Why the top of the draft isn't where you want to be - The Orange Mane

watermock · 03-10-2005, 04:24 AM

I have talked about this before, this year, it's even worse. Not only is there alot of dispute who is a top ten, the collective bargaining agreement is over in 4 years.

Does anyone want to spend a 15-20 million dollar signing bonus for a junior QB that could be a bust, or if not, is on the market by the time he is finally ready to produce? Look at Kennedy, Hayward, Gold and the Putz. Look at the busts like Big Money, Couch, and Leaf.

Stolen comment:

It’s not about the talent!

I have finally figured out the real reason why the GM’s are suggesting that this draft is a bad draft. It’s not about the so-called lack of talent of the players -- it’s about the money paid to the top ten picks in the draft. Now I have been screaming about this for years and until now the screaming has been falling on deaf ears. You see, this year the first pick of the draft is going to sign a contract with the first $20 million dollars guaranteed. That’s right! Now do you see why two junior QB’s are coming out in this draft? Do you blame them? I don’t. So now, all of a sudden, the teams are worried about this year’s guaranteed money and the talent level. Now I don’t remember them being worried last year? How much difference is there between last year and this year? Why all of a sudden is there a problem? Could the problem not have anything to do with the talent level, but the fact that the CBA is up in four years and that the NFL is not going to allow five-year contracts this year? Is this the start of negotiating a new CBA contract that will address this issue? You can bet your girlfriend’s big butt it is! You also see why there is nobody that is going to be interested in trading into the top five of this draft. If you can’t spread the guarantee portion of the new contracts over five years it makes it difficult for next year when this year’s rookies take a bigger portion of your cap space. Well as soon as everybody starts to realize that the draft will go on and the money will be spent it is my guess that you will start to hear about how talented the players are in this draft.

Now if I had a top five pick I would be looking at the following players that I feel would be money as well spent as in any other draft: Aaron Rodgers QB California, Marcus Spears DE LSU, Jammal Brown OT Oklahoma, Mike Williams WR USC and Ronnie Brown RB Auburn. Every one of these players has tremendous upside to their game and are quality players that I feel would show up for every play of every game that they are in. They are all team-oriented players and understand the responsibility that would be thrust upon them. They all have the right amount of ego, pride and mental toughness to play hurt and still perform at a high level. They all are leaders and make the players around them better. They all will get better than they are right now. It is an insult to these young men to downgrade their abilities for reasons that have nothing to do with them.

Last year a player was picked in the top five of the draft who did not have the athletic talent that these players have and yet nobody said a word about it but me. Philip Rivers did not have near the athletic talent that Aaron Rodgers has. He did not have the arm strength that Aaron has and the abilities to read defenses any better the Aaron can, so why is it that no one seemed to care last year about spending the money on those players in the top five? The difference is the CBA is up and five-year contracts are not going to be allowed until a new CBA contract is settled. It is not the talent in this draft that is in question; it is how to fit the top five or ten player contracts under the rookie cap and still have money to sign the other players. It is what portion of a cap hit on next years cap are these players going to be? It is not the talent.

The RB’s in this draft are equal in talent and numbers to the WR’s last year. There was only one true LT (Robert Gallery) in last year’s draft in the first round and there are three or four possible LT’s that could be taken in this year. Antrel Rolle and Justin Miller and Carlos Rogers are equal in talent to any CB taken last year in the first and Pac-Man does have very good talent equal to last years. The QB’s are not quite as finished products as last year but certainly have equal athletic talent. Lance Mitchell has talent equal to Jonathan Vilma and Mark Clayton may not be as fast as Lee Evans but I bet he will be just as good. We have two TE’s that may go in the first round. Heath Miller and Alex Smith and both have athletic talent equal to the first rounder’s picked last year. Miller is as talented as Winslow. He might not have the intensity that Kellen has, but he will impact just as much as Kellen will. We got a possible first day kicker and punter so please don’t tell me this draft is not as good as last year! Remember I’m one of the few guys out here that actually looks at film and I did it last year too. I’m telling you there is nothing wrong with the talent in this draft. It all has to do with money and the ability to spread that money over the cap to lessen the impact on the cap in the following years. As soon as the GM’s and coaches realizes that the draft will go on all of a sudden the talent of this draft will grow. Funny how things like that happen. Why is it that I have to figure everything out?!

Tom G · 03-10-2005, 07:03 AM

Good post, as usual.

SpringStein · 03-10-2005, 11:07 AM

Mock, who wrote that article?

The reason that so many are downplaying this year's class is that a number of expected juniors who were expected to delare, didn't.

But I agree that this isn't a bad class - although I still think last year's was deeper.

watermock · 03-10-2005, 02:26 PM

I can't remember for sure. It's linked from the other site. I'm not sure if I'm supposed to put the link or cant or what. Whatever Boyer writes for, can't remember. It was a free area. I honestly don't remember. I think there is alot of confusion about the slots at the top.

I think you approach it like any other draft. I do think that with the CBA only letting teams go 4 years, (I didn't know that), you will see less "projects", but I think you approach it the same.

SpringStein · 03-10-2005, 02:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by watermock

I can't remember for sure. It's linked from the other site. I'm not sure if I'm supposed to put the link or cant or what. Whatever Boyer writes for, can't remember. It was a free area. I honestly don't remember. I think there is alot of confusion about the slots at the top.

I think you approach it like any other draft. I do think that with the CBA only letting teams go 4 years, (I didn't know that), you will see less "projects", but I think you approach it the same.

