Rookie Surprises

['TD']

I have NO problem w/ a draft pick like, for example, Bowman, who comes w/ an injury red flag, but is a mid 2nd day pick, and thus the risk/reward is solid.

 

I really question Angelo "changing" anything by taking some injury risks this year. IMHO, he has been taking just such risks, injury and other.

 

2004

 

Tommie Harris - Understand, I really liked the pick then, and even called for it, but Harris came w/ questions. He was a rotation player, and had some prior injuries. There were questions then whether or not he could be an everydown player, and that was a prime reason he slipped in the draft.

 

Tank - Tank, as I recall, came w/ both injury and character red flags.

 

2005

 

Benson - Maybe there were no flags at the time, but IMHO, simply coming from the University of Texas should carry a flag all it owns, just like QBs from Florida and RBs from Penn State.

 

Bradley - Injury and playing time red flags. Never started in college, and was a #3 WR w/ raw talent, but part of the reason he had been slow to develop was numerous minor injury set backs.

 

2006

 

Dusty - character red flags after several alcohol related incidents.

 

2007

 

Nothing I really recall

 

2008

 

DJ Moore - Injury related.

 

If we wanted to add level of competition, we could add numerous other small school players, but my point here is, Angelo has not been scared to take risks, even w/ his earlier picks. W/ the exception of Moore, I only looked at first day picks. On the 2nd day, I think there is little argument against the risk/reward factor in looking at a high ceiling players who has red flags, but we have also done so in day one.

 

I am not trying to blast my new BFF for taking risks, but just questioning the idea he has avoided such risks in the past. I don't think Angelo has ever been one to really go the safe route in the draft.

Wouldn't Moore be 09, with the first rounder in 08 being a confusing injury pick of sorts?

 

[nfoligno]

Yea, my bad. Basically skipped a year.

 

2008

 

Williams - Many teams reportedly (before the draft) really began to balk at Williams w/ back concerns. I think Angelo even admitted we knew but felt he would fine. Well, he wasn't.

 

Harrison- Here is another that was a character flag, and his being put in timeout to start camp didn't help aleviate such an allegation.

 

2009

 

Moore - Gilbert and Moore were not inury or character red flags. They were simply less proven, high ceiling/talent players. Think Mark Bradley. Iglesias seemed like a sure thing. Not as high of a ceiling, but the most NFL ready. Moore was the first injury related red flag to go off the board.

 

Again, the key point is not to really attack Angelo. Every GM in the league takes chances on various red flags, from injury to character to small school/competition. My point is only to question the statement that Angelo did something different this year than in the past.

 

Wouldn't Moore be 09, with the first rounder in 08 being a confusing injury pick of sorts?

 

['TD']

My point is only to question the statement that Angelo did something different this year than in the past.

 

Wasn't like Vasher and Orton's stock down too because of injuries. Then again they weren't super early picks.

 

I just hated to see a discussion about injuries and Williams being left out. Drafting a guy knowing he's injured at the time in the first round and then him missing his first year. Baffled the heck out of me last year. Especially the kinda injury for his position.

 

At least he's back this year playing and hasn't missed time that i can think of over it.

[nfoligno]

Missing Williams was a big omission. I was not a big fan of his in the first place. Williams was a finesse LT with questions over his strength, especially lower body strength. I really wanted to get bigger on the OL, not just purely w/ size, but w/ power. The staff at the time though liked finesse and athletic OL. His pick, IMHO, is even worse now as the team (per the coaches) is trying to bulk up on the OL, which is why they have talked about liking Omiyale over Beekman, as it is believed he added a greater level of power.

 

 

 

Wasn't like Vasher and Orton's stock down too because of injuries. Then again they weren't super early picks.

 

I just hated to see a discussion about injuries and Williams being left out. Drafting a guy knowing he's injured at the time in the first round and then him missing his first year. Baffled the heck out of me last year. Especially the kinda injury for his position.

 

At least he's back this year playing and hasn't missed time that i can think of over it.

 

[bowlingtwig]

Wasn't like Vasher and Orton's stock down too because of injuries. Then again they weren't super early picks.

 

I just hated to see a discussion about injuries and Williams being left out. Drafting a guy knowing he's injured at the time in the first round and then him missing his first year. Baffled the heck out of me last year. Especially the kinda injury for his position.

 

At least he's back this year playing and hasn't missed time that i can think of over it.

Good point about Orton. He was having a heisman type season his senior year until he got hurt. He then rushed things and came back early but it was evident that he wasn't 100% and so of course draft time came and his stock fell because of injury and because at Purdue he really only used the shotgun formation. Most experts had him going in the late 2nd to early 3rd round and he was the 1st pick on day 2 in the 4th round. I remember that year that there was quite a few players that fell quite a bit due to injuries or what have you.

[defiantgiant]

Missing Williams was a big omission. I was not a big fan of his in the first place. Williams was a finesse LT with questions over his strength, especially lower body strength. I really wanted to get bigger on the OL, not just purely w/ size, but w/ power. The staff at the time though liked finesse and athletic OL. His pick, IMHO, is even worse now as the team (per the coaches) is trying to bulk up on the OL, which is why they have talked about liking Omiyale over Beekman, as it is believed he added a greater level of power.

 

My main problem with the Williams pick was where he was drafted. They passed on a number of talented o-linemen to take Williams, and none of those guys had a herniated disc or spinal stenosis. Guys we could have taken with that pick:

 

Branden Albert: Albert's the guy I wanted (little bit of UVa homerism, although they have turned out some good linemen.) Very athletic, great mobility, but also significantly stronger than Williams. Not as polished, though: despite tons of physical talent, he's having a slow start on the Chiefs, even playing next to a great LG in Brian Waters. Time will tell, but he does have a lot of upside.

 

Jeff Otah: Pure right tackle, but hey, that's where we're playing Williams now. Otah is the polar opposite of Williams - an absolute mauler on the right side, tons of power, great in the run game. In retrospect, I would have taken Otah over Williams in a heartbeat.

 

Gosder Cherilus: Cherlius is another pure right tackle, but he's strong, a little more mobile than Otah, and plays nasty. BC linemen are usually a safe bet to be at least above-average (see Josh Beekman,) and Cherilus looks like no exception. Would have taken him over Williams for sure.

 

Honestly, the only guys I wouldn't have taken over Williams are Sam Baker and Duane Brown. Baker's got a lot of the same problems Williams does (back injury, short arms, limited upper-body strength) and Brown is just as much of a finesse guy without being as good at it. Really, though, Angelo passed on three starting-caliber linemen to take a less complete player that most teams had red-flagged for an injury that the Bears knew of. That's inexcusable. Even if Williams is all right after his surgery, even if he can bulk up and become adequate in the run game, even if all the consequences of Angelo's mistake are eventually mitigated, you just can't make a mistake like that in the top half of the first round.