Because NFL.com is a much larger and better financed site than most other media sources? Keep looking and convince yourself you're right because one writer from NFL.com agrees with you.
And how exactly has Vick turned out? Has he been the Michael Jordan of the NFL? Has he revolutionized the sport? The answer to both is not even close. So yeah, quote those articles all you want... all that does is give more credibility to my argument. Just because Bush was a great college player and hyped to the extreme by ESPN doesn't mean it's necessarily going to turn out that way. It hasn't with Vick.
You can't even find an article like this guy? Greatest football prospect in a decade going 6th? From About.com: James Alder, He is a sportswriter who has covered the world of football exclusively for six seasons at About. He has a lifetime of experience closely following all sports, with a never-ending interest in the history and legends of the games. James has also appeared as a special guest on WCCO Radio in Minneapolis, Mn., been quoted in "The Washington Times", and has served as an American Football consultant to BBC Radio in London. He has also appeared on ESPN Radio Network's KRKO Radio in Seattle and has a trivia book called "YaKnow? Pro Football" on the market. Featured NFL Mock Draft - No.4 1. Chargers - Robert Gallery OT Iowa 6'6 320 The Chargers offensive line is a mess and Brees is getting killed back there. I think this is a MUST draft here. If the Chargers decide to pick up a few offensive linemen through free agency then drafting a player like Tommie Harris would greatly improve the Chargers defense. There might be some consideration for Eli Manning, but I think Eli would get killed behind that horrible OL. Other possibilities - Tommie Harris, Eli Manning 2. Falcons- Vince Wilfork DT Miami (Fla.) 6'2 345 Wilfork is a huge player (340 pounds) and has quickness comparable to Warren Sapp. The Falcons need help on the defensive side of the ball, and Wilfork would be the type of player the Falcons defense can build around along with Keith Brooking. Ellis Johnson was thinking about retiring last year and he should of... The Falcons also need a corner and OL but Wilfork is too good to pass up on here. Other possibilities - Robert Gallery, Trade down and get Marlin Jackson later 3. Jaguars - Larry Fitzgerald WR Pittsburgh 6'3 225 Leftwich needs someone to throw to for the next 10 years and Fitzgerald significantly improved his draft status with a incredible season. He has all the tools like Roy/Reggie Williams but not the attitude. I definitely can see the Jaguars trading out of this pick to a team like the Patriots and draft a corner and WR later in the first round. Think: Rashuan Woods playing behind Jimmy Smith & Kevin Johnson for a year and DeAngelo Hall staring at corner. Other Possibilities - Trading down 4. Lions - Sean Taylor S Miami (Fla.) 6'3 220 The Lions desperately need a playmaker in their horrible secondary. Taylor is the best DB prospect in this years draft, so don't look for him to slip past the Lions. They will also give a strong look at the top-2 running backs or trade out of this spot and take a corner later. Other possibilities - Stephen Jackson, Kevin Jones, trade down and take a cornerback 5. Raiders - Roy Williams WR Texas 6'3 210 This will be a very interesting pick. They can go a number of ways. I think the Raiders will give one full season to Tuiasosopo under center before labeling him as a career backup. And with "The Legend" they give Sopo one of the deepest and most talented offenses in the NFL. Besides Rice/Brown are going to retire sooner or later. If the Raiders don't draft a QB in the first round they will likely add a prospect on the roster maybe in the second or third round. They have a pair of young talented linebackers in Eric Barton, Napoleon Harris so don't look for them to take one this early. Other possibilities - Ben Roethlisberger, Tommie Harris 6. Cardinals - Eli Manning QB Mississippi 6'5 218 Jeff Blake is not the long term answer and Eli Manning is the sure thing. They can't pass up on a guy that can turn their franchise around like his brother Peyton. Other possibilities - None 7. Bears - Tommie Harris DT/DE Oklahoma 6'3 290 They need a player to protect Grossman for years to come, but they didn't expect a prospect like Harris to fall this far. They can't rush the passer and their current starters Phillip Daniels, Keith Traylor, Bryan Robinson are aging and can't get the job done. They would love to add a young stud like Harris to their defensive line. Other possibilities - Will Smith, David Pollack, Shawn Andrews 8. Browns - Kellen Winslow TE Miami (Fla.) 6'5 230 Butch Davis won't pass on the chance to draft the player he recruited. But how will Couch/Holcomb get the ball to him if they can't survive the rush. Shawn Andrews will be a consideration. Other possibilities - Shawn Andrews
Find 1 not from NFL.com Find 1 period. All you do is deny anything that I find and yet you can't find squat. I found Eli Manning articles, Reggie Bush articles, and Michael Vick articles (which pre-date Eli Manning).
