Browns President Mike Holmgren disputed a report that the Browns got fooled into trading up a spot with the Vikings to draft Trent Richardson. He did insist that the Browns not let Richardson slip away.
Browns President Mike Holmgren saw to it that the Browns didn't let Trent Richardson slip away.CLEVELAND -- Browns President Mike Holmgren disputed a report that the Browns got fooled into trading up to No. 3 with the Vikings to draft Trent Richardson.
Mike Freeman of cbsports.com reported Friday that several team executives told him the Vikings were bluffing in regards to multiple teams trying to trade up to No. 3 to draft the Alabama running back.
Freeman reported that the Browns were the only team to buy the fake, giving up fourth, fifth and seventh-round picks to move up one spot.
"Contrary to what was written and said yesterday, we had to compete,'' said Holmgren. "We weren’t the Lone Ranger in that deal.''
Vikings general manager Rick Spielman told ESPN Friday morning that multiple teams were after the pick, even hours before the draft.
But Holmgren had stressed to general manager Tom Heckert and coach Pat Shurmur not to let Richardson slip away.
"You don’t want to be up there, really,'' he said. "But we were up there so it was very, very important who we chose there. That’s why we targeted Trent. We didn’t want to lose him.
“My conversations with Pat and Tom were 'if you even think somebody is going to is jump us, then what are we going to do to prevent that from happening? We had that conversation many, many times – how far were we willing to go to do this? Tom did a masterful job of setting that thing up. I thought it was an excellent trade because we got the player who, Lord willing, stay healthy and all those things, is going to be a really fine player for us for a long time.''
Later, when asked if he had a larger role in this draft, Holmgren said it was just the opposite. He did, however describe his involvement in one of the weekend's decisions.
"I won’t tell you exactly what it’s about, but this is typical of what might happen,'' he said. "I said, ‘Tom, do you want to do this?’ He said, ‘I don’t think I do. I think it’s too much or too strong or whatever.’ I said, ‘well, we might have to.’ And he goes, ‘well, if we have to, then you’ve got to tell me, because I won’t do it.’ And I said, ‘OK, then I might have to tell you. Fine.'''
Holmgren did not specify if the debate centered around the trade for Richardson.
"But that’s a healthy way to go about it,'' Holmgren said. "No one’s strangling anybody or pushing anybody and we talked about that, and Pat’s kind of the peacemaker in the group. We all have our moments, but it’s real healthy and I trust them a lot.”
Source: http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2012/04/mike_holmgren_disputes_that_cl.html
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