GREEN BAY — Ted Thompson wouldn't say for sure, but you knew that the Cleveland Browns called him. You knew it.

You knew it by the sly smile that creased the Green Bay Packers always-coy general manager's face after he selected Alabama safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix with the 21st overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft Thursday night.

"Um," Thompson said when asked directly if the Browns had called him. "We talked to a number of teams."

Smile.

And one of those teams just had to be the Browns, who moments after the Packers' selection of Clinton-Dix traded up from No. 26 to No. 22, giving the Philadelphia Eagles their third-round pick (No. 83 overall) to move up four spots to take Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel with the 22nd pick.

Had the Packers accepted the same deal, they would have had their choice of the other safeties who went in the first round — Washington State's Deone Bucannon, who went 27th to Arizona, and Northern Illinois' Jimmie Ward, who went 30th to San Francisco — while adding the 83 rd pick to their existing second-day picks at Nos. 53, 86 and 98.

Instead, Thompson stayed put, allowing the Packers to fill a need a position that had been glaringly inadequate.

Asked if he expected Clinton-Dix to be available at No. 21 — especially after Alabama inside linebacker C.J. Mosley, Ohio State inside linebacker Ryan Shazier and Louisville safety Calvin Pryor all came off the board before the Packers went on the clock, Thompson replied; "We try not to anticipate too much of anything because you wind up with a broken heart, but ... we thought there was a chance, yeah."

Jason Wilde  wrote:

Well, that tells you how much Ted loved Dix right there. Had a chance to pick up a 3rd believing he could've gotten Ward or Deone, instead, and ultimately decided he didn't want another swing in 3rd round when he's a guy who LOVE his extra picks.

That is a fair and fun debate to have... would you have taken the 3rd and gone down a few spots and taken one of those other 2 safeties in this deep draft? Having pick 83 and one of the other two guys sounds better to me.

Originally Posted by: uffda udfa 

Well, that tells you how much Ted loved Dix right there. Had a chance to pick up a 3rd believing he could've gotten Ward or Deone, instead, and ultimately decided he didn't want another swing in 3rd round when he's a guy who LOVES his extra picks.

That is a fair and fun debate to have... would you have taken the 3rd and gone down a few spots and taken one of those other 2 safeties in this deep draft? Having pick 83 and one of the other two guys sounds better to me.

Originally Posted by: uffda udfa 

I probably would have made the deal. I don't think CD is that much better and to get another 3rd would have been nice.

Originally Posted by: wpr 

But then it goes back to taking "just guys" vs. a potential All-Pro player.

I said earlier that if Ted didn't trade down, he will have landed what he believes will be a very special player. I think that is exactly what happened, especially with other teams offering trades for the #21. Ted stated two teams wanted to trade into the 21 to take Clinton-Dix.

Thrilled to have such a complete player at Safety, a player projected to be a top 10 talent.

This could be a pick of the ages for GB and Ted Thompson.

Originally Posted by: play2win 

yep and I am not in favor of just regular guys. I don't know if CD will be All Pro or not.

Originally Posted by: wpr 

Ah, but some of us believe those who will be available at pick #81 are not "just guys". That the "gap" between them and HaHa is not as big as "the difference between a player of the ages and just a guy."

Mid-third round this year has options mid-third rarely has.

Originally Posted by: Wade 

And, we have two picks in the 3rd with plenty of ammo to trade back up there at will. We'll be fine. We've got 4 highly trade able picks -after- round 3, along with our R2 and two R3s. It's not like we won't be able to play in R2 and R3...

Passing on a guy who is on most big boards top 10-15 at 21 seems like it would have been a bad move. Especially when the position CD plays is one of your team's greatest needs.

Originally Posted by: play2win