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mission
07-05-2009, 02:57 PM
Disappointing article here from one of our favorite sources:
http://www.packerupdate.com/pu/2009/07/m.html

Says he practices like a guy with a bad back... greeaaaaat.

EDIT: New link. New headline: MODEST EXPECTATIONS FOR HARRELL

retailguy
07-05-2009, 03:05 PM
<sigh>

Brando19
07-05-2009, 03:08 PM
Prediction...Harrell will not be on the team in 2010.

vince
07-05-2009, 03:40 PM
Makes you wonder if Harrell's "illness" at the end of minicamp wasn't a smokescreen.

woodbuck27
07-05-2009, 03:43 PM
It certainly seems to me that Mr. Harrell will soon be cut. I hope I'm wrong.

PACKERS!

vince
07-05-2009, 03:51 PM
Hopefully, his illness just slowed him down and sapped his energy, which is reflected in this guy's assessment. Like all the football related threads at this point, we'll find out in camp.

Lurker64
07-05-2009, 04:39 PM
Really, I think at this point Harrell gets too much of our attention. Worst case scenario, we missed on a draft pick. It happens; it has happened before and it will happen again. At least unlike other recent misses like Ahmad Carroll or Jamal Reynolds, Harrell doesn't look bad when he actually plays.

vince
07-05-2009, 05:04 PM
Good point Lurk. You can add Antuan Edwards, John Michels, Terrell Buckley, Vinnie Clark, Darrell Thompson, and Tony Mandarich to the list too.

My frustration is that it's not his play that's holding him back.

Fred's Slacks
07-05-2009, 05:27 PM
Anyone else having trouble with the link?

Fritz
07-05-2009, 05:53 PM
Yes, Fred, I did, too.

It opened into . . . emptiness.

Just like Harrell's career so far.

vince
07-05-2009, 05:57 PM
The article title has been changed to "Modest Expectations for Harrell."

Here's the new link.

http://www.packerupdate.com/pu/2009/07/m.html

Fritz
07-05-2009, 06:02 PM
Thanks - I can read it now.

And at this point I'll take "useful part of the defensive line" out of the guy.

Besides, I thought an end in the 3-4 was pretty much supposed to hold the point and free up linebackers? If that's so, then aren't sacks from a defensive end a bonus in the 3-4, no matter what the name on the jersey is?

DonHutson
07-05-2009, 06:38 PM
Besides, I thought an end in the 3-4 was pretty much supposed to hold the point and free up linebackers? If that's so, then aren't sacks from a defensive end a bonus in the 3-4, no matter what the name on the jersey is?

Agree 100%. If he can occupy blockers effectively, then he'll be an effective player in this D.

Also, not that I've ever been a guy who sticks up for Harrell, but how much can you really tell about a guy coming off an injury when he's playing in shorts in June? Maybe he was playing it safe, maybe the coaches told him to take it easy, who knows?

If he looks slow in training camp and preseason, then I'll take it more seriously.

oregonpackfan
07-05-2009, 06:55 PM
Prediction...Harrell will not be on the team in 2010.

My prediction, unfortunately, is that Harrell will not make the final cut this year(2009).

One quote in the article really struck me:

He reported out of shape as both a rookie and a second-year player. And while his body looked somewhat better this spring, he was still above the weight the coaches had targeted for him.”

It seems to me that most rookies looking to impress their coaches will report to camp in shape. Furthermore, most second year players coming off of surgery and wanting to prove their worth as a first round draft choice would report to camp in shape. Finally, the guy as an incoming third year player is still reporting overweight.

As the article suggested, I just don't think the guy is motivated, much less healthy enough, to play in the NFL.

Brando19
07-05-2009, 07:04 PM
Prediction...Harrell will not be on the team in 2010.

My prediction, unfortunately, is that Harrell will not make the final cut this year(2009).

One quote in the article really struck me:

He reported out of shape as both a rookie and a second-year player. And while his body looked somewhat better this spring, he was still above the weight the coaches had targeted for him.”

It seems to me that most rookies looking to impress their coaches will report to camp in shape. Furthermore, most second year players coming off of surgery and wanting to prove their worth as a first round draft choice would report to camp in shape. Finally, the guy as an incoming third year player is still reporting overweight.

As the article suggested, I just don't think the guy is motivated, much less healthy enough, to play in the NFL.

What a waste if he's not on the team this year.

rbaloha1
07-05-2009, 07:47 PM
Not good news. TT drafted JH based on Reggie McKenzie -- "Mr. Tennessee."

Motivation has always been an issue with JH. How much has JH collected in signing bonus $?

Unfortunately JH may have a decent career after being cut by the Packers.

Partial
07-05-2009, 07:56 PM
Way too soon to tell. The JSO accounts as far as I know were mostly positive. Could just be somebody looking for web traffic. I have ZERO expectations for Harrell because I don't know what to expect. I think people blow out of proportion how well he played when healthy (I don't think he did very much personally), but at the same time I'm not ready to cut him yet either.

We'll see what he does in camp. If he's healthy he will be a nice player to have. If he's not, well, he probably never will be. We already have one perpetually injured linemen in CJ, so lets hope this guy is finally healthy for good.

vince
07-05-2009, 08:38 PM
It's often difficult to tell how productive DT's are when their responsibility is to plug a gap (or 2) and keep others clean to make tackles, especially when they don't play in passing situations.

I can't find the link, but I recall that his rookie year, he led all D-Linemen by a fairly wide margin in tackles per snap.

channtheman
07-06-2009, 03:21 AM
I don't know if we should have ever expected much out of Harrell due to his track record in college. This was also a very uncharacteristic pick by TT. Harrell had not produced at the collegiate level and also was injury prone. If you look at Jennings and Rodgers, etc. they were very good in college and had already produced for multiple seasons.

Cheesehead Craig
07-06-2009, 08:38 AM
Does getting pancaked by an OL because your back can't support you but when you fall you take out 2 OL due to the fact they trip over you count as making a good play? After all, he did tie up some blockers.

Packnut
07-06-2009, 10:49 AM
The DIFFERENCE between Thompson's Harrell pick and Sherman's dumb picks is very significant. At least Sheman's picks did not have INJURY written all over them. Most of his picks also played 4 yrs of college ball and had established themselves.

Look, I don't give a rat's ass how much anyone loves Teddy, but the TRUTH is just as great as the Jennings pick was, the Harrell pick was just as BRUTAL! The guy is still in-mature and has a very poor work ethic. When you are an NFL player, you stay in shape 12 months out of 12 months. You don't take time out and eat everything in sight, and no one is gonna tell me he did'nt have the same problems in college. He just did'nt start to eat like a pig when he became a pro. Very poor job of research by Teddy and the scouting dept.

It's time THIS debate is put to rest once and for all. Harrell was a bad pick PERIOD!

denverYooper
07-06-2009, 11:06 AM
Besides, I thought an end in the 3-4 was pretty much supposed to hold the point and free up linebackers? If that's so, then aren't sacks from a defensive end a bonus in the 3-4, no matter what the name on the jersey is?

