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2012 NFL Draft: 'Cleveland Did The Right Thing,' According to Vikings GM Rick Spielman

The Pioneer Press had a Q&A with Minnesota Vikings general manager Rick Spielman, who addressed a number of topics (even if he didn't touch a question about the recent arrest of running back Caleb King).

One of the issues discussed was what exactly transpired between the Vikings and Cleveland Browns during the first round of the NFL Draft.

The two teams, as you probably know, swapped picks, with the Browns moving up to No. 3 to get Trent Richardson and the Vikings dropping to No. 4 to get Matt Kalil, who they were expected to take all along at No. 3. The Vikes also landed Cleveland's fourth-, fifth and seventh-round picks.

From the Pioneer Press interview:

BS [Bob Sansevere]: One of the stories flying around is about Cleveland and whether any other team was prepared to trade with you....Was there a deal in place with another team?

RS [Rick Spielman]: 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...

I think both teams benefited from that trade. Cleveland got a very unique running back (Trent Richardson), and it's very important for their offense - and I think we were able to accomplish what we wanted.

Over the weekend, The Cleveland Plain Dealer quoted Browns president Mike Holmgren saying that Cleveland had to pull the trigger on the move and didn't regret the bounty they gave up for Richardson.

For more on the Minnesota Vikings, go to Daily Norseman. You can also get all of your professional football news over at SB Nation's NFL hub, or check out SB Nation's YouTube channel:

Photographs by Micah Taylor, clairity, and Fibonacci Blue used in background montage under Creative Commons. Thank you.