No if I am hurt by the Rankins selection the player that would be is Laremy Tunsil who dropped into our laps and in my wildest dreams I never saw that coming. Reed was not even on my mind at that point.

Rankings claim to fame and the reason he sky rocketed up the board was his play at the senior bowl as you pointed out. In a season were the interior OL was good I would have given that the merit it deserved. But given this was one of the thinnest drafts for starting OG/OC in a few years I could not go this route. I had to keep him were the season ended. rated as a round 1/2 type of player because of the players he faced at the senior bowl.

He has talent there is no denying it. But good OL had success neutralizing him. So there is my contention to him and a supporting cast.

If Reed is my emotional issue, as you have justly pointed out, go to round two which he was another gift from the football gods that dropped into our laps. Thats the round were emotions really kicked in.

Jarran Reed was the pick to make the entire Rankins pick work for me. Now pair the two together and I would have been happier than a pig in **** .To get those two at the end of round two would have been a steal. That would have changed the entire DT situation for the saints and did wonders for my out look at what the saints were doing at DT. Sure by my standards is as backwards as you can get but as long as you end up there who cares. That is a match made in heaven

So he rates as a player I will sit back and watch and hope to be wrong about. Funny enough as it is the players around him will be under the microscope for me more than him.

Sheldon Rankins will be competing with the ghost of Laremy Tunsilwill

Michael Thomas will be competing with the ghost of Jarran Reed

Ghost crowd my fragile egg shell mind.

So the season has started and it is time to grease the band wagon.

This kind of comment is so old and tired. Exactly how long would you like for people to look 40 years into the past? Isn't getting better, and elevating expectations kind of the point?

Say whatever you want about this draft, or this team, or that guy... Whatever. But please, stop using the past as a reason to excuse mediocrity.

Won't lose site of where we came from because the future depends on it. For the players, the coaches and the front office.

It impacts who we are, how we think, what we believe, how we interact with others, what we think is possible for ourselves, whether we view the world as good or bad, what we strive for. Our history—our upbringing—impacts everything we think and believe and do.

It's is impossible to know where to go without reflecting on your past. Understanding our heritage and our roots are a very important part of carving out our future.

Melissa Joy • Never Forget Where You Came From.

This excerpt is from Melissa Joy and a damn good one!

You can forget the past if you want to but I for one will never forget it and will remember it to motivate everyone in the future.

My take on all this is simple, well not really. I'm not a scout but there are several sites and scouts and even some posters whose opinions and observations I respect.

When all have a similar view on a player then I generally accept that as either a valid strength or weakness.

I also look at fit. If most are saying a player is a good fit for system A, but we run system B, then I don't think that player is a good fit for us. Like Power Blockers in a Zone Scheme, or man CB's in a zone scheme, or 3-4 OLB in a 4-3 front.

Then measuarbles. Do players with similar measurables typically fail? Does a 4.9 sec LB really have a shot in coverage? What about the other stats? I look at short area quickness for O and D lines. 40 times are like tits on a bull for OG's and DT's, but that 10 yard split is very important.
Arm lengths for CB's and DE's etc... CB's with T-Rex arms just ain't gonna cut it.

Then character issues. Is he a jerk? Is he a diva? High football IQ? Work ethic?

Then I also look at need. Was it a luxury pick? Can they help us now? Or will it take 2 or 3 years to develop? I don't like projects picked early but don't mind them late.

Then there's value. Could that player have been picked a round or two later? Did we pass up a stud at a need position for a reach?

I think our history is part of what makes us who we are, especially the
bad times.