DEZ BRYANT'S STOCK NOW IN FREE FALL, DONOVAN MCNABB JUST MIGHT BECOME A RAIDER SOON & WHAT CAN WE EXPECT OUT OF AL DAVIS?
The speed at which Dez Bryant's draft stock is plummeting is all of his own doing. He finally had his long-awaited private workout in his hometown of Lufkin Texas this morning after three misfires. He really out did himself down in Lufkin. After lying to NCAA investigators about a lunch date at the home of Deion Sanders, he was suspended for 10 games last season by the sanctioning body. He didn't workout at the combine because of a phantom hamstring injury. Then postponed his first private workout, skipped the Oklahoma State pro day workout, postponed another private workout & then there was his performance today. After claiming to run a 4.38 last week, today's results suggest that might have been an exaggeration. The reps from 20 pro teams in attendance were hardly dazzled. You see, Dez forgot to bring his cleats, slight problem for a football player. He had to use a brand new pair of cleats that he hadn't broken-in properly & he was terrible in the quickness evaluations & position drills because he was slipping constantly. His forty-yard dash was very disappointing as well, 4.57 & 4.62. He was able to clear 11-foot in the standing broad jump & he leaped 38" in the vertical jump.
By his own hand, Dez has cost himself maybe $5-$10 million dollars. As I've said before, his agent Eugene Parker, needs to hire a full time babysitter for Bryant, he simply hasn't proven that he can take care of himself. He was constantly late for practice & meetings at OSU, he neglected his classes & since entering the pre-draft evaluation process, Bryant continues to screw up at an alarming rate. Several teams have removed his name from their draft boards altogether. Any team that considers drafting him, go into it knowing that he's a flake & that keeping him focused might be a monumental task. On talent alone, he is by far the best wide receiver prospect in this year's draft class, but at what price is his talent overshadowed by a lack of focus & discipline, becoming a distraction to your team?
I think the Oakland Raiders really are the leader in the Donovan McNabb sweepstakes. Why you ask? Because they're willing to give up more to get him. A second round pick & possibly All-Pro CB Nnamdi Asomugha, plus they will give McNabb an extension to his contract that expires after this season. Overkill? Yeah, I think so, but it's looking more & more like the Raiders want everyone to forget the blunder they made in selecting JaMarcus Russell with the first overall pick in 2007. I don't see a chance in hell he will ever be even an average quarterback in the NFL. Coupled with their Michael Huff pick in '06, Darren McFadden pick in '08 & the selection of Darius Heyward-Bey last year, the Raiders have had four pretty bad drafts with very high 1st round picks. How about 1st overall, 4th, 7th & 7th the last four seasons. Coupled with their 1st round pick in 2005, cornerback Fabian Washington(Now with Baltimore) & the 2nd overall pick in 2004, "can't miss" left tackle Robert Gallery(who missed enough to be an average guard instead) you can see a real pattern with the Raiders. That pattern is extremely poor talent evaluation, year after year. How bad is their player personnel department? It's worse than the Chiefs & that's really saying something isn't it?
Oakland has the 8th overall pick in this year's draft & I'm going to make a prediction right now as to their pick. I'm basing this opinion on their history & the fact that Al Davis has complete veto power on anyone the front office & coaching staff want. I'd say there are 3 possibilities:
Bruce Campbell---left offensive tackle---Maryland
Heyward-Bey played at Maryland & like him, Campbell didn't receive one vote for the all-conference team. This is always an alarm bell for me. Campbell is the classic "looks like Tarzan, plays like Jane." He tested off the charts at the combine. Ran faster, jumped higher, super low body fat, he looks the part. Unfortunately he's not a good football player & last time I checked, how you play the game is more important than wowing scouts in your gym shorts. He misses downfield blocks with amazing consistency, staggering around in open spaces like a drunken sailor. He is slow to pick up stunts & blitzes, he has poor technique in his hand placement & bends more at the waist, not at the knees. He is a real project & at #8 overall, you want a tackle who can help keep your QB healthy, not aid in his demise.
Dez Bryant---wide receiver---Oklahoma State
Perfect size(6' 2" 221), with large hands that catch the ball away from the body. Tough to jam at the line & is a dangerous open field runner after the catch & as a punt returner. Plays faster than he times. The downside? Runs sloppy routes & he hasn't run a complete route tree playing in a spread offense at OSU. Very undisciplined, can be a real distraction & has had multiple off-field issues. Constantly nicked up with injuries. The fact that Al Davis & Jerry Jones are very interested in him tells me a lot.
Jason Pierre-Paul---defensive end---South Florida
Only one season of Division I football, a JC transfer who comes into the draft as a junior. In the lone season he mustered only 6.5 sacks. He's a one-trick pony, he has explosive speed(Al Davis' favorite thing) with a very quick first step. at 6' 5 3/4" 260, he will have to play OLB in a 3-4 or right defensive end in a 4-3. He doesn't hold his ground well when teams run directly at him, he doesn't have the anchor bulk or strength. Pierre-Paul is an exceptional athlete(another Al Davis trait, drafting more athletes than football players), I watched him do 13 consecutive back hand springs at the combine when his day was done, it was really impressive. Even the Russian judge would've given him a 10. Unfortunately the NFL doesn't have a gymnastic component, so I doubt this will ever come into play as a pro. With some patient coaching he could develop into an effective edge pass rusher, but drafting 8th overall, you need to hit a home run, pick a player who can start in September.