Agree 100%. If he can occupy blockers effectively, then he'll be an effective player in this D.

Also, not that I've ever been a guy who sticks up for Harrell, but how much can you really tell about a guy coming off an injury when he's playing in shorts in June? Maybe he was playing it safe, maybe the coaches told him to take it easy, who knows?

If he looks slow in training camp and preseason, then I'll take it more seriously.

Here here. I'm on the wait-and-see train at this point. The last thing they need him to do is to come out and re-injure himself by trying to kill it in the Spring. My guess is that they were taking it easy with his back for now.

hoosier
07-06-2009, 11:12 AM
The DIFFERENCE between Thompson's Harrell pick and Sherman's dumb picks is very significant. At least Sheman's picks did not have INJURY written all over them. Most of his picks also played 4 yrs of college ball and had established themselves.

Look, I don't give a rat's ass how much anyone loves Teddy, but the TRUTH is just as great as the Jennings pick was, the Harrell pick was just as BRUTAL! The guy is still in-mature and has a very poor work ethic. When you are an NFL player, you stay in shape 12 months out of 12 months. You don't take time out and eat everything in sight, and no one is gonna tell me he did'nt have the same problems in college. He just did'nt start to eat like a pig when he became a pro. Very poor job of research by Teddy and the scouting dept.

It's time THIS debate is put to rest once and for all. Harrell was a bad pick PERIOD!

We don't have access to the medical reports the Packers looked at, so while it's easy to play armchair QB and say that Harrell has always been injury prone and that TT made a bad gamble, his overall drafting philosophy seems to be well conceived and successful, so I doubt very much that he just had a brain fart that day and made a dumb pick. It was a gamble, yes, and when big gambles fail they look bad.

As I see it, your comparison of Jennings and Harrell picks leaves out an important point. Maybe two points, if you count the fact that Harrell is only going into his third year and could still turn it around. It certainly looks unlikely at this point, but stranger things have happened. The point you are ignoring, though, is that the failure rate for 1st round picks is actually quite high regardless of who's doing the drafting. The draft is a crapshoot. Look at the history of GB 1st round picks since 1987. I count 9 in 21 drafts who either failed miserably or never lived up to their billing. The bust rate was highest from 1987-92, and lowest from 1993-98. But if Harrell proves to be a bust, it wouldn't be at all unusual in the bigger historical picture.

2007 16 Justin Harrell DT Tennessee
2006 5 A.J. Hawk OLB Ohio State
2005 24 Aaron Rodgers QB California
2004 25 Ahmad Carroll CB Arkansas
2003 29 Nick Barnett MLB Oregon State
2002 20 Javon Walker WR Florida State
2001 10 Jamal Reynolds DE Florida State
2000 14 Bubba Franks TE Miami (Fla.)
1999 25 Antuan Edwards CB Clemson
1998 19 Vonnie Holliday DE North Carolina
1997 30 Ross Verba T Iowa
1996 27 John Michels T USC
1995 32 Craig Newsome CB Arizona State
1994 16 Aaron Taylor G Notre Dame
1993 15 Wayne Simmons OLB Clemson
1993 29 George Teague FS Alabama
1992 5 Terrell Buckley CB Florida State
1991 19 Vinnie Clark CB Ohio State
1990 18 Tony Bennett LB Mississippi
1990 19 Darrell Thompson RB Minnesota
1989 2 Tony Mandarich OT Michigan State
1988 7 Sterling Sharpe WR South Carolina
1987 4 Brent Fullwood RB Auburn

Bossman641
07-06-2009, 11:23 AM
The DIFFERENCE between Thompson's Harrell pick and Sherman's dumb picks is very significant. At least Sheman's picks did not have INJURY written all over them. Most of his picks also played 4 yrs of college ball and had established themselves.

Look, I don't give a rat's ass how much anyone loves Teddy, but the TRUTH is just as great as the Jennings pick was, the Harrell pick was just as BRUTAL! The guy is still in-mature and has a very poor work ethic. When you are an NFL player, you stay in shape 12 months out of 12 months. You don't take time out and eat everything in sight, and no one is gonna tell me he did'nt have the same problems in college. He just did'nt start to eat like a pig when he became a pro. Very poor job of research by Teddy and the scouting dept.

It's time THIS debate is put to rest once and for all. Harrell was a bad pick PERIOD!

Even if you want to go ahead and write Harrell off now, the simple truth is that BUSTS HAPPEN. Look at TT's overall track record of drafting rather than 1 pick. If you judged every GM in the league on how their first round picks have performed there wouldn't be a single successful GM around.

Packnut
07-06-2009, 12:19 PM
The DIFFERENCE between Thompson's Harrell pick and Sherman's dumb picks is very significant. At least Sheman's picks did not have INJURY written all over them. Most of his picks also played 4 yrs of college ball and had established themselves.

Look, I don't give a rat's ass how much anyone loves Teddy, but the TRUTH is just as great as the Jennings pick was, the Harrell pick was just as BRUTAL! The guy is still in-mature and has a very poor work ethic. When you are an NFL player, you stay in shape 12 months out of 12 months. You don't take time out and eat everything in sight, and no one is gonna tell me he did'nt have the same problems in college. He just did'nt start to eat like a pig when he became a pro. Very poor job of research by Teddy and the scouting dept.

It's time THIS debate is put to rest once and for all. Harrell was a bad pick PERIOD!

We don't have access to the medical reports the Packers looked at, so while it's easy to play armchair QB and say that Harrell has always been injury prone and that TT made a bad gamble, his overall drafting philosophy seems to be well conceived and successful, so I doubt very much that he just had a brain fart that day and made a dumb pick. It was a gamble, yes, and when big gambles fail they look bad.

As I see it, your comparison of Jennings and Harrell picks leaves out an important point. Maybe two points, if you count the fact that Harrell is only going into his third year and could still turn it around. It certainly looks unlikely at this point, but stranger things have happened. The point you are ignoring, though, is that the failure rate for 1st round picks is actually quite high regardless of who's doing the drafting. The draft is a crapshoot. Look at the history of GB 1st round picks since 1987. I count 9 in 21 drafts who either failed miserably or never lived up to their billing. The bust rate was highest from 1987-92, and lowest from 1993-98. But if Harrell proves to be a bust, it wouldn't be at all unusual in the bigger historical picture.

