A Couple Winners
If someone bet you in January that defensive end Frostee Rucker and tight end Dominique Byrd would be drafted ahead of safety Darnell Bing, would you have taken it?
Rucker and Byrd were the big winners Saturday, selected in the third round by the Bengals and Rams, respectively. Byrd overcame the fact he was almost a forgotten part of USC's offense last season and had a history of injuries.
The big question today is where Bing will get drafted? Today reminded me that when Bing was a senior in high school, USC coach Pete Carroll thought he was perhaps the best NFL prospect of his recruiting class. Maybe the NFL needs to adopt the NBA's policy of allowing players to turn pro without signing with an agent.
Also don't forget offensive lineman Fred Matua. Personally, I'm rooting for a team to take a chance on cornerback Justin Wyatt, one of the nicest guys on the team.
Scott - Plaschke reports that Dwayne Jarrett owes Bob Leinart $10,000 in back rent!?!?! What's going on here?? From the sound of it, seems like there is NO way he gets back on the team.
Well, as of the first few picks in the 7th rounds, USC had 11 players drafted. Maybe not all went in the elite rounds, but I would assume that number may put it right up there with Ohio State and Florida State as the teams with most kids drafted this year.
So many people are quick to jump to headlines about how SC's kids' stocks plummted, and USC was a loser, etc. Eleven and maybe more in the NFL from last year's team. Not bad.
On the subject of discipline by the program. Unfortunately, it is an issue. Too many players have shown a chronic lack of judgement. From Winston Justice to Eric Wright to now Mark Sanchez. And who would have guessed that Reggie Bush would have made the biggest judgement mistake of all?
SC fans: if you think the heat is bad now, wait until week 4 of the regular season. With so many ON-THE-FIELD questions about this team on offense, it is not inconceivable that USC could be 0-3 at that point. Arkansas on the road and Nebraska are no "gimmies," and I'm sure Mike Stoops has circled the first Pac-10 game in Tucson against SC as an early statement game for their program.
And who knows, by then, SC could be rattled by the fact they have been stripped of a national championship and all their wins in '05....
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..."
When are you going to appologies to Lendale?
Well, someone please explain it to me then please? I watched all 10 hours of day one and no one even mentioned Darnell Bing--not even once--Do none of these guys watch West Coast football? So many safeties went ahead of him until Oakland in the FOURTH round WHY?