Picking talent or character
 

Picking talent or character

Mike Detillier
NFL Analyst
Published: Saturday, April 4, 2015 at 11:00 p.m.

Last Modified: Sunday, April 5, 2015 at 12:01 a.m.


The NFL draft is no more than an educated guess on a player.

That was a line used often by former San Francisco 49ers and Pro Football Hall of Fame head coach Bill Walsh, and it is 100 percent accurate.
Everyone has a plan when it comes to draft day, but never does it work out just right.

It is the part of the draft that is intriguing. With 32 teams, there are 32 different opinions on who are the best players and which player "fits" what that team wants on their squad.

For all the talk and game planning, that moment of surprise always happens. While teams won't admit it, those events happen and you have to be ready to make a choice on a player that you didn't think would be there for various reasons and also to have a lengthy bullpen of players ready for when you select in the early rounds.

Those moments are starting to emerge early on in the process with less than a month to the 2015 NFL draft.

Just a month ago, no one thought that Nebraska defensive end/outside linebacker Randy Gregory would be available for the New Orleans Saints at the 13th overall pick.

That is in play today.


There were rumblings of problems with Gregory at Nebraska, but on the field, he wreaked havoc in the Big Ten in two seasons with 29 tackles for losses and 17 ½ sacks.


Picking talent or character | HoumaToday.com

Re: Picking talent or character
 

Now the Union and the NFL need to evolve with all the rule changes and let the contracts stipulate conditions of player behavior into the contracts.

In this case you are drafting a level one rehab player. That risk should not cap cripple a team for giving the guy a chance.

time for both sides to evolve on players like this. NFL and the union want to give them a chance so they need to support the teams.

It has always been a risk but the cost of that risk have sky rocketted

Re: Picking talent or character
 

We would be ignorant to pass on Gregory. How can you pass on him when you brought back Morgan?

Re: Picking talent or character
 

Correct me if I'm wrong but Joe hadn't had any prior run - in's with the law prior to his DWI however Mr. Gregory has tested positive for weed on multiple occasions while at Nebraska.

Do the Saints really want to roll the dice at pick #13 on a kid with a unstable off the field history? Not exactly what I would call a safe pick.

Re: Picking talent or character
 

I remember reading an article about how to pick a pro bowl player. It said that a high percentage of pro bowlers had a positive drug test in their past.Remember Sapp. Not many of players in the hall of fame were boy scouts. Lawrence Taylor was a train wreck off the field. Its time that the league gets in sync with society. I don't endorse smoking weed ,but to criminalize it and penalize it while selling beer and glamorizing it seems to me hypocritical. The league knows that a huge percentage of players smoke weed.

Re: Picking talent or character
 

First of all, Sean Payton has always had room on the roster for a small number of "head cases" or problem children, or giving second chances to guys. If you are truly ready to fly right and turn over a new leaf, there is a roster spot to be earned for you on the Saints. Everything from Carl Nicks to Anthony Hargrove to Joe Morgan to Jonathan Vilma (who had skirmishes with the commissioner before, over behavior). Or some guys who are maybe not about bad behavior but are just head cases, in general, like Reggie Bush or Jeremy Shockey or some of our emo and leg-shaving kickers. The difference is that Payton just doesn't let the inmates run the asylum, and he keeps that number of "asterix" players low, so that they are constantly in check and not a distraction.

But secondly, Gregory to the Saints in particular has a bit of a wrinkle, to the plot. I can't put my finger on it definitively, I can't say for sure, but I've always had the distinct feeling that Payton does NOT like dudes who are into weed, being on the team. Donte Stallworth obviously springs to mind, sent packing with his bags, and look how that turned out. There were other potential players and draft picks that Payton and the Saints passed over or skipped, that had weed attached to their names. (I'm sure if I had more coffee I could probably make a list and remember a few).

Whatever one's personal opinion of the stuff, I kinda suspect that Payton doesn't like the weed in his locker room....I think he's kinda old school that way, but we'll see.

Re: Picking talent or character
 

I think the turmoil in the locker room may now dictate a stronger look at character anyway.

Re: Picking talent or character
 

Take off your fan cap & put on the role as GM/owner/scout for a sec ...


RG has had many issues so he isn't a one time screw up with weed but here is my concern - Discipline & timing. The lack thereof to quit in time for testing that he already knew that could impact his multi- million dollar contract. I think the mindset of the Saints front office is to draft productive/professional young men & not guys with questionable character issues, especially with their first pick in this years draft.