2007 16 Justin Harrell DT Tennessee
2006 5 A.J. Hawk OLB Ohio State
2005 24 Aaron Rodgers QB California
2004 25 Ahmad Carroll CB Arkansas
2003 29 Nick Barnett MLB Oregon State
2002 20 Javon Walker WR Florida State
2001 10 Jamal Reynolds DE Florida State
2000 14 Bubba Franks TE Miami (Fla.)
1999 25 Antuan Edwards CB Clemson
1998 19 Vonnie Holliday DE North Carolina
1997 30 Ross Verba T Iowa
1996 27 John Michels T USC
1995 32 Craig Newsome CB Arizona State
1994 16 Aaron Taylor G Notre Dame
1993 15 Wayne Simmons OLB Clemson
1993 29 George Teague FS Alabama
1992 5 Terrell Buckley CB Florida State
1991 19 Vinnie Clark CB Ohio State
1990 18 Tony Bennett LB Mississippi
1990 19 Darrell Thompson RB Minnesota
1989 2 Tony Mandarich OT Michigan State
1988 7 Sterling Sharpe WR South Carolina
1987 4 Brent Fullwood RB Auburn

If you read what I posted, you'll see I'm not debating the "all GM's make bad 1st rd picks". I also fail to understand the "not having access to the medical reports". It was WELL PUBLICISED that Harrell had an injury history dating back to freakin HS BEFORE the draft. Also, with all the detailed investigative work teams put into high draft picks, you can't tell me they did'nt know Justin can't say no to his mama's cooking. Now I know Gilbert never met a cheeseburger he did'nt like, but the gravedigger was not the 16th pick in the draft.

My criticism of this pick CANNOT be construed as "armchair QBing". I was clearly on record here as touting Bowe and Nelson BEFORE the draft. Both of them have been much more productive then Harrell. Nelson was all-rookie and what Bowe has done considering he has'nt had anything better than a HS QB throwing to him is damned impressive.

Last but not least, holding out hope that he turns it around is nothing but a fairy tale. The fact that he is STILL overweight and STILL laughs about his eating habits and not being able to stay disiplined, does not give anyone any logical reason to believe he's gonna change anytime soon.

Zool
07-06-2009, 12:25 PM
Might want to check every draft ever and see how many bad picks are followed by a series of really good picks. It doesn't matter the sport either. Just because you 'touted' 2 guys doesn't mean a whole lot. Means that you guessed right. I'd bet you touted quite a few guys that turned out to be giant piles of turd also. If you have a better than 25% accuracy rate at evaluating talent, you might want to look into a scouting position for a football team somewhere.

Packnut
07-06-2009, 12:27 PM
The DIFFERENCE between Thompson's Harrell pick and Sherman's dumb picks is very significant. At least Sheman's picks did not have INJURY written all over them. Most of his picks also played 4 yrs of college ball and had established themselves.

Look, I don't give a rat's ass how much anyone loves Teddy, but the TRUTH is just as great as the Jennings pick was, the Harrell pick was just as BRUTAL! The guy is still in-mature and has a very poor work ethic. When you are an NFL player, you stay in shape 12 months out of 12 months. You don't take time out and eat everything in sight, and no one is gonna tell me he did'nt have the same problems in college. He just did'nt start to eat like a pig when he became a pro. Very poor job of research by Teddy and the scouting dept.

It's time THIS debate is put to rest once and for all. Harrell was a bad pick PERIOD!

Even if you want to go ahead and write Harrell off now, the simple truth is that BUSTS HAPPEN. Look at TT's overall track record of drafting rather than 1 pick. If you judged every GM in the league on how their first round picks have performed there wouldn't be a single successful GM around.

Again, I am not debating the "every GM makes a bad 1st rd pick". What I am saying is that 99.9% of those bad picks were not because of ignoring an injury history or bad eating habits.

It's just time to stop making the excuses. That's all I'm saying. If people wanna give TT a pass cause all GM's blow picks, that's fine with me but it's time for EVERYONE to at least admit that is was a "BRUTAL FREAKIN PICK"!

And one more thing. The majority of fans on hand when Teddy picked Harrell booed the crap out of him. As it turned out, THEY WERE RIGHT!

Patler
07-06-2009, 12:30 PM
The DIFFERENCE between Thompson's Harrell pick and Sherman's dumb picks is very significant. At least Sheman's picks did not have INJURY written all over them. Most of his picks also played 4 yrs of college ball and had established themselves.



Are you suggesting that Harrell was not at Tennessee for 4 years? Technically, I guess you are correct, because he was there 5 years, redshirting as a freshman. Establishing himself? Did that too:

Defensive Captain as a senior.
Begged coaching staff to play vs. Florida after surgery-requiring biceps injury in previous week.
Started all 11 games as a Junior.
intercepted two passes during the season, returned one for a TD
2 1/2 sackes, 3 deflected passes, 7 1/2 stops behind LOS
SEC D-lineman of the week in week 1.
SEC all conference 2nd team
Started 11 of 12 games as a sophmore, limited in the last game due to sprained ankle.
Returned from ankle injury to earn Cotton Bowl Defensive MVP Award.
Played in 8 games as a redshirt Freshman, missing first 5 with broken ankle.
Redshirted his first year at TN, in Fall 2002.

He broke his ankle and tore a biceps tendon. Other than that he had the common bruises and sprains that all players get from time to time. He played in 35 games with 25 starts even though he missed all but 3 as a senior.

His injury history, if compared to many other players in college, is blown out of proportion.

Sure, there was some risk with Harrell, but not a disproportionate amount of risk.

Ahmad Carroll? - bypassed his senior year to declare for the draft. started for just over 2 seasons.

Javon Walker? - played 2 years in Junior College, and 2 years at Florida. Was a starter for only one season at Florida, had just 20 receptions the other season as a non-starter.

Harrell, Carroll, Walker - who really had the better college resume?

Zool
07-06-2009, 12:33 PM
Florida State

I GOT PATLER!!! I GOT PATLER!!!

Packnut
07-06-2009, 12:37 PM
Might want to check every draft ever and see how many bad picks are followed by a series of really good picks. It doesn't matter the sport either. Just because you 'touted' 2 guys doesn't mean a whole lot. Means that you guessed right. I'd bet you touted quite a few guys that turned out to be giant piles of turd also. If you have a better than 25% accuracy rate at evaluating talent, you might want to look into a scouting position for a football team somewhere.

Ah but the difference all mighty Zool is that I don't have access to investigative reports or interviews with the guys he played with or the coaching staff. I also don't get paid a whole lotta green to be right.

My opinions come from watching a ton of NCAA ball because as I have admitted to in the past, I have a gambling addiction to college ball. For some strange reason, you pay a whole lot more attention to something when your hard earned money is involved.

There are some knowledgable people here on college football but it's pretty much confined to the conference they follow. I have to know as much as I can about EVERY team. There is even money to be made in the Sun Belt conference or the IVY league! :lol:

sharpe1027
07-06-2009, 12:38 PM
If you read what I posted, you'll see I'm not debating the "all GM's make bad 1st rd picks". I also fail to understand the "not having access to the medical reports". It was WELL PUBLICISED that Harrell had an injury history dating back to freakin HS BEFORE the draft. Also, with all the detailed investigative work teams put into high draft picks, you can't tell me they did'nt know Justin can't say no to his mama's cooking. Now I know Gilbert never met a cheeseburger he did'nt like, but the gravedigger was not the 16th pick in the draft.

My criticism of this pick CANNOT be construed as "armchair QBing". I was clearly on record here as touting Bowe and Nelson BEFORE the draft. Both of them have been much more productive then Harrell. Nelson was all-rookie and what Bowe has done considering he has'nt had anything better than a HS QB throwing to him is damned impressive.

