Seahawks CB Richard Sherman: The NFL draft is a ‘sham’ (1 Viewer)

[Saint Droopy]

Of course its a big media circus... it used to be a 2 day thing now its what? 4? The NFL is squeezing every nickel of advertising dollars out of this.

But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't tuned in to the entire process. I'm a football junkie but I do see Sherman's point.

Speaking of Sherman... many people may frown on his "mouth" and how he talks trash, but this goes on alot more than alot of us know. The diff between Sherman and others is the other players put on a choir boy persona in the interviews but Sheman is the same dude on and off the field. I like his attitude the dude backs it up on the field.

 

[Swimmer]

intelligent version of Roddy White.

Isn't that an oxymoron!

 

[Tim C]

I'd love to have a guy like Sherman in Black and Gold. He would be a bit less outspoken,(SP would see to that) but I think he would help bring back some of that same swagger the D had in 09.

 

[bclemms]

I wish we had someone like him on our backend.

I like the guy but that takes it to a whole new level.

 

[Frank The Rat]

Sherman talks a lot, but he is kind of like an intelligent version of Roddy White.

Congratulations on being the first person to ever put Roddy White and intelligent in the same sentence.

 

[bclemms]

Sherman has a point but he also misses pretty big.

In the last 20 years only 2 players have been voted offensive player of the year that were not first round picks (Mike Anderson, Anquan Boldin).

In the last 20 years only 2 players that weren't drafted in the first round have been voted rookie defensive player of the year and both of those guys were 2nd round picks (Demeco Ryans and Kendrell Bell).

Of the last 40 rookie of the year candidates only 1 wasn't drafted in the 1st or 2nd round. (Mike Anderson undrafted)

In the last 20 years only 2 players have won the defensive player of the year award that were not first round picks. (James Harrison undrafted) (Bryce Paup 6th round).

Yeah, first round picks usually have a silly amount of hype but he also fails to realize they usually have their hype from being pretty damn good players.


Some of the best players in NFL history have been late round picks and undrafted players but the majority of them have been first round picks, even more in recent history.

What gets me is how some of these draft analyst might comment on the top 20 players and say player x doesn't have this, isn't that good and probably wont be an impact player in the draft then turn around and drop him a couple spots.

I said months before the combine that JR was going to be the first player picked in the draft. He was being looked at as a 2nd-4th round type guy at the time but he had the most physical ability of any QB ever coming out of the draft. There is no way a team was going to pass up on a guy like that. I'm a huge LSU fan and even though I still think he is the single most physically talented pocket passer to come out of college I stated I wouldn't draft him or might take a flyer late in the first round because of his work ethic at LSU and his complete inability to read a defense which resulted in him holding the ball way too long.

Then you have these people that identify late round sleepers and proclaiming that unknown player x will be a consistent pro bowler then will have them listed as the 7th best player at his position. If you really think that unknown player x is that great then have the balls to put him where you think he is. Don't say this player is going to be a hall of famer then list him as the 11th best player at his position.

I do see Sherman's point with all the mock drafts and predraft rankings because people are scared to drop a player that everyone else has listed. Just like in the 2006 draft I named the 32 best players in a thread and didn't list Vince Young and got hammered by a lot of the same people that said Vince Young would be a bust but then they still thought he should be drafted in the first round.

 

[tomdda]

There was a day when NFL scouts and GM's got their info from the likes of Joel Buschbaum. Doubt there will ever be another like him.

The book that he did for Pro Football Weekly had the format: Notes, Positives, Negatives. When Mike Munchak came out of Penn State in 1982, he thought so highly of Munchak that for his entry under "Negatives" he wrote: "He's not twins". That was the only time I can remember him not having any real negatives for a player.

Incidentally, Munchak was drafted 8th overall by the Houston Oilers.

 

[bobad]

The draft is only as good as the player talent evaluation. A few coaches are good at it, most aren't. Don't blame the players or the draft system. You can't pick players over the Internet. You have to reduce the odds when you gamble on a player. Teams need someone willing to go and put eyes on the players, watch their body language, pick up on their talk, work ethic, and attitude.

 

[St. Widge]

Jamarcus Russel pretty much proves his entire point. He really came out of nowhere to become the first pick in the draft, he just rode a good sugar bowl performance and tons of media hype about how strong his arm was to a huge payday.

Came out of nowhere? He was a 5 Star QB coming out if high school and had several great years at a high profile program in LSU. He also had a great arm, was huge for a QB and had some mobility. He looked to be a guy with all the tools who excelled playing against the highest level competition and performed in the clutch.

What the scouts did not know is that once he got a big contract he would become lazy and eat himself out of the NFL. They, in particular Al Davis got enamored with his physical skills and ignored the part of his personality that would lead to him becoming fat and lazy.

His draft position was because of his physical skills and performance on the big stage at LSU. It had nothing to do with media hype.

 

[chameleonknight]

Came out of nowhere? He was a 5 Star QB coming out if high school and had several great years at a high profile program in LSU. He also had a great arm, was huge for a QB and had some mobility. He looked to be a guy with all the tools who excelled playing against the highest level competition and performed in the clutch.

