2002 Draft

[football karma]

NFL network did a look back at the 2002 NFL draft--

man-- what a house of horrors looking back at the Cards draft:

#1 Wendell Bryant
#2 Levar Fisher
#3 Josh McCown
#4 Nate Dwyer
#5 Jason McAddely
#6 Josh Scobee
#7 Mike Banks

While its easy to look at the draft order and play the "if only they had picked player X instead" -- its a bummer to see that not even a single "average" starting NFL player was found in that draft. Yuck.

 

[ryanshaug]

Ouch.

 

[Assface]

NFL network did a look back at the 2002 NFL draft--

man-- what a house of horrors looking back at the Cards draft:

#1 Wendell Bryant
#2 Levar Fisher
#3 Josh McCown
#4 Nate Dwyer
#5 Jason McAddely
#6 Josh Scobee
#7 Mike Banks

While its easy to look at the draft order and play the "if only they had picked player X instead" -- its a bummer to see that not even a single "average" starting NFL player was found in that draft. Yuck.

I'm not sure about Bryant, I think he was a victim of Mac and Joe Greene. The bounced him back and forth between DT and DE so he kept gaining and losing weight accordingly. Plus, I don't think he learned anything new (the old crew never did make anyone better than they were before they got here.)

Fisher was a gamble that didn't pay off. He would've been good if his knees had held up.

McCown is an average starter. Unfortunately QB is such an important position that average isn't good enough. I think he can have a very good career as a backup and spot starter.

Scobey is a decent kick returner but doesn't add much value as a RB. Last preseason I was interested in seeing what he could do in DG's offense but he didn't show much. The rest of those picks sucked. Hopefully DG, Pendergrats and co. can salvage Bryant.

 

[Redsz]

We really need Bryant to step up to be our NT. Him attending the workouts is a positive sign. Hopefully his talent can be salveged (sp?).

 

[wilycoyote24]

Getting a franchise quarterback isn't too bad of a draft to me. What's actually a little funny is that I kinda believe that.

 

[Stout]

Wily, I think you had an anvil dropped on your head

Wow, not a single NFL starter on the list. Like those miserable psalms, it's sooo depressing.

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

1. Wendell Bryant - 39 tackles and 1.5 sacks in 3 seasons. Even without Mean Joe the guy wouldn't be any good. Simeon was able to overcome that clown.

2. Levar Fisher - Cut in favor of some guy named Leon Joe. Most intelligent NFL personnel people take gambles on injury-prone guys with upside in the second day (Lance Mitchell for example).

3. Josh McCown - Sorry, but any QB drafted on the first day who's been demoted three times in one year is a bust. Since entering college, McCown has now been benched in favor of Shaun King, John Navarre, Kurt Warner, and some dude named David Page.

3. Dennis Johnson - Career highlight: Leading the Cardinals defensive lineman in sacks in 2003. Career lowlight: Was the leader with a grand total of 3 sacks

4. Nate Dwyer - Along with McAddley and McCown, Dwyer was another one of Mac's heart guys that he fell in love with at the Senior Bowl. He's now putting 100% of his heart into insurance sales. Mac would be so proud.

5. Jason McAddley - Here's a little known fact: McAddley has more career 100 yard games than Bryant Johnson. The downside of this is the fact that McAddley was never any good and sadly was our #1 WR at some point.

6. Josh Scobey - Probably the best value pick of the Cardinals draft. Will probably be out of the NFL come August.

7. Mike Banks - Never caught a pass a pro.

Three years later, six of these guys will likely not be in the NFL and the other two will be backups behind marginal players. This definitely could be the worst draft of all time.

 

[football karma]

How could I forget Dennis Johnson.

At the end of the day, when one wonders how it is that the Cardinals could be so bad for so long, its because drafts like 2002 have been more the rule than the exception.

Its sad, because when you consider all the money the Cards spent on scouting, etc, I feel like I could have sat in the war room with the Ourlads draft guide and done no worse, and probably better.

 

[Mulli]

1. Wendell Bryant - 39 tackles and 1.5 sacks in 3 seasons. Even without Mean Joe the guy wouldn't be any good. Simeon was able to overcome that clown.

2. Levar Fisher - Cut in favor of some guy named Leon Joe. Most intelligent NFL personnel people take gambles on injury-prone guys with upside in the second day (Lance Mitchell for example).

3. Josh McCown - Sorry, but any QB drafted on the first day who's been demoted three times in one year is a bust. Since entering college, McCown has now been benched in favor of Shaun King, John Navarre, Kurt Warner, and some dude named David Page.

