Bluecaterpillar
2006-04-14, 19:41
Since we’re all bored and waiting for something better to do… since I have a bit of time on my hands… since… I don’t really need an excuse… :P
I have decided to start grading our rookie draft at y+3 finished years (or, kids ready to attack their “Senior” NFL year).
A few rules for this yearly exercise:
=> I will grade from A+ to F… B, C and D included!
=> teams are ranked by grade.
=> I will grade full drafts, as they happened – cut players, traded rookies are all part of the equation, since a good drafter took advantage of overachievers to trade them if need be.
=> I understand many owners are gone… still, the grades will hold. We’ll see how new owners fare with time.
=> I am keeping a copy of this file for a yearly update.
=> read the column until the end for a bonus commentary.
=> as always, dissents are not welcome!! :shock:
Cheerios!!
So, without further ado, here is the 1002 League grading for 2003 (many thanks to our Great Commish, Dennis, for keeping the tabs on the rookie draft 2003, since I only had the Lg. 1003 file on my PC ;)).
First,a random thought…
It’s a shame that only 6 teams out of 16 have kept the same owners throughout… I hope we’ll be more stable in the future...
TEAM 15, BOSTON MINUTEMEN since changed to LUGHEADS (2 owners total)
Larry Johnson (1.16, nice!), Jason Witten (2.2), Sammy Davis, Bethel Johnson, Terry Holt, Seneca Wallace, Angelo Crowell (awesome luck and some more luck… 7.15!!)…
A very, very solid draft… top quality value, for sure… Larry Johnson has been a stud and couple be a top 3 RB. Jason Witten has been rock solid. Terry Holt could still get it done. And Crowell? Got his worth while filling in for Spikes… He’ll be rock solid, out of nowhere, ala Bart Scott and Lance Briggs.
Very nice job…
A+
TEAM 7, THE MENACES (same original loser… err, owner, sorry Great Powerful Magnificent Commish!!)
Chaun Thompson (2.10), LJ Smith (3.7), Domanick Davis (6.10… yes, 6.10!!), Pisa Tinoisamoa (5.7!!!), Anthony Adams, Nick Eason…
OK… here is an idea: you draft for me, I manage your team? How’s that? :P
Congrats… Although Davis is likely out for Reggie, he had a good career and brought a 18 ppg average on 3 years. Good picks with Chaun Thompson, really about to reach his top 20 LB potential, solid LJ Smith (the guy was a top 10 TE in 2005-2006), Pisa was another great find.
Honestly, for price paid and without 1st rder, this is a very solid draft and a deserved A grade. I am impressed!
Too bad Dennis is not only a scout, but a coach, a cheerleader, a manager, a DEF coordinator, an OFF proscratinator, etc. etc. etc. :D:D:D:D
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A
TEAM 16, SWAMPIES (same ol’ dictator, really ;))
Rex Grossman (1.11), Dallas Clark (2.1), EJ Henderson (2.6), Mike Doss (3.3), Onterrio Smith, Anquan Boldin (awesome 4.14), Kenny Peterson…
Well, here’s an idea for Dennis: let Swampy do his drafting AND manage his team.
Really a solid, solid draft, though Rex is just OK and EJ Henderson is like Claiborne: only up and down stuffer, not a pure range MLB (he does have greatness but will be OK).
Boldin was a brilliant pick, the OFFsteal of the draft, really.
Very solid job, all around.
A-
TEAM 8, D&E since changed to TIJUANA CHONGOS (2 owners total)
Carson Palmer (1.7), Willis McGahee (1.8) and… nothing… well, almost: Antwan Peek, Rien Long, Ken Dorsey, Eddie Johnson…
Solid 1st rders and good job on picking McGahee. And Peek could peak soon (arf arf arf).
So this is a good draft though nothing magic, but at least not busts like Carlos Rogeros.
