Bob Romanski, the Raiders’ longtime equipment manager, had more than an inkling Jeanty would approach him when he made his first post-draft visit to the facility. After all, Jeanty made his mark wearing the number as a Heisman Trophy finalist at Boise State and his nickname of “Deuce” was well known.<\/p>\n
So when Jeanty, the day after being the sixth pick in the draft, asked Romanski about No. 2, Romanski was quick with the reply.<\/p>\n
“Your best bet,” Romanski said, “is to talk to Daniel.”<\/p>\n
Romanski also had to do background work with the NFL to check if a player giving up a number already had “a large number of jerseys” in the marketplace. If so, said player giving up the number would have to “buy out” the outstanding jerseys.<\/p>\n
“It happened a few years back with a former player when 100,000 jerseys were out there,” Romanski said.<\/p>\n
Carlson, though, was in the clear.<\/p>\n
“I just introduce them and let them figure it out,” Romanski added. “And when Daniel says it’s a go, it’s a go.”<\/p>\n
First, a serious game of phone tag.<\/p>\n
Because after getting Carlson’s contact info from Romanski, Jeanty made the call to a waiting Carlson. The two texted back and forth for a week as they discussed potential terms for the swap.<\/p>\n
“My big thing was, I didn’t want to draw this out,” Carlson said. “If you want the number, that’s fine. We can figure out what makes sense, what’s fair.<\/p>\n
“Hey, man, he’s our first-round draft pick. We’re really hoping he’s going to be a great player, I’ve heard he’s a great person.”<\/p>\n
Tales of bartering among and buying numbers from new teammates across the league border from the ridiculous to the sublime.<\/p>\n
“Yeah, a lot of bad stories out there,” Carlson said. “Guys being like, ‘I want the number. I should have the number. I’m big-dogging you.’<\/p>\n
Definitely not like when Clinton Portis and Ifeanyi Ohalete went to court over the $40,000 Portis promised him for No. 26 with Washington in 2004, or the all-expenses-paid family trip to Florida Eli Manning gave Giants punter Jeff Feagles for No. 10 that same year.<\/p>\n
Or the $50,000 Darrelle Revis paid Mark Barron for No. 24 with the Buccaneers in 2013.<\/p>\n