Colston article from cbssportsline.com (LINK) (1 Viewer)

[Shawn]

Interpretation?
Marques is the steal of the draft. We were stupid for picking Haas before him, and the other 31 teams were double stupid for not picking him at all.

Bottomline: We got him, and 31 other teams wish they did - End of story...

I don't think it's stupidity. I'm ecstatic that we got him. But on paper, you have to think he looks more like Boo Williams than a bonafide NFL starter. Plenty of big men like him have put up big numbers at small schools, and then were unable to do anything in the NFL.

 

[abyss3]

The Mike Hass issue was raised because the Saints have said they had other needs, so they passed on taking Colston higher. But since they picked Hass, it shows part of the reason they picked Colston late was because they just weren't that high on him.

quote:

They're not as smart as this story was originally going to make them look, because I noticed another name on the Saints' list of 2006 draft picks. This name makes the Saints look dumb. This name makes their selection of Colston look lucky.

The name: Mike Hass.




I actually liked the story cause Colston is just a great story. But dudes takin a cheap shot at Hass, imo. It's a failed premise. Colston (and a few others) beat out Hass. That's even a better reason to like Colston.

But I admit I dunno. I mean maybe Hass sucks. no clue.

 

[kfran]

That's part of the problem. He was a tight end. You look at him, and he's just too big to play reciever. I don't think he's that fast either, and I suspect his 40 time was pretty mediocre. But here's the rub about scouting: how fast was Sam Mills 40? I bet pretty horrible. I'd bet his 25 yard dash was great.

Shawn, he ran a 4.5, fast as, or faster than Eric Martin.

Man, we have been on so many of the "wrong sides" of these draft day stories so many times (it would take me a week to list them all), let's just be thankful this Saints Organization not just got one right, but they got it right, BIG TIME!

 

[Paul]

This is yet another pitiful-bunch-of-crybabies thread. It's not a criticism of the Saints. The Mike Hass issue was raised because the Saints have said they had other needs, so they passed on taking Colston higher. But since they picked Hass, it shows part of the reason they picked Colston late was because they just weren't that high on him.

Anybody remember who drafted Sammy Knight? Were the Saints smart for signing him, or stupid for not making him a late round draft pick?

The Saints had a great draft, but sometimes you just get lucky. You still have to give the team credit for grabbing him, but it's simply not a case of them being so much smarter than everyone else.

It's a perfectly good story. It's not critical of the Saints. I don't know why so many of you get bent out of shape about anything and everything that could possibly be construed as being negative. I enjoyed the read.

Agreed, and yes, it was a good read.

 

[kfran]

I don't think it's stupidity. I'm ecstatic that we got him. But on paper, you have to think he looks more like Boo Williams than a bonafide NFL starter. Plenty of big men like him have put up big numbers at small schools, and then were unable to do anything in the NFL.

They didn't draft him based on what they saw on paper, Shawn. They drafted him based on what they saw of him in San Antonio last year, as well, and after spending time with him off the field while he was there.

And yes, they almost blew it waiting until their lat pick of the 7th. They weren't going to pick him then, but decided to do so because they didn't want to get into a FA bidding war with other teams for the "undrafted." - True Story.

Bottomline - We got him.

 

[Shawn]

Eric Martin was unbelievably slow for a reciever. Players are generally faster today, and for a reciever in todays game, I'd say 4.5 is a poor time. For a tight end, it's probably fine, but not stellar. But you don't play the game in shorts either. Donte Stallworth ran one of the fastest 40 times ever, yet on the field, he doesn't look like he's nearly the fastest guy in the NFL. Guys play in pads, and when they run, they have a ball in their hands. My point is just that, as Mickey Loomis has stated, there was nothing about Colston that stood out at the combine. He was just another guy, with intriguing size.

I don't see this as a criticism of Mike Hass either. Hass had a bit of notoriety following him. It makes sense that the Saints took Hass, and it's also not surprising that he couldn't make the transition to the NFL. For some reason Colston has, and that's what makes scouting players such an inexact science.

