28
Apr
2011
The NY Jets sure know how to draft (VIDEO)
In honor of tonight’s start to the NFL Draft, we bring you this look back on some of the more memorable draft picks in the storied history of the New York Jets franchise. From Johnny Lam Jones to Jeff Lageman and Blair Thomas, the Jets’ brain trust have consistently made a habit of going against the grain and driving their fans insane with their seemingly out-of-nowhere first round selections.
Enjoy this stroll down memory lane:
Ah yes … the Jets’ draft reach is one of the game’s grandest traditions, and we look forward to it continuing tonight.
13
Apr
2011
Remember Giovanni Carmazzi? Yeah … he’s a yoga-practicing goat farmer these days
Carmazzi was the 3rd round selection of the 49ers in the 2000 NFL draft (Photo: NYTimes.com)
One of the big stories this week has been ESPN’s documentary “The Brady 6″, which looks at Tom Brady’s selection in the 2000 NFL draft, and the 6 quarterbacks who were taken ahead of him. After believing he would be taken somewhere in the 2nd or 3rd, Brady and his family had to watch as he plummeted to #199 overall. Based on the teasers, the most newsworthy item from the film seemed to be the fact that Brady choked up when recalling his draft day experience. The blogosphere went wild over this footage of a teary-eyed Brady, but when the program aired last night, we found another nugget of information to be the most enlightening.
Among the marquis names chosen before the 3-time Super Bowl Champion were Chad Pennington (No. 18, Jets), Giovanni Carmazzi (65, 49ers), Chris Redman (75, Ravens), Tee Martin (163, Steelers), Marc Bulger (168, Saints) and Spergon Wynn (183, Browns). As lifelong 49ers fans, the Bradys were particularly upset that their home team had passed on their son, but the San Francisco brain trust – which included Bill Walsh and Steve Mariucci - were more enamored with Carmazzi, a physically gifted QB from Hofstra who had wowed scouts at the combine and workouts.
As we know, Carmazzi struggled with the leap from 1-AA Hofstra to the big time, and retired from the NFL in 2001 without ever playing a regular season down for the 49ers. He had five operations on his shoulder and played two years of football in Canada before retiring from the sport in 2005. And apparently Carmazzi values his privacy these days, because he declined to be interviewed by ESPN for this documentary … which pretty much made him fair game for the producers to paint him however they like. So they decided to depict Carmazzi like this:
“(He) does not own a television and declined to be interviewed. He lives two hours north of San Francisco, and describes himself as a yoga-exercising farmer … He has five goats.”
Ouch. From top NFL prospect to hermit yogi goat farmer in just over a decade. Quite a precipitous fall. Not as bad as Marinovich or Leaf or anything, but still …
8
Jan
2011
Mike Williams’ road from draft bust to comeback story of the year (VIDEO)
(Photo: SeahawkNationBlog.com)
During the pre-game build up to today’s Saints-Seahawks Wild Card game, NFL Network aired this excellent profile on Seattle WR Mike Williams, who has returned from the brink of obscurity to become the comeback player of the year for Pete Carroll‘s team in 2010. And while Michael Vick is likely a lock for the league-wide award, Williams’ story doesn’t involve electrocuting dogs, and is as refreshingly positive as we’ve heard in a while.
A dominating receiver at USC, Williams had been considered one of the biggest draft busts in recent memory after coming out after his Sophomore year and being chosen 10th overall by the Detroit Lions in 2005. Williams pocketed a huge signing bonus, got fat and subsequently cut, and bounced around to a few teams before falling out of the league. He spent those two years away from the game (from 2008-2009) starting a family, getting his head right and getting back into shape in case another opportunity came calling.
And when Carroll – who was Williams’ coach during his best years at USC – got the Seattle gig, he looked up his old go-to guy and invited Williams to camp. Since then, Mike Williams has done all the right things and started to erase that “bust” tag, leading the Seahawks with over 750 yards receiving this season and shattering his previous career totals along the way. But Williams truly seems to have a good head on his shoulders these days, and understands that he still has a long way to go:
VIDEO AFTER THE JUMP
5
Jul
2010
JaMarcus Russell Arrested for Sippin on Sizzurp
Is it me or does JaMarcus look slimmer in this mug shot? (Image: Press-Register)
In his continuing quest to be the biggest NFL draft bust of all time, former Oakland Raiders QB JaMarcus Russell was arrested today in Mobile, Alabama for possession of a controlled substance – namely codine syrup. Russell, the 2001 #1 overall draft pick, was released by the Raiders in May, and is seemingly intent on continuing his downward spiral toward oblivion.