If it's Boyer, it's football.com.

Thanks

03-10-2005, 04:24 AM	#1
watermock "Hoodie Jr" "Hug me!" Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Hot Springs, Ouachitah Posts: 77,090	Why the top of the draft isn't where you want to be I have talked about this before, this year, it's even worse. Not only is there alot of dispute who is a top ten, the collective bargaining agreement is over in 4 years. Does anyone want to spend a 15-20 million dollar signing bonus for a junior QB that could be a bust, or if not, is on the market by the time he is finally ready to produce? Look at Kennedy, Hayward, Gold and the Putz. Look at the busts like Big Money, Couch, and Leaf. Stolen comment: It’s not about the talent! I have finally figured out the real reason why the GM’s are suggesting that this draft is a bad draft. It’s not about the so-called lack of talent of the players -- it’s about the money paid to the top ten picks in the draft. Now I have been screaming about this for years and until now the screaming has been falling on deaf ears. You see, this year the first pick of the draft is going to sign a contract with the first $20 million dollars guaranteed. That’s right! Now do you see why two junior QB’s are coming out in this draft? Do you blame them? I don’t. So now, all of a sudden, the teams are worried about this year’s guaranteed money and the talent level. Now I don’t remember them being worried last year? How much difference is there between last year and this year? Why all of a sudden is there a problem? Could the problem not have anything to do with the talent level, but the fact that the CBA is up in four years and that the NFL is not going to allow five-year contracts this year? Is this the start of negotiating a new CBA contract that will address this issue? You can bet your girlfriend’s big butt it is! You also see why there is nobody that is going to be interested in trading into the top five of this draft. If you can’t spread the guarantee portion of the new contracts over five years it makes it difficult for next year when this year’s rookies take a bigger portion of your cap space. Well as soon as everybody starts to realize that the draft will go on and the money will be spent it is my guess that you will start to hear about how talented the players are in this draft. Now if I had a top five pick I would be looking at the following players that I feel would be money as well spent as in any other draft: Aaron Rodgers QB California, Marcus Spears DE LSU, Jammal Brown OT Oklahoma, Mike Williams WR USC and Ronnie Brown RB Auburn. Every one of these players has tremendous upside to their game and are quality players that I feel would show up for every play of every game that they are in. They are all team-oriented players and understand the responsibility that would be thrust upon them. They all have the right amount of ego, pride and mental toughness to play hurt and still perform at a high level. They all are leaders and make the players around them better. They all will get better than they are right now. It is an insult to these young men to downgrade their abilities for reasons that have nothing to do with them. Last year a player was picked in the top five of the draft who did not have the athletic talent that these players have and yet nobody said a word about it but me. Philip Rivers did not have near the athletic talent that Aaron Rodgers has. He did not have the arm strength that Aaron has and the abilities to read defenses any better the Aaron can, so why is it that no one seemed to care last year about spending the money on those players in the top five? The difference is the CBA is up and five-year contracts are not going to be allowed until a new CBA contract is settled. It is not the talent in this draft that is in question; it is how to fit the top five or ten player contracts under the rookie cap and still have money to sign the other players. It is what portion of a cap hit on next years cap are these players going to be? It is not the talent. The RB’s in this draft are equal in talent and numbers to the WR’s last year. There was only one true LT (Robert Gallery) in last year’s draft in the first round and there are three or four possible LT’s that could be taken in this year. Antrel Rolle and Justin Miller and Carlos Rogers are equal in talent to any CB taken last year in the first and Pac-Man does have very good talent equal to last years. The QB’s are not quite as finished products as last year but certainly have equal athletic talent. Lance Mitchell has talent equal to Jonathan Vilma and Mark Clayton may not be as fast as Lee Evans but I bet he will be just as good. We have two TE’s that may go in the first round. Heath Miller and Alex Smith and both have athletic talent equal to the first rounder’s picked last year. Miller is as talented as Winslow. He might not have the intensity that Kellen has, but he will impact just as much as Kellen will. We got a possible first day kicker and punter so please don’t tell me this draft is not as good as last year! Remember I’m one of the few guys out here that actually looks at film and I did it last year too. I’m telling you there is nothing wrong with the talent in this draft. It all has to do with money and the ability to spread that money over the cap to lessen the impact on the cap in the following years. As soon as the GM’s and coaches realizes that the draft will go on all of a sudden the talent of this draft will grow. Funny how things like that happen. Why is it that I have to figure everything out?!

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes	Rate This Thread
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode	Rate This Thread:

03-10-2005, 07:03 AM	#2
Tom G Ring of Famer Join Date: May 2001 Location: Annapolis, MD Posts: 1,429	Good post, as usual.

03-10-2005, 11:07 AM	#3
SpringStein Ring of Famer Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Monument, CO Posts: 2,733	Mock, who wrote that article? The reason that so many are downplaying this year's class is that a number of expected juniors who were expected to delare, didn't. But I agree that this isn't a bad class - although I still think last year's was deeper.

03-10-2005, 02:26 PM	#4
watermock "Hoodie Jr" "Hug me!" Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Hot Springs, Ouachitah Posts: 77,090	I can't remember for sure. It's linked from the other site. I'm not sure if I'm supposed to put the link or cant or what. Whatever Boyer writes for, can't remember. It was a free area. I honestly don't remember. I think there is alot of confusion about the slots at the top. I think you approach it like any other draft. I do think that with the CBA only letting teams go 4 years, (I didn't know that), you will see less "projects", but I think you approach it the same.