 

[kfran]

Eric Martin was unbelievably slow for a reciever. Players are generally faster today, and for a reciever in todays game, I'd say 4.5 is a poor time. For a tight end, it's probably fine, but not stellar. But you don't play the game in shorts either. Donte Stallworth ran one of the fastest 40 times ever, yet on the field, he doesn't look like he's nearly the fastest guy in the NFL. Guys play in pads, and when they run, they have a ball in their hands. My point is just that, as Mickey Loomis has stated, there was nothing about Colston that stood out at the combine. He was just another guy, with intriguing size.

I don't see this as a criticism of Mike Hass either. Hass had a bit of notoriety following him. It makes sense that the Saints took Hass, and it's also not surprising that he couldn't make the transition to the NFL. For some reason Colston has, and that's what makes scouting players such an inexact science.

That's my point. Jerry Rice wasn't a speed burner eitther - 4.5

 

[abyss3]

Colston made a lot teams look stupid, including the Saints who waited until they used a nearly "irrelevant" pick on him.

... ok so my premise isn't better than this writers and I agree that even Colston is suprised by his own success. It was luck.

or maybe it's all about chemistry and Brees has a knack for finding tall targets. Life's a wierd birch. That much I know.

 

[Shawn]

They didn't draft him based on what they saw on paper, Shawn. They drafted him based on what they saw of him in San Antonio last year, as well, and after spending time with him off the field while he was there.

And yes, they almost blew it waiting until their lat pick of the 7th. They weren't going to pick him then, but decided to do so because they didn't want to get into a FA bidding war with other teams for the "undrafted." - True Story.

Bottomline - We got him.

That's a nice spin, but it's still spin...I heard the same thing. Bidding wars for undrafted rookies is like me and you getting into a bidding war over an apple at the grocery store. There's not a lot of money at stake, and ultimately the players go where they want to--just like Hass signed on to the practice squad in Chicago, even though the Saints tried to keep him around. The Saints picked Colston because they wanted him, just like they wanted Mike Hass. It doesn't mean they had high hopes for him.

And if they thought so much of Colston from what they saw in San Antonio, they would have grabbed him higher than round 7.

Payton even admitted that when he first came to camp, he pretty much stunk. But he turned it around and caught the coaches eye.

It's funny that both Payton and Loomis have repeatedly denied there was much scouting genius or brilliant player insight that caused them to draft Colston. But when someone else says the same thing, everyone gets up in arms.

I'm glad we got him. But if you want to praise the staff for drafting, you'd do better to look at Jahri Evans or Roman Harper--a couple of studs that were considered reaches in many circles, but who've both turned out to be players.

 

[MLU]

"It's better to be lucky than good."

 

[WeatherNLU]

Yeah we picked Hass first, we also picked Reggie Bush before Colston. I guess we are stone cold idiotic then, because surely Colston has had a bigger impact than even St. Reggie.

I get the idea that we picked Hass first, but we also picked a bunch of other people including Hass first.

 

[CajunSaint]

He originally had problems. Remember, when he came to the Mini-camps, he was dropping some balls and wasn't running precise routes. He was a TE in college, and most of us thought he would be a TE in the Pros.

Colston NEVER played tight end!!!!!!! He was a projected TE, but never lined up as a tight end in his career!

 

[mrdogleg]

Colston NEVER played tight end!!!!!!! He was a projected TE, but never lined up as a tight end in his career!

Yeah man, I was getting ready to post this. If I hear someone on ESPN say this one more time, ugh. You think that with Colston being the story of the year people would get the freakin story right.

 

[p0pe]

The writer tries to make a point, but it's pretty weak. We gave him a chance, he's exceeded everyones expectations of him, and we look less stupid than 31 other NFL teams. At the end of the day we have a probowl wide receiver and they don't.

 

[jlam]

Yeah man, I was getting ready to post this. If I hear someone on ESPN say this one more time, ugh. You think that with Colston being the story of the year people would get the freakin story right.

It's all Yahoo Fantasy Sports' fault. They still have Colston listed as a TE/WR in their fantasy leagues even though Reggie has played more QB than Colston has played TE.

I think all problems in this world can somehow be traced back to Yahoo Sports. The ultimate scapegoat.