Cool. We moved up about 10 whole spots. There's not much difference between a late 4th and a very early 5th. All that'll happen is we'll reach next year taking someone projected to go in the 6th round.
You girls make out like we are a few players away from a ring. HELLO!? This is our 2nd year in existence. What'd you expect? To win the freakin' Superbowl next year? Save the knee jerk PMS reactions towards this draft until a few games into the season. I'd bet you guys will be pleasantly surprised with some of our picks. Ragone, I don't know about that one, but the rest fit well. I'm still thinking the Ragone will be used as trade bait for safety help.
This is exactly why you don't reach for players. Joppru and Wand were both reaches. Ragone was not a big need when we couldve filled some other position. So in other words, the only player we didnt reach for (other than Johnson) was Dave Ragone, a player who doesnt fill any of our needs.
I'm not as bummed out about Wand as I was yesterday. Over on the Texans message board, some people posted links to articles from his hometown newspapers about him, and he sounds pretty decent actually. His raw numbers compare pretty well with Jordan Gross (.1 slower, a little weaker, but much taller, longer arms, and 20lbs heavier, same vertical). In addition, a lot of the crap that was written about him ("never had a position coach") is just flat wrong. As for his supposed learning disability, he scored 20 on the wonderlic test, a few pts below average, but not that bad. He's no genius, but Andre Johnson scored 14, and Chris Simms only scored 22. So I'm not worried about that anymore
It;s not just about numbers, you have to look at how they played and who they played against. The fact he disappeared in the Senior Bowl against higher competition is a little scary. Also, the fact he is "too nice" scares me a little for an OL. Compare that with Wayne Hunter, 2 picks before Wand, they described his weakness as unable to control his anger. Hmmm. which attribute is better suited for being a tough OL.
Good point. But then again, Eddie Griffin had that same, unable to control is anger knock coming out of college too! Here's one of those articles btw: Wand stays busy before draft Former Catholic High school standout makes big impression at NFL combine. By Scott Puryear News-Leader Several big-time college football stars drew the ire of the pro scouts at last week’s NFL combine when they refused to participate in certain events. Some didn’t run, lift weights or throw, out of fear a poor showing might lower their status in the upcoming NFL draft. But not Seth Wand. The former Catholic High School and Northwest Missouri State star gladly participated in every test, every challenge. One of the few non-NCAA Division I stars among the 323 players invited to Indianapolis for the combine, the 6-foot-7, 321-pound offensive tackle decided if this was a smorgasbord of talent for NFL executives, Seth Wand would be spread all over the buffet. “That was my whole view, really,’’ Wand said. “I mean, let’s be honest. Being from a small school, you can’t just tell all (the scouts) to come to Northwest Missouri State to check me out. They’re not all going to do that. I just wanted them to see what I could do.’’ And if quickness in a big guy was what they were looking for, they found it. Wand, a two-time NCAA Division II All-America selection and three-time all-MIAA performer, posted some of the fastest times in the agility drills, highlighted by a 5.13-second 40-yard dash, and showed his athleticism further with a 31Ï-inch vertical jump. Wand, 23, says his lone weakness was “a little bit in my strength” when he managed a still-respectable 20 lifts in the standard 225-pound bench press test (the average for linemen was around 22). By comparison, Utah tackle Jordan Gross — projected by ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. and others to be the first lineman selected in the April 26-27 draft — pressed the 225 pounds 28 times, ran a 5.05-second 40 and had the same vertical leap as Wand. After three days spent in Indy as a lab rat for pro scouts, being tested and interviewed by executives, poked and prodded by trainers and measured on everything he did but sleep, how does Wand now rate his draft stock? “I think between that and playing in the Senior Bowl (in late January), I’ve upped my entire image and my stock, so I’m excited (about the draft),’’ Wand said. His New York-based agent, Alan Herman, has handled dozens of NFL players the past two decades, specializing to a degree in offensive linemen (with long-time Dallas Cowboys’ star Erik Williams, who hailed from NAIA Central State, among his clients). “Everything Seth did at the combine showed his athleticism,’’ Herman said. “You just can’t find guys his size as athletic as he is. I think he’s going to make a sensational pick for somebody.’’ But who? And when? Anybody’s guess The NFL draft is notorious for unpredictability. Ask most players who have been through the pre-draft process, and they’ll often tell you the team that eventually selected them didn’t even contact them in the weeks leading up to the draft. No team wants to tip its hand. That said, Wand listed the Rams, Jets, Chiefs, 49ers and Chargers as teams he believed showed him the most interest at the combine. That list could change immensely in the next three weeks, as Wand, like most every other prospect, will hold what’s known as a “Pro Day’’ at the Northwest Missouri State campus in Maryville. Scouts from all teams will be invited to come in twice this month to see him perform lineman-specific drills and techniques. Wand won’t run 40s and agility drills again, though, believing it would be hard to improve on the times he posted in Indianapolis. Although he says it would be nice to wind up with the Chiefs or Rams so his parents (Tony and Trish Wand of Springfield), three siblings and friends could attend the games, Wand really has no preference. “I’ve never really had a favorite team,’’ said Wand, who starred at offensive tackle and defensive end when he led Catholic to a Class 2A state football championship in 1997. “I just want to go somewhere I can get in and have a chance to become one of the great ones.’’ That team clearly will be over any hang-up with Wand’s status as a small-college star. If they talk to Wand’s highly successful coach at Northwest, Mel Tjeerdsma, they’ll hear that Wand can play football at any level, and that any concerns about his strength based on his combine effort should come with a disclaimer. “The one great thing about it, kids can get stronger ... it’s a lot easier for them to get stronger than for them to have better feet and get faster,’’ Tjeerdsma said of Wand, who allowed just one quarterback sack in three seasons as a starter, the final two at the key left tackle spot for the perennial Division II power. “The other thing people don’t realize is that when a guy is 6-7 like Seth is ... if he were 6-0 and had short arms, he’d probably be benching 550, 600 pounds. It’s a lot more difficult for guys with his wingspan. “The beauty of watching Seth is that he’s just made continuous improvement. I think that’s the thing the pro scouts really like. They see a guy that’s gotten better every year. He’s still got a ways to go, but he’s going to be a lot better yet. I really believe that.’’ Tjeerdsma says one retired NFL offensive line coach who studied Wand at the combine said, “He’s as good as any offensive lineman there.’’ “It still goes back to the level of competition, and that’s probably going to hurt Seth maybe a little bit as far as where he’s drafted,’’ Tjeerdsma added. “But everybody knows about him now, and that’s really to his advantage.’’ Underdog status Former Camdenton High School star Jason Whittle went undrafted after completing his career at Southwest Missouri State. No combine invitation, no all-star bowls. But Whittle signed as a rookie free agent with the New York Giants in 1998, and has since worked his way into their starting lineup at guard. Whittle is proof small-college guys can get an opportunity to become NFL players. “To be honest, if you’re good enough, (scouts) are going to find you,’’ Whittle said. “And if (Wand) got an invitation to the Senior Bowl and the combine, he’s already going to have a lot of exposure. The whole thing is just getting into somebody’s camp and working hard.’’ Wand hopes he answered doubts about his level of play by holding his own with NCAA Division I stars at the Senior Bowl. But Herman admits some might still linger. “Level of competition is always a variable people look at, but Seth dominated his level of competition,’’ Herman said. “What’s been really important for him was his performance at the Senior Bowl. He eliminated a lot of doubts about how he’d do against NFL-caliber talent.’’ As far as a targeted round in which Wand might be selected, Herman says “Seth will get a favorable draft position out of all this ... you’re looking at a guy who’s gone from being maybe taken in a late round to very well being selected on the first day (rounds 1-3).’’ NFL personnel folks are mum on the subject before the draft, though some Internet draft sources have Wand projected as a possible mid-round pick (third to fifth). Wand isn’t paying much attention to the pre-draft speculation, saying “I’ve stuff where guys bash me and say there’s no way I’m going before the sixth round, then I’ve seen others where it says I could be a first- or second-round guy.’’ New wheels Wand’s newfound NFL prospect status already has changed his life to a degree. He and his girlfriend of nearly four years, Beth Reuter of Kansas City, postponed a spring wedding until February 2004 to allow his football career to sort itself out. Wand will graduate in May from Northwest with a degree in Management Information Systems, a computer-based program that sets him up for a career after football. While it appears Wand is about to fall into more money than most fresh college graduates — an expected tidy NFL signing bonus and contract, and all — you won’t see him driving a Lebron James-like Hummer around Springfield or adorned in gold jewelry anytime soon. Self-described as “tight’’ with his money, his most pressing need is to replace the 1989 Pontiac Grand Prix with 181,000 miles he’s been driving the past few years. “The only thing I’d probably do is get myself a car, for practical reasons,’’ Wand says before adding with a laugh, “that car now is a piece of junk.
Bruce Matthews was one of the nicest guys around. I think toughness is a better asset than just being mean. Wand is a guy who will be thankfull to be here and will work his butt off to get better. The physical tools are there for him to be a good lineman. Was he a reach probably but who knows what the other teams would have done. The only pick I would question is Ragone, I just don't see the need.
Character issues. One thing that McNair, Casserly, and Capers have always said is that dont want players with attitude problems. I'm cool with that. Besides, this kid from LSU is a speedy back versus Mack's "power" and Wells....well, whatever Wells has. Get a RB next draft when its supposed to be rich in RB prospects.
umm we have carr, ragone.... now henson they said if and when henson decided to join draft he'd be a high pick because he was considering leaving baseball BUT i thought he just said yesterday that he is not leaving baseball this year so dont waste a pick
Just in case Carr doesn't pan out I don't understand what Casserly is doing. I excused the Ragone pick. But taking Henson was just f'ing stupid. Even if Henson shows up for camp, I'd be surprised if the Texans carried two rookie QB's. One of them is a wasted pick.
