Seventeen years ago, a very real first-round trade happened between the Chargers and Giants, with quarterbacks Eli Manning and Philip Rivers swapping cities after being selected. On Monday morning, a fake tweet from the Chargers’ Twitter account showed the Chargers packaging a third-round pick (No. 77 overall) with the 13th selection to trade up two spots with the Giants, to No. 11.
The fake tweet, characterized as a supposedly deleted tweet from the Chargers, became a deleted tweet from Pro Football Focus (as noticed by Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.) Others noted the deleted Chargers tweet, include the fact that it’s supposedly a fake. TheBigLead.com takes a look at how it all happened.
If it actually were a precursor to an actual trade, the timing would have been extremely odd. Usually, a trade up happens with a specific player or a small range of players in mind. At No. 11, there’s no guarantee the Chargers would get whoever it is they’d be targeting. It would make far more sense to make that selection when the Giants are on the clock.
A trade like that, coming three days before the draft, would only make sense as a stepping-stone transaction a precursor to another move. If, for example, the Chargers eventually want to get in position to eventually give quarterback Justin Herbert the reunion he wants with Oregon tackle Penei Sewell, perhaps it would be easier if they come to the table with pick No. 11, not No. 13.
Regardless, it was all fake. And it serves as another reminder that, in April, it makes sense to be on guard against practical jokes well beyond the first day of the month.