Ziegler on What Goes Into Moving Up or Down in the Draft

The Las Vegas Raiders are in a convenient position to potentially acquire a high-quality quarterback in this year's NFL Draft.

That could come with their seventh overall pick or trading up for perhaps the No. 1 pick.

When he spoke at the NFL Combine on Tuesday, Raiders General Manager Dave Ziegler went in-depth on what the decisions behind trading up or down typically entail.

"Well, in both approaches, on a very basic level -- to trade up specifically, you have to have, obviously, someone who you want to go do that for," Ziegler said. "And then you have to weigh the cost of doing business to do that. And so, I think what you really have to weigh in those situations is how you value the player and the cost that it's going to take to get that player. Because once you move up, typically, you're subtracting other draft picks, which are other players. And so, that's the thing that you have to weigh between those two things. In terms of moving back -- we moved back a couple of times, I believe last year. We moved up a couple of times, also. But in terms of moving back, usually, when you're in a draft spot, you can be anywhere from maybe two to four players who you feel really comfortable taking at that spot.

"And so, I think the moving back portion is you get to that point, someone's calling up, and you're looking like: 'Hey, we're going to get one of these four players or one of these three players if we move back three slots, per se.' Do you know what I mean? And so there, you're kind of just evaluating the risk/reward and the gamble of those players being there if you move back. There's a lot of, I'd say, intelligence that goes into trying to answer those questions based on what you feel the needs of other teams are, things that you've learned about maybe what the direction other teams are going to go. And so, you try to have some insight beyond just your gut in those situations. But I think that's kind of the dichotomy there of those two decisions that you have to weigh."

The 2023 NFL Draft will go from April 27-29 and be held at Union Station in Kansas City, Mo. March 7, 2023, before 4 p.m. EST, is the club's deadline to designate Franchise or Transition Players.

March 13-15 is the free agent negotiation period. Starting at 12 p.m. EDT on March 13 and ending at 3:59:59 p.m. EDT on March 15, clubs are permitted to contact and enter into contract negotiations with the certified agents of players who will become Unrestricted Free Agents upon the expiration of their 2022 Player Contracts at 4 p.m. EDT on March 15.

The 2023 NFL Year and Free Agency period begins at 4 p.m. EDT on March 15. The Raiders are expected to be significant players in the free-agent market this season.

Please tell us your thoughts when you like our Facebook Page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.