A-
TEAM 5, CRAZY CANUCKS (same Crazy original owner ;))
Boss Bailey (1.9), Kevin Williams (2.08), Chris Simms (2.12), Chris Brown (3.5), Terrence Kiel, Steve Sciullo, Wade Smith, Drew Henson (5.5)…
The first positive draft so far… Very good picks with Williams and Simms (patience rewarded, at last); Boss Bailey is serviceable and could blossom soon, Wade Smith is OK, Drew Henson could turn out OK (who knows?).
Though Chris Simms is no longer on this roster, the pick was good and smart – with hindsight, and this column is all about hindsight!
The price paid for Bailey was too high and Kiel is a disappointment, but this is solid stuff, especially on 2nd rders.
B+
TEAM 6, READING REDSKINS (same original owner)
Byron Leftwich (1.6), Gerald Hayes (2.11), Kelley Washington (2.16), Victor Hobson, LaBrandon Toefield, Andrew Williams, Ricky Manning, Eric Steinbach (3.6)…
Not a bad draft, though not brilliant… but positive altogether, with solid value picks with Steinbach, Hobson and of course, Leftwich.
This is not the stuff of legend, but Leftwich and Steinbach were on target and this is roughly equivalent to the Canucks’…
B+
TEAM 14, ANNIHILATORS since changed to RAVEN MANIACS (2 owners total)
Michael Haynes (1.14), Nick Barnett (2.3, nice…!), Dennis Weathersby (3.14) vs. Eugene Wilson (5.14), Keenan Howry, Al Johnson, BJ Askew…
Michael Haynes is back on this roster as a PS kid and zbeen a bust.
Nick Barnett, on the other hand, was a great low pick. Awesome, really. Al Johnson will be all right and on a nice scoring team, too. Eugene Wilson panned out all right as well.
This is a decent draft, made a bit nicer by Barnett.
Very much in the vein of Canucks’ and Redskins’…
B
TEAM 9, NO STARS since changed to IRON WORKERS (2 owners total)
Jerome McDougle (1.5), Kyle Boller (1.10), Taylor Jacobs, Drayton Florence, Lance Briggs (6.8… nice!), Kareem Kelly, Quentin Griffin, William Joseph…
This is a decent draft of average players with a nice gem lost in the 6th round… McDougle getting shot is a bummer and Boller is a bum, but not an entire bust yet. The rest of the bunch is OK. Not a wasted draft…
B-
TEAM 13, LESTAT then BIG DAWGS since changed to RAIDERNINERFAN (how’s that possible??... 3 owners total)
Dwayne Robertson (1.4), Troy Polamalu (2.4), Tyrone Calico (3.13), Cory Redding, Justin Fargas, Sam Williams, Lee Suggs…
Well, even Vampire Lords can stink, can’t they?
Robertson, a DT, was not worth a 1.4… so that’s a missed pick. Polamalu has been awesome, that’s a plus. Calico has been up and down but could have a nice career… the RBs were stinkers… All in all, considering the missed high pick and barely OK value of everything but Troy, this is a C+ effort. Barely.
TEAM 12, THE DOMINATOR since changed to ROAD RAGE (2 owners total)
Terence Newman (1.12), Jonathan Sullivan (2.05), Charles Tilman, Bennie Joppru, Bryan Scott, Jordan Gross…
This is a bit better, all things considered. Still underwhelming, but at least a few guys actually managed to have an NFL career… So we’ll review this one quickly and move on with a decent little C-
TEAM 3, AQUABLUES (same original owner)
Terry Pierce (2.14), Artose Pinner (3.16), Umenyiora (5.16), Shurron Pierson, Dan Klecko, Donnie Nickey, Joe Odom (7.16, Mr. Irrelevant)…
What can I say? I was a rookie at EFS… worse, I was a rookie at Fantasy Football. A straight import from 15 years of playing rugby, not fantasizing about it… So yeah, this sucked. I traded away my first pick – that’s good, I would have probably picked a loser!!
Only gem was Umenyiora, saving the draft from my misery. And Dan Klecko could still do something – he will never be an EFS star but has 2 SB rings and will be a foot soldier for the Pats all his professional life. So, what gives?
D+ as well, though pick for value, really, I am thinking C- thanks to Osi.
