Most notably last year, the Redskins gave up an armful of picks to drat Robert Griffin III. It was a franchise-changing trade for both the Redskins and Rams, who received two extra first-round picks and an extra second. Others were less dramatic. The Browns moved up a spot for Trent Richardson. The Jaguars moved up two spots to get Justin Blackmon.
Some teams traded up to get the exact players they wanted. Baltimore and Denver dropped out of the first round completely, while Tampa Bay and Minnesota got back into the first.
Because of the wide open range of the player rankings in the draft this year, expect a similar number of deals. Here are some moves to watch for:
Kansas City trying to move down
Given how many high first-round picks the Chiefs have been checking out, they're doing their best to try and generate buzz for the first overall pick in the draft. The catch for Kansas City now is that the market for quarterback has been watered down by average veterans. The Raiders, Bills and Cardinals once looked like they may want to move up take Geno Smith. But by adding a veteran quarterback, the perception is that they may not want or need to move up. That could also mean the Jaguars could stick at pick two and get Smith if they want him.
Buffalo Bills moving down
Among the teams drafting in the top 10, arguably no team is harder to peg than the Bills. Could the personnel department in Buffalo be facing the same uncertainty? If so, it could be smart for Buffalo to trade down and accumulate extra picks. Don't forget in the phone call that landed on Deadspin that general manager Buddy Nix implying he wanted to get extra picks, not trade any of the six he possesses.
Miami and Cleveland as perfect trade partners
The key to any draft trade is to beat another team to a player. Miami and Cleveland just make sense. The Dolphins now need a left tackle and there are three good ones in the draft. By the time the Browns pick sixth, Luke Joeckel and Eric Fisher should be gone. After Lane Johnson is gone, the quality at left tackle evaporates. If the Cardinals don't go up from seven for a quarterback, they may sit on getting Lane Johnson. But the Browns, without a second-round pick, may be willing to drop to Miami's spot at 12 to get extra picks.
In general, Miami has plenty of ammunition to move. The Dolphins have five of the first 82 picks in the draft. With those picks, and given how many players they added in free agency, the Dolphins could be active.
Green Bay moving out
The Packers' top needs are running back, tight end and defensive line. By the time they're picking, the best defensive linemen could be off the board. The other positions could be found later in the draft. If a team picking early in the second round really wants a quarterback, they might have to trade back into the first. The No. 26 the Packers have could be a good spot. The cost won't be too great and the Packers could add a fourth-round pick.
New England adding picks
Currently, the Patriots have five picks in the draft. Under Bill Belichick, the least amount of picks the Patriots have had in a draft is six, and that was in 2002. Over the past three years, the Patriots have used 38 picks. It would be surprising to not see the Patriots move round and get back into the third round.
San Francisco moving up
The 49ers not only have one of the most talented rosters in the NFL, but they have the most picks in the draft. Notably, they have picks 31 and 34. Those two high-value picks could be packaged if the 49ers want to move into the early 20s. A starting safety is San Francisco's greatest need. They could jump up to take someone like Jonathan Cyprien of Florida International.
Baltimore moving
It's clear the Ravens need a middle linebacker. Do they trade up for the one they really want? If so, they might want to move ahead of Houston and Denver, which have picks 27 and 28, respectively. Or does general manager Ozzie Newsome drop some from 32 and let Kevin Minter or Manti Te'o fall to him? This could be another spot where a team trades into this pick to take a quarterback.
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