jakecronus8 wrote:Treebeard wrote:This one has been floating around this week, but I don't think we've batted around(From Bill Barnwell at ESPN):22. Green Bay Packers (via LV)
Packers get: WR Chase Claypool (from Steelers), 4-114 (from Falcons)
Steelers get: 1-8, 6-190 (from Falcons)
Falcons get: 1-20 (from Steelers), 1-22 (from Packers)
It's the first three-team trade here! There are other ways for each of these teams to accomplish their goals, but this gets all three organizations what they want have coming out of this draft.
Let's start with the Packers, who add a valuable young receiver set to make just $2.7 million combined over the next two seasons. Claypool didn't take a leap forward in his second season, but he has the size and physical tools to win at all levels of the field, and he'd get a massive upgrade at quarterback when it comes to deeper routes. The Packers have been rewarded for their patience in the past; remember that Davante Adams himself was seen as a disappointment after his second season and didn't post a 1,000-yard campaign until his fifth year. Claypool's early success makes him a slightly better bet than the average rookie being drafted in the 20s.
The Falcons need to amass draft capital. If they aren't going to draft a quarterback at No. 8, they're better off trading down and getting an extra first-rounder. Even with fourth- and sixth-round picks, this deal is a net victory for Atlanta on the Johnson chart. It is in a position to target the best prospect available, which could be a quarterback at this point of Round 1.
For Pittsburgh, this is using what the organization does well to replenish its biggest weakness. The organization has an incredible track record of finding receivers in the middle rounds, with Claypool the latest member of a group that includes Antonio Brown, Mike Wallace, Emmanuel Sanders, Smith-Schuster and Diontae Johnson. The latter is due for a massive extension, which would make it difficult for the Steelers to then offer Claypool a similar deal the following offseason. There was at least a little friction between Claypool and the organization last season, and while I don't think it was enough to force a trade, this would be a chance for Pittsburgh to get a significant draft pick in return.
In this scenario, the Steelers sacrifice Claypool and the No. 20 pick to move up and get their quarterback of the future. They can use their second- or third-round pick to draft Claypool's replacement, sign Johnson to an extension and move forward with a transitioning core on offense. This deal values Claypool as being worth something in the ballpark of the No. 34 pick in a typical draft.
Gross.
Why do you think that? I know this trade is a purely clickbait construction, with no real legs, but I'll contend that Claypool is better than any WR currently on the Pack's roster and better than any likely WR option at #22. He's been reasonably productive, and he's been durable to this point.
*Plus*, Claypool's production, like other Steeler WR's has been negatively impacted by Big Ben's arm limitations over the last couple of years.
