Draft Mystery
One of USC’s disappointments during the NFL draft was safety Darnell Bing slipping to the fourth round, where the Raiders selected him and apparently will try to move him to linebacker.
With that in mind, I asked an NFL GM why Bing slipped?
``If he was that good, why did Buffalo take a 5-9, 200-pound safety (Donte Whitner) with the eighth pick?'' the GM said.
Apparently, NFL people were also turned off by the Nike Sparq timing system used at USC on Pro Day. Although Bing was announced as running the 40 in 4.53 seconds, all NFL teams recorded him around 4.64.
``People didn't know how to deal with him, what position he should play. If I take a safety, I'm looking for a rocket,’’ the GM said.
More evidence that pro footall is not run by rocket scientist as people would like to imagine. Pro draft people like to be able to give a push to their favorites and to knock down a peg people and teams they dislike. That's why they refuse to use objective measurements for speed like the 60m or the 100m, ran on USTF approved tracks (which all major schools have) with electronic measurements of stops, times and wind adjustments. The fact that you see kids at some schools who run 100 meters at 10.9 or above and turn around with 4.25 40's all the time speaks volumes. What also speaks volumes is some of the regional, race and college bias that coaches, scouts and owners show when faced with real numbers and wins.
scott,
some people in the usc ftbl program are obviously giving recruits and players compeletely unrealistic expectations about their chances in the nfl.
bing saw himself as a 1st round draft pick. some people gave him that idea.
finishing school and getting an education were never part of bing's equation.
washington is a great example of how usc should be doing things for the benefit of recruits, players, usc ftbl, and usc.
keep up the great work,
Say What Mr Gilleran? I seriously doubt that USC gave Darnell Bing any expectations that he'd be a #1 draft pick lock preceeding this years draft. I understood that the Trojans just gave Bing as well as all the other draft candidates a "both sides" understanding of the pros and cons of entering the draft. It seems to me that Carrol by wanting Bing to play on both sides of the ball this coming season was trying to keep Bing in the program as opposed to convincing him to enter the draft as an underclassman. The real problems lie within the realms of the agents and the "draft analysts". Just possibly, young Mr Bing also can harbor some blame. He may have only attended USC to gain the opportunity to (pre maturely) enter the NFL draft anyway, with scholastics being damned from the start.
Does anyone in their right mind, think the coaches at USC, advised Bing, Matua, White, or Justice to leave school early for the NFL?
scott,
1. yes, someone in his right mind thinks that getting to play early and getting to the nfl early is part of the usc recruiting pitch.
2. i am aware that pete carroll tried to reverse this trend when the reality hit last year, even inviting lendale white to the heisman show in new york to try to get him to stay.
3. why not ask bing and the others what they heard when they were being recruited?
4. i certainly remember clearly all of the usc generated hype about last year's team being the best ever to set foot on a playing field and that every player was a 1st round draft pick.
5. the recruiting gurus simply bought into this trash. i doubt very much if bing and the others who declared and were disappointed are completely to blame.
6. carroll simply reversed his position too late in the game.
7. the good news is that chauncy washington was held back by academic requirements imposed from outside the ftbl program and that he has become a fine student, a fine athlete, and a real student athlete.
8. the other good news is that usc players in the future will not jump so readily at the nfl and will stay in school.
9. i really do not want to hear about the leinart saga any more. he stayed because he had some serious surgery on his throwing arm during the summer, not because he was such a serious student. 2 units of ballroom dancing and all of the phony hype- wow
keep up the great work,
robert t. gilleran
In the end it was Darnell's choice. Robert, are there any facts in your opinions? Sounds like there's a healthy dose of bias in your statements.
