The general manager of a struggling NFL team weighs the options of how to fix his team through the upcoming draft. Sonny Weaver Jr.'s life as the general manager of the Cleveland Browns is currently beyond challenging. The city hates him for firing his dad, a beloved coach in the city, the year before, and this year his father died. His boss, the owner of the team, is pressuring him to make a big move in the draft in order to increase ticket sales. His co-worker and secret girlfriend, Ali, has just revealed that she's pregnant, terrible timing with the draft the next day and the death of his own father fresh in his memory. The Browns have the 7th pick in the draft, with two names on Weaver's mind: Vontae Mack, a defensive sack machine from Ohio State who will slip several spots if the Browns don't pick him, and Ray Jennings, the son of famous Brown Earl Jennings, who is a talented running back but got into a terrible bar fight, bringing up some potential character issues. When Weaver is offered a trade by the Seattle Seahawks, who will give Weaver the number one pick for the Browns' next three first round picks, he pulls the trigger and accepts. This gives Cleveland a shot at Bo Callahan, a quarterback from Wisconsin who is considered by all pundits to be the safest future all-star possible in this draft. Cleveland's current quarterback, Brian Drew, is talented but injury-prone, yet upon hearing the news of the trade, Drew is furious, as he feels he is healthier than ever. The team's coach, Vince Penn, is also furious, as he desperately wanted a running back like Jennings-- and he despises the notion of working with a rookie quarterback. Although Callahan is considered a slam dunk, Weaver finds out some character issues: none of Callahan's teammates went to his 21st birthday, and he finds out about a lie Callahan told the Redskins when he was asked about their playbook. As a result, on the night of the draft, Weaver picks Vontae Mack without telling anyone, earning the fury of everyone in the room. However, when Callahan slips in the draft as a result of being inexplicably passed on, Weaver sees an opportunity to make more moves. He trades for the sixth pick, and then offers it to Seattle so they can draft Bo Callahan... but only if they give Cleveland all their picks back, plus an additional asset. Seattle reluctantly agrees, takes Callahan, and Weaver takes Ray Jennings with the seventh pick. Weaver in the blink of an eye goes from goat to hero, and he finally goes public with his relationship with Ali, leading to a fresh start and new hope for the new season in Cleveland.
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Best part of story, including ending:
This is a fine film-- not especially comedic or dramatic, but toeing the line decently enough, and it's anchored by an appealingly earnest performance from Costner.
Best scene in story:
When Mack discovers he's been picked first, Chadwick Boseman does a beautiful job with the emotional response his character has to the news.
Opinion about the main character:
Sonny Weaver Jr. has his complexities, while remaining boringly likable. This is the type of role Costner excels at playing.
