Count Lions GM Bob Quinn among those who don’t believe in the concept of the NFL draft smokescreen. He dispelled the notion that they work in the modern NFL during a radio interview on Monday.
Quinn was asked why he didn’t try to create more of an illusion that the Lions were interested in drafting Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa to generate possible trade interest in the pick. The GM quickly dismissed the popular fan notion o the smokescreen.
“Much easier said than done,” Quinn told 97.1 The Ticket in Detroit. “Much, much. How do I know that Tua was their guy? How do I know that they didn’t really want an offensive tackle, which they had talked a lot about. There’s so many maybe’s in that conversation, that is why it doesn’t happen in the NFL.”
Quinn also brought up his close relationship with Miami GM Chris Grier, a Detroit native who cut his management teeth with the New England Patriots like Quinn did.
“We all trust each other as GM’s. I worked with Chris Grier for a year my first year in the league,” Quinn stated. “Chris was in New England in 2000. Ultimately, this is a game of poker. On draft weekend, I take no one’s word. I couldn’t sit there and truthfully for the Lions organization consider something like that because you never know what could happen.”
There were no trades in the first 12 picks of the 2020 NFL Draft, which reinforces that the lack of smokescreen effectiveness extends far beyond Detroit. Nobody was really interested in trading, period.