I think you are letting your homerism influence your posts.
The past 2 days ive seen posts saying: "ha! Mallett is dropping, there is something we dont know!", then "Ha! He is still dropping, laughable that people wanted him at 15!". Then he finally ends up with the Patriots and its "Oh, well he sucks anyways." That sort of pure denial and blind homerism is mind boggling. You act as though any player that Ireland drafts is a home run and any player a division rival drafts is awful. And you have the audacity to declare others "influenced"?
The hypocrisy is especially amusing considering Chad Henne was a quarterback every team passed on(almost twice) yet we are now relying on. A player taken in the second round, a round which Ireland and others have admitted to making mistakes. Oh! Like Daniel Thomas. But hey, dont be influenced!
Ck stuck with the opinion he formed months ago. Its an opinion many of us shared because of research and projection. Many scouts and "experts" agreed with that opinion as they were very few on the field concerns about the prospect and many people starting talking complaining about things that had nothing to do with the quarterback position. I thought it was hilarious the "concern" that grew in the last 2 weeks that he didn't run fast enough to play quarterback.
Missing on a draft pick sure as hell influences your draft grade. But hey, if you want to talk purely about Daniel Thomas: why shouldnt he be a "D"? God forbid we grade someone badly who isnt fast, lacks burst, runs high, and fumbles the damn football. But wait! Ireland drafted him! He must be a stud! Because all of our second round picks have worked out so well in recent history. And i'm not being influenced at all!
Sometimes: you can dislike the selection and passing on a good player. It doesnt have to be one or the other. Ck posted a sentence "He did not impress me in 2009, but when I re-visited him in 2010 his pad level seemed to come down, and he looked a lot more instinctive, like a true tailback, rather than playing like an athlete." The fact that we continue to take projects for positions that shouldnt require it would make me give this entire draft a "F".
Every other team in the NFL manages to find running backs and interior linemen is later rounds with 0 problems. When Miami has to burn high draft picks to fill those same positions: you get a lower draft grade then other teams. Its a thing called value.
my homerism? MY HOMERISM? Here's the thing. Look at my posts, I warmed up to Mallett at the end, but I have been saying for AGES that Mallett has attitude problems. Being a Michigan fan, and seeing and knowing things about his time at Michigan I said Mallett had all the tools, but something was up. He was HATED by his teammates at Michigan. Henne and Hart were 2 of the only guys who could stand him. He was leaving no matter who the coach was. I said I saw a lot of potential in him as a freshmen at Michigan. I'e said time and time again, that seeing him at Arkansas something just didn't seem right. He didn't really develop how I thought he would. I heard the cocaine rumors.
And don't call me a homer. Yeah I'm optimistic, but I try to keep an impartial look on things. I love CK, I respect what he does. If I didn't why would I ask him to do a radio interview with me for school? Why would I constantly on my radio show site Chris Kaufman and Universal Draft as a source. I think CK does a helluva lot when it comes to analyzing the draft, and I feel sometimes he does not get the credit he deserves.
That being said, I stay to my opinion. Okay, you want to say the pick is graded D- not on Daniel Thomas but on passing Ryan Mallett. Here is the question I have for you. Why are the Pats the only team willing to take a risk on Mallett? Why is it that teams that NEED QBs like Minny, Tennessee, Cincy, and San Fran were willing to take on projects who might have to start right away and should be nowhere near the starting lineup over Mallett? THe Pats can draft Mallett and afford to let him sit for 3-4 years when he will be 26-27 and maybe he will be ready. WE DO NOT.
As I said in other threads. We hit a lot of needs in this draft with guys who should contribute. I don't look at the draft on who we pass up, I look at a successful draft on who can help make us better right away.
I love CK, but his word is not the law for me. And to call me a homer while people, yourself included, are calling our draft a failure because we didn't draft Mallett instead of basing their grades on who we draft, only support my opinion
So again, hate my optimism, but atleast I am willing to GIVE these players a shot rather than openly root for them to fail like some people on this forum (NOT a shot at you or CK, or anybody in particular, but there are those here and they know who they are).