My goodness, Robert Gilleran sounds like a complete moron. Why would USC tell Bing he was a lock in the NFL draft in the 1st round? There is zero benefit to USC losing a guy that would have been an All-american next year. Why did Pete Carroll tell him he could play both ways next year? He didn't want Bing to go. Ruel was upset that Matua left. What you have to realize is that these are POLY players. Trouble seems to follow along with them. Don't get me wrong, I love them once they are in the program, but it seems like they always come with a caveat. Robert - do your homework before you sound off. As for jumping, as long as we bring in #1 recruiting classes, we will get kids jumping early because they are good enough to, and they can. I fully anticipate Jarrett to jump to the NFL early next year, and guess what, I don't blame anyone. I don't blame the university, I don't blame the player, I don't blame the system. If you were a 20 yr old kid in college, and you were offered millions of dollars to do what you love, why would you say no? Especially if that is your goal? That is called success - not failure.
Okay, I think this one is obvious. Any and every coach-recruiter in their right mind tells kids that if they stay with the program through thick and thin they stand a great chance of going to the NFL as a top round draft choice.
There is EVERY incentive for every coach to tell kids to stay with the program as long as possible. Carroll walks around talking about the NFL as the no fun league. Some coaches at other schools have even told the press and recruiters that a kid isn't so bright or just refused to play a kid to keep them around. In fact athletes don't trust coaches because they believe coaches are biased.
And athletes think the world of their ability- ESPECIALLY when they are playing for a team that has played in three championships in three years.
The fact that every USC player available was picked up by an NFL team probably won't make the job of what Coach Carroll calls "in-recruiting" any easier.
I'm sorry, is Robert T. Gilleran, the censured lawyer with "a pattern of misconduct" and a lengthy history in this regard still commenting? I guess it is the lack of discretion concerning rules, facts and procedural matters that allows him to have these views of the USC football program. Okay, we get from comments that he dislikes the 'SC football program and has a strong bias against Coach Carrol especially. It would be nice to have facts or at least appeals to common knowledge presented with his statements- even though these may questionable coming from that source.
Geez Gilleran.....The Leinart saga? Yes he had a minor procedure on his arm. It wouldn't have affected his being the top pick in last years draft though. BTW..he finished his courses at SC and only took the dance classes for something to do so he could enjoy his full senior year experience. The Leinart saga will live forever at SC...
Man, this is getting a little irritating ... people (we all know who) are getting further and further abstract. Go back and look at ALL the articles from this writer, LA Times, OC Register, over the last 4+ years ... PC has remained true to form - Do it like it's never been done before, ComPete at the highest level, PLAYING TIME the moment you show the ability to 'bring it' AND (here's the key) D E V E L O P M E N T and 'READINESS' for the NFL ... nothing about "EARLY" to the NFL - that's assinine. Other than Reggie, name 1 player Pete ever said "should" go to the NFL early ?!?!? He prepares his player FOR the NFL not to get there ASAP.
Robert T. Gilleran appears to be the disbarred lawyer (Google the name) with a lot of time on his shands. So how is Matt Leinart not a seroius student? By passing up on the draft, he had to take a full load last spring instead of dropping out as all players who declare for the draft do. Leinart earned his degree from USC. After summer school he only needed 2 units to graduate. How many 1st round NFL draft picks this year can say they have a degree? Its obvious from Robert T. Gilleran's logic why he was disbarred. I just hope Mr. Gilleran doesn't charge for being obnixous like he did his clients.
No need to ever bash ML for returning; regardless of the outcome. The media is overflowing with hypocrites - and readers, viewers, and listeners just buy into the "spin".
ML should be applauded for his ability to live the oft-used, rarely-lived cliche: "It's not about the money" How many hundreds and thousands of athletes have uttered those words - only to jump at the highest bidder or knock over their grandma to grab a dollar (think Costanza 'leading' the way out of the apartment for the fire).
Matt exceeded our expectations from Day 1. And, now, he's still a MULTI-MILLIONAIRE - let's not forget ... ppl say he "lost" $10MIL as if he'll never see $$ like that again ... ummmm, is he not going to sign a fat contract worth $Millions - several guaranteed; as well as the additional "Hollywood" exposure he got in '06, which will translate to non-football revenue streams that most professionals wish for.
What's the big rush to get out of college anyway ... was it not the best times of our lives; oh, to have known then what I know now - I would've been on the 6-year plan.
Nicely done Matt Leinart!
"It's not about the money!"
Fight On!