How about this? I don't see best QB prospect of a decade here either. Maligned Chargers take Giants to cleaners in Eli deal April 24, 2004 By Pete Prisco SportsLine.com Senior Writer Manning comparison: Peyton vs. Eli Who's laughing at the San Diego Chargers now? On a day that opened with the Chargers seemingly in no-man's land, trying to figure out what to do with the first overall pick because of Eli Manning saying he wanted no part of San Diego, the Chargers ended the day with a big, wide grin on their collective faces. Eli Manning proves to be an expensive acquisition for the Giants.(AP) All those out there who thought the Chargers had no idea what they were doing -- you know who you are -- step forward. OK, that's all of us. But in the end, the Chargers pulled off a coup of sorts Saturday. All along, they loved North Carolina State quarterback Philip Rivers, but they weren't about to use the first pick on him. So they did what Manning told them not to do: They took Eli Manning and held their cards close. Would they keep him and make an uncomfortable situation even worse, risking Manning sitting out the season? Or would they deal out? When the New York Giants took Rivers, the two teams worked out a deal to swap the two quarterbacks. The Giants got Manning, the top-rated player on their board, while the Chargers got Rivers. And a haul of draft picks. The Giants gave them a third-round pick (No. 65) this year, a first-round pick next year and a fifth-round pick next year. It was way too much. Manning is going to be a star, but Rivers is, too. So that will be a wash. San Diego also gets three additional picks, two of those premium choices, one a potential high first-round choice. We say high because is there any reason to believe the Giants will be good this year, especially if a rookie is starting at quarterback? Let's say the Giants go 5-11. That first-round pick will likely be in the top 10. Assuming the Chargers also struggle, it would mean they would also likely be in the top 10, giving them three top 10 picks in the two years. That's how you build good football teams. "Eli was our choice and he was going to be a San Diego Charger," GM A.J. Smith told reporters in San Diego. "We were going to do what was right for the franchise. But as things developed, there were some twists and turns and we decided to take a package that is very, very good for the Chargers." QBs taken No. 1 since 1998 Yr. Player, School Team '04 Eli Manning, Ole Miss Chargers '03 Carson Palmer, USC Bengals '02 David Carr, Fresno St. Texans '01 Michael Vick, Va. Tech Falcons '99 Tim Couch, Kentucky Browns '98 Peyton Manning, Tenn. Colts * DE Courtney Brown was No. 1 in '00 The move to get Manning by New York has the fingerprints of Giants GM Ernie Accorsi. He is a big quarterback guy, which we can understand, but giving up that ransom to get Manning is too much.