For those of you unfamiliar with hip-hop culture, codine syrup is the main ingredient in a drug cocktail known as “Purple Drank”, syrup or sizzurp, which has been popularized in the music of the Three 6 Mafia and Lil’ Wayne, among others. ESPN’s Outside the Lines recently did a feature on the rise of the sizzurp in sports:
Russell was released on $2500 bail, and will appear in court on Wednesday, July 7th. And somewhere, Ryan Leaf and Todd Marinovich are high-fiving.
Now enjoy this educational music video from the Three 6 Mafia (after the jump):
7
May
2010
Is JaMarcus Russell the #1 Draft Bust of All Time?
Has Jamarcus Russell failed badly enough to make him the biggest flop in league history? (Original photoshop/hack job by ArtieFufkin)
When news broke that the Raiders released former #1 draft pick JaMarcus Russell yesterday, the sports blogosphere collectively wondered weather Russell had claimed the throne as the biggest draft bust in the history of the NFL. And while it would be easy to place the Rotund Raider at the top of the list, we’re not going to hand him the crown just yet.
Until now, the general consensus has been that Ryan Leaf – the #2 overall pick of the San Diego Chargers in 1998 - is the biggest draft bust of all-time. For our money, it’s Tony Mandarich, who the Packers selected with the #2 overall pick in 1989 (you can read our previous pieces on Mandarich here and here). But most people seem to think it’s Leaf, and since both he and Russell are QB’s, it makes things much easier for the purpose of this conversation.
The guys at Shutdown Corner put together a nice statistical comparison between the two quarterbacks, and while both players were godawful, the numbers paint Russell in a more favorable light:
So based on these figures alone, Leaf has the edge (for being worse, that is … 14 TDs vs 36 INTs?!? Ouch.) And when you take into account Leaf’s locker-room outbursts and the fact that he was universally hated by his teammates, Russell doesn’t really even come close to eclipsing the train wreck that was Ryan Leaf.
For us, the question of how big a draft bust someone is always comes down to one main thing: expectations. Sports Illustrated took a look back at the pre-draft hype on JaMarcus Russell from 2007, which includes some incredible gems from some of the draft’s top prognosticators, including Mel Kiper:
JaMarcus Russell is going to immediately energize that fanbase, that football team — on the practice field, in that locker room. Three years from now you could be looking at a guy that’s certainly one of the elite top five quarterbacks in this league. …You’re talking about a 2-3 year period once he’s under center. Look out because the skill level that he has is certainly John Elway-like.”
Way to go Mel. Good call. But he wasn’t alone … at the time, Todd McShay, Terry Bradshaw, and a slew of other “experts” were all drooling over Russell’s physical skill set.
Let's face it, we all saw this one coming
But while everyone seemed to agree that Russell’s physical skills warranted a roll of the dice, there were plenty of questions about his mental state of mind from the beginning. In the linked SI article, Peter King and Gil Brandt were among those who expressed serious doubts as to whether or not JaMarcus had the desire & work ethic to be a top-level NFL quarterback.
When Russell – who was the best QB in a weak draft class for the position – went to the Raiders, it seemed like a bust made in heaven. After all, Al Davis has made a living out of spending draft picks on physical specimens with questionable heads. And with Lane Kiffin taking over at the helm (if temporarily) for Art Shell, the Oakland organization was entering a dysfunctional heyday in 2007. We all knew how this story was going to play out, didn’t we?
11
Jun
2009
Taking a look at the (((2005))) NFL Draft
By Artie Fufkin and The Dark Horse
We thought it might interesting to see how NFL teams fared in the 1st round of the 2005 draft. As opposed to falling into the trap of prematurely judging this April’s draft, we felt that looking back five years was a fair amount of time to really assess who hit and who missed–with those drafted players (in some cases) hovering near the prime of their careers.
1. San Diego – Eli Manning, QB Mississippi
As we all know, Eli was shipped to the New York Football Giants for Philip Rivers and the Giants third-round pick in 2004, and their first and fifth round picks in the 2005 draft. Although the Chargers ended up getting Shawn Merriman and Nate Kaeding with the extra picks acquired, overall, this deal has worked out well for the Giants. They’ve gone on to win a Super Bowl with Eli Manning, so, that pretty much ends the debate.
Did the Eli trade work out well for the Giants? Cracker, please: YES.
2. Oakland – Robert Gallery, OT Iowa
He’s started 73 out of 74 games for the Oakland Raiders. After being the most hyped OL prospect since Tony Mandarich, Gallery hasn’t lived up to the billing, but has settled in as a steady performer for the abysmal Raiders.
3. Arizona – Larry Fitgerald, WR Pittsburgh
Arguably the #1 talent on the board in this draft, Fitzgerald has emerged as one of the top-flight wide receivers in pro football, and helped lead the Cardinals to their first Super Bowl.
