Swing and a Miss…

[SuperSpck]

So we’ve all got opinions.

Some are more wrong than others.

This is the thread where you eat crow; self-service style.

My goofs are based on the draft, where I invest most of my time.

I didn’t really start paying attention until around ’03 and that year was all from draft publications, etc (I didn’t have a lot of access to media that year).

The obvious trend? I don’t know jack about quarterbacks. Well, less jack then the other things I know jack about.

Fess up, it's cathartic.

2003
Byron Leftwich- I really bought into that whole “team rallies around him” stuff. And for the most part it was true, but somewhere in here there’s a joke about a windup. Like Leftwich’s release, it’ll take a while… oh hey, there's the joke.
Terrell Suggs- thought he was an aberration that would stick to the college level, too much of a tweener to make an impact at the pro level. Whoops.
Kyle Boller- he could throw it between the goal posts from on his knees from 50 yards away. How could he not be great?

2004
Robert Gallery- man was I positive he’d anchor the left side of any line for at least a decade. The dirty secret is he hasn’t been a bad pro since his rookie year, but he’ll never shed that perception.
Larry Fitzgerald- I thought he was overrated. Not bad, just not the second coming.
Jason Babin- he was going to tear it up. Wasn’t going to make the Suggs mistake again… except I did, sure he made me feel a little better last year, but those grapes took way to long on the vine.

2005
Jason Campbell- too many coordinators, a little stability with coaching would make him a rock star.
David Baas- looked dominating in college. Thought he would be an all-pro at center.
Aaron Rodgers- another QB developed by an amazing college coach that would ultimately fizzle.
Brodney Pool- fell in love with measurable.
Matt Roth- thought he’d be a household name by now. That’s true in the right households. Mostly ones with “Roth” on the mailbox.
Mike Nugent- dude seemed pretty clutch in college.
Frank Gore- too many college injuries.
Adrian McPherson- so so good.

2006
Ernie Sims- a Bob Sanders at linebacker, most of the injuries nowhere near the production.
Omar Jacobs- a little stiff reading the field, goofy delivery, but icewater and whatnot.

2007
Amobi Okoye- a super young freak show. On the upside he still sorta is.
Reggie Nelson- convinced he was a rangy ballhawk who’s college defense prepared him to deal with adversity at the next level.
Brian Leonard- a multi-tooled weapon.

2008
Matt Ryan- thought his ball was sorta floaty and his midrange accuracy was overated.
Glenn Dorsey- still convinced they just haven’t used him right, but so far…
Jonathan Stewart- while not classically wrong he has been, by far, my favorite RB prospect I’ve ever seen (Michael Bush #2), he hasn’t lived up to that spot in my mind.
Chad Rinehart- He and Brandon Keith looked so so good in college. I’m happy with how Keith’s working out (so far), but for all the raw power and ability Keith came in with, I though Rinehart would be as productive because of his technique.
Jack Ikegwuonu- thought the Eagles got a steal, after a year of rehab he’d be a dynamo.

2009 (or, it’s just a little too soon for this)
Josh Freeman- a slightly better Andre Woodson.

 

[Arizona's Finest]

This is a good topic but I'm going to have to do some research before giving my full answer

 

[Catfish]

I thought Donnie Henderson would be the savior of our secondary last year. Then A-Dub has maybe the worst year of his career, and on top of that our Pro-Bowl CB refuses to tackle, and freelances his way out of position to make a play about half the time. Bad year for me to believe our secondary would be the rock that our 'D' would be built around.

I thought David Boston would be the consumate wideout. Big, fast, good hands, and cut. I guess being big was more important to him than being good.

My #1 gaff-----I actually WROTE A LETTER to Mr. Bidwill thanking him for signing Buddy Ryan to a contract. Then, I had to sit by and watch him completely blow up the O-line that Joe Bugel had built, (and which had produced the 3rd ranked running game in the league. He also totally wasted the running back from Georgia, (Garrison Hurst), and had him pushing wheel barrow's all over the practice fields. Kid went on to a really good career in San Fran. All we got was the MOUTH THAT ROARED !!!!!

 

[Duckjake]

I thought Donnie Henderson would be the savior of our secondary last year. Then A-Dub has maybe the worst year of his career, and on top of that our Pro-Bowl CB refuses to tackle, and freelances his way out of position to make a play about half the time. Bad year for me to believe our secondary would be the rock that our 'D' would be built around.

I thought David Boston would be the consummate wideout. Big, fast, good hands, and cut. I guess being big was more important to him than being good.

