Angus
Active Member
- Messages
- 5,097
- Reaction score
- 20
Gauging draft becomes character study
Like other GMs, Angelo must weigh risks vs. rewards
April 18, 2007
By Gene Chamberlain Staff writer
Jerry Angelo claims to pay particular attention to a player's character.
The Bears general manager will have to be as vigilant as ever during his sixth Bears draft. The reason? It's because of the Bears player who sits in a jail cell at 26th and California.
The Bears knew what they were getting when they selected defensive tackle Tank Johnson in 2004: a player who in college had a reputation for not getting along well with others. When they needed Johnson most in 2006 -- a week after defensive tackle Tommie Harris was lost to season-ending hamstring surgery -- they didn't have him.
Pending a possible suspension by the NFL, the Bears could be without Johnson for several weeks -- or the entire 2007 season -- after he was sentenced in March to four months in jail on weapons charges.
With more than 40 known arrests of NFL players during the 2006 season, it's little wonder commissioner Roger Goodell is on a crusade to clean up the league with a stricter personal conduct code. Goodell is trying to make certain NFL stands for "No Felons League."
In this year's annual draft preview publication, Pro Football Weekly cited 11 of its top 150 players regardless of position as "character risks." They evaluated 950 total players and found 42 character risks.
Character is something every NFL personnel official must pay more than lip service to when he's on the clock during the draft.
Two types of character
Angelo believes the Bears always have done this, although the results suggest he's willing to take gambles.
"We divide character into two areas," Angelo said. "We divide character into citizenship. That takes personality, that takes off-the-field issues, whatever they are.
"Then we define what we call football character. Those are the things that determine how successful he's going to be in reaching the grade we give him: love for the game, work ethic, intelligence relative to what you're going to be asking him to do, his durability, being able to handle pain, his competitive nature -- in terms of does he really have a desire to win, particularly in the fourth quarter, and then does he want to be great, does he want to be great?"
Last year, the Bears revisited the casino, so to speak, and gambled on defensive tackle Dusty Dvoracek with their third-round pick even after Dvoracek had been kicked off Oklahoma's team and then reinstated after a bar fight.
"I'm focused on that football character, but I'm not naive about citizenship and I don't want anybody to walk away thinking that I'm saying that differently," Angelo said, "but that football character is the crux of what we look at."
Average talent year
When he looks at the talent in this year's draft, Angelo sees what looks like a class with respectable talent supplies but little that's special in Round 1.
"I don't really see the top being heavy (in talent) as maybe it has been in years past with the blue(chip)-type players," he said.
The Bears have the 31st overall pick in Round 1 and the 37th pick overall (sixth in Round 2), the latter acquired from the New York Jets in the Thomas Jones trade.
It's possible the Bears will revisit a trade offer Washington made for disgruntled linebacker Lance Briggs. Washington had offered its first-round pick, No. 6 overall, for Briggs and the Bears' first-round pick. Last month, Angelo turned that deal down.
In 2006, Angelo stuck to his guns despite calls for the team to get more offensive talent. The Bears traded down out of Round 1 and drafted Danieal Manning and Devin Hester in Round 2, linebacker Jamar Williams in the fourth round and defensive end Mark Anderson in the fifth.
Hester became a national phenomenon with seven returns for touchdowns, including returning the opening kickoff in Super Bowl XLI for a TD. Manning became a starter shortly after the season started. Anderson proved to be a gem, setting a team record for rookies with 12 sacks.
"Do I anticipate we're going to get a few of those guys (like that in this year's draft)?" Angelo said. "Maybe not to that level. When you pick where we're picking, I still feel we'll get four good football players, maybe five out of this class. If we don't, I would be very disappointed."
The watch list
Top draft-eligible players cited as possible character risks by one or more of the following: Pro Football Weekly, Scouts Inc., Ourlads, ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr.
Troy Smith, QB, Ohio State
Took money from a booster to pay for a cell phone his mother had reportedly obtained for troubled running back Maurice Clarett. Smith, the 2006 Heisman Trophy winner, was found guilty after being charged in 2003 with misdemeanor disorderly conduct after a fight with five women in a campus parking lot, an incident in which he was reported to have kicked out a car window. A woman reported her jaw broken in the incident.
