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Rebuttal on the NFL Draft |
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Friday, 19 May 2006 |
By Alexander O'Grady
 To paraphrase Mel Kiper: It is obvious to me that some people just don't understand what the draft is all about. And no, I am not talking about the Oakland Raiders, I am talking about those who claim that they are being idiots for passing on Matt Leinhart.
There is no denying that Matt Leinhart is a good quarterback and probably the one most ready for the pros out if everyone in this draft class. And there is also no denying that Aaron Brooks is a mediocre quarterback who could just as easily bounce a pass off the head of one of his linemen than chuck it downfield…and Marques Tuiasosopo has looked awful in limited play thus far.
So far, so good, when it comes to Mr. O’Dell’s argument that the Raiders were idiots. However, the draft is not always about drafting the best player available - it is about drafting the best player available for your system. What Mr. O’Dell neglected to mention was that they have a developmental quarterback already whom they are high on. I am speaking of Andrew Walter, their third round pick of the 2005 draft.
Walter, the former Arizona State quarterback, has "one of the strongest arms in the country,” according to his draft profile from last year. He also, incidentally, had a "good grasp of a pro-style offense.” If you did not know different, you could think I was talking about Leinhart and not Walter. Walter may need another year to be ready, and that is where Brooks come in.
And if you want to say that a safety is not a game-breaking position, I urge you to look at Troy Polamalu, Ed Reed and Sean Taylor.
Hypothetically, let us assume that a certain Heisman-winning quarterback came out a year before he actually did. You are the GM of a team who just went 5-11, your starting quarterback is by all accounts not very good, and your backup quarterback is an unknown late-round draft choice. Do you go for the Heisman-winning quarterback? Yes? Well, then you just drafted Chris Weinke for the New England Patriots in the 2001 Draft. The late-round quarterback, incidentally, was Tom Brady.
I am not suggesting that Weinke is Leinhart or that Walter is Brady - Weinke was a fourth-round pick, so such a suggestion would be stupid. What I am saying is that you do not know which quarterback can make it in the pros. Ryan Leaf, Cade McNown, Akili Smith...all early picks who could not become a good pro quarterback. And you do not know if Walter can be until you see him get some snaps in a regular NFL game. He may very well not be, but he can. Not even letting him try not only wastes a third-round pick, it ensures the Raiders never find out.
There are many reasons why the Oakland Raiders are idiots, some of which were mentioned succinctly by Mr. O’Dell. But this is not one of them. |