TEAM 2, BENGAL PRIDE, since changed to NO FEAR (2 owners total)
Terrell Suggs (1.2), Andre Woolfolk (3.2), Rashean Mathis, Brandon Lloyd, Arnaz Battle, Jeff Faine, Gerome Sapp…
Interestingly, none of these players are still on this roster. None. And while the draft itself was OK, I don’t think the value returned for traded player was fully realized. Yet, with limited ammo and low pick numbers, this was barely all right. Suggs saves the bunch, but all in all, it’s a bunch of losers or good guys (Faine) on a team of losers!!
D+
TEAM 4, DARKSPIRE since changed to SACK EXCHANGE (2 owners total)
Bryant Johnson (1.13), Ken Hamlin (4.13), Teyo Johnson (2.13), Ty Warren, Vince Manuwai, Bruce Nelson, Talman Gardner…
No matter how you cut and slice it, this is another missed draft… which proves how much of a die roll this is! I mean: Teyo is a nutcase. Ty Warren never sacked anything but his girlfriend. Manuwai is serviceable… the other guys? Dunno’ them.
As for Bryant Johnson: wrong Cards’ WR to pick, that’s for sure…
Having Anquan here would make this draft a winner. Having Johnson means another near flunk!
Vince and Ty save the whole thing from F and brings a naked D.
TEAM 11, SAMOAN GODS since changed to JOKERS II (2 owners total)
Only 4 picks… yikes! Asomugha (4.6), Nate Burleson (6.6), Alonzo Jackson, Jon Stinchcomb…
Ah! The days of the WA bunch taking 24 to 48 hours to pick such losers… Do I miss all these guys or what? They were a hoot, that’s for sure…
Another D to D- grade, to be nice.
TEAM 1, Grandstand (same original owner)
Charles Rogers (1.1), Marcus Trufant (2.9), Jimmy Kennedy (2.16), Chris Kelsay, Kevin Curtis, Sam Aiken, Dave Ragone and Kwame Harris…
Well, an F for Rogers, that’s for sure… Man, with hindsight, that’s one butchered draft!! Kevin Curtis will end up having a better career than Rogers’… Trufant was a good pick, the rest is extremely average to unworthy.
D-
TEAM 10, WARLORDS since changed to MUCKERS (2 owners total)
Only 5 lowly picks: Calvin Pace (2.7), Musa Smith (4.7), Dewayne White (5.10), Eddie Moore and Josh Brown…
There we go!! Another total bust of a draft!! Well, save Dewayne White, that is.
Still… even with 5 bad picks, this is a nice collection of crappy picks.
D-, barely, thanks to Dewayne White… and that’s being nice.
…………………à ˘â‚¬Â¦Ă˘â‚¬Â¦Ă˘â‚¬Â¦Ă˘â‚¬Â¦Ă˘â‚¬Â¦..
SPECIAL BONUS?
Here are the awards for top steals for value of the draft, aka “Hindsight is REALLY 20/20”!!!
:D:D:D:D :D:D
# 1 Lance Briggs, at 6.7… for the value paid, the kid has been a star from day 1. Some NFL writers say he’s a harder hitter than Urlacher, who’s criticized for playing soft. Anyway… he has 311 tackles… that’s 100 a year. Not bad, eh?
# 2 Osi Umenyiora, at 5.16… the kid has been a gem at DE and 22 sacks, 150 tackles over 3 years. Nice. And cheap.
# 3 Anquan Boldin, at 4.14… the best WR of the year and the steal of all OFF players. Really a gem, who should have been picked at 1.1 instead of Rogers.
# 4 Domanick Davis, at 6.10… Another top OFF steal… Only concerns are Reggie Bush and durability. But he was a steal there… though Larry Johnson at 1.16 proved a great steal too!
# 5 Nick Barnett, at 2.3… Not a fantastic steal, but Barnett should have never, ever lasted past top 5 picks. 10 max. Anybody getting him with the 19th pick got a steal. Congrats!
Also considered… Angelo Crowell (7.15) if he can repeat after pulling in for Spikes and Pisa Pisa Tinoisamoa (5.7).