Last but not least, holding out hope that he turns it around is nothing but a fairy tale. The fact that he is STILL overweight and STILL laughs about his eating habits and not being able to stay disiplined, does not give anyone any logical reason to believe he's gonna change anytime soon.

Before his biceps injury he was considered by many to be a top 10 pick and by some a top 5 pick. Was picking him at 16 a risk? Sure it was. Was it anywhere near as stupid as you claim? IMHO, no. The whole idea of taking a risk is that it may turn out bad. Injuries are funny, some guys have a rash of them and then never have another for the rest of their carreers. Others are completely healthy for years and then, suddenly, can't stay on the field.

A. Peterson was another player that dropped because of well-documented injury concerns. Was the Vikings pick of him a risk? Yep. If he had reinjured his shoulder there would be posters bitching about picking him using the same logic as you have used for Harrell.

I could probalby list another dozen examples of similiar risks that worked out, but the idea is the same. Picking Harrell was a risk that hasn't worked out. No more, no less.

Packnut
07-06-2009, 12:41 PM
If you read what I posted, you'll see I'm not debating the "all GM's make bad 1st rd picks". I also fail to understand the "not having access to the medical reports". It was WELL PUBLICISED that Harrell had an injury history dating back to freakin HS BEFORE the draft. Also, with all the detailed investigative work teams put into high draft picks, you can't tell me they did'nt know Justin can't say no to his mama's cooking. Now I know Gilbert never met a cheeseburger he did'nt like, but the gravedigger was not the 16th pick in the draft.

My criticism of this pick CANNOT be construed as "armchair QBing". I was clearly on record here as touting Bowe and Nelson BEFORE the draft. Both of them have been much more productive then Harrell. Nelson was all-rookie and what Bowe has done considering he has'nt had anything better than a HS QB throwing to him is damned impressive.

Last but not least, holding out hope that he turns it around is nothing but a fairy tale. The fact that he is STILL overweight and STILL laughs about his eating habits and not being able to stay disiplined, does not give anyone any logical reason to believe he's gonna change anytime soon.

Before his biceps injury he was considered by many to be a top 10 pick and by some a top 5 pick. Was picking him at 16 a risk? Sure it was. Was it anywhere near as stupid as you claim? IMHO, no. The whole idea of taking a risk is that it may turn out bad. Injuries are funny, some guys have a rash of them and then never have another for the rest of their carreers. Others are completely healthy for years and then, suddenly, can't stay on the field.

A. Peterson was another player that dropped because of well-documented injury concerns. Was the Vikings pick of him a risk? Yep. If he had reinjured his shoulder there would be posters bitching about picking him using the same logic as you have used for Harrell.

I could probalby list another dozen examples of similiar risks that worked out, but the idea is the same. Picking Harrell was a risk that hasn't worked out. No more, no less.

No there were a small minority touting him as a top 10 pick. The OVERWHELMING majority were not. Don't go back and try to change history in order to support an opinion.

SkinBasket
07-06-2009, 12:43 PM
I can't believe some people still defend Sherman's drafting ability.

Guess what's the first picture that pops up when you google Sherman?

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jG7uIJAXCcM/RsBpO6gOp1I/AAAAAAAAAjQ/8-bDeWi-ecE/s400/mike_sherman_sleeping.jpg

hoosier
07-06-2009, 12:45 PM
If you read what I posted, you'll see I'm not debating the "all GM's make bad 1st rd picks". I also fail to understand the "not having access to the medical reports". It was WELL PUBLICISED that Harrell had an injury history dating back to freakin HS BEFORE the draft. Also, with all the detailed investigative work teams put into high draft picks, you can't tell me they did'nt know Justin can't say no to his mama's cooking. Now I know Gilbert never met a cheeseburger he did'nt like, but the gravedigger was not the 16th pick in the draft.

I read your post. The problem is, you can't always neatly separate draft picks who fail because of injury from ones who fail for other reasons. Harrell might well be case in point: is his failure attributable to a chronic bad back, a lack of maturity, a lack of discipline, or some combination of those?

So your theory is that the Packers decided to overlook what everyone else knew, that Harrell was injury prone and likely to eat himself out of the league. What would possess them to ignore the obvious and risk wasting a mid 1st round pick on a guy who was destined to be a bust? Are you so sure of what you read in "well publicized" scouting reports that you think an NFL team with all its resources couldn't know something you don't?

The much more likely--and reasonable--hypothesis, IMO, is that TT and the Packers had reason to believe that Harrell was worth the risk. I say that's more likely because in all respects TT has shown himself to be a competent, well-organized GM. The idea of him taking risky or stupid Al Davis-like gambles on players just doesn't make sense. But the draft is always a risk, which is another way of saying that there will always be guys like Harrell who disappoint. And when they do, some fans will begin asking how they could possibly have been so stupid as to take a chance when X, Y or Z risk factors were well publicized and known by everyone.


My criticism of this pick CANNOT be construed as "armchair QBing". I was clearly on record here as touting Bowe and Nelson BEFORE the draft. Both of them have been much more productive then Harrell. Nelson was all-rookie and what Bowe has done considering he has'nt had anything better than a HS QB throwing to him is damned impressive.

It is arm chair QBing if you selectively focus on the cases where your ideal pick succeeded whereas TT's real pick failed. You need to provide a list of all your draft picks since 2005 and then we can talk about comparing your judgment with TT's.


Last but not least, holding out hope that he turns it around is nothing but a fairy tale. The fact that he is STILL overweight and STILL laughs about his eating habits and not being able to stay disiplined, does not give anyone any logical reason to believe he's gonna change anytime soon.

Where does it say that Harrell laughs about his eating habits?

sharpe1027
07-06-2009, 12:49 PM
No there were a small minority touting him as a top 10 pick. The OVERWHELMING majority were not. Don't go back and try to change history in order to support an opinion.

IDK, he was projected in the first round for sure. You pretty much ignored the point of my post.

Guiness
07-06-2009, 01:19 PM
If you read what I posted, you'll see I'm not debating the "all GM's make bad 1st rd picks". I also fail to understand the "not having access to the medical reports". It was WELL PUBLICISED that Harrell had an injury history dating back to freakin HS BEFORE the draft. Also, with all the detailed investigative work teams put into high draft picks, you can't tell me they did'nt know Justin can't say no to his mama's cooking. Now I know Gilbert never met a cheeseburger he did'nt like, but the gravedigger was not the 16th pick in the draft.

My criticism of this pick CANNOT be construed as "armchair QBing". I was clearly on record here as touting Bowe and Nelson BEFORE the draft. Both of them have been much more productive then Harrell. Nelson was all-rookie and what Bowe has done considering he has'nt had anything better than a HS QB throwing to him is damned impressive.

Last but not least, holding out hope that he turns it around is nothing but a fairy tale. The fact that he is STILL overweight and STILL laughs about his eating habits and not being able to stay disiplined, does not give anyone any logical reason to believe he's gonna change anytime soon.

