Actually I was chairing the chat room on that draft day and I plus a number of the 30 or so fans we had online were pleading for Rogers. As I posted in my pre-draft analysis, he had alreadly had a thorough physical and was given a complete bill of health. It was the injury that caused him to fall, because that type of injury can be nagging. Still, he was easily the best choice.
Stone was the highest rated corner when he was chosen. His situation is bizzarre. He should good man cover skills in college, but was raw and the belief was he lacked solid coaching. Marmie figured to remedy that and I rated him a solid choice. Just goes to show there are no sure things in drafting.
It is worth noting tha while Stone was highest rated CB, he was not nearly the highest rated player. In that sense he was a reach, because the Cards drafted for need.
Here's the rating from my review,
"Shaun Rogers 6'4" 320 5.3
Hands down he is the best defensive tackle available, except for injury issues. In fact, those issues (foot injury) prevented him from working out at the combine. He is still believed to recovering sufficiently to workout prior to the draft, though it is hard to imagine he would be in peak condition. If not he may drop. Were he to be available by some miracle when the Cards' second turn comes around, don't stand between the Cards' table and the podium. You will be trampled. Forget the nonsense you read about overweight. He is not fat. He is precisely the type of anchor tackle the Cards are seeking. He is strong, physically massive and cannot be moved by a single blocker. He has the best leg strength among the top contenders and he plays very low to the ground, so his leverage position is outstanding. This guy goes in only one direction: forward. He has decent foot speed and quickness, but he is not likely to develop into a great pass rusher. His first step, though adequate, is not going to "out-quick" anybody. He has not developed any true technique as a pass rusher and I suspect he is unlikely to do so. That said, he will clog the middle like a bog. He is such a powerful force in the middle that even a lineman and a fullback trying to open a hole through him are unlikely to get a clean shot at a linebacker. With the Cards mobile linebackers, the defense would finally be able to plug the holes in the middle. Forget running draws near this guy, he stays home or just comes at you. He has a nose for the ball. The are many negative comments about his work ethic. It is important to remember that these players are often still maturing. Everyone with whom I have checked tells me he is a good guy. Hopefully, he will play every down, but even if not, he is still an awesome presence who will rise to the occasion. For the Cards, the problem is that with the injury issues he would be hard to justify at the two slot. If they trade down or if he is there in round two, color him red."
I posted the medical updates on the message board. Looking back, Seymour turned out to be the best player, but there is little room for argument that Rogers was a better pick than Stone.
