Thought this was interesting. One writer’s take on how the 2024 draft should have looked with one season under everyone’s belts. I always like looking back at drafts from a number of years ago and always find superstars drafted low and big misses taken high. We can already see a bit of that after only one year.
3 Likes
The Bears would’ve screwed up whoever they drafted 
3 Likes
Too bad it’s paywalled, but that looks like a great article!
Now there has been high correlation with players in top FBS programs, especially in the SEC, Big Ten, and ACC along with other power conferences past and present, and being picked in the first and second round and solid or above average performance for most amidst all the busts,
but the pedigree some players believe they have is shown up often by the second season in the NFL if they are drafted high.
As one example and making an exception for a backup quarterback, a first rounder not playing regularly by midseason has his chips down.
A second rounder not seeing much action in his rookie year is about the same.
By the first training camp, all the players definitely know what some rookie brings or not,
whatever the coaches or general managers (or one of the routinely meddlesome owners like Jerry Jones or Jim Irsay) think when things are sketchy,
more to try to cover their own butts at times when they are at risk of a bad pick than for real game, especially when a team is already on the downside by November and unlikely to make the playoffs lest they almost win out on their games.
And that pedigree business is crap hyped for too long by the likes of ESPN because they are promoting their college football agenda (inane blowhard comments like “He’ll play on Sundays” and “He’s shooting up the board!”), but most of those losers at ESPN are finally gone though not all quite yet.
1 Like
The Browns, Dolphins, Colts, Lions, Commanders, and perhaps a few others want in on this action, though of course even all of these have managed solid picks for a great players in the first two rounds since 2000.
1 Like
Sorry about that. I am assuming it is paywalled because you have a US IP address as it is not paywalled in Canada. I’m not sure if there is an easy way around that, but if anyone knows I’m all ears. I link a lot of TSN articles Paolo and I am wondering whether they are always paywalled for you or just this one? How about you @IllinoisGuy ?
2 Likes
It’s paywalled for me too. I just commented based on the headline
3 Likes
Aw shucks no worries there buddy lad,
you don’t be crappin’ yar trousers now like yar olde skipper,
punch out yar bloke with dar losing horn,
our ship must sail on,
arrrggh!
2 Likes
2 Likes
And here is a brief article on the MVP voting. It was close as it should have been. Like Dave Naylor I would have given the edge to Lamar. I think he was better but didn’t win as much. Arguably Burrow was better than both but won even less. The voters may have been influenced by the fact that this was the first and perhaps only chance Josh had at the award while Lamar already has two and is likely to contend some more.
The rest of the major awards:
4 Likes
HOF class for 2024 announced:
Eli Manning not inducted on his first attempt. When I read his accomplishments I think he should easily be in. Beating Brady head to head in two Super Bowls and being named MVP should be enough by himself. No doubt he will get in sooner or later.
I don’t remember this guy, but he was just denied entry into the HOF once and for all. This is because he killed his wife and himself in 1980. Sounds reasonable to keep him out, but the article discloses enough for me to think he should be in.
His children. whose mother he killed, think he should be in. They say it wasn’t the real him who killed their mother and believe based on the evidence of his detriorating and bizarre behaviour later in life that he suffered from CTE, a disease that didn’t even exist in 1980. In addition HOF voters are not to take into account off field behaviour, which presumably they did as his on field resume more than qualifies him. OJ also remains in the hall to the best of my knowledge and he has no CTE excuse for killing his ex wife.
3 Likes
This topic has run its course. Aside from Super Bowl discussion the new topic going forward until the regular season starts has been opened and is linked below.
2 Likes