The teams that distinguished themselves yesterday on the first day of the NFL draft were San Francisco, Cleveland and Miami – clubs that dared to be bold instead of playing it safe and bowing to public opinion.
Aware that they would be second-guessed and dipped in infamy if their moves ultimately fail, the decision-makers in each franchise plugged their ears, covered their eyes and marched forward. Play scared? Not on this day.
Miami used the ninth pick overall on Ohio State speedster Ted Ginn Jr., even though the popular pick for its quarterback-hungry franchise was Notre Dame signal-caller Brady Quinn. When first-year coach Cam Cameron stepped before the team's boosters to announce the pick, he was as popular as a politician announcing tax hikes at a Republican National Convention. You could barely hear him over the groaning and griping, which got even louder when Cameron talked about Ginn's initial impact coming as a returner instead of as a receiver.
Cameron and General Manager Randy Mueller should be applauded for staying true to themselves. Without opening their mouths, they informed us that they doubted Quinn could take the organization where it wants to go. That was obvious when Miami didn't trade up to get Quinn – a projected top-five pick – when he was still on the board at No. 22, then turned around and used its second-round pick to take BYU quarterback John Beck.
The popular thing would have been to take Quinn ninth overall or trade up to get him near the bottom of the first round. But Cameron obviously didn't believe in him, so he stuck to his conviction and looked elsewhere. It might turn out to be a blunder, or it could just as easily prove to be a stroke of personnel genius. Time will tell, but at this point there is no denying that Cameron and Mueller are men with professional backbones.
Then there was Cleveland, which ignored local pressure to use the third pick overall on Quinn, the home-state kid who grew up wearing a Browns uniform and in the weeks preceding the draft publicly expressed a desire to play at home. Selecting Quinn might have earned coach Romeo Crennel and General Manager Phil Savage some time – the Browns are 1-11 in the division the past two seasons – but Savage refused to be bullied because there was a greater need on the offensive line. But that's where Savage was bold.
He had Quinn rated highly despite not taking him, and when he saw the former Notre Dame star falling, he traded his first-round pick in 2008 to Dallas for a chance to move up and get Quinn at No. 22. Some people criticized the deal and Savage because they believe the Browns will be terrible this season, resulting in a top-5 or top-10 pick for the Cowboys. Rather than look at the downside, Savage focused on the potential upside, that he was getting a quarterback who, in his estimation, can lead the Browns back to the playoffs, if not this season, then in the near future.
San Francisco was similarly bold, sending its first-round pick in 2008 to the New England Patriots for the right to the 28th pick, which the 49ers used on offensive tackle Joe Staley. The pick addressed a major need and could be a major factor if the 49ers challenge for the division title – which isn't a stretch considering the deft moves they've made this offseason and the soft division in which they play. Of course, if the Niners fall on their faces, the Patriots could be in line for a mid to high pick in next year's first round. But coach Mike Nolan didn't play scared. He saw a player he believed in and went after him.
Bottom line: The draft is a crapshoot no matter where you select. Your prized pick today could be a banner bust tomorrow. There's no way to know for sure. That's why Miami, Cleveland and San Francisco should be applauded.
They did their homework, made their evaluations and followed their conviction. They didn't sit in the pocket and double-pump, afraid to release the ball because it could result in a turnover. They trusted their eyes and took their shots downfield. Whether they score touchdowns remains to be seen, but no one can accuse them of playing scared.
Jim Trotter: (619) 293-1859; jim.trotter@uniontrib.com
