Can't Trust Anyone

On the morning of the 2007 NFL Draft I woke to the news that the broken clavicle of Oklahoma running back Adrian Peterson wasn't healing properly. He might need further surgery. He might miss some of the 2007 season. His rookie training camp was certainly an uncertainty. The worries this news caused likely dropped Peterson into the lap of the Minnesota Vikings with the #7 pick in the draft. I still believe that the Vikings were the source of those Peterson injury rumors. They were the only team that benefited from them. And, once the Vikings had Peterson in Minnesota there was not a thing wrong with that clavicle.

The 2007 NFL Draft was the first Vikings draft for Rick Spielman. He's the general manager and decision maker now. He wasn't the sole decision maker in 2007. The main decider of things was likely head coach Brad Childress. He was just starting his power grab. If there was anything devious going on in the Vikings War Room in 2007, I have a hunch that it came from Spielman. You can't trust anything that guy says. And, I love it. Last year, no one could really put a finger on what exactly the Vikings were going to do with the #3 pick in the draft. Everyone knew about Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III. The draft really seemed to start with the Vikings pick. Most thought that Matt Kalil would be the choice. Spielman left enough doubt about the Vikings interest in Kalil, Oklahoma St. receiver Justin Blackmon, and LSU corner Morris Claiborne that no one knew for sure. The fact that all three played positions of significant need for the team only added to the mystery. Spielman played up this uncertainty to such a point that the Cleveland Browns traded a several picks to Minnesota to move up one spot. The Vikings still got Kalil with the #4 pick and got some extra picks as a bonus. Those extra picks made it possible to trade back into the first round and draft Notre Dame safety Harrison Smith. Based on their rookie seasons Kalil and Smith look like difference making football players. In fact, those two were the start of what looks like a franchise changing draft. A little doubt as a result of Rick Spielman being something less than truthful made that draft possible.

Those are just a couple of examples from the team that I know best. You can not believe anything that you hear this time of the year. The month before the draft it filled with little lies, big lies, and way too many maybe's to put anything down in ink. Some teams are better at hiding their intentions. I like that Spielman really seems to shine at this draft game. I don't really care that I can't figure out what he's doing. I only care about the other 31 NFL teams not having a clue as to what he's up to.