More Terrible Draft Material Issued by Sporting News

[schmiddog]

I hadn't ever read this guy's material before, but this moronic piece only perpetuates SN's awful reputation in the draft evaluation business.


http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn...c.php?t=335333

[Paranoidmoonduck]

Well, they guy certainly highlights some concerns about McFadden, although the whole "initiating contact" thing was and still is a concern with Adrian Peterson. He just carries it too far.

I stopped reading The Sporting News after one of their 2006 draft experts spent something like two pages talking about nothing but Abdul Hodge.

[villagewarrior]

I hate the phrase "straight up". If you say you would take prospect A over prospect B, you don't need to say straight up, you are implying so by saying you would take prospect A over prospect B. It's redundant.

[Babylon]

I'd take Stewart and Mendenhal over McFadden so i guess i'm moronic too.

[etk]

I wouldn't call that article terrible. He made some very valid points about McFadden, but he also failed to give considerable evidence towards those points and didn't give enough detail. He also took it way too far by saying McFadden shouldn't be a first-round pick, especially with the lack of talent at the top in this year's draft.

A lot of knowledgeable posters here have mentioned how McFadden is overrated and not a sure-thing prospect. He doesn't generate enough yards on contact, he's not powerful and his vision is only adequate. He has rare explosiveness and speed but that will only play a factor if he's drafted to a team with good run blockers. The durability issue is also a legitimate concern, as he's not built very strong below the upper body. Don't be surprised to see more and more talk of Stewart and even Mendenhall going ahead of McFadden, but there's no way he falls outside the top 15.

[BroadwayJoe10]

I personally feel he has to over emphasize his point of saying how McFadden isn't a sure thing probowler by saying he wouldn't take him in the first round. It's obvious that while McFadden isn't the clear cut best player in the draft he is definately one of them and to say he shouldn't be a first rounder because of durability issues is a bit of a stretch. I can understand having a guy fall out of the top 5 because of durability concerns and not wanting to pay a guy 30 mill guaranteed to play half the season, but certainly not out of the first 32 picks or in our case 31.

I would bet good money that if he was a GM and his team needed a RB and was sitting at 25 or so and McFadden was there that he would take him in a heart beat.

[Bengals1690]

well in their latest mock draft, the bengals are taking mike jenkins (USF) with the first pick, even though our 1st round picks the last 2 years were corners. Just because teams run on us like our base defense is nickel doesnt mean we need 3 consecutive 1st round corners.

[draftguru151]

That wasn't bad at all, and he actually brought up valid points. Oh, he knocked Darren McFadden, oh never mind that was awful. There is no way someone could write something negative about McFadden and actually have be correct.

[Twiddler]

He has some good points and they are all things that should be looked at but he just took it too far in order to get people's attention and to get people to read his article.

I always pick up the annual Sporting News Draft Guide. Partially I do it to see who they tout as highly rated prospects, many of which have crashed and burned in recent years.

Still, they are hit or miss, like almost every other "draftnik."

[jballa838]

But I've watched him on film and up close in the Cotton Bowl, and I've seen no special qualities that will make him an exceptional running back.

McFadden has breakaway speed, I'll give him that.

and thats where i stopped. he contradicted himself.

[furiousgod]

Originally Posted by Babylon

I'd take Stewart and Mendenhal over McFadden so i guess i'm moronic too.

i feel the exact same way =|

[Number 10]

Don't kill me

But I finished my pre-combine grades....

And I have Stewart ranked ahead of McFadden. Barely, and it could change post-combine...but McFadden is on the overrated side.

[Number 10]

Mendenhall really isn't that close to McFadden

[Paranoidmoonduck]

Originally Posted by draftguru151

That wasn't bad at all, and he actually brought up valid points. Oh, he knocked Darren McFadden, oh never mind that was awful. There is no way someone could write something negative about McFadden and actually have be correct.

You and I both know well how pointing out negatives on certain well thought of prospects can be received during draft time, but I'd say there's a considerable difference between saying that McFadden doesn't have great build, wiggle, or vision and saying that he isn't worth a 1st round pick.

[toonsterwu]

odd, i thought Brian Baldinger was with Fox. um ... the article was fair. I think that might be the best material i've ever seen/heard from baldy (which, I know, isn't saying much).

Originally Posted by Number 10

And I have Stewart ranked ahead of McFadden.

I believe a lot of people do. I do, for one.


No disrespect to McFadden, I just see Stewart as a better fit in the NFL.

[619]

Baldinger should quit writing and stick to TV.

[Turtlepower]

McFadden is simply getting the Brady Quinn treatment. He is the product of extreme scrutiny because of his high-profile. And half the people who are saying that someone like Mendenhall will be better than McFadden are only saying that due to them being the few people who can say they predicted it in the unlikely scenario.

[LSUALUM99]

I think McFadden will not only be better than Stewart or Mendenhall, but also better than Adrian Peterson.

I've seen McFadden run up close when they played LSU and I can say that he's clearly the best player on the field whenever he plays, regardless of who he's playing against.

[Forenci]

Eh, I think the major difference between Peterson and McFadden is that Peterson likes to initiate contact at the end of a run, where McFadden initiates contact earlier than that, when the run could have picked up more yards.

Another difference is that Peterson has much better vision than McFadden. Not that its to say McFadden has zero vision, I just feel like he could use improvement in that area.

Honestly, it sounds like Baldy just overstated his point because if he says, "Well, I don't think he's worthy of a top 5 pick, but he should still go in the 1st Round" we probably wouldn't care enough to make a ruckus about it.

You know how it is. For the next few months leading up to the Draft (especially when the season is over) some reporters and analysts try to create controversy by over scrutinizing a top pick in the draft.

[hitstreak13]

Finally! I was criticized in another forum because i said Mendenhall will go ahead of McFadden. I really believe that he will. Mendenhall demonstrated that he can be a complete back this season and i think he will def. make a better back than McFadden at the next level. Mark my words, the first three backs selected are going to be:

1.Mendenhall
2.DMac
3.Stewart

[Forenci]

Eh, I wouldn't call Mendenhall a complete back, nor would I say he'll go before DMC Run.

I say Mendenhall isn't a complete back because he struggles with pass protection, but a lot of RB's do coming out of college - so it's not that shocking. It just seemed like when they had him blocking in the back field he was completely lost out there.

Secondly, while sure, Mendenhall could be a better pro (I'm not saying he will, but anything is possible I suppose), McFadden will be drafted before Mendenhall unless something extraordinary happens between now and the draft.

I actually am beginning to really think Jonathan Stewart may end up being the best pro. Partly from finally getting a chance to watch some Oregon games I DVR'd and partly because Jughead has been quite adamant about him.

[P-L]

I think the article is fine. Not good, but not bad. I think Baldinger obviously went overboard in saying that McFadden wasn't a 1st Round pick, but I think that was his point. He thinks McFadden is overrated, like a handful of others do. Like someone said, if he just said "Darren McFadden is not a top five pick" then many people would just blow the article off.

[Solomon]

Originally Posted by Blatz

I believe a lot of people do. I do, for one.


No disrespect to McFadden, I just see Stewart as a better fit in the NFL.

wow. Less than two months ago I predicted that the gap between Stewart and McFadden would close after the combine and got ripped into on this board. Now lots of people seem to agree with my premise. It'll be interesting to see how things fall in the end.