My Top 5 Draft Stinkers

With the changes in Blogger, I needed to simplify my blog layout with the new background as the other design had become unreadable.

Anyway and back to content...

After a weekend of absorbing a volcanic eruption of NFL draft news, I laughed the loudest or shook my head the most at the following five items.
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Note: I organized this as a "David Letterman Top List"; well top 5 instead of to 10.

NUMBER 5: PRANK CALL

What happened to Rutgers prospect, Mohamed Sanu, during the draft was certainly a head-shaking moment.

With his family and friends gathered around him, some goofball pranked call him, pretending to be an official from the Bengals.

Sanu then believed that he had been drafted.

It took several minutes before the ruse was revealed--leaving Sanu and family wiping the egg off their faces.

Sanu was eventually drafted by the Bengals, so all is well that ends well.

But, who does that to someone else?

I think NFL commissioner Roger Goodell should grant a violence waiver for Sanu as he should be allowed to pummel the prankster that spread so much misery on the first day of the NFL draft.

NUMBER 4: UNTRUTHFUL

It was reported by ESPN that Browns' officials had assured current starting QB Colt McCoy that they would not draft a QB in the first round.  Then they drafted QB Brandon Weeden in the first round.  So, who is not being honest here?  The source of the story?  The Browns?  Colt McCoy?

Who knows or cares.

No matter the profession, an organization's management should always be pursuing opportunities for improvement.  Colt McCoy may or may not be the signal-caller of the future in Cleveland.

They wanted to add competition, had targeted Weeden, then likely became concerned that he would not be available beyond the first round.  As such, they selected him.

Let two players compete and designate the top performer as the starter.

Save the promises (alleged promises) for your significant other.

NUMBER 3: BLEW IT OFF

I had projected LSU CB Morris Claiborne to go to the Buccaneers with the fifth pick.  He is considered the best cover corner in the draft, and has excellent size and speed. Well, the Bucs traded back, and the Rams lost out on the WR they wanted, so they traded the pick to the Cowboys who drafted Claiborne at six.

Prior to the draft, the media reported that Claiborne had bombed his Wonderlic test--the exam given to prospects to help NFL execs gauge intelligence.  In an interview, Claiborne stated that he "blew off the test"--arguing that is why he scored poorly.

Blew off the test?

How could you not take this test seriously?

I would much rather hear him say, "I did not feel well," or "I was having a bad day," or "I just did not perform that day."

Anything other than I blew it off as he had plenty of time and resources to prepare for it.

Makes me question what else Claiborne will blow off with his new freedoms as a highly paid professional.

NUMBER 2: DRAFT A QUARTERBACK, DRAFT A QUARTERBACK

The Redskins package a deal to move up and select franchise QB prospect Robert Griffin III.  They have a limited number of picks after round #1, and are considered well behind division rivals the Giants, Cowboys, and Eagles.

So what does a struggling team do with their 4th round pick?

Add an offensive or defensive lineman to better control the line of scrimmage?

Grab a receiver or running back?

Select a linebacker?

No, no, and no.

The Washington brain-trust chooses another QB: Kirk Cousins from Michigan St.

How many QBs are the Skins going to play at the same time this year?

I'll be interested to see it, if the answer is more than one.

Good grief.

Note: USA Today writer Nate Davis wrote a thoughtful defense of this selection, but adding another QB  this early with so many other immediate needs is highly questionable; especially considering the Skins released veteran QB John Beck, leaving them with no experienced passers. 

NUMBER 1: A PUNTER?

Yes, my Buccaneers were awful last year.

Yes, we had many holes on the roster to fill entering the draft.

Yes, the Bucs passed on some good players to select the guys they did.  But, the same can be said about the Jaguars, and their officials chose Cal punter Bryan Anger in the 3rd round.

A punter? In the 3rd round?

For such a lousy team?

I think this amusing selection will create a new football fan fad--keep a running list of the first 31 players that those Jaguars passed on to draft a non-scoring kicker.  It will be fun for years to come to count how many contributors, starters, all-pros, and maybe even a hall-a-famer that Jacksonville passed on to choose a punter.

So no matter how bad things are for us Tampa fans, it definitely is worse to be cheering for the Jacksonville Jags these days.

Or maybe, I should refer to them as the future "Los Angeles Jaguars."