4. NY Giants – Philip Rivers, QB North Carolina State
Despite generally coming off as a royal douche, Rivers, for the Chargers, has been a solid quarterback. After sitting behind Drew Brees for two seasons Rivers has started 48 consecutive regular season games.
5. Washington – Sean Taylor, S Miami (Fla)
Sean Taylor died of a gunshot wound in Miami, FL, on November 27, 2007. Previous to his death, he showed tremendous potential as a football player, and was one of the leagues brightest young talents.
6. Cleveland ( from Detroit) – Kellen Winslow Jr, TE Miami (Fla)
Following a disastrous, injury-plagued first two seasons in Cleveland, Winslow has transformed into a dominant and dangerous tight end who presents problems for opposing defenses. He was traded to Tampa Bay this offseason.
7. Detroit (from Cleveland) – Roy Williams, WR Texas
Now a Dallas Cowboy, Williams has more than 4,000 receiving yards and 30 touchdowns in the NFL. Some feel that Dallas paid way too high a price for him, but that cannot yet be judged. Now that TO has left town, Williams will be Tony Romo’s go-to-guy, so this is a big year for him.
8. Atlanta – DeAngelo Hall, CB Virginia Tech
Hall, now a Redksin, is with his third team since 2004. Hall has superior talent as a cover corner, and is a 2-time Pro Bowler (2005, 2006). But his hot temper has gotten him in trouble. He has 22 career interceptions.
9. Jacksonville – Reggie Williams, WR Washington
A middle-tier wideout who has yet to post more than 700 receiving yards in any given season. Known as an underachiever on the field and a loud-mouth off it, Jacksonville elected not to re-sign Williams this off-season. Currently a free agent.
10. Houston – Dunta Robinson, CB South Carolina
Defensive rookie of the year in 2004. Started his first 48 games in the league, but suffered a severe knee injury in 2007. Houston used the franchise tag on Robinson this offseason, and in response Dunta is holding out.
11. Pittsburgh – Ben Roethlisberger, QB Miami (Ohio)
Two Super Bowls and the heart of the team. Pittsburgh drifted for years without a quarterback, but Ben has solved that problem entirely. Eli gets all the built-in hype, but Ben has been the best quarterback of this draft.
Thankfully for Pittsburgh, Ben could also PLAY LIKE A CHAMPION.
12. NY Jets – Jonathan Vilma, LB Miami (Fla)
The first linebacker off the board, Vilma was a 4-year starter for the Jets before having knee surgery. He came back to 16/16 games for the Saints in 2008, and is the leader of their LB corps.
13. Buffalo – Lee Evans, WR Wisconsin
Evans has been extremely solid for Buffalo, with 4,700 yards receiving and 32 touchdowns. Will benefit from TOs presence as Trent Edwards’ #2 option.
14. Chicago – Tommie Harris, DT Oklahoma
Still a starting player with the Bears, Harris is one of the better pass-rushing DTs in the league, with 24.5 sacks in his career. Has battled injuries for the last few years, and had a sub-par 2008.
15. Tampa Bay – Michael Clayton, WR LSU
As a 5-year wideout with the Bucs, Clayton has totaled 2,706 yards and 9 touchdowns. Had a breakout rookie year (1,193 yds) but his production has fallen off since due to injuries, and falling out of favor with John Gruden. Just signed a new 5-year deal with Tampa Bay.
23
May
2009
Tony Mandarich Is Doing Alright These Days
The Ryan Leaf story from yesterday got me thinking about our pre-draft piece on Tony Mandarich, and wondering what he’s up to these days.
Well wonder no more, thanks to this fascinating report from ESPN. (I guess this came out around around the draft this year, but I must have missed it. Probably because in general I loathe ESPN’s draft coverage … but they knocked this one out of the park.)
In this candid interview, Mandarich tells the story of downing a pharmacy worth of steroids while at Michigan State, and being tested for drugs less than 5 times in his career there. But things went south when Mandarich got to Green Bay as a rookie and attempted to go off the juice, cold turkey. The problem was, instead of his usual steroid cocktail, Mandarich began taking, and then shooting, painkillers – including during practice. And he says he never spent a sober day in his 4 years with the Packers.
Watch and see for yourselves:
In this piece, Mandarich comes of as a sober, contrite, intelligent & self-aware person, who fully understands the enormity of his failure in the NFL. He takes full ownership of his drug addiction, and lets the blame for his fall rest squarely on his own shoulders.
Tony Mandarich could be doing worse for himself
People (myself included) forget that Mandarich came back to play with the Colts, where he had a 3-year career as a serviceable NFL lineman.