Don't know why I'm bothering, but I guess it's to deter others from thinking you've got a point...

Where we got Harrel, he was not a reach, he was a good choice. When he played (and yes, that is a 'when'. That's important) he dominated at the highest level of college ball. If he'd played more, no way does he end up in the second half of the first round.

The overweight/out of shape in second year thing has been beaten to death. Harell's got the body of a 4-3 DT. Ya, he doesn't look great in shorts, although better than some. But he wasn't gone long enough to fall off the wagon and pack on the pounds that a reporter or two claimed, that he had. And there's enough suspicion to think Rock Gullickson might've planted a rumour or two to try and cover his ass.

channtheman
07-06-2009, 01:19 PM
The DIFFERENCE between Thompson's Harrell pick and Sherman's dumb picks is very significant. At least Sheman's picks did not have INJURY written all over them. Most of his picks also played 4 yrs of college ball and had established themselves.

Look, I don't give a rat's ass how much anyone loves Teddy, but the TRUTH is just as great as the Jennings pick was, the Harrell pick was just as BRUTAL! The guy is still in-mature and has a very poor work ethic. When you are an NFL player, you stay in shape 12 months out of 12 months. You don't take time out and eat everything in sight, and no one is gonna tell me he did'nt have the same problems in college. He just did'nt start to eat like a pig when he became a pro. Very poor job of research by Teddy and the scouting dept.

It's time THIS debate is put to rest once and for all. Harrell was a bad pick PERIOD!

I think that right there destroys your argument. Multiple dumb picks by Sherman versus one for TT that appears to be against how he has drafted in the past and as of now doesn't look like it will pan out.

vince
07-06-2009, 01:30 PM
Last but not least, holding out hope that he turns it around is nothing but a fairy tale. The fact that he is STILL overweight and STILL laughs about his eating habits and not being able to stay disiplined, does not give anyone any logical reason to believe he's gonna change anytime soon.
Which is the guy with the bad eating habits and should obviously have been avoided at all costs?

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c343/twernke/Packers/Harrell.jpg
http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/deadspin/2009/04/bj-raji.jpg
http://blogs.nydailynews.com/jets/archives/tedwashington.jpg
http://media.scout.com/Media/Image/60/609798m.jpg
http://www.vikingsgab.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/pat-williams.jpg
http://www.prosportswrap.com/images/sam-adams-image.jpg

Lurker64
07-06-2009, 01:37 PM
B.J. Raji should not be wearing tight pants.

Bossman641
07-06-2009, 02:01 PM
The DIFFERENCE between Thompson's Harrell pick and Sherman's dumb picks is very significant. At least Sheman's picks did not have INJURY written all over them. Most of his picks also played 4 yrs of college ball and had established themselves.

Look, I don't give a rat's ass how much anyone loves Teddy, but the TRUTH is just as great as the Jennings pick was, the Harrell pick was just as BRUTAL! The guy is still in-mature and has a very poor work ethic. When you are an NFL player, you stay in shape 12 months out of 12 months. You don't take time out and eat everything in sight, and no one is gonna tell me he did'nt have the same problems in college. He just did'nt start to eat like a pig when he became a pro. Very poor job of research by Teddy and the scouting dept.

It's time THIS debate is put to rest once and for all. Harrell was a bad pick PERIOD!

Even if you want to go ahead and write Harrell off now, the simple truth is that BUSTS HAPPEN. Look at TT's overall track record of drafting rather than 1 pick. If you judged every GM in the league on how their first round picks have performed there wouldn't be a single successful GM around.

Again, I am not debating the "every GM makes a bad 1st rd pick". What I am saying is that 99.9% of those bad picks were not because of ignoring an injury history or bad eating habits.

It's just time to stop making the excuses. That's all I'm saying. If people wanna give TT a pass cause all GM's blow picks, that's fine with me but it's time for EVERYONE to at least admit that is was a "BRUTAL FREAKIN PICK"!

And one more thing. The majority of fans on hand when Teddy picked Harrell booed the crap out of him. As it turned out, THEY WERE RIGHT!

The majority of fans also were furious with TT for picking Jennings over Jackson. The majority of draft "experts" like Kiper also had Jennings as a reach.

I'm not defending Harrell. It looks like he is a bust and if he can turn into part of the rotation I will be happy. I just don't see the point in getting hung up on a bad draft pick. I'm sure there were plenty of other draft guys you liked who didn't turn out, just as I'm sure there were a lot of FA's you liked who haven't done anything. TT took a risk, and it looks like it won't pay off. Oh well.

AV David
07-06-2009, 02:09 PM
I live in suburban Minneapolis and had an endzone seat at the 2008 Packer/Viking game at the Dome.

Harrell was only in the game for 8 - 10 plays but I watched him intently when he was. As the Vikings were coming toward my endzone, I had a pretty good look at Harrell from behind the defense.

On one play he was double teamed on a run, anchored and was not appreciably driven back. The play was stacked up at the line for little or no gain.

The next play was an off tackle play to the offensive right. He engaged, moved laterally to his left and was in on the tackle. This play too resulted in little or no gain.

It was a very small sample, but on those 2 plays, he looked like a legitimate professional football player.

hoosier
07-06-2009, 02:11 PM
B.J. Raji should not be wearing tight pants.

Agreed, but at least he has a shirt on.

mission
07-06-2009, 02:35 PM
B.J. Raji should not be wearing tight pants.

Bulge aside (i tried not to look), he has ridiculous thighs. Like ... REDWOOD TREES!





(pause)

Gunakor
07-06-2009, 02:42 PM
It was WELL PUBLICISED that Harrell had an injury history dating back to freakin HS BEFORE the draft.

Was it just as well publicized that Harrell didn't spend a full 4 years at Tennessee?

Gunakor
07-06-2009, 02:45 PM
If you read what I posted, you'll see I'm not debating the "all GM's make bad 1st rd picks". I also fail to understand the "not having access to the medical reports". It was WELL PUBLICISED that Harrell had an injury history dating back to freakin HS BEFORE the draft. Also, with all the detailed investigative work teams put into high draft picks, you can't tell me they did'nt know Justin can't say no to his mama's cooking. Now I know Gilbert never met a cheeseburger he did'nt like, but the gravedigger was not the 16th pick in the draft.

My criticism of this pick CANNOT be construed as "armchair QBing". I was clearly on record here as touting Bowe and Nelson BEFORE the draft. Both of them have been much more productive then Harrell. Nelson was all-rookie and what Bowe has done considering he has'nt had anything better than a HS QB throwing to him is damned impressive.

Last but not least, holding out hope that he turns it around is nothing but a fairy tale. The fact that he is STILL overweight and STILL laughs about his eating habits and not being able to stay disiplined, does not give anyone any logical reason to believe he's gonna change anytime soon.