My #1 gaff-----I actually WROTE A LETTER to Mr. Bidwill thanking him for signing Buddy Ryan to a contract. Then, I had to sit by and watch him completely blow up the O-line that Joe Bugel had built, (and which had produced the 3rd ranked running game in the league. He also totally wasted the running back from Georgia, (Garrison Hurst), and had him pushing wheel barrow's all over the practice fields. Kid went on to a really good career in San Fran. All we got was the MOUTH THAT ROARED !!!!!

Well Boston was for 2 seasons. Still holds the franchise record for most receiving yards in one season 1,598. 2000-2001 he had 2700 yards and 15 TDs. Just wasted all that talent.

 

[Dougmo]

I'd need to look at some of my old notes too but off the top of my head I thought Josh Freeman would be a major bust. Seems anything but.

 

[Catfish]

Well Boston was for 2 seasons. Still holds the franchise record for most receiving yards in one season 1,598. 2000-2001 he had 2700 yards and 15 TDs. Just wasted all that talent.

Jake, you couldn't be more right. The really sad part is that he not only blew what may have been a HOF career, but he cheated the fans who believed him to be the guy that would turn the franchise around.

 

[Catfish]

Spock, this is a great thread. Thanks for posting it. I haven't even taken the time to look back on the other misses that I had picked for success, but I already see how badly I missed on these. I guess we are not quite where we believed we were when it comes to managing a team's roster. LOL This is a great exercise to point that out. Good stuff Spock!!!!!!!

 

[Bert]

Notable misses from me:

I was positive Leinart was the real deal, especially after his fast start.

I also thought Tim Rosenbach was going to be really good. (injuries suck)

I really thought Thomas Jones was going to be a top RB for us. (not the Bears)

I thought Tom Knight, when paired with Williams would be the best CB duo in the NFL.

Andre Wadsworth was also a great disappointment to me.

 

[Duckjake]

Notable misses from me:

I was positive Leinart was the real deal, especially after his fast start.

I also thought Tim Rosenbach was going to be really good. (injuries suck)

I really thought Thomas Jones was going to be a top RB for us. (not the Bears)

I thought Tom Knight, when paired with Williams would be the best CB duo in the NFL.

Andre Wadsworth was also a great disappointment to me.

Remember the great debate: Wadsworth v Woodson? That was a lively one.

 

[joeshmo]

Guys who get paid the big bucks are on average 50% right on their opinions in FA and the draft.

Us fans are probably closer to 30%. Anyone that puts out a list of fails it will be a pretty huge list.

So I would rather not put mine out there.

 

[Bert]

Remember the great debate: Wadsworth v Woodson? That was a lively one.

Am I terrible for thinking that Woodson probably would have busted here too? We just kinda had that effect on players back then.


Remember that Dline? Swan/Wadsworth/Rice/Smith and Mean Joe Green was their coach. They did manage 28 sacks between them in 98 but other than that it was very underwhelming. We should have kept that group together longer.

Good LB's too in Mckinnon/Jamir Miller

Lassiter/Williams/Chaveous/Tillman in the backfield

Man that defense (as a unit) was disappointing. I mean they were ok, and they were't all together that long, but they were together long enough to fall short of expectations.

 

[MrYeahBut]

Am I terrible for thinking that Woodson probably would have busted here too? We just kinda had that effect on players back then.


Remember that Dline? Swan/Wadsworth/Rice/Smith and Mean Joe Green was their coach. They did manage 28 sacks between them in 98 but other than that it was very underwhelming. We should have kept that group together longer.

Good LB's too in Mckinnon/Jamir Miller

Lassiter/Williams/Chaveous/Tillman in the backfield

Man that defense (as a unit) was disappointing. I mean they were ok, and they were't all together that long, but they were together long enough to fall short of expectations.

I think alot of us blamed it on Mean Joe, who couldn't coach his way out of a paper bag

 

[Buckybird]

Man that defense (as a unit) was disappointing. I mean they were ok, and they were't all together that long, but they were together long enough to fall short of expectations.

Maybe wasn't that good on a long term basis, but the way they dominated the Cowpies in Dallas was pure genius!!! Our Dline dominated their hogs, the LB's crushed Emmitt, Aikman was blasted all day by Miller and Wadsworth & Irvin looked like Nate Poole as he was shut down by Aeneas!!! That single game got Dave McGinnis a HC job.

But it was a thing of beauty to this guy who has lived in Big D his whole life & suffered thru the torture of Cowpie asswhipes at Texas Stadium since the early '70's.

