Masked Or Not: Interesting Draftee

[nickelback]

I'm at a loss as to what to think about this guy. Been trying to perfect my drafting skills or lack there of and decided to follow this guy. He was pretty much a combine stud (reds and blues in everything except broad jump) but yet never developed to be more than 41/41, after starting 25/36. Any ideas why he never lived up to those combines? Was it because of the lack of static bars or something else?

http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/9375/interesting.png

[Ben E Lou]

Volatility or injury hit?

[nickelback]

Nope. Nothing. And he retired after his sixth season, after getting released.

[Ben E Lou]

How much did he play?

[nickelback]

Not much until his 4th season when he played in 16 games and started 6 (probably as nickelback) and then all 16 and 16 starts in his 5th year. I've had masked players unmask without playing time in the past, so I didn't think that this case was any different. He only did a +1 after his 1st camp and never more than a +1 at any turn there after.

[Ben E Lou]

True, sometimes they do. But sometimes they don't. I'd guess one of two things:

1. He was one of the guys who needed to play to unmask, and he didn't play enough.
2. He just had combines that were a bit bove his true value.

[nickelback]

Have you seen guys like this that grow into what their combines suggest?

[Dandelion]

Have you seen guys like this that grow into what their combines suggest?

Only in those cases, where my scout thought of them as "underrated", "very underrated" or - rarely - "hard to read"/"as scouted"

I usually draft players without an interview only in rounds 4+ as most of those guys tend to bust. I check the bars first, to see if they got a set of skill I can use in my playbook.. then the combine values.. even size/weight. Nonetheless even with a mentor at their side about 90% never live up to the first impression. In some cases it is quite sure that too little playing time is the reason.
Got a CB (after the draft, without interview..) who gave a first impression before TC of about 25/59. First TC got that to around 27/50. I played him heavy in his first season, but he didn't rise fast and as I found a better prospect at the next draft, he was reduced to backup. His second year also saw little progress, getting him to about 33/45. In his third year, he only played 1 game. And at the end of the season he unmasked as a 39/39 (though I also had changed my scout and the reputation in scouting Secondry changed from "good" to "poor") , followed by a year as backup with 16 games played. Right now, after his 5th TC he looks like a 35/35 (to that scout with "poor" for secondry players...)

I made it a rule for me in my SP League to get a scout with at least "good" on the postion reputations that I'm most likely to draft and on "Young Talent" and to interview every draftee who looks likely to fit in my style of play..
With that tactic I managed to get me in the same draft where I got that CB described above a 1st-25th pick RT who looked like a very underrated 62 and rose to be a 85 in his 5th year.. a 2nd-24th pick RDE, very underrated 62, now a 76 in his 5th season.. and a 3rd-25th pick CB, supposed to be a very underrated 60 and ending as a 73 in season 5.
All those guys had nice bars and fitting combine values to start with.. and each of them was used as a starter from his first season on.. (or at least as a backup with 50% playing time.
Same holds true for a 2nd-7th "hard to read" 50 LG who unmasked as a 70 and then rose up to a 74 in his 6th season.. Backup with 50% playing time for two years, then starter..

And then there are guys like the 5th-28th very underrated 61 WILB, who was first declared to be a 38/53, played backup (50% time) in his first two seasons and came out of his third TC unmasked as a 35/35 - his combine stats were mediocre, his bars good and a scout with "good" at rating LBs told me he was supposed to be very underrated.. and he busts.. even with quite some time on the field.
I think I'm still missing something about this whole draft business.. but as my team goes to the playoffs even though several postions lack talent.. *shrugs*
(though I never would yet attempt to play in a MP league.. I'd surely get eaten alive there.. ;) )