There’s a particularly poignant section of the video (around the 6:45 mark), where Mandarich says as part of his recovery, he had to try to “make amends for the disaster you created in the NFL. You had wronged the fans, you had wronged the Packers, you embarrased the sport … how do you right that wrong?”
It seems as though Mandarich has at least taken the appropriate steps to make amends for his past sins. And maybe – just maybe – he doesn’t deserve to be lumped with some of the other draft busts that he is always associated with ( Leaf, Marinovich, Phillips, etc).
And don’t forget the happy ending: today, Mandarich runs his own Glamour/Boudoir photo company. So he’s taking pictures of hot women for a living. And this is his wife. Not bad. Not bad at all.
22
May
2009
Ryan Leaf Indicted on Drug and Burglary Charges
Ryan Leaf during his salad days at WTAMU
Our favorite NFL Draft Bust, Ryan Leaf, was indicted by a Texas jury Thursday on drug and burglary charges.
When last we heard from him, the 33-year-old former #2 overall pick and San Diego Chargers QB had been suspended from his short-lived gig as QB coach at West Texas A&M, for … get ready … asking his players for painkillers. And it seems that these latest charges – well, at least one of the nine felony charges Leaf is facing – are related to that incident.
But really, should it come as a surprise to any of us that Leaf has a need to dull the constant, nauseating pain of … er … being Ryan Leaf?? Kinda makes you feel sorry for the guy. Kind of:
The indictment said Leaf presented an incomplete medical history to several physicians between January 2008 and September 2008 to get or tr Hydrocodone.
Canyon police Lt. Dale Davis said Leaf is suspected of breaking into a Canyon apartment on Oct. 30 and stealing Hydrocodone, which had been prescribed to an injured football player.
With this latest news, Leaf has somehow managed to continue his downward spiral even further, and is now treading into Todd Marinovich territory.
9
May
2009
Freddie Mitchell Answers The Haters
If you’re like me, you’ve been asking yourself, “hey self, I wonder what former UCLA WR and Philadelphia Eagles draft bust Freddie Mitchell has been up to lately?”
Well, wonder no more my friends, thanks to this post from Mr. Mitchell’s blog:
So you see, “things not under his control have pushed him out” of the league.
Ah, it all makes sense now. I think I’ll draft Mitchell early as a sleeper in my fantasy league this year. I got a good feeling about this guy.
[Via Shutdown Corner]
27
Apr
2009
We are with you, temporarily
I’m glad the Draft is over.
The thing is a circus. It is a fantasy world. And while it provides broad, vicarious pleasure for the armchair quarterback in all of us, the entire process would benefit from a dose of reality. One suggestion: What if these football “experts” and “draftniks” analyzed their predictions from three years ago?
How many of those sure-fire, 1st-round, penciled-in HOFers turned out to be dazzling, 16-game starters who changed the landscape of the sport? Very few.
Remember how excited we were about Tom Brady being picked in the 6th round? Remember how we all knew he'd be better than 1st rounders Peter Warrick, Trung Canidate, and Travis Taylor? ...Me neither.
The Draft is fun for us because, as Artie pointed out in an earlier post, every team seemingly improves. But it is high foolishness, on the Monday after, to point out which teams won this thing. Talk to me in 5 years–when the hype of the 2009 Draft is long gone, when Matt Stafford is working at a bank, and Darrius Heyward-Bey has 3,000 more career yards than Michael Crabtree, by then a renowned landscaper in Waco, Texas, with “garden quickness.”
Cities of poor and homeless could be saved with the $$$ Cleveland gave these epic draft busts...
The massive industry surrounding the NFL Draft is a bit absurd. And it lacks reflection.
The pull, I suppose, is that everybody can be an expert on Draft Day. You spend a few hours studying the players from a distance, and you’re suddenly transformed into “that guy,” loudly, confidently spouting disdain for teams that don’t select the guy YOU wanted.
For a day, we are kings–and despite the fact that our couch is the closest we’ll ever get to an NFL war room, we don’t hold back.
We go on and on about players we’ve never seen on the field and, when our team finally makes its pick, within seconds we Google him, YouTube his best 10 plays–and succumb to the euphoria.
We’re immediately swept up with the concept that our team has finally turned the corner, “filled holes,” and turned weakness into strength. Everything is untouchable. (Of course, the flipside of this, which Raiders fans are dealing with, is having everyone tell you that your team has FAILED. You get a Monday-morning “F,” and you can’t help but sense that the organization you’ve given your heart to is a trainwreck falling from the sky. Terrible feeling. Even though that “F” has ZERO merit. Even though years must pass before we can assess whether the Raiders really screwed this up.
Somehow, we all *know* that Michael Crabtree will be better than this guy. Based on what?
