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Trade winds are blowing Market to move into top 10 isn't there this year
Every year before the NFL Draft, there's talk about teams wanting to trade down out of the Top 10. Usually, it's just posturing, but this year it's the truth. The problem is there aren't too many teams eager to move up, and there are several reasons why. First off, the prevailing opinion about this draft is that are few if any players with true star potential. Michael Vick is the consensus top pick and yet he's not projected to play for at least two years. So the number of teams willing to pay San Diego the going rate of extra picks and possibly a starter is probably zero. After Vick, every pick is debatable, but one thing for sure is that no one wants to pay the kind of money the next four picks will command. Teams like Missouri defensive end Justin Smith, Florida defensive tackle Gerard Warren, Michigan receiver David Terrell, N.C. State wideout Koren Robinson, and TCU running back LaDainian Tomlinson. But if you take a look at the deals last year's top five received, you can see why most teams are skittish about making such a huge investment. And you can add in another 10 percent -- that's the increase we normally see every year in the NFL.
So what's a team looking to trade down to do when it can't find any takers? The thinking around the league is that you can't go wrong if you think big. In fact, as many as five linemen could be chosen in the first 10 picks, players who over time should be able to contribute for at least the length of their contract. They may not be as flashy or familiar to fans as some of the skill-position big names, but it's kind of like passing on a Jaguar in favor of a truck. You know that it's built to take a pounding and it's a safer bet that it's going to last. Pat Kirwan, who spent 12 years as a pro football coach, scout and personnel administrator, is an NFL analyst for CNN/Sports Illustrated and a regular contributor to CNNSI.com. Chat with Pat at 1 p.m. EDT Wednesdays.
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