 

[Bert]

Maybe wasn't that good on a long term basis, but the way they dominated the Cowpies in Dallas was pure genius!!! Our Dline dominated their hogs, the LB's crushed Emmitt, Aikman was blasted all day by Miller and Wadsworth & Irvin looked like Nate Poole as he was shut down by Aeneas!!! That single game got Dave McGinnis a HC job.

But it was a thing of beauty to this guy who has lived in Big D his whole life & suffered thru the torture of Cowpie asswhipes at Texas Stadium since the early '70's.

The whole defense was out of their minds that game. Williams ate Irvin for lunch and picked off Aikman twice.

Yes my friend, that was a very good game.

 

[Duckjake]

Am I terrible for thinking that Woodson probably would have busted here too? We just kinda had that effect on players back then.


Remember that Dline? Swann/Wadsworth/Rice/Smith and Mean Joe Green was their coach. They did manage 28 sacks between them in 98 but other than that it was very underwhelming. We should have kept that group together longer.

Good LB's too in Mckinnon/Jamir Miller

Lassiter/Williams/Chaveous/Tillman in the backfield

Man that defense (as a unit) was disappointing. I mean they were ok, and they were't all together that long, but they were together long enough to fall short of expectations.

Those guys had 45.5 sacks between them '97-'98 but like you said the injuries just devastated that line. Neither Swann nor Smith started a game in 1999. Replaced by Tom Burke, Brad Ottis, Jerry Drake and Rashod Swinger.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Am I terrible for thinking that Woodson probably would have busted here too? We just kinda had that effect on players back then.


Remember that Dline? Swan/Wadsworth/Rice/Smith and Mean Joe Green was their coach. They did manage 28 sacks between them in 98 but other than that it was very underwhelming. We should have kept that group together longer.

Good LB's too in Mckinnon/Jamir Miller

Lassiter/Williams/Chaveous/Tillman in the backfield

Man that defense (as a unit) was disappointing. I mean they were ok, and they were't all together that long, but they were together long enough to fall short of expectations.

Tommy Bennett was the other starting safety.

 

[Mulli]

Tommy Bennett was the other starting safety.

And they went on to hire the dope that couldn't do anything with that group to be HC. Ugh.

 

[Bert]

Tommy Bennett was the other starting safety.

Yep forgot all about Tommy, man I cant believe how long ago that was now...

 

[Duckjake]

And they went on to hire the dope that couldn't do anything with that group to be HC. Ugh.

I'll never forget how livid I was when the Bidwills hired McGinnis as HC. (I've always claimed it was because they didn't want another Jim Fassel episode)

I remember ranting after the San Diego preseason game about how stupid it was. "The Cards defense has been atrocious and you go out and hire the Defensive Coordinator as your Head Coach!" "That's nuts". I think I went on and on about it until Derm stuck a Cigar in my mouth and a beer in my hand to shut me up. Of course the Cards promptly went out and gave up 72 points in their first two games of 2001. At home no less.

 

[Mulli]

I'll never forget how livid I was when the Bidwills hired McGinnis as HC (I've always claimed it was because they didn't want another Jim Fassel episode).

I remember ranting after the San Diego preseason game about how stupid it was. "The Cards defense has been atrocious and you go out and hire the Defensive Coordinator as your Head Coach!" "That's nuts". I think I went on and on about it until Derm stuck a Cigar in my mouth and a beer in my hand to shut me up. Of course the Cards promptly went out and gave up 72 points in their first two games of 2001. At home no less.

:dcr:

and know that dolt claims the Bidwills didn't get him any talent.

 

[lobo]

Guys who get paid the big bucks are on average 50% right on their opinions in FA and the draft.

Us fans are probably closer to 30%. Anyone that puts out a list of fails it will be a pretty huge list.

So I would rather not put mine out there.

very well put and very very true..."great" drafters are few and far between

jim finks here in chicago was a standout.

 

[slanidrac16]

Honestly, I've never been wrong with my evaluations.....

I do remember thinking that we should stay away from Adrian Peterson because he was hurt and I believe there was a question if he would be ready to start the season.

Okay, so I was wrong once.

 

[THESMEL]

I'm still burning over Everson Griffin being passed over for Andre, We still need OLB. Lots of them!

 

[Buckybird]

I'm still burning over Everson Griffin being passed over for Andre, We still need OLB. Lots of them!

And Griffin has done what in the NFL? Other than arrests for DUI & battery, what he's done for the Vikes isn't even comparable to what Roberts has done in red.

 

[Mulli]

Griffin was tased, arrested and accused of assaulting a police officer.