OK… see you all next year for the 2004 GRADES!
I have decided to start grading our rookie draft at y+3 finished years (or, kids ready to attack their “Senior” NFL year).
A few rules for this yearly exercise:
=> I will grade from A+ to F… B, C and D included!
=> teams are ranked by grade.
=> I will grade full drafts, as they happened – cut players, traded rookies are all part of the equation, since a good drafter took advantage of overachievers to trade them if need be.
=> I understand many owners are gone… still, the grades will hold. We’ll see how new owners fare with time.
=> I am keeping a copy of this file for a yearly update.
=> read the column until the end for a bonus commentary.
=> as always, dissents are not welcome!! :shock:
Cheerios!!
So, without further ado, here is the 1002 League grading for 2003 (many thanks to our Great Commish, Dennis, for keeping the tabs on the rookie draft 2003, since I only had the Lg. 1003 file on my PC ;)).
First,a random thought…
It’s a shame that only 6 teams out of 16 have kept the same owners throughout… I hope we’ll be more stable in the future...
TEAM 15, BOSTON MINUTEMEN since changed to LUGHEADS (2 owners total)
Larry Johnson (1.16, nice!), Jason Witten (2.2), Sammy Davis, Bethel Johnson, Terry Holt, Seneca Wallace, Angelo Crowell (awesome luck and some more luck… 7.15!!)…
A very, very solid draft… top quality value, for sure… Larry Johnson has been a stud and couple be a top 3 RB. Jason Witten has been rock solid. Terry Holt could still get it done. And Crowell? Got his worth while filling in for Spikes… He’ll be rock solid, out of nowhere, ala Bart Scott and Lance Briggs.
Very nice job…
A+
TEAM 7, THE MENACES (same original loser… err, owner, sorry Great Powerful Magnificent Commish!!)
Chaun Thompson (2.10), LJ Smith (3.7), Domanick Davis (6.10… yes, 6.10!!), Pisa Tinoisamoa (5.7!!!), Anthony Adams, Nick Eason…
OK… here is an idea: you draft for me, I manage your team? How’s that? :P
Congrats… Although Davis is likely out for Reggie, he had a good career and brought a 18 ppg average on 3 years. Good picks with Chaun Thompson, really about to reach his top 20 LB potential, solid LJ Smith (the guy was a top 10 TE in 2005-2006), Pisa was another great find.
Honestly, for price paid and without 1st rder, this is a very solid draft and a deserved A grade. I am impressed!
Too bad Dennis is not only a scout, but a coach, a cheerleader, a manager, a DEF coordinator, an OFF proscratinator, etc. etc. etc. :D:D:D:D
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A
TEAM 16, SWAMPIES (same ol’ dictator, really ;))
Rex Grossman (1.11), Dallas Clark (2.1), EJ Henderson (2.6), Mike Doss (3.3), Onterrio Smith, Anquan Boldin (awesome 4.14), Kenny Peterson…
Well, here’s an idea for Dennis: let Swampy do his drafting AND manage his team.
Really a solid, solid draft, though Rex is just OK and EJ Henderson is like Claiborne: only up and down stuffer, not a pure range MLB (he does have greatness but will be OK).
Boldin was a brilliant pick, the OFFsteal of the draft, really.
Very solid job, all around.
A-
TEAM 8, D&E since changed to TIJUANA CHONGOS (2 owners total)
Carson Palmer (1.7), Willis McGahee (1.8) and… nothing… well, almost: Antwan Peek, Rien Long, Ken Dorsey, Eddie Johnson…
Solid 1st rders and good job on picking McGahee. And Peek could peak soon (arf arf arf).
So this is a good draft though nothing magic, but at least not busts like Carlos Rogeros.
A-
TEAM 5, CRAZY CANUCKS (same Crazy original owner ;))
Boss Bailey (1.9), Kevin Williams (2.08), Chris Simms (2.12), Chris Brown (3.5), Terrence Kiel, Steve Sciullo, Wade Smith, Drew Henson (5.5)…
The first positive draft so far… Very good picks with Williams and Simms (patience rewarded, at last); Boss Bailey is serviceable and could blossom soon, Wade Smith is OK, Drew Henson could turn out OK (who knows?).
