The St. Louis Rams are widely expected to trade the No. 2 overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft. The Colts will likely take Andrew Luck No. 1, which means next-best quarterback prospect Robert Griffin III will be available with the second pick. The Redskins are said to be interested in the pick and other teams in the top 10 like the Browns and Dolphins have been connected, as well.
NFL Draft 2012: Rams Could Trade No. 2 Pick Sooner Rather Than Later
NFL Network’s Jason La Canfora reports via multiple sources that the Rams could trade the pick much sooner than April’s draft, perhaps as soon as March when free agency opens.
That makes a lot of sense, especially if the Rams are trying to maximize their leverage. Once free agency starts, Matt Flynn and Peyton Manning will be signed, which would leave two fewer teams looking for quarterbacks. Simple supply and demand tells us the price tag on the second pick should drop after those two guys are signed, because fewer teams will be looking for a quarterback. Then again, you could find the desperate team that missed out on Flynn and Manning and hike up the price. It's hard to predict how teams will react during draft season.
I think the best time to do it would be shortly after free agency starts, as teams weigh their options with Flynn or Manning versus the prospects of trading up with St. Louis to get RG3.
Rams COO Kevin Demoff told SI’s Peter King recently that there are several periods in which the pick could be traded -- right as free agency starts, before Manning and Flynn sign; around Baylor’s pro day in March, when the RG3 hype will pick up again; right before the NFL draft in April.
The trade rumors surrounding that No. 2 pick are out of control this year. I don’t remember a situation in which we saw so much trade talk floating around in February and early March. The Rams really should push to get the pick traded in the next few weeks and be done with it.
For more on the Rams and the 2012 NFL draft, visit SB Nation’s Rams blog, Turf Show Times. And for St. Louis sports, check out SB Nation St. Louis.
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