The new rookie salary system led to a wild night of NFL draft trades. Six teams swapped high first-round picks on Thursday night. Shutdown Corner breaks down the trades.
Cleveland Browns receive: No. 3 pick (Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama)
Minnesota Vikings receive: No 4 pick (Matt Kalil, T, USC), fourth-round pick (No. 118), fifth-round pick (No. 139), seventh-round pick (No. 211)
Why did the Browns trade three picks to move up one spot? They must have been afraid that another team would vault them to take Richardson, the Crimson Tide running back. Cleveland needs running back help and the Alabama product was the best available. He won the Doak Walker Award as the nation's best college running back and broke the rushing record set in 2010 by his Hesiman Trophy-winning teammate Mark Ingram. Imagine Minnesota's good fortune. The Vikes got the player they coveted most and were handed three additional picks for the privilege.
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Jacksonville Jaguars receive: No. 5 pick (Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers receive: No. 7 pick (Mark Barron, S, Alabama) and fourth-round pick (No. 101)
The top receiver gets swapped for the top safety for a much smaller ransom than Cleveland had to give up for the top running back.
Dallas Cowboys receive: No. 6 pick (Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU)
St. Louis Rams receive: No. 14 pick and second-round pick (No. 45)
For moving down from No. 2 to No. 14, the Rams received the No. 39 and No. 45 pick in this year's draft and the Washington Redskins' first-round picks in 2013 and 2014. The 'Skins traded up last month to get to No. 2 to select Robert Griffin III and Jerry Jones swapped a number of picks on Thursday in order to get the corner help that his Cowboys desperately need. Each team involved in those trades will be thrilled with the outcome.
The Jaguars moved up from the No. 7 pick to No. 5 in a trade with Tampa Bay. Jacksonville grabbed Oklahoma State wide receiver Justin Blackmon to provide a weapon to last year's first round pick, quarterback Blaine Gabbert.
True to form, the Cowboys weren't afraid to shake things up. The jumped from No. 14 to No. 6 in a trade with St. Louis to draft LSU defensive back Morris Claiborne.
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