With the Raiders draft history, see why I like one of these guys to end up playing in the Black Hole? It's almost too easy predicting the next move of Al Davis' feared Silver & Black.
Any questions or comments? Submit them in the comments section or email me at rich@richsfootballreport.com
By his own hand, Dez has cost himself maybe $5-$10 million dollars. As I've said before, his agent Eugene Parker, needs to hire a full time babysitter for Bryant, he simply hasn't proven that he can take care of himself. He was constantly late for practice & meetings at OSU, he neglected his classes & since entering the pre-draft evaluation process, Bryant continues to screw up at an alarming rate. Several teams have removed his name from their draft boards altogether. Any team that considers drafting him, go into it knowing that he's a flake & that keeping him focused might be a monumental task. On talent alone, he is by far the best wide receiver prospect in this year's draft class, but at what price is his talent overshadowed by a lack of focus & discipline, becoming a distraction to your team?
I think the Oakland Raiders really are the leader in the Donovan McNabb sweepstakes. Why you ask? Because they're willing to give up more to get him. A second round pick & possibly All-Pro CB Nnamdi Asomugha, plus they will give McNabb an extension to his contract that expires after this season. Overkill? Yeah, I think so, but it's looking more & more like the Raiders want everyone to forget the blunder they made in selecting JaMarcus Russell with the first overall pick in 2007. I don't see a chance in hell he will ever be even an average quarterback in the NFL. Coupled with their Michael Huff pick in '06, Darren McFadden pick in '08 & the selection of Darius Heyward-Bey last year, the Raiders have had four pretty bad drafts with very high 1st round picks. How about 1st overall, 4th, 7th & 7th the last four seasons. Coupled with their 1st round pick in 2005, cornerback Fabian Washington(Now with Baltimore) & the 2nd overall pick in 2004, "can't miss" left tackle Robert Gallery(who missed enough to be an average guard instead) you can see a real pattern with the Raiders. That pattern is extremely poor talent evaluation, year after year. How bad is their player personnel department? It's worse than the Chiefs & that's really saying something isn't it?
Oakland has the 8th overall pick in this year's draft & I'm going to make a prediction right now as to their pick. I'm basing this opinion on their history & the fact that Al Davis has complete veto power on anyone the front office & coaching staff want. I'd say there are 3 possibilities:
Bruce Campbell---left offensive tackle---Maryland
Heyward-Bey played at Maryland & like him, Campbell didn't receive one vote for the all-conference team. This is always an alarm bell for me. Campbell is the classic "looks like Tarzan, plays like Jane." He tested off the charts at the combine. Ran faster, jumped higher, super low body fat, he looks the part. Unfortunately he's not a good football player & last time I checked, how you play the game is more important than wowing scouts in your gym shorts. He misses downfield blocks with amazing consistency, staggering around in open spaces like a drunken sailor. He is slow to pick up stunts & blitzes, he has poor technique in his hand placement & bends more at the waist, not at the knees. He is a real project & at #8 overall, you want a tackle who can help keep your QB healthy, not aid in his demise.
Dez Bryant---wide receiver---Oklahoma State
Perfect size(6' 2" 221), with large hands that catch the ball away from the body. Tough to jam at the line & is a dangerous open field runner after the catch & as a punt returner. Plays faster than he times. The downside? Runs sloppy routes & he hasn't run a complete route tree playing in a spread offense at OSU. Very undisciplined, can be a real distraction & has had multiple off-field issues. Constantly nicked up with injuries. The fact that Al Davis & Jerry Jones are very interested in him tells me a lot.
Jason Pierre-Paul---defensive end---South Florida
Only one season of Division I football, a JC transfer who comes into the draft as a junior. In the lone season he mustered only 6.5 sacks. He's a one-trick pony, he has explosive speed(Al Davis' favorite thing) with a very quick first step. at 6' 5 3/4" 260, he will have to play OLB in a 3-4 or right defensive end in a 4-3. He doesn't hold his ground well when teams run directly at him, he doesn't have the anchor bulk or strength. Pierre-Paul is an exceptional athlete(another Al Davis trait, drafting more athletes than football players), I watched him do 13 consecutive back hand springs at the combine when his day was done, it was really impressive. Even the Russian judge would've given him a 10. Unfortunately the NFL doesn't have a gymnastic component, so I doubt this will ever come into play as a pro. With some patient coaching he could develop into an effective edge pass rusher, but drafting 8th overall, you need to hit a home run, pick a player who can start in September.
With the Raiders draft history, see why I like one of these guys to end up playing in the Black Hole? It's almost too easy predicting the next move of Al Davis' feared Silver & Black.
Any questions or comments? Submit them in the comments section or email me at rich@richsfootballreport.com
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