Though Chris Simms is no longer on this roster, the pick was good and smart – with hindsight, and this column is all about hindsight!
The price paid for Bailey was too high and Kiel is a disappointment, but this is solid stuff, especially on 2nd rders.
B+
TEAM 6, READING REDSKINS (same original owner)
Byron Leftwich (1.6), Gerald Hayes (2.11), Kelley Washington (2.16), Victor Hobson, LaBrandon Toefield, Andrew Williams, Ricky Manning, Eric Steinbach (3.6)…
Not a bad draft, though not brilliant… but positive altogether, with solid value picks with Steinbach, Hobson and of course, Leftwich.
This is not the stuff of legend, but Leftwich and Steinbach were on target and this is roughly equivalent to the Canucks’…
B+
TEAM 14, ANNIHILATORS since changed to RAVEN MANIACS (2 owners total)
Michael Haynes (1.14), Nick Barnett (2.3, nice…!), Dennis Weathersby (3.14) vs. Eugene Wilson (5.14), Keenan Howry, Al Johnson, BJ Askew…
Michael Haynes is back on this roster as a PS kid and zbeen a bust.
Nick Barnett, on the other hand, was a great low pick. Awesome, really. Al Johnson will be all right and on a nice scoring team, too. Eugene Wilson panned out all right as well.
This is a decent draft, made a bit nicer by Barnett.
Very much in the vein of Canucks’ and Redskins’…
B
TEAM 9, NO STARS since changed to IRON WORKERS (2 owners total)
Jerome McDougle (1.5), Kyle Boller (1.10), Taylor Jacobs, Drayton Florence, Lance Briggs (6.8… nice!), Kareem Kelly, Quentin Griffin, William Joseph…
This is a decent draft of average players with a nice gem lost in the 6th round… McDougle getting shot is a bummer and Boller is a bum, but not an entire bust yet. The rest of the bunch is OK. Not a wasted draft…
B-
TEAM 13, LESTAT then BIG DAWGS since changed to RAIDERNINERFAN (how’s that possible??... 3 owners total)
Dwayne Robertson (1.4), Troy Polamalu (2.4), Tyrone Calico (3.13), Cory Redding, Justin Fargas, Sam Williams, Lee Suggs…
Well, even Vampire Lords can stink, can’t they?
Robertson, a DT, was not worth a 1.4… so that’s a missed pick. Polamalu has been awesome, that’s a plus. Calico has been up and down but could have a nice career… the RBs were stinkers… All in all, considering the missed high pick and barely OK value of everything but Troy, this is a C+ effort. Barely.
TEAM 12, THE DOMINATOR since changed to ROAD RAGE (2 owners total)
Terence Newman (1.12), Jonathan Sullivan (2.05), Charles Tilman, Bennie Joppru, Bryan Scott, Jordan Gross…
This is a bit better, all things considered. Still underwhelming, but at least a few guys actually managed to have an NFL career… So we’ll review this one quickly and move on with a decent little C-
TEAM 3, AQUABLUES (same original owner)
Terry Pierce (2.14), Artose Pinner (3.16), Umenyiora (5.16), Shurron Pierson, Dan Klecko, Donnie Nickey, Joe Odom (7.16, Mr. Irrelevant)…
What can I say? I was a rookie at EFS… worse, I was a rookie at Fantasy Football. A straight import from 15 years of playing rugby, not fantasizing about it… So yeah, this sucked. I traded away my first pick – that’s good, I would have probably picked a loser!!
Only gem was Umenyiora, saving the draft from my misery. And Dan Klecko could still do something – he will never be an EFS star but has 2 SB rings and will be a foot soldier for the Pats all his professional life. So, what gives?
D+ as well, though pick for value, really, I am thinking C- thanks to Osi.
