The Architecture of a Draft Pick

Peter King gives the interesting backstory to the Jets uncharacteristic draft-day trade for USC quarterback Mark "Dirty Jerz" Sanchez, which may or may not spark the middling franchise into NFL relevancy, depending on who you ask. The dramatic--and complicated--trade almost didn't happen, according to King, because of an obscure clause in the collective bargaining agreement concerning trade centerpiece Abram Elam, the cornerback who signed an offer sheet with the Browns in March, only to have it matched by the Jets a few weeks later.   

Elam was the apple of Mangini's eye in the deal. In March, the Browns signed Elam, a restricted free-agent, to a one-year, $1.5-million offer sheet. The Jets, loaded with safeties, still matched it. And last Friday, when Tannenbaum and Mangini were talking conditional trade, Elam's name was front and center. He'd have to be in the deal for it to work for the Browns.

Not so fast, [Dawn] Aponte [the Browns' capwoman] said. She remembered an obscure article in the CBA -- Article XIX of Veteran Free Agency, Section 3 (h). It said: "If a Club exercises its right of first refusal and matches an offer sheet, that club may not trade that player to the Club that submitted the offer sheet for at least one calendar year, unless the player consents to such trade.''

Aponte told Mangini the consent would have to be in writing. 

[snip]

On Saturday, the draft got to Cleveland's pick. The Browns were set on moving down, and they pulled the trigger. The deal got approved by the league when it looked over the paperwork and saw Elam's signature on the legal document approving the trade.

I don't know enough about the Jets to comment in full about their beleaguered history, but it seems to me this kind of thing usually doesn't work out in their favor. Maybe things are finally looking up for Jersey's other hometown team.