WTF. Did nobody learn from Sam Bradford's mistake last season? He is picked by most people to go overall #1. Everyone has him top 5 pretty much. So somewhere around $30mil guaranteed. And, nobody is sure what the money situation is going to be in the 2011 draft. How someone can leave that much money sitting on the table and risk injury/bad season is beyond me.

12/16/2009 2:48:12 PM

I thought the situation was he's a late first-rounder this year, but could be top 5 or even no. 1 overall NEXT year.

12/16/2009 2:51:41 PM

No, McShay had Locker going #1 this year and Kiper has said he would have been top 5 this year also.


I could MAYBE understand this if he was at a school like Florida or Texas or something, somewhere he could come back and compete for a national championship, but more than likely Washington isn't even going to compete for the Pac-10 next year.

[Edited on December 16, 2009 at 2:54 PM. Reason : .]

12/16/2009 2:53:17 PM

is he that damn good? I'll be honest, i haven't watched a shit ton of him play.....but from what i've seen, and from looking at his stats.....what makes him a #1 pick/Top 5 type player?

2800 yds 21/11 td/Int against weak Pac 10 defenses doesn't seem that great to me....

12/16/2009 3:08:24 PM

He's not a very good passer at all from what I've seen, which is why I'm confused as to why he's regarded so highly

Seems like a white version of Tyrod Taylor to me

That said, if he's projected to go top 5, he's costing himself tens of millions by coming back

12/16/2009 3:13:37 PM

Someone on ESPN made the point that most of the best QB's in the NFL were in college 4 years.

Peyton, Brady, Brees, Rivers

12/16/2009 3:21:47 PM

The middle two had to stay four years; Philip and Peyton could have made the jump after 3, IMO

but I still say guaranteed dollars now >>> the potential for greatness later

12/16/2009 3:23:55 PM

He is leaving tens of millions out there to return to WASHINGTON. That makes no sense at all. There is really no reason to take the risks when someone is offering you that.

^^Peyton had a shot at a NC. Brady had to stay 4 years, he wasnt that good in college, Rivers still had more to prove and I dont think would have been top 5 after his Jr year, same with Breese

[Edited on December 16, 2009 at 3:26 PM. Reason : .]

12/16/2009 3:24:04 PM

You say he should have learned from Bradford's "mistake" but Bradford had a shot at the NC also.

Did Peyton make a mistake then? Or is it only a mistake if you get hurt and/or don't go #1 like Bradford or Leinart?

12/16/2009 4:23:12 PM

Personally, I wouldn't value a college NC over a chance to get a jump start on my pro career. College is just a stepping stone to the NFL for the best players. If people want to pay you millions of dollars to do something you already do for free, you take the money everytime. If Goldman Sachs was trying to pulls MBAs out before they graduated, they sure as hell wouldn't stick around

Maybe a poor analogy, but I just don't think turning down money is ever a smart move.

12/16/2009 4:27:57 PM

mo money, mo problems

12/16/2009 4:35:09 PM

^^^I said I MAYBE could understand if Locker had a shot at a NC. Bradford did, but that doesnt mean I really understand it. He would have gone #1 over Stafford and could be sitting with a guaranteed $40mil. Instead, he came back and got hurt. He will still go first round, but why take the risk? If its pretty much guaranteed that you are going to go #1 or top 5, there is no way I personally would come back to school for a chance at a NC let alone for a team that has pretty much no shot at winning anything.

12/16/2009 4:42:18 PM

I think the reasoning was that a lot of the teams projected at the top of the draft didn't have qb as the biggest need on their team. Waiting for next season may mean even more money.

ESPN's words, not mine.

12/16/2009 4:45:26 PM

Not when the rookie pool shrinks by more than half

The #1 pick next year could get paid like the #12 pick this year

12/16/2009 4:49:22 PM

Quote :

"Did nobody learn from Sam Bradford's mistake last season? "

Did Sam Bradford not learn from Matt Leinhart's mistake a few seasons ago?

12/16/2009 4:49:47 PM

You can at least make the case for why a QB should stay

With a RB, its all about career carries...you have a finite number and once you hit 30 you're done

So you have to get into the NFL at 21 instead of 23 to have a long term impact

12/16/2009 4:54:05 PM

fucking idiot

12/16/2009 5:46:03 PM

Moneys not everything Kayak. Chill out. Also...Im taking a wild guess here. But your poor right? Thats what I thought. Poor people are always so flabbergasted when other people pass up on money.

12/17/2009 10:39:06 PM

Really? I respect the guy for going back, but making millions would be the logical choice, rich or poor.

12/17/2009 10:53:46 PM

Leinart made a huge mistake not coming out after his junior year. I assume he thought he'd win another Heisman and 3rd NC, but he did neither his senior year and fell to #10 in the draft.

Had he come out after his junior year, he would have #1 overall (that was the year Alex Smith went #1) and would have gotten a much bigger contract. Plus he might be starting right now instead of watching Warner from the bench.

Locker has amazing physical traits, but so did David Carr. I too am surprised by the love he is getting from the draft gurus. Locker could be like Mario the year he went #1 overall. Everyone was like WTF because he did not play for a big time program and no one knew much about him.

Suh should be #1 regardless of who has the #1 pick IMO.




[Edited on December 18, 2009 at 10:53 AM. Reason : l]

12/18/2009 10:50:13 AM

David Carr was good before he was permanently scarred by playing behind the Texans line for several seasons. I really don't think it had anything to do with his coming out early.

12/18/2009 11:10:44 AM