Re: Picking talent or character
 

Lack of the "right" attitude killed the locker room. Too many with the wrong mentality. Lack of accountability.

We need more guys with work ethic and "team first" attitudes. (just like 2008/09)

Re: Picking talent or character
 

D@D Dumb @ Dependant. Be dumb enough not to clean up before the combine or so dependant and not being able to stop. I get it . I know many very successful people that smoke weed. I just think that it shouldn't matter as as some think it does. Alcohol dependency is much worse in my opinion and it is not vilified the way smoking weed is.

Re: Picking talent or character
 

Not saying Gregory will be this good but remember Randy Moss and all the teams kicking themselves for passing on him?

Re: Picking talent or character
 

TALENT .... Honestly, I only care about what they do on Sundays on the football field. As long as they don't get arrested, I really don't care what they do in their free time or at home because if I had that kind of money, I'll be doing the same thing

Re: Picking talent or character
 

I wasn't aware that it was either talent or character.

Re: Picking talent or character
 

Im just scared the only leaf he will be turning over is a blunt leaf. If it wasn't for the suspensions it would be worth it but at 13 that's a scary gamble.

Re: Picking talent or character
 

Payton is cleaning up his locker room. I doubt he'll add any high profile troubled players. Maybe later in the draft but not early on.

Re: Picking talent or character
 

Pick brain over stupidity.

Re: Picking talent or character
 

I'm in law enforcement. I don't think weed should be legalized. There's enough "legal" things out there without bringing in another one. That said, I also don't think its as bad as other drugs.

My deal here is this. If this kid knew a couple of years ago that he had the possibility of going pro and making money in the NFL and he chose to risk it by smoking dope, then he's an idiot. Its called priorities. Yes I expect kids to make mistakes, but if this kid has been positive more than once, then he's not accountable, not responsible and is not thinking about the impact it has on his future.

Pass. I'd rather spend a first round pick on a good character guy that wants to be a teamer. Not someone who puts their career and character in question because they can't put down the pipe.

Re: Picking talent or character
 

You being in Law Enforcement only biases you toward the subject. Everyone is entitled to their opinion but you are a law enforcer not a law creator.

I find it odd Law Enforcement seems to be opposed to legalizing it. Perhaps it creates job security by keeping it legal. If it was a regulated commodity like alcohol the illegal drug based operations which create violent crimes evaporate. The example is too akin to prohibition and bootlegging.

I won't go on further, but I am more than willing to debate anyone in the politics section.

Re: Picking talent or character
 

I read from one NFL player (can't remember) that whatever issues a draftee had before being drafted, the money can, and often does, make it worse. It enables them to take it to a much higher level.

I'm all about second chances but when you look at some of these guys, some of them are beyond their second chance. Winston has had many immature moments as an adult, not just the one sexual assault allegation. Why would any team take a chance on that is beyond me. It's not even a reasonable gamble. The odds that player will get in trouble are extremely high and the stakes are as well. It can set a team back several years.

Short term from what I have seen; it works. Long term; almost never.

Re: Picking talent or character
 

Guys like Lawrence Taylor, Randy Moss and Chris Carter to name a few would agree with you....

Re: Picking talent or character
 

And the list on the opposite end...I never said it can't work, only the odds say it likely won't. Many people win the biggest stuffed animal every year playing the ring toss at a fair. I'm not one of them. Odds say I will not win. Better to do market research and buy the best I can get for my coin on Amazon or Ebay.

Re: Picking talent or character
 

I disagree, it probably gives him way more insight than you and me combined.

Re: Picking talent or character
 

First off, there is far larger things to worry about than marijuana in LE. But that doesn't mean its ignored. So job security comes from many different and serious acts that mankind does to themselves and others.

Second, I'm not blasting anyone who believes it should be legalized. I have my reasons based on my experience in the last 14 years. And I'm sure you have your own reasons and opinions.

My deal is that the kid knew he had a combine coming up and he chose to put his draft status and career in question knowing he would be tested. That to me shows poor judgment and a lack of self discipline.

He has much more to lose and he chose to smoke dope.

I'm not saying he's a bad person, I'm saying he lacks good judgment.

If I had the chance to make millions living my dream, the last thing I would do is put it in danger by doing something that I know could put that in danger.

Pro marijuana or not, I don't see a logical argument for that choice.

If I had the chance to make millions and one of the stipulations was not to eat pizza, especially if I knew they had a pizza test, I wouldn't even go around a restaurant that served it. And I love pizza.

Re: Picking talent or character