The Hypothetical GM in you

This is just a hypothetical fun question... I'm sure its been done many many many times before, but now I'm bored, and all the Franchising is pretty much done. SO...

If you were a part of a new expansion franchise where you had to work with 2 other GMs, and you could INSIST and force in just 1 person in the draft and 1 person through Free Agency, who would they be? Any round, anything.

Oh and to make it interesting, you can trade 1 draft pick for a player on another team. (be reasonable... no 7th round for tom brady)

I do this because this is how I dream up Jim Zorn has to deal with the Snyder and Co. (not that I literally think its like this, but sometimes... just maybe... I dunno)

(EDIT: You can pick what pick of the draft you are, just be consistent if you say you want to trade, for example, 10th pick overall picking jake long and trading 2nd round 10th pick for joe shmoe)

:logo:

1st rounder for Peyton Manning.

Free agent - Chad Johnson.

Logic: Quarterback is priority one, and I pick Peyton over Brady because as an expansion franchise, the team's likely going to suck for a few years and it'll be hard keep the stadium full. Peyton Manning is a marketing icon and fan favorite, and Chad Johnson is also an incredible receiver but also someone who will help get people in the stadium. Use the rest of the draft to build the trenches and off you go!

It depends. This is a tough question because I don't know what the team has, or got through the expansion draft.

But, I guess I'd say:

Draft: Chris Long, DE/OLB, Virginia

Free Agent: Marion Barber III (assuming he doesn't resign with Dallas, which I'm sure he will)

I'd probably look at a Joe Flacco, Andre Woodson (if his stock drops due to the Senior Bowl, which I doubt it will), Josh Booty in the second round to be my QB. And then I focus on the lines.

Well if I'm an expansion team, I'll assume I get the number one overall pick, in which case I'm taking Chris Long from UVA.

My free agent pickup will be Albert Haynesworth (I know he's tagged, and I will pay the price).

Yeah, I believe in the whole "building a championship defense" idea.

My first pick would be Glenn Dorsey. I'd start by stopping the run.

Free agent pickup would be Alge Crumpler. He's pretty good and if I'm starting out I need some middle of the field presence + a red zone threat.

Different way to look at it. I'll play.

In my life I have seen expansion drafts, where typically each team is allowed to "protect" a percentage of their players. Definitely not 100%, but greater than 60%. Knowing that, the Tom Brady/Peyton Manning types would all be unavailable to me. However, you can often pick up good players past the "star" players.

This is different than building from an existing team, where you really don't know all you have for QB or RB until you have a quality OL in front of them. So, I'd be stuck finding a RB or a QB with my first pick. Since Marion Barber is not protected, based on projections of the Cowgirls letting him go, I'd probably go with him.

In the draft, The Best OL available for my first pick. That would keep my cap at the bottom so next year, I can play well in FA. And it would help to keep my RB healthy and whoever the other 2 schlemiehel GM's picked.