The first round of the NFL draft will dictate the direction of multiple franchises across the league.
That direction, like inertia, can be positive or stagnant.
The Tennessee Titans pushed their chips -- and pointed their direction -- with quarterback Marcus Mariota. The Atlanta Falcons targeted their biggest need and drafted pass-rusher Vic Beasley, the former Clemson star from Adairsville, Ga.
Every team this morning is looking at what they landed and what is available.
Jay GreesonRest assured, the biggest building weekend of the NFL is upon us. The draft gives every team a chance to address its weaknesses and embrace its shortcomings.
Whether your favorite team is a Super Bowl contender or a bottom feeder, there is value to be found in every round through Saturday's conclusion of the draft.
It's an odd phenomenon, this NFL draft. It's a multiple-million-dollar game of chess mixed with dominoes.
Try explaining it to someone who is a low-key sports fan, and he or she will think you are watching a high-dollared bingo game.
But the drama and the intrigue trickles down, each pick leading to the next decision.
Buddy Nix, the longtime former Buffalo general manager who declined a trip to Thursday's draft, said on "Press Row" on ESPN 105.1 FM that he was unsure if he'd watch the first round. That's the stress level it carries, he said.
Nix said Thursday afternoon that the actual moving pieces before the action that is the draft is crazy and sets the tone.
"It's every bit as competitive as the game itself," Nix said. "Most of the time, (Thursday) would be spent on the phone seeing what you can get and what moves you could make.
"The trades that happen affect what everyone does."
There were more than 40 trades combined during the first round of the draft in the last three years. Despite a lot of hand-wringing and consternation, the first trade happened when San Diego moved up two spots to take Melvin Gordon, the record-setting running back from Wisconsin.
The lack of movement actually allowed the draft to play out rather predictably.
And that lack of wheeling and dealing meant that several teams were left waiting-and-seeing if the player they wanted would be there when their turn arrived.
"Most of the negotiating and bickering and trade talks are done right before the draft and have been going on all day today," Nix said. "I think Tennessee is in a great position. You consider everything. Getting the franchise quarterback trumps everything, and I think that's true, but what you don't know is what they think of Zach Mettenberger and whether they think Zach or Mariota is the guy.
"I know this, that what Tennessee does will affect the whole draft."
The Titans' decision did affect the whole draft and the cascading flow from there. While there's no certainty that Mariota can't be dealt in the days to come, it looks like the Titans again have rolled the dice in hopes of landing a franchise quarterback.
In truth, the verdict on that pick will not be known for a while, here'a a quick look at some of the teams that can feel good and frustrated about Thursday's results:
The good
Oakland. The Raiders filled their biggest need with the best wide receiver in the draft in Amari Cooper. That's a first-round home run.
The ACC. Out of the first 16 picks, the Atlantic Coast Conference had six first-round picks, including top overall selection Jameis Winston. The vaunted Southeastern Conference had three.
Beats by Dre. The headphones manufacturer signed Winston, Mariota and Cooper to pre-draft deals. All three did not attend the draft, which allowed them to wear the Beats by Dre product on live national TV.
The bad
The Titans. They had a chance to redraft their future and, barring a late trade, they are putting their coins in the basket of guy everyone "hopes" is a franchise guy. Plus, there's the karma factor: No quarterback picked No. 2 overall ever has won a Super Bowl.
The Rams. OK, there's a lot to love about Todd Gurley, but the Rams have multiple running backs on the roster who have had NFL success. This picks screams that the Rams wanted to make a move and couldn't get it done.
Roger Goodell. The NFL commissioner mispronounced Marcus Mariota's name. Marcus Mariota. Dude only won the Heisman, for crying out loud. Well, since Roger is making only like $3.5 million a month, maybe we should not expect the moon.
Contact Jay Greeson at jgreeson@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6343. Follow him on Twitter at jgreeson@timesfreepress.com. His "Right to the Point" column appears on A2 on Monday, Thursday and Saturday, and his sports columns are scheduled to run Tuesday and Friday. Read his online column "The 5-at-10" weekdays starting at 10 a.m. at timesfreepress.com.