03-23-2022, 09:38 AM
I remember when people laughed at the Rams trading away their first round picks from 2017 through 2023. Called it mortgaging their future.
The players that each of those picks were used on:
2017, 5th overall: Corey Davis
2018, 23rd overall: Isaiah Wynn
2019, 31st overall: Kaleb McGary (This one doesn't really count because they didn't trade this pick for a player like in the other years, they traded this pick for a 2nd and a 3rd round pick in the same draft.)
2020, 20th overall: K'Lavon Chaisson
2021, 25th overall: Travis Etienne
Among those players, the respective teams got a WR with one good (not great, just good) year in his career, a really good tackle/guard who has missed 31 regular season games in 4 seasons (more if you count playoffs), a tackle that has struggled thus far, a defensive end who has, thus far, been really bad and a RB that had an injury that may have already permanently altered his career potential.
Meanwhile, the Rams found their super bowl winning QB and one of the best CBs in the NFL.
The point being, draft picks are risky. Especially when you're consistently drafting in the 20s and 30s. If this trade allows the Browns to consistently make the playoffs and so all they lose is 3 ~25th overall picks, that's a really good deal to get a franchise QB.
There is are some very good reasons to criticize the Browns for trading for Deshaun Watson, but the compensation they gave up for him in picks is not one of them.
The players that each of those picks were used on:
2017, 5th overall: Corey Davis
2018, 23rd overall: Isaiah Wynn
2019, 31st overall: Kaleb McGary (This one doesn't really count because they didn't trade this pick for a player like in the other years, they traded this pick for a 2nd and a 3rd round pick in the same draft.)
2020, 20th overall: K'Lavon Chaisson
2021, 25th overall: Travis Etienne
Among those players, the respective teams got a WR with one good (not great, just good) year in his career, a really good tackle/guard who has missed 31 regular season games in 4 seasons (more if you count playoffs), a tackle that has struggled thus far, a defensive end who has, thus far, been really bad and a RB that had an injury that may have already permanently altered his career potential.
Meanwhile, the Rams found their super bowl winning QB and one of the best CBs in the NFL.
The point being, draft picks are risky. Especially when you're consistently drafting in the 20s and 30s. If this trade allows the Browns to consistently make the playoffs and so all they lose is 3 ~25th overall picks, that's a really good deal to get a franchise QB.
There is are some very good reasons to criticize the Browns for trading for Deshaun Watson, but the compensation they gave up for him in picks is not one of them.
![[Image: oN5QAdY.png]](https://i.imgur.com/oN5QAdY.png)