That mock has Vince Wilfork, a pick in the 20s, going second overall. The credibility of that mock is gone based on that. Furthermore, on draft day itself, John McClain had Reggie Bush, apparently the greatest prospect in sports history, going fourth... is that all that different from sixth? Also, from Peter King: I think even the possibility of being as good as one of the top quarterbacks in the history of the sport makes him a once in a generation type of prospect. From Foxsports.com:
Not best prospect in a decade/Not best QB prospect in the same draft at the same position? By Bryan McGovern, The Sports Network's NFL Editor Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - It’s time to put away the stopwatches and hole up in the war room in preparation for the 2004 NFL Draft. Clubs have scoured the free-agent market in search of talented veterans, but the month of April is graduation time for the country’s best amateurs. Will Eli Manning follow in the footsteps of big brother Peyton, the No. 1 overall pick in 1998, and be the draft’s top selection? Eli has plenty of proponents, but there are also a number of scouts who believe Ben Roethlisberger will be the better NFL signal-caller. The great QB debate sounds a lot like the Peyton Manning-Ryan Leaf decision in ’98. Indianapolis took Peyton first and San Diego used the second pick on Leaf, one of the biggest busts of all-time. While Manning and Roethlisberger could be the first two picks on April 24, there hasn’t been a draft with quarterbacks taken first and second since 1999, when Cleveland took Tim Couch first overall, Philadelphia selected Donovan McNabb second and Cincinnati pinned its hopes on Akili Smith with the third choice. The team with the No. 1 overall pick has selected a quarterback in each of the past three drafts -- Carson Palmer (Cincinnati), David Carr (Houston) and Michael Vick (Atlanta). Iowa’s Robert Gallery is poised to become just the eighth offensive lineman to be drafted in the first 10 picks since 1998, when New Orleans selected Kyle Turley seventh overall. Washington drafted Chris Samuels in 2000 with the third pick, and Leonard Davis went second to Arizona in ’01. The 2002 NFL Draft produced Mike Williams (fourth to Buffalo), Bryant McKinnie (seventh to Minnesota) and Levi Jones (10th to Cincinnati). The Carolina Panthers drafted Jordan Gross with the eighth pick last year.
What you are quoting are statements (not even the entire article) after he was drafted. We're talking about pre-draft hype. As far as McClain, prior to the draft, he was also the one who claimed that without a doubt, Reggie Bush will be the Texans pick. It was not until after the Texans decided on Mario Williams. Do you use half truths intentionally or by accident
How about this? I don't see best prospect of all-time here for Bush either. Seattle Times: Michael Smith, ESPN:
Any player who is as hyped as Bush (or Michael Vick) will have detractors. That's why they call it hype which is what we're discussing. Here is an anti-Michael Vick article: By B. Duane Cross, CNNSI.com Contrary to popular myth, Michael Vick is not the first fleet-of-foot quarterback to throw his helmet into the NFL Draft fray. Do the names Steve Young, Doug Flutie or Steve McNair ring a bell? Hence, the uniqueness of Vick's arm and feet are lost on me. As for Vick's passing, no one can deny he has a strong arm, but his accuracy leaves a lot to be desired -- more than his reported asking price ($15 million bonus, $50-$60 million deal) can buy. His arm strength may be Popeye-esque, but Olive Oyle-type accuracy ... you can get that with half the league's backups -- at a much lower price tag. The success of NFL teams begin -- and end -- with the quarterback. Even Trent Dilfer. And after the Ryan Leaf debacle, why would San Diego make such a huge financial commitment to a player who is far from ready to take a snap? It does not make sense for the Chargers -- or any team -- to take the chance on a guy with "unlimited potential," as many draftniks have described Vick. Potential does not make an NFL player, especially a quarterback. And as for Vick possibly being the Michael Jordan of the NFL ... ha! That's a bigger whiff than His Airness taking his cuts at the plate. The NFL does not need a Jordan; one player will not carry a team to the Super Bowl. And arguing that Vick will be an impact player if he stays healthy is akin to saying it will flood if it rains enough. Duh! The fact is Vick will not juke NFL defenders, leaving them weak-kneed in their cleats. A stutter-step here will end with Vick over there -- on the sideline, nursing the bell ringing in his ears. One exciting player will not lift the Chargers -- or any other team -- to the title game. Ask Barry Sanders; the Lions' supporting cast remains so weak that he will not budge on retirement, despite the fact he'd be the most entertaining running back even after two years in retirement. I will not argue Michael Vick was a talented college quarterback. However, he will not have the same success in the NFL; the game is bigger and faster -- even more so than Mr. Vick's fleet feet. Show me 1 article that claims Eli will be the best prospect in a decade.