Deon Anderson, RB, Connecticut
Charged with breaching the peace in a fight. Given 90-day jail sentence and a year probation after pleading guilty to disorderly conduct. Turned himself in after hearing about an outstanding arrest warrant for allegedly exposed himself to a woman in 2004.
Thomas Clayton, RB, Kansas State
Convicted of misdemeanor battery after striking a university parking official with his car while driving away after a university employee tried to fit the vehicle with a wheel lock. Car reported to have had no license plate or vehicle identification.
Ramonce Taylor, FB, Texas
Suspended for academic reasons at Texas in January 2006. Arrested in May 2006 for possession of 4 pounds of marijuana. Transferred to Texas College (an NAIA school) but never played because he was academically ineligible.
Ryan Moore, WR, Miami
Pled no contest to felony charges that had been upgraded from criminal mischief and simple battery because of the severity of damage he did to a car during an altercation in which he was said to have grabbed a woman by the neck, thrown her to the ground and threatened another.
Mike Mason, WR, Tennessee State
Charged with driving with a revoked license in November 2005, then dismissed from the team for a team violation.
C.J. Ah You, DE, Oklahoma
Put on probation by BYU's honor code office for punching his teammate, quarterback Brett Engelmann, in the face in 2003. Ah You left school and enrolled at Snow JC. Returned to BYU and was charged by the honor code office for involvement in a party that included alcohol and sexual activity. Left the school for Oklahoma.
Marcus Thomas, DT, Florida
Tested positive for marijuana and suspended six games in 2006. Returned for 2006 but was dismissed for not complying with terms of his reinstatement.
Steven Harris, DT, Florida
In 2003, he beat a man unconscious outside a Gainesville, Fla., nightclub and missed fall camp and three games after a suspension. Pled no contest to misdemeanor battery and agreed to six months probation, anger management classes and restitution because the man lost a tooth and needed 11 stitches and other medical expenses paid. Had a warrant issued for failing to pay a $258 fine on two citations of driving with a revoked license. Suspended from the team for unspecified reasons for good in spring 2006.
Nate Harris, OLB, Louisville
After making a commitment to Miami, had his scholarship offer revoked after a 2002 arrest for armed robbery. Spent six months in boot camp after a guilty plea to being the lookout in the armed robbery. Played JC ball a year. Had 16 gold teeth removed in 2006 to appear more professional.
Eric Wright, DB, UNLV
While attending Southern California, he was arrested in March 2005 on suspicion of rape. Police reported finding 136 ecstasy pills in his apartment during the investigation. Left USC before he could be expelled and transferred to UNLV.
Bo Smith, DB, Weber State
Redshirted in 2004 at Kentucky because he had to have a plate inserted in his forehead after being smashed in the head with a baseball bat during a bar fight. Missed 2005 spring practices to try to get grades in order, then was kicked off the team in spring 2006. Transferred and played 2006 season at Weber State.
Duane Coleman, DB, Clemson
Arrested for possession of marijuana and forced to miss Music City Bowl.
http://www.dailysouthtown.com/sports/345902,181SPT1.article
Like other GMs, Angelo must weigh risks vs. rewards
April 18, 2007
By Gene Chamberlain Staff writer
Jerry Angelo claims to pay particular attention to a player's character.
The Bears general manager will have to be as vigilant as ever during his sixth Bears draft. The reason? It's because of the Bears player who sits in a jail cell at 26th and California.
The Bears knew what they were getting when they selected defensive tackle Tank Johnson in 2004: a player who in college had a reputation for not getting along well with others. When they needed Johnson most in 2006 -- a week after defensive tackle Tommie Harris was lost to season-ending hamstring surgery -- they didn't have him.
Pending a possible suspension by the NFL, the Bears could be without Johnson for several weeks -- or the entire 2007 season -- after he was sentenced in March to four months in jail on weapons charges.
With more than 40 known arrests of NFL players during the 2006 season, it's little wonder commissioner Roger Goodell is on a crusade to clean up the league with a stricter personal conduct code. Goodell is trying to make certain NFL stands for "No Felons League."
In this year's annual draft preview publication, Pro Football Weekly cited 11 of its top 150 players regardless of position as "character risks." They evaluated 950 total players and found 42 character risks.
Character is something every NFL personnel official must pay more than lip service to when he's on the clock during the draft.
