Holdouts Make NFL Teams More Willing to Trade No. 1 Pick

If instant impact is what you’re looking for in a No. 1 draft pick, then the Minnesota Vikings got the steal of the 1989 draft in outside linebacker Mike Merriweather. He’s a little old -- Merriweather turns 29 later this month -- but he makes up for that with six previous years of NFL experience.

OK, so Merriweather isn’t a rookie. The Vikings traded the 24th pick of the draft to the Pittsburgh Steelers for the rights to Merriweather, who sat out all of 1988 in a contract dispute. Merriweather received a three-year contract worth $3.3 million, which is the equivalent of a top-10 draft pick, but they were getting proven goods.

So far this season, Merriweather has 53 tackles, three interceptions (one of which he returned for a TD), 2 1/2 sacks, three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. With the exception of Detroit Lions running back Barry Sanders, no other first-round pick has accomplished as much.

Considering the problems with first-round holdouts, it’s more productive, in the short run at least, to trade for a proven player.

“There’s a lot to that,” said former Washington Redskins General Manager Bobby Beathard, who is spending this season as an NBC commentator. “A trade is a ‘buyer beware’ situation, but Merriweather’s contract problem was well-documented. With the slotting procedures (in contract negotiations), too many first-round picks miss training camp and minicamp. When they miss, they rarely contribute. I don’t know that many agents believe missing training camp can hurt you, but it can blow the whole first year.”

There may be veterans who can walk in and play right away, but the learning period is critical to most rookies. The exceptions usually are running backs and some pass rushers, who may rely on instincts and improvisation for success. In Beathard’s opinion, three of this year’s best first-rounders fall into that category: Sanders, Kansas City Chiefs outside linebacker Derrick Thomas and Atlanta Falcons corner back Deion Sanders, whose brightest moments have come on punt and kickoff returns, which also require more pure athletic ability than technique.

“It’s tough for an offensive lineman to break in and make an impact, and few quarterbacks come in the first year and do it,” Beathard said. “For wide receivers, it depends on the system and how tough it is to learn.”

The Cleveland Browns traded their No. 1 pick in 1990 to take Auburn wide receiver Lawyer Tillman with a high second-round pick. Tillman held out through the first game and barely has played. “It’s a wasted season for Lawyer, but at least he’ll be in camp next year,” Browns General Manager Ernie Accorsi said. “The holdout situation is getting to be so extreme that you have to be fortunate to get anything out of the first-round pick. Because of that, we were less reluctant to trade a No. 1 for Tillman and offer some No. 1s for Herschel Walker (who was traded by the Cowboys to the Vikings).”

Accorsi also traded up in the first round to get running back Eric Metcalf, who recently moved into the starting lineup and has begun to have an impact. Metcalf is averaging only 3.3 yards per carry and 5.4 yards per pass reception, but he is averaging 26.4 yards on kickoff returns and has shown a knack for making the big play.

“Metcalf got here the second week of preseason, which was early enough so he could contribute,” Accorsi said. “When he got here, he said, ‘My God, things happen so much faster at this level.’ He’s a weapon. He might get one, one, one, and then break a run for 25 yards. Rather than the classic running back, we drafted him to be a playmaker.”

Of the 28 first-round picks, 17 have become regular starters halfway through their rookie seasons. But only eight -- Lions RB Sanders, Thomas, Deion Sanders, Chargers DE Burt Grossman, Browns RB Metcalf, Broncos FS Steve Atwater, Dolphins FS Louis Oliver and Falcons WR Shawn Collins -- may be said to have made a significant impact.

Four other first-rounders -- Bears CB Donnell Woolford, Bears DE Trace Armstrong, Jets OLB Jeff Lageman and Colts WR Andre Rison -- have shown enough talent to indicate they will be solid performers for years to come. Throw in Cowboys QB Troy Aikman, the No. 1 overall pick, if you expect him to live up to his billing once he gets a decent team around him. Two supplemental draft picks -- Broncos RB Bobby Humphery and Cowboys QB Steve Walsh, both of whom cost a No. 1 pick in 1990 -- have shown long-range potential. In fact, Humphery is the Broncos’ leading rusher with 425 yards, a 3.9 average and 4 TDs.

Rounds 2-11 of the past draft produced another 25 regular starters, counting placekickers and impact punt returners. Of all those players, the five who have made the most significant contributions are Raiders RG Steve Wisniewski, Steelers SS Carnell Lake and Chargers C Courtney Hall, all of whom are second-round picks, and Oilers third-round SS Bubba McDowell and Dolphins fifth-round C Jeff Uhlenhake.

The Lions’ Sanders looks like a shoo-in for offensive rookie of the year. Playing four complete games and parts of three others, he has rushed for 597 yards and a 5.3 average and has caught 12 passes for a 13.0 average. “Barry Sanders is as fine a running back as I’ve ever seen,” Bears Coach Mike Ditka said. Referring to all-time NFL rushing leader Walter Payton, Ditka added, “He reminds me of a guy we used to have. He made us look bad. He’s a great running back.”

The Chiefs’ Thomas has the inside track for defensive rookie of the year honors. He has 42 tackles and 6 1/2 sacks. But he may be challenged by the Broncos’ Atwater, who has 68 tackles, 2 interceptions and 5 passes defensed, and the Oilers’ McDowell, who has 43 tackles, 3 interceptions, 1 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 7 passes defensed and 1 blocked punt. If there were a special-teams award, it would go to the Falcons’ Sanders for his returns.

Half a season hardly is time to evaluate a rookie, because so many of them need time to understand their team’s system and the pro game. But as Beathard noted, “There’s more pressure now on No. 1 picks, because they’re getting more money. You expect more when you make a big investment.”

But Beathard sees the draft as only part of the picture. “The draft is one way to build a team,” Beathard said. “It’s the foundation. But it’s a long, slow process, and there has to be a combination of draft, trades, players acquired on waivers and free agents.”