3. Dennis Johnson - Career highlight: Leading the Cardinals defensive lineman in sacks in 2003. Career lowlight: Was the leader with a grand total of 3 sacks

4. Nate Dwyer - Along with McAddley and McCown, Dwyer was another one of Mac's heart guys that he fell in love with at the Senior Bowl. He's now putting 100% of his heart into insurance sales. Mac would be so proud.

5. Jason McAddley - Here's a little known fact: McAddley has more career 100 yard games than Bryant Johnson. The downside of this is the fact that McAddley was never any good and sadly was our #1 WR at some point.

6. Josh Scobey - Probably the best value pick of the Cardinals draft. Will probably be out of the NFL come August.

7. Mike Banks - Never caught a pass a pro.

Three years later, six of these guys will likely not be in the NFL and the other two will be backups behind marginal players. This definitely could be the worst draft of all time.

Mao, you are too funny. It is funny because it is so true. This doesn't bode well for all the talk of Gruden drafting guys he coached at the Senior Bowl.

Don't underestimate David Page. He has more in common with Ben Rothlisberger that you think.

 

[BACH]

That was a terrible draft for us, but I don't think it's fair the rip Mac/Graves that much...

On paper this was a very good draft at the time. Bryant was the right pick. McCown, Johnson and McAddley were all considered steals.

Drafting Fisher was a conculated risk. We took the same kind of risk in 2003 with Boldin. No difference!

 

[Duckjake]

That was a terrible draft for us, but I don't think it's fair the rip Mac/Graves that much...

On paper this was a very good draft at the time. Bryant was the right pick. McCown, Johnson and McAddley were all considered steals.

Drafting Fisher was a conculated risk. We took the same kind of risk in 2003 with Boldin. No difference!

I disagree. The Cards were given low marks by many. I had never heard of most of the guys. Wendall Bryant was not a big time college player the Cards were just desperate for a DLineman. You could tell just by looking at Fischer he was too small to hold up at LB in the NFL.

On the other hand Dennis Green has gone into the 4th round both years before he selected a player I didn't know anything about.

 

[Russ Smith]

I disagree. The Cards were given low marks by many. I had never heard of most of the guys. Wendall Bryant was not a big time college player the Cards were just desperate for a DLineman. You could tell just by looking at Fischer he was too small to hold up at LB in the NFL.

On the other hand Dennis Green has gone into the 4th round both years before he selected a player I didn't know anything about.

Bryant was considered a first rounder but he was about the 4th or 5th rated DT in a draft fairly deep in them(henderson, Sims etc). McCown was the high riser that had been moving up the boards since his senior bowl and combine performance where he wowed everyone with his vertical jump. I said it then, I'll say it now, I don't understand what vertical jump has to do with playing QB. Johnson appeared to be a potential steal this kid was the national HS player of the year, got 2 schools investigated and one on probation for recruiting violations trying to get him. He was very good in school he just was a bit undersized and needed to get stronger. He'd gotten by on sheer athletic ability and everyone figured good weight program, bulk him up, teach him a few things he could be a steal. As it turned out he was a kid who just peaked way too early, he didn't get bigger or stronger, seemed to lose speed, and never made it. When he was with SF last year they said he was a steal pickup that would really help the team, then he played in one game and did nothing and I think he's out of football now. What you read at the time was the coaches felt he was a really raw talent (ie he didn't learn a damn thing here) but he didn't turn out to be as explosive as they remembered him coming out of college so they let him go.

So part Mac, and part that when he tried to get bigger apparently all he did was get slower.

Fisher was a kid I always liked but I agree with Mao taking a kid with a known knee problem, in round 2, probably isn't the smartest move.

 

[football karma]

The sad thing is in the weeks leading up to the draft, there were four other players that the Cardinals were rumored to like a great deal:

Donte Stallworth, Napolean Harris, Jeremy Shockey and Phillip Buchanon

While none of those have been world beaters, all of those players have contributed to their respective teams FAR more than Wendell has to his. Why did they pass on those players? At the time, none was considered to be a real position of need.

 

[jw7]

Wendell was also a holdout - missed the entire training camp.

I liked the pick at the time, the draft was deep in DTs and we needed one.

 

[Big D]

NFL network did a look back at the 2002 NFL draft--

man-- what a house of horrors looking back at the Cards draft:

#1 Wendell Bryant
#2 Levar Fisher
#3 Josh McCown
#4 Nate Dwyer
#5 Jason McAddely
#6 Josh Scobee
#7 Mike Banks

Our undrafted FA list from this year looks better than that actual draft list.

 

[joeshmo]

But they are all very good special teamers.