What the scouts did not know is that once he got a big contract he would become lazy and eat himself out of the NFL. They, in particular Al Davis got enamored with his physical skills and ignored the part of his personality that would lead to him becoming fat and lazy.

His draft position was because of his physical skills and performance on the big stage at LSU. It had nothing to do with media hype.

He didn't come out of nowhere, but he was massively overhyped. Myself, like many LSU fans, were baffled at the prospect of making him a No.1 overall pick. He was still a project and more of a "schoolyard" prospect than a true polished quarterback.

He COULD throw the football through the goalposts from his knees though. Much like Walter Thomas could do a backflip!

(on the other hand, Jason Pierre Paul can do multiple backflips....of course, he can also sack quarterbacks)

 

[St. Widge]

He didn't come out of nowhere, but he was massively overhyped. Myself, like many LSU fans, were baffled at the prospect of making him a No.1 overall pick. He was still a project and more of a "schoolyard" prospect than a true polished quarterback.

He COULD throw the football through the goalposts from his knees though. Much like Walter Thomas could do a backflip!

(on the other hand, Jason Pierre Paul can do multiple backflips....of course, he can also sack quarterbacks)

Overhyped by the media sure. But, that is not why he was picked #1. And I too did not understand taking him #1. He probably warranted a pick in the middle of the first based on his skills and performance, but QBs always rise because of the position they play. Of course, I also think many LSU fans were way too critical of him. No matter what he failed to do in the NFL, he was a very good, clutch college QB.

But to think that NFL GMs and Coaches make picks based on media hype is foolish. If anything, the media hype is created by NFL staffs who tell reporters that they like or do not like certain players. The problem of course is that lots of times those leaks of info are designed as smoke screens and to get guys like Al Davis to take a player too early because he is afraid someone else will take him before he can. (Of course, with Al gone, there aren't many left, outside of Jerrah Jones that would fall for that stuff.) So, while I think information from the media is used by teams to fool other teams on who they will take and when, media "hype" does not make players significantly rise in the draft. The teams use the media to create the hype, not the other way around.

 

[chameleonknight]

Overhyped by the media sure. But, that is not why he was picked #1. And I too did not understand taking him #1. He probably warranted a pick in the middle of the first based on his skills and performance, but QBs always rise because of the position they play. Of course, I also think many LSU fans were way too critical of him. No matter what he failed to do in the NFL, he was a very good, clutch college QB.

But to think that NFL GMs and Coaches make picks based on media hype is foolish. If anything, the media hype is created by NFL staffs who tell reporters that they like or do not like certain players. The problem of course is that lots of times those leaks of info are designed as smoke screens and to get guys like Al Davis to take a player too early because he is afraid someone else will take him before he can. (Of course, with Al gone, there aren't many left, outside of Jerrah Jones that would fall for that stuff.) So, while I think information from the media is used by teams to fool other teams on who they will take and when, media "hype" does not make players significantly rise in the draft. The teams use the media to create the hype, not the other way around.

Widge, I bolded that last part b/c I agree with what you are saying and REALLY agree with you there. Scouts and coaches fall in love with a player's measurables or "potential" and will ignore warning flags, talking guys up non-stop. Mel Kiper doesn't know anything; he parrots what coaches, scouts, GMs say to him.

Look at Tim Tebow in Denver. McDaniels went crazy for the guys athleticism and leadership and ignored the warning signs: Tebow had never run a pro offense or even taken snaps under center(!), his mechanics were horrible, had a very long and slow release and his accuracy on short throws was quite poor. Truthfully, he probably should have been a 4th-5th round choice.

Or Vernon Gholston back when he went to the Jets. That guy is HUGE and runs like a deer. He just did not have the passion or drive or whatever to succeed in the pro game. I think he's out of the league now.


Now look at a guy like Richard Sherman. This guy is a competitor. He has FIRE in his blood and loves to play, loves to win. Combined that fire with intelligence and athleticism (doesn't hurt that he's so big and fast....) and you have an All Pro cornerback, a playmaker.

A guy who reminds me of that (in a more subdued fashion) is Kenny Vaccarro of Texas. No, he's not a small school player, but he has that same fire, intelligence and athleticism.
I would love for the Saints to draft him.

Good thread so far

 

[Twyst]

Came out of nowhere? He was a 5 Star QB coming out if high school and had several great years at a high profile program in LSU. He also had a great arm, was huge for a QB and had some mobility. He looked to be a guy with all the tools who excelled playing against the highest level competition and performed in the clutch.

At no time during his entire career did I even think Russel was going to be a top 20 pick, then suddenly he was number one overall after the sugar bowl is what I meant by "came out of nowhere".

 

[sss]

Isn't that an oxymoron!

It is if you think Roddy is intelligent.

 

[St. Widge]

At no time during his entire career did I even think Russel was going to be a top 20 pick, then suddenly he was number one overall after the sugar bowl is what I meant by "came out of nowhere".

Then you must not have been paying attention to SEC football during that time period. Admittedly, those of us living in New Orleans probably saw more of him than people in Texas, but he did not come out of nowhere. He was projected as a first round pick by pretty much so everyone. In fact, many had him in the top ten.