Carl Peterson Let Herm Edwards Pick Brandon Carr As A Birthday Present

Carl Peterson, former GM of the Kansas City Chiefs, let his then head coach Herm Edwards select CB Brandon Carr in the 5th round of the 2008 NFL draft as a birthday present.

Or so we’re hearing from The Dallas Morning News:

"Most NFL general managers missed that memo. Carr ran a 4.43 40-yard dash and turned in a 35-inch vertical jump at his Pro Day workouts in 2008, yet he wasn’t projected to be selected before the sixth round.That changed after the Kansas City Chiefs used one of their 30 pre-draft visits on him. Chiefs coach Herman Edwards, a Philadelphia Eagles defensive back for nine seasons, immediately became interested.Unlike most, Edwards saw a player who could contribute in Week 1. So, when the fifth round rolled around and Chiefs general manager Carl Peterson and his staff allowed Edwards, who was celebrating his 54th birthday, to make the pick as a birthday present, the decision was easy.“I want Brandon Carr,” Edwards recalls telling the group. “I promise you this: By opening day, he’ll be starting.”"

2008 was a draft that nabbed the Chiefs a number of important players. The team had traded away Jared Allen to the Minnesota Vikings in order to obtain more picks for their rebuild. The Chiefs ended up drafting 12 players. They hit on their first four with Glenn Dorsey, Branden Albert, Brandon Flowers and Jamaal Charles. Later they nabbed Carr in the 5th and Barry Richardson in the 6th.

Despite the influx of talent, Herm and Carl had done enough damage to the roster that the team was gutted. KC went 2-14 and both men hit the road.

While this pick worked out, I can’t help but wonder what other whacky strategies Peterson came up with for drafting some of his most memorable picks. Magic Eight Ball? Throwing darts at pictures? Consulting a fortune teller?