave person stands in front of it & defends it for others.

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From Seattle's standpoint it was pretty clear that the Brown's didn't want Bo. They didn't pick him 1st overall and they were trying to shun him off at the 6th spot just to get their picks back. In fact it was clear that was the Browns only intention and what they were planning to do when they up-streamed the Hawks at the last moment with the Jags trade. They could have drafted Bo first then draft the RB 6th since no one was going to pick him that early. Waiting to pick Bo at 6th is too much of a risk for the Browns to take if they actually wanted him. Seattle should have seen past this clear and present BS. So they should have called their bluff and see if they would actually pick Bo at the 6th spot first. There was a good chance they wouldn't. Just Convince the Browns they got spooked by Bo too like the other teams.

The Brown's obviously didn't want Bo since they traded 3 first round picks to get him and still changed their mind. They had to be extremely put off by what they found out to not pick him in the first overall spot let alone the first round. All based on the loss they had to swallow and absorb to go that route. Second if the Browns want back their 7th pick the Browns obviously have someone else in mind to pick in that position. They must have already settled on a game plan that they otherwise prefer which didn't include Bo. Perhaps even a tunnel vision focus and mindset. Also everyone is saying what a great deal it is for the Seahawks, they get to save $7 million. But if it was such a great deal then why didn't the Browns keep it and let it go at such a great offer in relation. They should have made a harsher offer. They practically just made the same offer back to the Hawks except this was at 6st overall position. That makes it worse. The optics and peripherals of this proposal are horrible. They obviously didn't want him and were desperate just trying to salvage and recoup their draft picks so they won't be embarrassed.

If the Browns still picked Bo then they can work out a trade. The Browns just tell them who to pick 7th and they swap.

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Here is something you missed. Seattle wanted Bo but they couldn't afford to pay him at #1. They weren't head over heels in love with him but they still loved him enough that they really wanted him and when Cleveland comes back and offers them their golden boy for a lot less money, they took it because they didn't have to really give up anything.

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From Seattle's standpoint it was pretty clear that the Brown's didn't want Bo. They didn't pick him 1st overall and they were trying to shun him off at the 6th spot just to get their picks back. In fact it was clear that was the Browns only intention and what they were planning to do when they up-streamed the Hawks at the last moment with the Jags trade. They could have drafted Bo first then draft the RB 6th since no one was going to pick him that early. Waiting to pick Bo at 6th is too much of a risk for the Browns to take if they actually wanted him. Seattle should have seen past this clear and present BS. So they should have called their bluff and see if they would actually pick Bo at the 6th spot first. There was a good chance they wouldn't. Just Convince the Browns they got spooked by Bo too like the other teams.

The Brown's obviously didn't want Bo since they traded 3 first round picks to get him and still changed their mind. They had to be extremely put off by what they found out to not pick him in the first overall spot let alone the first round. All based on the loss they had to swallow and absorb to go that route. Second if the Browns want back their 7th pick the Browns obviously have someone else in mind to pick in that position. They must have already settled on a game plan that they otherwise prefer which didn't include Bo. Perhaps even a tunnel vision focus and mindset. Also everyone is saying what a great deal it is for the Seahawks, they get to save $7 million. But if it was such a great deal then why didn't the Browns keep it and let it go at such a great offer in relation. They should have made a harsher offer. They practically just made the same offer back to the Hawks except this was at 6st overall position. That makes it worse. The optics and peripherals of this proposal are horrible. They obviously didn't want him and were desperate just trying to salvage and recoup their draft picks so they won't be embarrassed.

If the Browns still picked Bo then they can work out a trade. The Browns just tell them who to pick 7th and they swap.

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The writers obviously didn't let reality get in the way of writing a nice, airheaded screenplay.

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The Seattle fans were pissed off after the GM made that trade.

They couldn't afford Bo at 1 but could at 6, and they don't lose anything. Seattle still has their number one picks and the Browns just got their picks back.

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I agree it doesn't make sense.

If trade goes through, Browns maybe get two of their 1st picks back, but not all 3.

Seattle gets Callahan at the 6th, but keeps one of the picks (for trading their #1)

In that scenario, everybody wins:

1) Seattle loses 1st pick, but gains one of Browns' pick, and they get Callahan

2) Browns get both picks they want, loses one of their 1st rounders


In the movie,

Seattle keeps NO picks from Cleveland, gives up a special teams guy, and supposedly is happy because they save $7 million? Ridiculous.

More realistic if they kept one of the 1st round picks of Browns.

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