Trade Tracker: Chargers end Te'o's slide
After an excruciating slide from a potential top 10 pick in December all the way out of the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft, Manti Te'o can take some solace in the fact the San Diego Chargers thought enough of the former Notre Dame star to swing a trade to select him with the 38th overall pick Friday.
The Chargers swapped second-round picks with the Arizona Cardinals, who slid back to the No. 45 overall pick and added the No. 110 overall pick as well. San Francisco selected LSU inside linebacker Kevin Minter with the first of those two picks.
Other Trades:
--The San Francisco 49ers entered Day 2 of the NFL Draft with 11 picks over the final six rounds, but waited less than 10 minutes to trade the No. 34 overall pick to the Tennessee Titans.
The Titans scooped up a local product in wide receiver Justin Hunter, giving third-year quarterback Jake Locker another young downfield threat to pair with 2012 rookie Kendall Wright, who could now move to the slot role. Tennessee also has veterans Kenny Britt, Nate Washington and Kevin Walter, who was added in free agency.
The 49ers received the No. 40 and No. 216 overall picks this year and a third-round pick in 2014 in exchange. They used the No. 40 pick on Florida State defensive end Tank Carradine, an excellent pass rusher who is coming off an ACL injury. Carradine entered the draft as the No. 30-ranked prospect overall and the No. 4 defensive end by NFLDraftScout.com.
San Francisco later acquired Green Bay's No. 55 overall pick to land Rice tight end Vance McDonald to help replace the free-agent loss of Delanie Walker.
The Packers received the No. 61 overall pick and the No. 173 pick in the sixth round. General manager Ted Thompson quickly jumped on a gift in the former of Alabama running back Eddie Lacy, NFLDraftScout.com's top-rated running back who plummeted from a potential late first-round pick to No. 61 overall due to concerns over his hamstring, knee and perception he was out of shape at his pro day.
Green Bay finished last season with Cedric Benson on injured reserve and a mishmash of Ryan Grant, Alex Green, DuJuan Harris and James Starks combining for a punchless ground game.
The teams weren't done dealing, with the 49ers trading up for the Packers' No. 88 overall pick and getting Auburn defensive end Corey Lemonier. Green Bay got the No. 93 and No. 216 picks, quickly dealing the No. 93 to the Miami Dolphins, who selected Utah State cornerback Will Davis.
--The Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens moved into the No. 56 overall spot to select Kansas State linebacker Arthur Brown. The 42nd overall prospect by NFLDraftScout.com, Brown has an immediate opportunity with the Ravens, who lost Ray Lewis to retirement and Dannell Ellerbe to free agency. Brown is a Miami native and the brother of Philadelphia Eagles running back Bryce Brown.
The Ravens sent the final pick in the round, No. 62 overall, to the Seattle Seahawks, along with the 165th (fifth round) and 199th (sixth rounds) picks. The Seahawks turned around and added to their loaded backfield with Texas A&M running back Christine Michael, a powerful runner who joins Marshawn Lynch and Robert Turbin.
--The New York Jets traded their fourth-round pick, the 106th overall, for New Orleans Saints running back Chris Ivory. A reserve for the Saints who has struggled to stay healthy, Ivory is a bruising running back who has an opportunity to take hold of the lead role with the Jets, who entered the draft with Bilal Powell, Mike Goodson and Joe McKnight in the backfield. They are negotiating a multi-year deal with Ivory, according to ESPN.
--The Cleveland Browns acquired wide receiver Davone Bess from the Miami Dolphins along with the 111th and 217th overall picks in exchange for the Browns' fourth-round draft choice (104th overall) and fifth-round pick choice (164) in this year's draft.
Bess, 27, has 321 receptions in 77 career games through five seasons and is known as one of the league's more dependable slot receivers. However, the Dolphins signed Mike Wallace in free agency and the teams had been discussing a potential deal involving Bess in the days leading up to the draft.
The Browns have youngsters in Josh Gordon, Travis Benjamin, Josh Cooper, Greg Little, David Nelson and Jordan Norwood. But they lost Mohamed Massaquoi in free agency and needed a dependable veteran who can also man the slot position.
"Davone was a consummate professional on the field and a model representative of the team off it through all of his charitable activities," said Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland. "He joined the Dolphins as an undrafted free agent and worked hard to become one of the team's most popular and respected players. We want to wish him the best of luck with the Browns."
--The Dolphins also sent their No. 82 pick to the Saints, who selected Georgia defensive tackle John Jenkins. The Dolphins received the No. 106 and 109 picks in the fourth round.
