NFL Draft: Vikings say Browns weren’t alone targeting Richardson

It has certainly been far less of a talking point for Browns fans, but the compensation used to move from four to three certainly could have been used elsewhere in the 2012 draft had it not been used to grab Trent Richardson. It is possible that those picks could have been used in the pursuit of Kendall Wright or one of the other receivers in a first round trade-up scenario. Alas, the Browns used those picks to ensure they landed Trent Richardson. Now the Vikings say the Browns were wise to do so. But Vikings General Manager Rick Spielman told the Pioneer Press that if the Vikings didn’t trade down with the Browns, they might have traded down with some other team that wanted Richardson. “We did have offers on the table, I can tell you that. I’m not going to tell you who or what. But I will say Cleveland did the right thing,” Spielman said. “We definitely would have looked at some of the other options.” Granted, Vikings GM Spielman is unlikely to say the opposite even if it is true. ...