All Time NFL Draft Busts Team

[TheWatcher]

Quote: Originally Posted by Cebby

He finished his career with 1665 yards of total offense and 7 offensive touchdowns. For a #4 pick, that's a bust. Being an above average kick and punt returner doesn't make you worthy of a #4 draft pick.

He finished with 12,519 total yards, 15 total TD's. That's indisputable, it's statistical fact.

Most players never get anywhere near that many yards, never make a place in the league, and certainly never become a key reason for winning a Super Bowl let alone getting a Super Bowl MVP.

So it goes back to what I said earlier, if a guy didn't become a HOF'er everyone wants to call him a bust.

[Cebby]

Quote: Originally Posted by TheWatcher

He finished with 12,519 total yards, 15 total TD's. That's indisputable, it's statistical fact.

You didn't say "total yards" you said "yards of total offense." They're two very different things.

Yards from scrimmage are far, far, far more valuable than all purpose yards since that's more of an indication of how many kicks one has returned.

It's the difference between Brian Mitchell and Emmitt Smith, Tim Brown and Barry Sanders, Eric Metcalf and Edgerrin James, and Derrick Mason and TO.

Once you go farther down the list, you especially see the difference.

Quote:

So it goes back to what I said earlier, if a guy didn't become a HOF'er everyone wants to call him a bust.

Desmond Howard isn't just not a Hall of Famer, he didn't even play offense past his fourth season and he was only higher than fourth on his team's receiving list once in his career.

All he was was an good punt returner. Hell, you can even argue he was a top 5 punt returner ever, but when you draft a WR with the fourth pick, you don't expect a punt returner who you submit for the expansion draft.

It'd be one thing if he was a Devin Hester pick where you know all you are getting is a returner, but not only was he selected much higher but he was expected to be a star receiver and ended up not even being an offensive player.

[ProfessaPackMan]

Desmond Howard turning his career around in GB prevents him from putting him the bust category. But I agree with SS in that if he's a bust, then he's the most accomplished "bust" in NFL History.

And he didn't play much offense because he was awful or anything but because we were so talented and loaded at the time at our key positions that he probably wouldn't have gotten many touches anyway.

[Cebby]

Quote: Originally Posted by ProfessaPackMan

Desmond Howard turning his career around in GB prevents him from putting him the bust category. But I agree with SS in that if he's a bust, then he's the most accomplished "bust" in NFL History. And he didn't play much offense because he was awful or anything but because we were so talented and loaded at the time at our key positions that he probably wouldn't have gotten many touches anyway.

So one year of good punt returning for his third team makes the fourth pick in a draft not a bust?

I doubt every single team aside from the 94 Redskins were so loaded that they couldn't use him on offense. I think the reality is that he sucked at everything but punt returning.

Not every bust is going to be Ryan Leaf or the bi-polar guy who quit in training camp. In fact, aside from them I can't think of any first round pick who didn't do anything decent to redeem themselves at one time or another.

Jamarcus Russell had a solid end of the 2008 season but that doesn't mean he's not going to go down as an epic bust.

[CW McGraw]

Is Jim Plunkett a bust? His numbers on god awful New England teams were mediocre even for the era he played in, but having never seen him play I don't really know how he was perceived in his day. He basically disappeared during the middle of his career and then reappeared as the QB for some good Raider teams. Despite winning two championships, he never made a Pro Bowl. I've heard a huge range of opinions on Plunkett, ranging from "He was just a passenger on great teams" to more favorable views on him. If a QB who is a #1 overall pick doesn't pan out for the team that drafted him but has success elsewhere, what does that mean?

[shotgun styles]

Quote: Originally Posted by Cebby

You didn't say "total yards" you said "yards of total offense." They're two very different things. .

Really? I mean... I know I can be a petty SOB sometimes, but seriously?

You know what he meant, and so did I.

[Cebby]

Quote: Originally Posted by shotgun styles

Really? I mean... I know I can be a petty SOB sometimes, but seriously?

There's a huge difference.

Desmond Howard's career total yards of offense amount to a good but hardly special season.

[TheWatcher]

Quote: Originally Posted by Cebby

You didn't say "total yards" you said "yards of total offense." They're two very different things.

Nitpicking?

I realize they are considered different, but I don't really agree with where that thought process leads. The same people who say these things don't matter or that these yards are so unimportant that they shouldn't be considered, are usually the same people who say the NFL should get rid of kickers. It's just cheapening each positions role and I don't think that's fair at all.

Quote: Originally Posted by Cebby

Yards from scrimmage are far, far, far more valuable than all purpose yards since that's more of an indication of how many kicks one has returned. It's the difference between Brian Mitchell and Emmitt Smith, Tim Brown and Barry Sanders, Eric Metcalf and Edgerrin James, and Derrick Mason and TO. Once you go farther down the list, you especially see the difference.

Yeah, but no one is putting the guy in the same class as every down players. But yards are yards and they all matter. A return man determines what the offense's position on the field is going to be when that drive starts. Field position definitely matters. We've seen that make a big difference in a countless number of games.

Quote: Originally Posted by Cebby

Desmond Howard isn't just not a Hall of Famer, he didn't even play offense past his fourth season and he was only higher than fourth on his team's receiving list once in his career. All he was was an good punt returner. Hell, you can even argue he was a top 5 punt returner ever, but when you draft a WR with the fourth pick, you don't expect a punt returner who you submit for the expansion draft. It'd be one thing if he was a Devin Hester pick where you know all you are getting is a returner, but not only was he selected much higher but he was expected to be a star receiver and ended up not even being an offensive player.

I get the point that you're saying because he was drafted so high he should've done more, but that's a perception based on a "shoulda". Why can't we focus on what he did do, rather than what the Redskins thought he shoulda done?

I still hold to the belief that the Redskins were drafting an athlete and were bent on making this guy an NFL Caliber WR, and gave up when he didn't fit into their image of what they though he was supposed to be. The Redskins were also a crumbling organization at the time. Desmond Howard was not to be an NFL caliber receiver. His talents were best suited on Special Teams. Do we throw away Steve Tasker's career, too? Why are Special Teams disrespected like this?

The man made the most of the talents he had, and he succeeded.

Returner is a legit position in the NFL that teams do value. Look at how long Brian Mitchell lasted in the NFL? 14 seasons (All-Time leading return man who was once the NFL's all-time yardage leader and he's still #2 all-time).

Mel Gray, 12 seasons (4 Time Pro Bowler, 3-Time All Pro).

Desmond Howard, 11 seasons (Pro Bowler, Super Bowl MVP).

Why can't we give these types of players credit for succeeding with that they had? Look at how many high draft picks that didn't even last long, and never solidified any spot in the NFL. These guys held down legit positions and made things happen.