Before his biceps injury he was considered by many to be a top 10 pick and by some a top 5 pick. Was picking him at 16 a risk? Sure it was. Was it anywhere near as stupid as you claim? IMHO, no. The whole idea of taking a risk is that it may turn out bad. Injuries are funny, some guys have a rash of them and then never have another for the rest of their carreers. Others are completely healthy for years and then, suddenly, can't stay on the field.

A. Peterson was another player that dropped because of well-documented injury concerns. Was the Vikings pick of him a risk? Yep. If he had reinjured his shoulder there would be posters bitching about picking him using the same logic as you have used for Harrell.

I could probalby list another dozen examples of similiar risks that worked out, but the idea is the same. Picking Harrell was a risk that hasn't worked out. No more, no less.

No there were a small minority touting him as a top 10 pick. The OVERWHELMING majority were not. Don't go back and try to change history in order to support an opinion.


Before his biceps injury he was considered by many to be a top 10 pick...

He's not changing history at all. Had he declared after his monster junior season when healthy he'd have gone top 10. He stuck around for his senior season, got hurt, and his draft value fell. That's what happened.

Bossman641
07-06-2009, 02:55 PM
And Packnut, I don't mean to pick on you but a quick review of your post history reveals that you once suggested

1.) TT intentionally put together a shitty team to get Favre to retire
2.) Suggested getting Brady Quinn because he was much more of a sure thing than Rodgers
3.) Regarding AP,


Yep, drafting a RB in the 1st round is a high percentage pick. There are gonna be a few real good ones available. I just don't see Peterson being one of them. His production has fallen off.

and that AP had bust written all over him

4.) Claimed Javon Walker was better Moss
5.) Were a big fan of Meachem who has also been a disappointment

Fritz
07-06-2009, 03:47 PM
Tick, tick, tick.

Oh, P-a-a-a-cknut!? Are you still out there? Are you going to respond to Patler...or any of the others who've used actual factual information?

Tick, tick, tick, tick...

Tyrone Bigguns
07-06-2009, 05:28 PM
I don't know if we should have ever expected much out of Harrell due to his track record in college. This was also a very uncharacteristic pick by TT. Harrell had not produced at the collegiate level and also was injury prone. If you look at Jennings and Rodgers, etc. they were very good in college and had already produced for multiple seasons.

Dude, u better get your facts straight before posting.

• 2005 All-SEC Associated Press (2nd)
• SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week (Sept. 5, 2005)
• 2005 SBC Cotton Bowl Classic Defensive MVP

Junior year: 11 games/11 starts
Soph year: 13 games/11 starts
Frosh year: 8 games/0 zero starts

Rodgers..hmm, started in his fifth game after transferring from JUCO, next year played all the games as a junior. Entered the draft. :oops:

woodbuck27
07-06-2009, 05:39 PM
I live in suburban Minneapolis and had an endzone seat at the 2008 Packer/Viking game at the Dome.

Harrell was only in the game for 8 - 10 plays but I watched him intently when he was. As the Vikings were coming toward my endzone, I had a pretty good look at Harrell from behind the defense.

On one play he was double teamed on a run, anchored and was not appreciably driven back. The play was stacked up at the line for little or no gain.

The next play was an off tackle play to the offensive right. He engaged, moved laterally to his left and was in on the tackle. This play too resulted in little or no gain.

It was a very small sample, but on those 2 plays, he looked like a legitimate professional football player.

Nice post. Thanks. :D

woodbuck27
07-06-2009, 05:49 PM
The DIFFERENCE between Thompson's Harrell pick and Sherman's dumb picks is very significant. At least Sheman's picks did not have INJURY written all over them. Most of his picks also played 4 yrs of college ball and had established themselves.

Look, I don't give a rat's ass how much anyone loves Teddy, but the TRUTH is just as great as the Jennings pick was, the Harrell pick was just as BRUTAL! The guy is still in-mature and has a very poor work ethic. When you are an NFL player, you stay in shape 12 months out of 12 months. You don't take time out and eat everything in sight, and no one is gonna tell me he did'nt have the same problems in college. He just did'nt start to eat like a pig when he became a pro. Very poor job of research by Teddy and the scouting dept.

It's time THIS debate is put to rest once and for all. Harrell was a bad pick PERIOD!

We don't have access to the medical reports the Packers looked at, so while it's easy to play armchair QB and say that Harrell has always been injury prone and that TT made a bad gamble, his overall drafting philosophy seems to be well conceived and successful, so I doubt very much that he just had a brain fart that day and made a dumb pick. It was a gamble, yes, and when big gambles fail they look bad.

As I see it, your comparison of Jennings and Harrell picks leaves out an important point. Maybe two points, if you count the fact that Harrell is only going into his third year and could still turn it around. It certainly looks unlikely at this point, but stranger things have happened. The point you are ignoring, though, is that the failure rate for 1st round picks is actually quite high regardless of who's doing the drafting. The draft is a crapshoot. Look at the history of GB 1st round picks since 1987. I count 9 in 21 drafts who either failed miserably or never lived up to their billing. The bust rate was highest from 1987-92, and lowest from 1993-98. But if Harrell proves to be a bust, it wouldn't be at all unusual in the bigger historical picture.

2007 16 Justin Harrell DT Tennessee
2006 5 A.J. Hawk OLB Ohio State
2005 24 Aaron Rodgers QB California
2004 25 Ahmad Carroll CB Arkansas
2003 29 Nick Barnett MLB Oregon State
2002 20 Javon Walker WR Florida State
2001 10 Jamal Reynolds DE Florida State
2000 14 Bubba Franks TE Miami (Fla.)
1999 25 Antuan Edwards CB Clemson
1998 19 Vonnie Holliday DE North Carolina
1997 30 Ross Verba T Iowa
1996 27 John Michels T USC
1995 32 Craig Newsome CB Arizona State
1994 16 Aaron Taylor G Notre Dame
1993 15 Wayne Simmons OLB Clemson
1993 29 George Teague FS Alabama
1992 5 Terrell Buckley CB Florida State
1991 19 Vinnie Clark CB Ohio State
1990 18 Tony Bennett LB Mississippi
1990 19 Darrell Thompson RB Minnesota
1989 2 Tony Mandarich OT Michigan State
1988 7 Sterling Sharpe WR South Carolina
1987 4 Brent Fullwood RB Auburn

If you read what I posted, you'll see I'm not debating the "all GM's make bad 1st rd picks". I also fail to understand the "not having access to the medical reports". It was WELL PUBLICISED that Harrell had an injury history dating back to freakin HS BEFORE the draft. Also, with all the detailed investigative work teams put into high draft picks, you can't tell me they did'nt know Justin can't say no to his mama's cooking. Now I know Gilbert never met a cheeseburger he did'nt like, but the gravedigger was not the 16th pick in the draft.

My criticism of this pick CANNOT be construed as "armchair QBing". I was clearly on record here as touting Bowe and Nelson BEFORE the draft. Both of them have been much more productive then Harrell. Nelson was all-rookie and what Bowe has done considering he has'nt had anything better than a HS QB throwing to him is damned impressive.

