Trading Down--the 49ers' 1986 Draft (1 Viewer)

[Galbreath34]

I just don't think you can head into a draft saying you want to and will make trading down happen. It's something you react to when possible, whereas trading up you can plan to overvalue, target your teams and figure out ways to sweeten the deal until it hits a breaking point. It's just hard to leverage "I'll take less please", and "don't you wanna move up?" compared to adding more or targeting teams who may be stuck with their main guys already off the board.

By the way, our very own Saints hold the ultimate example of being able to force a trade up with the most infamous trade up in history.

 

[RJ in Lafayette]

A strategic plan to trade down to gain more picks can take as much work and preparation as a plan to trade up. Before the draft, the Saints should have a general idea of which teams looking for what players would be willing to give up what. After the first trade, subsequent trades become less predictable. But New England works the draft moving up and down, often the latter, every year.