Quote:I agree completely with that.

 

We have no way of ascertaining-aside from what is at best 3rd or 4th hand testimony-what the character/intangible set of a player is from our side of the computer screen.

 

I was one of the biggest advocates for Justin Blackmon and against Michael Floyd in 2012.

 

Why?

 

Because based upon all of the information available to me without talking to his coaches and others who had superior information, he had the one DUI arrest in college.  Meanwhile, Floyd had numerous alcohol related incidents and suspension, to the point where he was almost kicked off the team and he supposedly stayed his last year in the Freshman dorm.

 

As you know, Blackmon has barely played due to substance related suspensions, while Floyd seemingly hasn't had a hint of trouble and has been a productive player-occasionally dominant-for the Cards.

 

A lot of the stuff about Blackmon's indiscretions in college came to light after the post draft, pre-minicamp arrest.  By then it was too late for any of us who advocated for his selection pre draft to save face for being wrong.

 

And you really need to ask about Oreos...the most overrated cookie on the market?!?  It speaks volumes that most people actually discard the cookies after eating the creme.  They taste burnt.  Why not just dig into a bag of Kingsford charcoal if you have a taste for the actual cookie part of Oreos?

 

I think I may actually concede to your point about Oreos, but under significant duress.

 

Another point to the Draft that really confuses me with some people is when they state that a guy "doesn't look like a top ten selection to me." Drafts are unique things in that they get compared across the years but they are individual things in and of themselves. There really are ten players in every draft that are better than every other player who can be selected in that specific draft. Now, those players may not be as good as "top ten" players from other drafts, but their value within their class remains. And if the argument is made that in order to get the most value out of a high draft selection in a weak draft a team needs to trade back, that is contingent on some other team viewing players differently than you.

 

If you have a bead set on a guy that you think is the best player in a particular draft and he is there at your pick, how is the value diminished if you take him? Granted, misses happen all the time in draft selections, but the value is still there.

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