TEAM 2, BENGAL PRIDE, since changed to NO FEAR (2 owners total)
Terrell Suggs (1.2), Andre Woolfolk (3.2), Rashean Mathis, Brandon Lloyd, Arnaz Battle, Jeff Faine, Gerome Sapp…
Interestingly, none of these players are still on this roster. None. And while the draft itself was OK, I don’t think the value returned for traded player was fully realized. Yet, with limited ammo and low pick numbers, this was barely all right. Suggs saves the bunch, but all in all, it’s a bunch of losers or good guys (Faine) on a team of losers!!
D+
TEAM 4, DARKSPIRE since changed to SACK EXCHANGE (2 owners total)
Bryant Johnson (1.13), Ken Hamlin (4.13), Teyo Johnson (2.13), Ty Warren, Vince Manuwai, Bruce Nelson, Talman Gardner…
No matter how you cut and slice it, this is another missed draft… which proves how much of a die roll this is! I mean: Teyo is a nutcase. Ty Warren never sacked anything but his girlfriend. Manuwai is serviceable… the other guys? Dunno’ them.
As for Bryant Johnson: wrong Cards’ WR to pick, that’s for sure…
Having Anquan here would make this draft a winner. Having Johnson means another near flunk!
Vince and Ty save the whole thing from F and brings a naked D.
TEAM 11, SAMOAN GODS since changed to JOKERS II (2 owners total)
Only 4 picks… yikes! Asomugha (4.6), Nate Burleson (6.6), Alonzo Jackson, Jon Stinchcomb…
Ah! The days of the WA bunch taking 24 to 48 hours to pick such losers… Do I miss all these guys or what? They were a hoot, that’s for sure…
Another D to D- grade, to be nice.
TEAM 1, Grandstand (same original owner)
Charles Rogers (1.1), Marcus Trufant (2.9), Jimmy Kennedy (2.16), Chris Kelsay, Kevin Curtis, Sam Aiken, Dave Ragone and Kwame Harris…
Well, an F for Rogers, that’s for sure… Man, with hindsight, that’s one butchered draft!! Kevin Curtis will end up having a better career than Rogers’… Trufant was a good pick, the rest is extremely average to unworthy.
D-
TEAM 10, WARLORDS since changed to MUCKERS (2 owners total)
Only 5 lowly picks: Calvin Pace (2.7), Musa Smith (4.7), Dewayne White (5.10), Eddie Moore and Josh Brown…
There we go!! Another total bust of a draft!! Well, save Dewayne White, that is.
Still… even with 5 bad picks, this is a nice collection of crappy picks.
D-, barely, thanks to Dewayne White… and that’s being nice.
…………………à ˘â‚¬Â¦Ă˘â‚¬Â¦Ă˘â‚¬Â¦Ă˘â‚¬Â¦Ă˘â‚¬Â¦..
SPECIAL BONUS?
Here are the awards for top steals for value of the draft, aka “Hindsight is REALLY 20/20”!!!
:D:D:D:D :D:D
# 1 Lance Briggs, at 6.7… for the value paid, the kid has been a star from day 1. Some NFL writers say he’s a harder hitter than Urlacher, who’s criticized for playing soft. Anyway… he has 311 tackles… that’s 100 a year. Not bad, eh?
# 2 Osi Umenyiora, at 5.16… the kid has been a gem at DE and 22 sacks, 150 tackles over 3 years. Nice. And cheap.
# 3 Anquan Boldin, at 4.14… the best WR of the year and the steal of all OFF players. Really a gem, who should have been picked at 1.1 instead of Rogers.
# 4 Domanick Davis, at 6.10… Another top OFF steal… Only concerns are Reggie Bush and durability. But he was a steal there… though Larry Johnson at 1.16 proved a great steal too!
# 5 Nick Barnett, at 2.3… Not a fantastic steal, but Barnett should have never, ever lasted past top 5 picks. 10 max. Anybody getting him with the 19th pick got a steal. Congrats!
Also considered… Angelo Crowell (7.15) if he can repeat after pulling in for Spikes and Pisa Pisa Tinoisamoa (5.7).
OK… see you all next year for the 2004 GRADES!