John Clayton reported on ESPN2 Monday night that the Raiders want to acquire Daunte Culpepper from the Dolphins and then draft Georgia Tech wide out Calvin Johnson with the first overall pick. However, Culpepper likely won’t be available if Miami can’t swing a deal for Chiefs’ quarterback Trent Green, so in essence, Clayton is saying Green will determine the top picks in this weekend’s draft. The only caveat is if a deal for Green can’t be done before draft day, because then Oakland will be “forced” to take LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell.
I’m not buying it.
First of all, no team is forced to do anything on draft day. If you don’t want a player, nobody says you have to take him. Secondly, anyone who watched Culpepper play last year knows a deal involving him shouldn’t be the trump card in whether or not a team signs a backup kicker, yet alone the number one overall pick in the draft. And finally, if the Raiders really want Johnson, they’re going to get him at any cost. They’ll select him, continue to work with Miami after the draft for Culpepper or take Trent Edwards in the second round, etc. I respect Clayton, but no team is going to set a deadline on trying to acquire a quarterback or rush themselves into a pick they don’t want.