Last but not least, holding out hope that he turns it around is nothing but a fairy tale. The fact that he is STILL overweight and STILL laughs about his eating habits and not being able to stay disiplined, does not give anyone any logical reason to believe he's gonna change anytime soon.

Solid analysis. I believe that Harrell had to be judged (or as likely), is and will be a bust. Packer nation wasn't exactly thrilled over that pick. Why was that?

If I was Ted Thompson. I'd be watching Harrell very carefully in TC and if he didn't produce I'd demonstrate some integrity as a GM and cut him pronto.

Lurker64
07-06-2009, 06:49 PM
Solid analysis. I believe that Harrell had to be judged (or as likely), is and will be a bust. Packer nation wasn't exactly thrilled over that pick. Why was that?

If I recall correctly, the consensus in "packer nation" going into that draft was that the number one draft priority was "to get a weapon for Favre", so most people wanted someone like Marshawn Lynch to play RB (this was right after Ahman Green went to the Texans), or draft a WR like Bowe or Meachem (odd, in retrospect, considering we had both Driver and Jennings on the roster at that point.) I think a lot of the antipathy over the pick was that people viewed the DLine as one of the strengths of the team and the offense as one of the weaknesses.


If I was Ted Thompson. I'd be watching Harrell very carefully in TC and if he didn't produce I'd demonstrate some integrity as a GM and cut him pronto.

Ultimately, I think Harrell ought to be judged in TC based on what he can do for us going forward, not on where he was drafted or what he's done (or not done) so far. If, rather than being dominant as we hoped when the drafted him, he's just a solid rotation player who's good for ~20 snaps a game, we can certainly justify a roster spot for that. I don't think he should get cut just because he fails to live up to some nebulous standard for "first round picks".

Packnut
07-07-2009, 11:24 AM
And Packnut, I don't mean to pick on you but a quick review of your post history reveals that you once suggested

1.) TT intentionally put together a shitty team to get Favre to retire
2.) Suggested getting Brady Quinn because he was much more of a sure thing than Rodgers
3.) Regarding AP,


Yep, drafting a RB in the 1st round is a high percentage pick. There are gonna be a few real good ones available. I just don't see Peterson being one of them. His production has fallen off.

and that AP had bust written all over him

4.) Claimed Javon Walker was better Moss
5.) Were a big fan of Meachem who has also been a disappointment

1-Many believe TT wanted Favre gone and as events played out, it does appear logical to make that assumption.

2-Quinn won more money for me than Rodgers did in college so I was more partial to him. Let's not also forget that SEVERAL of those who love Rodgers now, did in fact rip him a new one after his first 2 pre-seasons and I was one of those defending him. It's convenient how some pull past posts to support their opinion without printing all of them. If you want to pull past posts, why not pull all of mine defending Favre after 06? I said he WAS'NT washed up and just needed a little talent. 07 proved me right

3- Regarding AP. He had an injury history in college. I don't believe in taking that kind of risk with that high of a pick. He has also been injured in the pro's. We'll have to wait and see how it all unfolds before declaring a winner on that one.

4-The Walker one is a cheap shot. Anyone with an ounce of compassion knows that having your best buddy die in your arms is something that NO ONE ever get's over. IT killed Walker's will to compete. He realized football means nothing in the grand scheme of life and death. Also, if you look at how he played in Denver's first season before the tragedy, he did win a few games for them. As for Moss, you conviently left out that I defended him against all who said he was washed up and nothing but trouble BEFORE his outstanding season with the Pats.

5-IF you go back and read EVERY freakin post I made, I touted BOWE as the WR to take. Meachem was my second WR choice. So my plan B was a bust, but you once again left out how my plan A was much better at this point than Teddy's plan A (Harrell).

Look, I'm not trying to start anything with you, but I could spend weeks going back through certain people's posts and pick and choose the ones that validate my opinions but what's the use? I know I've been right a helluva lot more than I've been wrong.

I was the first to point out all the mistakes TT was making and I was pretty much alone here on that one. History bears out that I was correct. I criticised him un-mercifully about the offensive line and this is what year of the TT regime and our O-line is still one of the biggest quesion marks going into this season just to name one specific instance.

I believed Favre was good enough to win another SB with some help BEFORE the 07 season and what happened? Don't tell me had TT signed Moss that it would'nt have made the difference. I argued that the window was small and Teddy should have done more. What happened my friend? 6-and FREAKIN 10! The window slammed shut! And contrary to the kool-aid drinkers, it ain't gonna happen this year or next.

cheesner
07-07-2009, 12:22 PM
And Packnut, I don't mean to pick on you but a quick review of your post history reveals that you once suggested

1.) TT intentionally put together a shitty team to get Favre to retire
2.) Suggested getting Brady Quinn because he was much more of a sure thing than Rodgers
3.) Regarding AP,


Yep, drafting a RB in the 1st round is a high percentage pick. There are gonna be a few real good ones available. I just don't see Peterson being one of them. His production has fallen off.

and that AP had bust written all over him

4.) Claimed Javon Walker was better Moss
5.) Were a big fan of Meachem who has also been a disappointment

1-Many believe TT wanted Favre gone and as events played out, it does appear logical to make that assumption.

That is a ridiculous statement any way you slice it. TT welcomed back Favre after his 2nd retirement comeback only the have BF back out. Even after the third 'unretirement' when Favre came to the Packers Training camp TT allowed him to come. He met with MM for several hours and MM decided that Brett couldn't get over the past and therefore could not be a part of the team. TT welcomed him back. MM did not.



2-Quinn won more money for me than Rodgers did in college so I was more partial to him. Let's not also forget that SEVERAL of those who love Rodgers now, did in fact rip him a new one after his first 2 pre-seasons and I was one of those defending him. It's convenient how some pull past posts to support their opinion without printing all of them. If you want to pull past posts, why not pull all of mine defending Favre after 06? I said he WAS'NT washed up and just needed a little talent. 07 proved me right

Boss was pointing out how you don't stand up when you are in error. Is error okay if others are wrong also?




3- Regarding AP. He had an injury history in college. I don't believe in taking that kind of risk with that high of a pick. He has also been injured in the pro's. We'll have to wait and see how it all unfolds before declaring a winner on that one.
Risk/reward is a balancing act every GM must play with. Trading a #1 for a drunk 3rd string QB who doctors said with only play 4 years due to a potential degenerative bone issue was a HUGE risk. Favre turned out to be worth it. Do you criticize Wolf for trading for Favre? Or did you just wait to find out if the risk pans out before judging? Personally, I thought it was a horrible move at the time. Now, of course, admit that Wolf made a great trade.



4-The Walker one is a cheap shot. Anyone with an ounce of compassion knows that having your best buddy die in your arms is something that NO ONE ever get's over. IT killed Walker's will to compete. He realized football means nothing in the grand scheme of life and death. Also, if you look at how he played in Denver's first season before the tragedy, he did win a few games for them. As for Moss, you conviently left out that I defended him against all who said he was washed up and nothing but trouble BEFORE his outstanding season with the Pats.

