Draft Rumors Thread

"Oooh! Did you hear the rumor that the ________ love _________?! We better make a move!"
- No Team Ever

Originally posted by okdkid:

Why do fans continue to think teams put out smokescreens? What possible purpose would it serve when the entire league is skeptical of any news they hear regarding favorites. Nobody is getting fooled. A team could not say a single thing to anybody and fans, media and/or opposing teams would just make stuff up to fill in the blanks.

Why wouldn't they? Teams can only go off of what other teams say, need, and who they've shown "interest" in. Teams can throw out all that (if they want) and beleive what they choose, but you bet you ass they're wondering if player X (that they want) is gonna fall to them SF has nothing to lose by saying they like so and so (or not)...we're basically on the clock.

IMHO I think lynch is looking to move down a couple spots to have more flexibly. Nothing wrong with trying to get a bidding war going...it's better than not trying at all.

Originally posted by okdkid:
Why do fans continue to think teams put out smokescreens? What possible purpose would it serve when the entire league is skeptical of any news they hear regarding favorites. Nobody is getting fooled. A team could not say a single thing to anybody and fans, media and/or opposing teams would just make stuff up to fill in the blanks.

I'm sure they exist to a certain extent but I don't know what the benefit would be to put out smoke screens at #2.

Originally posted by miked1978:

Originally posted by okdkid:
Why do fans continue to think teams put out smokescreens? What possible purpose would it serve when the entire league is skeptical of any news they hear regarding favorites. Nobody is getting fooled. A team could not say a single thing to anybody and fans, media and/or opposing teams would just make stuff up to fill in the blanks.

I'm sure they exist to a certain extent but I don't know what the benefit would be to put out smoke screens at #2.

Philosodrafter asks: Can a smokescreen exist when their is no smoke to screen?

Originally posted by okdkid:
"Oooh! Did you hear the rumor that the ________ love _________?! We better make a move!"
- No Team Ever

i think it's more the media asking a question about a certain player and asking if a certain player is in play at ______ pick. to which the answer is usually yes then they run with it.

Originally posted by okdkid:
Why do fans continue to think teams put out smokescreens? What possible purpose would it serve when the entire league is skeptical of any news they hear regarding favorites. Nobody is getting fooled. A team could not say a single thing to anybody and fans, media and/or opposing teams would just make stuff up to fill in the blanks.

I've been watching the draft almost 20 years and discussing it on he for more than 10+ years and I very well think teams send out smokescreens. I think if a team is really serious about moving down they send out a few signals that they like so and so in hopes of getting a team to bite.

I think smokescreens work somewhat, but its somewhat overhyped. All teams are also studying other teams and their needs, so they're trying to figure out all the possibilities that will happen before they pick. Smokescreens could get teams wondering if they're really going to take him, but they take it lightly.

Originally posted by NYniner85:

Originally posted by okdkid:
Why do fans continue to think teams put out smokescreens? What possible purpose would it serve when the entire league is skeptical of any news they hear regarding favorites. Nobody is getting fooled. A team could not say a single thing to anybody and fans, media and/or opposing teams would just make stuff up to fill in the blanks.

Why wouldn't they? Teams can only go off of what other teams say, need, and who they've shown "interest" in. Teams can throw out all that (if they want) and beleive what they choose, but you bet you ass they're wondering if player X (that they want) is gonna fall to them SF has nothing to lose by saying they like so and so (or not)...we're basically on the clock.

IMHO I think lynch is looking to move down a couple spots to have more flexibly. Nothing wrong with trying to get a bidding war going...it's better than not trying at all.

This is just fan theory. This assumes that not only are teams telling media (why?!) who they actually want to take, but that teams are dumb enough to buy into it.

If a GM had a scout, or an assistant coach who was providing valid information to a media member -- allowing other teams access to competitive information that can only serve to harm the original team -- then that dude would be fired and banished from the league for eternity.

Do teams talk to media? Yes.
Do they share who they are legitimately going to take? No. And if they do it's in a list of 10 possible choices (like Lynch is doing), making it irrelevant.
Knowing this, can teams use these reports for anything? No.

If a team is providing b******t, and other teams think it's b******t -- then it's not a smokescreen. It's not "screening" anything.

Giving no indication of who we're drafting is a big advantage. Showing interest in every possible pick at 2 is also advantageous. And finally, doing your homework and due diligence on every viable prospect at 2 is a necessity.

Originally posted by krizay:

Originally posted by okdkid:
"Oooh! Did you hear the rumor that the ________ love _________?! We better make a move!"
- No Team Ever

i think it's more the media asking a question about a certain player and asking if a certain player is in play at ______ pick. to which the answer is usually yes then they run with it.

Absolutely agree. And that team would say "yes" if asked about 20 other prospects as well.

Originally posted by Lobo49er:
Giving no indication of who we're drafting is a big advantage. Showing interest in every possible pick at 2 is also advantageous. And finally, doing your homework and due diligence on every viable prospect at 2 is a necessity.

I don't know if it's an advantage -- but it's certainly the right thing to do. It's better than telling people what you will actually do, that's for sure.

