(05-06-2021, 12:36 PM)TheO-LineMatters Wrote:

(05-06-2021, 10:51 AM)Bullseye Wrote: UM has stated a preference for getting to know a person before he commits to them as a player.  That was clear during free agency.  He expressed dismay over not being able to talk to people before signing them.  I can't say I blame him.  He has been emphatic that we get the picks right throughout this process.  It stands to reason he would rely on his own experiences with the players in the absence of being able to interview players this offseason.

But to go the extra leap and suggest he accepted ZERO input from his scouts is too far.  UM stated he knew Farrell and his family.  Yet he didn't draft him above Trevor Lawrence, Travis Etienne or Tyson Campbell or even Jay Tufele.  Why not?  If it's solely about how well he knew the players through previous interactions, and nothing to do with the comparative talent between the players, why wasn't Farrell taken before these guys?

UMs own interactions might have been the tiebreaker between one candidate and the next, but I don't buy the idea he completely disregarded scouts.  He himself seemingly cringed at the idea of any schism between coaching and scouting.

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I'm not saying he took zero input from the scouts. I'm suggesting he simply disregarded much of what they said, because he already had his mind made up about guys he was familiar with.

Why did Meyer choose Etienne, Campbell and Tufele over Farrell? It's simple. Meyer knew Etienne via the college playoffs. He knew he was a far superior player. The same goes for Tyson Campbell and Jay Tufele. Both were recruited by Urban Meyer at Ohio State. He had an intimate knowledge of these guys and wanted them very much, because he knew they were good players. They just chose other schools. That's why he chose them before Farrell. He knew them all and they were simply better players. As far as Farrell, there were still two full rounds in the draft that were left and far, far, far better players at a variety of positions that were left on the board when he was taken. We already signed one of the best blocking TE's in the NFL in free agency and that was not a need at all. He certainly wasn't the BAP and it certainly wasn't a need, so Meyer took him based solely out of familiarity and that was stupid. Based on what we already had and what we needed, no scout in their right mind would've recommended taking Farrell in round 5. That was all on Meyer.

 (Emphasis added)

The part in bold is confusing, because in your post before this one to which I responded, you typed this:

Quote:Almost all of his draft picks were guys he was familiar with while coaching. Most were guys he recruited. Farrell was drafted because Meyer knew him and thought he was "a nice guy." Apparently, not because of his abilities. That was a comment made by Meyer. It's pretty evident.

Why would he draft players according to their abilities before him and ignore abilities afterward?  If you are comfortable the team drafted according to abilities before the Farrell pick, why would you be uncomfortable with any of the picks made before Farrell?

Does being a good person/locker room guy factor into a team's determination as to whether a player is draftable or not?

Is it possible the team eschewed BAP and drafted for need?

Is it possible after the 4th round, UM didn't think there was anyone left with a chance of starting or upgrading a position?

Is it possible they simply ranked him incorrectly?

Is it possible you simply ranked him incorrectly?


Not trying to give you grief, just trying to understand your position.

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