Quote:Yes, we 'needed' a Quarterback.  But you are -- to quote Sherlock Holmes -- twisting the facts to fit your theory, rather than twisting your theory to fit the facts.  What precludes Blaine Gabbert from being the highest rated player on Gene's board?  Absolutely nothing!  Yes, we needed a Quarterback.  But by that logic, any General Manager that drafts BAP that happens to fit a need, isn't drafting BAP at all.  That's a logical fallacy.  

 

It's not as if some people didn't believe the Panthers would select Gabbert over Cam Newton.

 

Again with Blackmon, you presume that that precludes Blackmon from being a BAP pick.  Again -- that would invalidate the BAP philosophy entirely, because it would mean that you would have to take BAP EXCEPT at a position of need in order to be considered BAP drafting.  

 

Then you go on to say "He absolutely was not a BAP drafter" to follow up with "of course this is merely my opinion."  You can't have it both ways.  

 

Technically it's possible for a Needs guy to claim to be a BAP guy and not be lying if they rank "best" using need as a criteria. Still it doesn't really matter. Ideological purity dictates that you don't put need into the evaluation if you really want to take the best talent. It's pretty clear from Gene's own comments that he was at least considering Need in his draft board order. So regardless of whether he really was taking the top guy left on his board it doesn't matter if his board was ordered wrong to start with.

---