If a team is making a move to jump anybody on anything -- it's that they know the team they must move in front of has a need at that position. Not because an NFL blogger had a hot scoop.

Originally posted by Kolohe:

Originally posted by okdkid:
Why do fans continue to think teams put out smokescreens? What possible purpose would it serve when the entire league is skeptical of any news they hear regarding favorites. Nobody is getting fooled. A team could not say a single thing to anybody and fans, media and/or opposing teams would just make stuff up to fill in the blanks.

I've been watching the draft almost 20 years and discussing it on he for more than 10+ years and I very well think teams send out smokescreens. I think if a team is really serious about moving down they send out a few signals that they like so and so in hopes of getting a team to bite.

Teams don't need to "send out signals" to see if a deal can get done. They just call each other. It's not a middle school dance. There are only 32 GMs -- they all know each other. They will haggle over the price, and perhaps wait it out until draft day to see how things unfold. But these guys trade with each other all the time. No smoke screens needed.

BTW -- if a GM -- getting paid millions of dollars -- has a fire lit under him due to a "smokescreen" then that dude should cease being a GM. Falling for fake news is a sin.

Originally posted by okdkid:

This is just fan theory. This assumes that not only are teams telling media (why?!) who they actually want to take, but that teams are dumb enough to buy into it.

If a GM had a scout, or an assistant coach who was providing valid information to a media member -- allowing other teams access to competitive information that can only serve to harm the original team -- then that dude would be fired and banished from the league for eternity.

Do teams talk to media? Yes.
Do they share who they are legitimately going to take? No. And if they do it's in a list of 10 possible choices (like Lynch is doing), making it irrelevant.
Knowing this, can teams use these reports for anything? No.

If a team is providing b******t, and other teams think it's b******t -- then it's not a smokescreen. It's not "screening" anything.

I never stated what was being said to the media was true. I said we have nothing to lose by leaking out who we "might" like or not like (which very well could be b******t)...if teams don't want to second guess it (which it's human nature to ) that's cool...if anything it gets the phone lines moving a little more and teams realizing that someone they covet might not be there.

Originally posted by okdkid:

Originally posted by Kolohe:

Originally posted by okdkid:
Why do fans continue to think teams put out smokescreens? What possible purpose would it serve when the entire league is skeptical of any news they hear regarding favorites. Nobody is getting fooled. A team could not say a single thing to anybody and fans, media and/or opposing teams would just make stuff up to fill in the blanks.

I've been watching the draft almost 20 years and discussing it on he for more than 10+ years and I very well think teams send out smokescreens. I think if a team is really serious about moving down they send out a few signals that they like so and so in hopes of getting a team to bite.

Teams don't need to "send out signals" to see if a deal can get done. They just call each other. It's not a middle school dance. There are only 32 GMs -- they all know each other. They will haggle over the price, and perhaps wait it out until draft day to see how things unfold. But these guys trade with each other all the time. No smoke screens needed.

BTW -- if a GM -- getting paid millions of dollars -- has a fire lit under him due to a "smokescreen" then that dude should cease being a GM. Falling for fake news is a sin.

Hmmm that simple huh, they just call each other!!! And what do you think is in that conversation since you seem to know how teams operate? I mean if all that you say is true, why doesn't a team just come out and say, 'well right now we're thinking about drafting Jonathan Allen, but that could change if Myles Garrett falls to us'.?

Originally posted by Kolohe:

Originally posted by okdkid:

Originally posted by Kolohe:

Originally posted by okdkid:
Why do fans continue to think teams put out smokescreens? What possible purpose would it serve when the entire league is skeptical of any news they hear regarding favorites. Nobody is getting fooled. A team could not say a single thing to anybody and fans, media and/or opposing teams would just make stuff up to fill in the blanks.

I've been watching the draft almost 20 years and discussing it on he for more than 10+ years and I very well think teams send out smokescreens. I think if a team is really serious about moving down they send out a few signals that they like so and so in hopes of getting a team to bite.

Teams don't need to "send out signals" to see if a deal can get done. They just call each other. It's not a middle school dance. There are only 32 GMs -- they all know each other. They will haggle over the price, and perhaps wait it out until draft day to see how things unfold. But these guys trade with each other all the time. No smoke screens needed.

BTW -- if a GM -- getting paid millions of dollars -- has a fire lit under him due to a "smokescreen" then that dude should cease being a GM. Falling for fake news is a sin.

Hmmm that simple huh, they just call each other!!! And what do you think is in that conversation since you seem to know how teams operate? I mean if all that you say is true, why doesn't a team just come out and say, 'well right now we're thinking about drafting Jonathan Allen, but that could change if Myles Garrett falls to us'.?

You can't be serious. This is a total layup.

"Hey it's ____. We're still working through our draft board and wanted to reach out to a few of the teams around our pick. We'll have a better idea of where we stand in a couple weeks, but wanted to get the conversation going if you had interest in moving up."

This stuff isn't complicated. Everybody is doing their due diligence -- with prospects they may take, and trades they may make.