Number19
Hall of Fame
Reading Jerome Solomon in the Chronicle, and reading between the lines, we came close to blowing our RB selection.
It seems offensive coordinator Rick Dennison favored Mathews over Tate. But the staff was split over the decision which was the better fit. When the chance came from Minnesota to trade down in exchange for an extra 3rd, they jumped on it, but was then taken by surprise when Minnesota took Mathews. Sitting at #62, they became concerned they might lose out on their second choice and managed a trade up to #58 and managed to get Tate.
Then at #59 Cleveland grabbed the other big back in the same mold as Tate, Tennessee's Montario Hardesty. It isn't beyond speculation that had we not been able to move up, Cleveland would have taken Tate.
It was that close. You roll the dice when you trade back, especially when you have your sights on a particular player.
It seems offensive coordinator Rick Dennison favored Mathews over Tate. But the staff was split over the decision which was the better fit. When the chance came from Minnesota to trade down in exchange for an extra 3rd, they jumped on it, but was then taken by surprise when Minnesota took Mathews. Sitting at #62, they became concerned they might lose out on their second choice and managed a trade up to #58 and managed to get Tate.
Then at #59 Cleveland grabbed the other big back in the same mold as Tate, Tennessee's Montario Hardesty. It isn't beyond speculation that had we not been able to move up, Cleveland would have taken Tate.
It was that close. You roll the dice when you trade back, especially when you have your sights on a particular player.
