DAVE GETTLEMAN: We made a trade back. Obviously is was too good an opportunity. It added too much value, and we felt very comfortable with where our board was and we felt comfortable with who would be there, who would be available in that slot. So we made it. We did it. So we added a 1 and a 4 or -- a 1 and 5 next year, or 1 and a 4 this year, or vice versa. Another pick for this year and another pick for next year. We were very pleased we were able to make the play.
As far as Kadarius is concerned, one of the off-season goals was to add weapons on offense and Kadarius, certainly he's a good-size kid. He's strong. He can run. He catches the ball well and he's a very tough kid and he's got return skills. So we were thrilled that he was there for us at that spot. So that's where we're at.
Q. How surprised are you by the Eagles making a trade with the Cowboys to get ahead of you? I know you mentioned division teams don't really trade. The way they got Smith, how much did that influence your decision to move back?
DAVE GETTLEMAN: That was part of it. Howie is not afraid to trade with anybody. I had a conversation with him earlier in the week and he said, "Dave, do you have any problems trading with me"?
I said, "No, if it works for both of us, it works for both of us." They made the trade and we decided to trade back.
Q. How much stronger do you guys view next year's class compared to this one and how important was it for you to get that additional first-round pick next year?
DAVE GETTLEMAN: It was very important it. Was very important to get the first round pick next year. As I told you guys at my pre-draft presser, there's a lot of unknowns here with this group and plus a lot of kids went back and took advantage of the NCAA, giving them an additional year of eligibility. That obviously played into our thinking.
Q. Can you explain how things work with Chicago? How did it work when you guys were actually on the clock?
DAVE GETTLEMAN: What happened was we had called around and you do that calling and whatever and I had spoken to Ryan Pace, and I had heard he was interested in moving up, so I called him. When I spoke to him, he said, "Yes, we're very interested." And then the conversations begin, you know.
I spoke to Ryan today before the Draft and I spoke to him again. He called me again somewhere around the 7th pick, somewhere in there and then we got on the clock and from there, Kevin Abrams took over and finished off the trade.
Q. How close was your group at 20? Was it an obvious choice? Were there three or four guys?
DAVE GETTLEMAN: No, he was the next guy up for us. He was the next guy.
Q. If there were other people at 11, you would not have made the trade. Did the fact that there were only three quarterbacks taken kind of force your hand here a little bit and is it a little bit disarming when you see two cornerbacks come off the board, two Alabama receivers come off the board and you're thinking, I'm going to get this guy, I'm going to get this guy and you realize, I'm not getting any of them, we have to pivot to Plan B here.
DAVE GETTLEMAN: We had really talked this through, me, Joe, Chris Mara, Tim McDonald, Kevin Abrams and Mark Koncz, we had all discussed thoroughly, really looked at our board. We had a lengthy meeting on Monday and we followed it up with another meeting on Wednesday and so we really -- we knew what we wanted. We knew where we wanted to go and we knew at which point we would consider a trade back and that's where you get the other piece of it where we're calling teams behind us.
So we had thoroughly -- and then we met again at 6 o'clock tonight to just constantly review and talk it through and it was a great group effort and we all felt very -- we all felt very together on the decision. And we made it.
Q. Do you think Toney is a step down from that cluster of Alabama receivers? Is he close?
DAVE GETTLEMAN: We're thrilled to have him. We're thrilled to have Kadarius Toney, okay. He is a big kid. He's a good-sized kid who with can fly. He's got really good hands. He's got great run-after-catch skills. We're thrilled to have him.
Q. When a quarterback like Aaron Rodgers is pressuring his team to trade him, do you call over to a team and say, what's going on, just due diligence?
DAVE GETTLEMAN: No, it's none of my business. Very frankly, we've told you guys over and over and over again, we believe in Daniel. It would have cost -- it's going to cost a mother load for anybody to get him -- even though he's 37 years old, anyhow.
Q. Were you surprised by the Eagles moving up ahead of you, but not only moving up ahead of you, but with the Cowboys? Seems like it's rare in-division like that and going for a receiver and taking one right there.
DAVE GETTLEMAN: I think I said it earlier. Howie is not afraid to trade with people in the division. Howie called me and I told him, I said, "Yeah, I got no problem trading with you." It's a business deal. That's what it is. It's a business deal. And one hand washes the other, so obviously Dallas was happy with their return. So they made the trade with Philly. It's not a big deal.
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