Walker was a bit of a head case. Others deal with tragedy and still succeed. As Harrell was a risk for injury because of his history, Walker was a risk because of his attitudes. His hold out and demand to be traded were before he saw his buddy die.



5-IF you go back and read EVERY freakin post I made, I touted BOWE as the WR to take. Meachem was my second WR choice. So my plan B was a bust, but you once again left out how my plan A was much better at this point than Teddy's plan A (Harrell).

Look, I'm not trying to start anything with you, but I could spend weeks going back through certain people's posts and pick and choose the ones that validate my opinions but what's the use? I know I've been right a helluva lot more than I've been wrong.

I was the first to point out all the mistakes TT was making and I was pretty much alone here on that one. History bears out that I was correct. I criticised him un-mercifully about the offensive line and this is what year of the TT regime and our O-line is still one of the biggest quesion marks going into this season just to name one specific instance.

I believed Favre was good enough to win another SB with some help BEFORE the 07 season and what happened? Don't tell me had TT signed Moss that it would'nt have made the difference. I argued that the window was small and Teddy should have done more. What happened my friend? 6-and FREAKIN 10! The window slammed shut! And contrary to the kool-aid drinkers, it ain't gonna happen this year or next.
TT is not perfect and even the most ardent support does not expect him to make every decision perfectly. If you criticize every single thing that TT does, then yes, some of your criticisms will be valid. But the majority of them are way off base.

cheesner
07-07-2009, 01:20 PM
oops

LEWCWA
07-07-2009, 02:18 PM
It certainly seems to me that Mr. Harrell will soon be cut. I hope I'm wrong.

PACKERS!

I hope your right. At least that means they found someone better hopefully!

Tyrone Bigguns
07-07-2009, 02:29 PM
So, let's make sure Ty understands PackNut.

Having his best friend die in his arms killed his will to compete, but it didn't kill is will to sign a 6 year 55 million dollar contract with the Raiders. :oops:

LEWCWA
07-07-2009, 02:29 PM
If you read what I posted, you'll see I'm not debating the "all GM's make bad 1st rd picks". I also fail to understand the "not having access to the medical reports". It was WELL PUBLICISED that Harrell had an injury history dating back to freakin HS BEFORE the draft. Also, with all the detailed investigative work teams put into high draft picks, you can't tell me they did'nt know Justin can't say no to his mama's cooking. Now I know Gilbert never met a cheeseburger he did'nt like, but the gravedigger was not the 16th pick in the draft.

My criticism of this pick CANNOT be construed as "armchair QBing". I was clearly on record here as touting Bowe and Nelson BEFORE the draft. Both of them have been much more productive then Harrell. Nelson was all-rookie and what Bowe has done considering he has'nt had anything better than a HS QB throwing to him is damned impressive.

Last but not least, holding out hope that he turns it around is nothing but a fairy tale. The fact that he is STILL overweight and STILL laughs about his eating habits and not being able to stay disiplined, does not give anyone any logical reason to believe he's gonna change anytime soon.

Before his biceps injury he was considered by many to be a top 10 pick and by some a top 5 pick. Was picking him at 16 a risk? Sure it was. Was it anywhere near as stupid as you claim? IMHO, no. The whole idea of taking a risk is that it may turn out bad. Injuries are funny, some guys have a rash of them and then never have another for the rest of their carreers. Others are completely healthy for years and then, suddenly, can't stay on the field.

A. Peterson was another player that dropped because of well-documented injury concerns. Was the Vikings pick of him a risk? Yep. If he had reinjured his shoulder there would be posters bitching about picking him using the same logic as you have used for Harrell.

I could probalby list another dozen examples of similiar risks that worked out, but the idea is the same. Picking Harrell was a risk that hasn't worked out. No more, no less.

No there were a small minority touting him as a top 10 pick. The OVERWHELMING majority were not. Don't go back and try to change history in order to support an opinion.


More reading/hearing what you want. With his injury some were touting him, as a possibility to go higher. Had the injury not occurred he very well would have been a top ten guy....I would take that risk too..Alot of blah, blah blah coming from your corner....I bet on football so I am a scout, give me a damn break.

The Leaper
07-07-2009, 09:30 PM
I didn't hate the Harrell pick for Harrell...

I wanted fucking Reggie Nelson!!!!

Bretsky
07-07-2009, 10:41 PM
I didn't hate the Harrell pick for Harrell...

I wanted fucking Reggie Nelson!!!!


2 GUYS that get ETERNAL KUDOS FROM ME

1. Partial for tabbing All Day Peterson as the one player clearly worth moving up for and tabbing him as a future star

2. Leaper for pegging Reggie Nelson as the guy we should draft in round one before the draft

Fritz
07-08-2009, 12:32 PM
I didn't hate the Harrell pick for Harrell...

I wanted fucking Reggie Nelson!!!!


2 GUYS that get ETERNAL KUDOS FROM ME

1. Partial for tabbing All Day Peterson as the one player clearly worth moving up for and tabbing him as a future star

2. Leaper for pegging Reggie Nelson as the guy we should draft in round one before the draft

3. Fritz for hyping Robert Meachem!

Bretsky
07-08-2009, 05:24 PM
I didn't hate the Harrell pick for Harrell...

I wanted fucking Reggie Nelson!!!!


2 GUYS that get ETERNAL KUDOS FROM ME

1. Partial for tabbing All Day Peterson as the one player clearly worth moving up for and tabbing him as a future star

2. Leaper for pegging Reggie Nelson as the guy we should draft in round one before the draft

3. Fritz for hyping Robert Meachem!


We're trying to get others to forget Meachem and Odell Thurman :lol:

BUT when yall see the Crabtrain go to the HOF !!! :wink:

Tyrone Bigguns
07-08-2009, 05:28 PM
I didn't hate the Harrell pick for Harrell...

I wanted fucking Reggie Nelson!!!!


2 GUYS that get ETERNAL KUDOS FROM ME

1. Partial for tabbing All Day Peterson as the one player clearly worth moving up for and tabbing him as a future star

2. Leaper for pegging Reggie Nelson as the guy we should draft in round one before the draft

Your standards for eternal kudos are pretty dang low.

Both players were acknowledged first round picks. Peterson was an acknowledged future star if he could stay healthy.

Fritz
07-09-2009, 08:50 AM
I didn't hate the Harrell pick for Harrell...

I wanted fucking Reggie Nelson!!!!


2 GUYS that get ETERNAL KUDOS FROM ME

1. Partial for tabbing All Day Peterson as the one player clearly worth moving up for and tabbing him as a future star

2. Leaper for pegging Reggie Nelson as the guy we should draft in round one before the draft

Your standards for eternal kudos are pretty dang low.

Both players were acknowledged first round picks. Peterson was an acknowledged future star if he could stay healthy.

How did you feel about Reggie Nelson when he wasn't fucking?

esoxx
07-12-2009, 01:28 AM
Bust.

SnakeLH2006
07-12-2009, 02:53 AM
Who's are these Justin Harrell and Reggie Nelson guys? Are they NFL players or something? :huh: