It seems that there are a growing number of Ravens fans who believe that the team should make a bold move up in the 2015 NFL Draft to pick wide receiver Kevin White or Amari Cooper. In a recent segment of Word on The Street I painted a rather bleak picture of such a trade.
Let me take another moment to really put things in perspective.
At best, one of these coveted receivers could slip to No. 7.
AT BEST.
The Ravens currently hold the No. 26 spot.
Since the NFL is oftentimes labeled a copycat league – and with good reason, if such a deal were consummated by Ozzie Newsome to move to No. 7, the trading partner is likely to look at a similar trade made in the first round of the 2011 Draft.
The Falcons with that draft’s 27th overall pick coveted an impact wide receiver and made a trade with the Cleveland Browns for the sixth overall pick. To get that pick Atlanta gave the Browns their 1st, second and fourth-round picks in 2011 and their first- and fourth-round picks in 2012.
The move seemed to work early on as the Falcons tallied a combined record of 23-9 during Jones’ first 2 seasons. But then the roster matured and the natural attrition of players, driven by the salary cap, kicked in.
When veterans left, the quality of players remaining diminished, in part because of those 4 quality picks sacrificed for one player – five picks exchange in total.
In case you are keeping score the Falcons are 10-22 since 2013 and during Jones’ entire career the Falcons have won just won playoff game.
Conversely the Ravens have won 7 playoff games and a Super Bowl with long-in-the-tooth receivers and a solid second round pass catcher.
This isn’t fantasy football…this is the NFL.
Right player, right price.
