Holmgren: "Relationship blocked move for #2 pick" - Basketball Forum : Professional and College Basketball Forums

**Dissonance** · 03-15-2012, 01:25 PM

Quote:

The general perception is that the Browns failed to move up in the draft to get quarterback Robert Griffin III because they didn't offer enough to the St. Louis Rams for the second overall pick.

Browns general manager Mike Holmgren believes Cleveland had no shot at making the trade.

In a conference call with Browns season-ticket holders today, Holmgren said "a very close relationship" between the Rams and Redskins prevented Cleveland from moving two spots up in the draft. Holmgren didn't go into specifics about the relationship, but it's well-known that Rams coach Jeff Fisher and Redskins coach Mike Shanahan are close friends.

This is a very serious accusation from Holmgren, and he wouldn't speak publicly about this if he didn't feel strongly about its validity. If you doubt the closeness of Shanahan and Fisher, there's an article in USA Today from five years ago about the NFL's version of busom buddies. Fisher and Shanahan bonded in the 1990s in San Francisco, where Fisher was the 49ers' defensive backs coach for two years (1992-93) while Shanahan served as the offensive coordinator for three (1992-94).

Let's be clear about this: If this is true, Shanahan and Fisher didn't violate any NFL rule that I know about. But they are guilty of poor gamesmanship. I could understand a team trying to avoid helping out a division rival. But if the Browns gave the best offer, they deserved the pick.

The Redskins moved into the No. 2 spot by sending the Rams this year's picks in the first round (sixth overall) and second round as well as first-rounders in 2013 and 2014. There were reports that the Browns offered three first-round picks but not this year's second-round one. Holmgren said the reports about the Browns' offer were incorrect, saying Cleveland made "every bit the offer" as the Redskins.

While no one knows whether those future first-round picks would be better from the Redskins or Browns, a similar offer would favor the Browns because they were offering the fourth overall pick while the Redskins could only give the No. 6 pick.

“Honestly, when it didn’t happen -- I think there are reasons that I can’t go into right now -- but there is a very close relationship between the people getting the deal done and the people who offered," Holmgren said in the conference call. "And I’m not sure anything we offered would have been good enough. We were very, very aggressive and it didn’t work."

In other words, Holmgren says don't blame the Browns for failing to get RG3. You can point the finger -- or Dawg bone, if you prefer -- squarely at Shanahan and Fisher.

http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/pos...d-move-for-rg3

chilltown · 03-15-2012, 03:41 PM

Meh. No shocker that teams prefer dealing with certain teams.

**Dissonance** · 03-15-2012, 04:37 PM

Oh, no doubt. Surprising he said it though.

**Dre** · 03-15-2012, 05:39 PM

Fisher just got there. Would he really have that much pull

**Diable** · 03-15-2012, 06:26 PM

It certainly isn't something that is going to matter if one offer is really better than the other. It would matter if there was no real difference between one offer and the other.

**Geaux Tigers** · 03-16-2012, 06:49 AM

I think that's exactly what friends are for.

ATLien · 03-16-2012, 09:28 AM

He'll be calling himself lucky in 3 years. No way Griffin lives up to that trade

03-15-2012, 03:41 PM	#2 (permalink)
chilltown Veteran Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 2,437 Rep Power: 1202544	Re: Holmgren: "Relationship blocked move for #2 pick" Meh. No shocker that teams prefer dealing with certain teams. __________________

03-15-2012, 04:37 PM	#3 (permalink)
Dissonance Super Bowl Champs Join Date: Jul 2004 Age: 30 Posts: 44,901 Rep Power: 16893179	Re: Holmgren: "Relationship blocked move for #2 pick" Oh, no doubt. Surprising he said it though.

03-15-2012, 05:39 PM	#4 (permalink)
Dre do better Join Date: Jun 2003 Age: 25 Posts: 41,325 Rep Power: 21474887	Re: Holmgren: "Relationship blocked move for #2 pick" Fisher just got there. Would he really have that much pull

03-15-2012, 06:26 PM	#5 (permalink)
Diable Limehouse Blues Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: North Carolina Posts: 22,168 Rep Power: 14650805	Re: Holmgren: "Relationship blocked move for #2 pick" It certainly isn't something that is going to matter if one offer is really better than the other. It would matter if there was no real difference between one offer and the other. __________________

03-16-2012, 06:49 AM	#6 (permalink)
Geaux Tigers Wheres the gameclock in this place? Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Louisiana Age: 28 Posts: 12,608 Rep Power: 12100097	Re: Holmgren: "Relationship blocked move for #2 pick" I think that's exactly what friends are for. __________________ "Louisiana has a heritage of great players that play their high school football within the boundaries of Louisiana." "As soon as we know exactly who we are playing and what date we will be playing on, the schedule will become more finite." "If we're defending, come see the trophy, it's in our trophy case. We're not defending it; it's there." - Les Miles

03-16-2012, 09:28 AM	#7 (permalink)
ATLien Icon Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 45,767 Rep Power: 21472363	Re: Holmgren: "Relationship blocked move for #2 pick" He'll be calling himself lucky in 3 years. No way Griffin lives up to that trade

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