Also, If he was, why weren't teams beating down the door with offers like the one the Giants made for Manning? Manning wasn't as sexy a pick as Bush - he wasn't a one in a generation athlete running a 4.3 40 - but I'd certainly make the argument that he was higher ranked among NFL circles http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?t=111318&page=3
Actually, McClain claimed for more than two months that without a doubt Vince Young would be the Texans pick when all was said and done. He also projected Bush fourth even though the Saints and Titans certainly had not decided to pass on Bush. Who's the one using half-truths now?
Give me access to media archives and film footage of ESPN's coverage of the draft and I'll have that right for you.
This is hilarious. You quoted Peter King. Three-quarterback monte Giants GM Accorsi gambles on Manning during wild draft day Posted: Monday April 26, 2004 9:53AM; Updated: Wednesday April 28, 2004 4:49PM I have my doubts about this deal for the Giants. The qualities they see as extraordinary in Manning -- which Accorsi described to me as the charismatic, clutch and leaderish "it" factor -- something he also detailed at length to me in the magazine this week in a Rivers profile of mine, and the ability to lift the players around him -- are just as present in Rivers.
So what? King also liked Phillip Rivers? You deal too much in absolutes; just because King liked Rivers doesn't mean he can't think Manning is a great quarterback himself. FWIW, at least seven NFL teams and possibly more ranked Mario Williams ahead of the supposedly wonderful Reggie Bush. If your quote regarding Manning/Rivers somehow proves Manning wasn't a once-in-a-generation prospect, how could more than 20 percent (at least) of the league's franchises be so dumb to not rank the supposed best prospect in the history of the league number one in his own class?
The only thing you're relying on is ESPN coverage of the draft? Give me a break. Mel Kiper once described Big daddy Wilkerson as the highest ranked prospect in years. 1. I remember watching the 2004 draft and nobody ever said he was going to be a decade type prospect. 2. On draft day they think every #1 draft choice is great, which most #1 prospects are.
We are talking about hype prior to the draft. People had questions about Bush's duarbility (just like Michael Vick) prior to him being drafted. However, many scouts predicted he would be a once in a generation type player. There was debate on that subject. Many said yes, some said no. NOBODY other than the Giants believed Eli manning had the once in a decade type talent. If you look at the draft talk prior to the 2004 draft, most people were unsure who the best QB of the class was. Eli Manning certainly wasn't the consensus best QB. He was considered the safest pick, not the player with the unlimited Michael Vick-ish ceiling that many people believe Reggie Bush possesses. We are talking pre-draft anticipation and hype.
ESPN's coverage isn't the only source that hyped Manning as one of the best prospects in years, but it was what I remembered the most. And you still haven't proven otherwise. You've shown one or two articles and as if that's representative of the NFL community as a whole. You've acted as if my lack of articles means your articles hold up. It doesn't when so many articles are no longer in free media archives and are hard to find. Yes, there are some articles available from back then, but a vast majority are not. As a result, until we are able to observe all the evidence, you haven't proven anything. No, neither have I. But the debate is still quite open, and I know what I read and heard. Also, if you look at the draft talk prior to the 2006 draft, many people were unsure if Bush was even the best prospect from his own college team. Many pointed to Leinart and the "franchise QB" model as being a better way to use the number one pick. Several sources said teams considering a move up to 1 would do so to draft Leinart and not Bush. No, Leinart didn't end up drafted anywhere close to there, but like you said, we're talking about the hype and not the actual results. Also, almost all the paid sportswriters and analysts in the city with the top pick preferred Vince Young to Reggie Bush. Not to mention that at least 20-25 percent of other teams (if not more) ranked Mario Williams ahead of Bush on their draft boards. Does that sound like a prospect that's the best in the history of the NFL? Sure doesn't to me. It sounds like a very, very good one, but there were enough discussed alternatives to make the idea that Bush = Vick (in terms of rarity) appear silly.