Two types of character
Angelo believes the Bears always have done this, although the results suggest he's willing to take gambles.
"We divide character into two areas," Angelo said. "We divide character into citizenship. That takes personality, that takes off-the-field issues, whatever they are.
"Then we define what we call football character. Those are the things that determine how successful he's going to be in reaching the grade we give him: love for the game, work ethic, intelligence relative to what you're going to be asking him to do, his durability, being able to handle pain, his competitive nature -- in terms of does he really have a desire to win, particularly in the fourth quarter, and then does he want to be great, does he want to be great?"
Last year, the Bears revisited the casino, so to speak, and gambled on defensive tackle Dusty Dvoracek with their third-round pick even after Dvoracek had been kicked off Oklahoma's team and then reinstated after a bar fight.
"I'm focused on that football character, but I'm not naive about citizenship and I don't want anybody to walk away thinking that I'm saying that differently," Angelo said, "but that football character is the crux of what we look at."
Average talent year
When he looks at the talent in this year's draft, Angelo sees what looks like a class with respectable talent supplies but little that's special in Round 1.
"I don't really see the top being heavy (in talent) as maybe it has been in years past with the blue(chip)-type players," he said.
The Bears have the 31st overall pick in Round 1 and the 37th pick overall (sixth in Round 2), the latter acquired from the New York Jets in the Thomas Jones trade.
It's possible the Bears will revisit a trade offer Washington made for disgruntled linebacker Lance Briggs. Washington had offered its first-round pick, No. 6 overall, for Briggs and the Bears' first-round pick. Last month, Angelo turned that deal down.
In 2006, Angelo stuck to his guns despite calls for the team to get more offensive talent. The Bears traded down out of Round 1 and drafted Danieal Manning and Devin Hester in Round 2, linebacker Jamar Williams in the fourth round and defensive end Mark Anderson in the fifth.
Hester became a national phenomenon with seven returns for touchdowns, including returning the opening kickoff in Super Bowl XLI for a TD. Manning became a starter shortly after the season started. Anderson proved to be a gem, setting a team record for rookies with 12 sacks.
"Do I anticipate we're going to get a few of those guys (like that in this year's draft)?" Angelo said. "Maybe not to that level. When you pick where we're picking, I still feel we'll get four good football players, maybe five out of this class. If we don't, I would be very disappointed."
The watch list
Top draft-eligible players cited as possible character risks by one or more of the following: Pro Football Weekly, Scouts Inc., Ourlads, ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr.
Troy Smith, QB, Ohio State
Took money from a booster to pay for a cell phone his mother had reportedly obtained for troubled running back Maurice Clarett. Smith, the 2006 Heisman Trophy winner, was found guilty after being charged in 2003 with misdemeanor disorderly conduct after a fight with five women in a campus parking lot, an incident in which he was reported to have kicked out a car window. A woman reported her jaw broken in the incident.
Deon Anderson, RB, Connecticut
Charged with breaching the peace in a fight. Given 90-day jail sentence and a year probation after pleading guilty to disorderly conduct. Turned himself in after hearing about an outstanding arrest warrant for allegedly exposed himself to a woman in 2004.
Thomas Clayton, RB, Kansas State
Convicted of misdemeanor battery after striking a university parking official with his car while driving away after a university employee tried to fit the vehicle with a wheel lock. Car reported to have had no license plate or vehicle identification.
Ramonce Taylor, FB, Texas
Suspended for academic reasons at Texas in January 2006. Arrested in May 2006 for possession of 4 pounds of marijuana. Transferred to Texas College (an NAIA school) but never played because he was academically ineligible.
Ryan Moore, WR, Miami
Pled no contest to felony charges that had been upgraded from criminal mischief and simple battery because of the severity of damage he did to a car during an altercation in which he was said to have grabbed a woman by the neck, thrown her to the ground and threatened another.
Mike Mason, WR, Tennessee State
Charged with driving with a revoked license in November 2005, then dismissed from the team for a team violation.
C.J. Ah You, DE, Oklahoma
Put on probation by BYU's honor code office for punching his teammate, quarterback Brett Engelmann, in the face in 2003. Ah You left school and enrolled at Snow JC. Returned to BYU and was charged by the honor code office for involvement in a party that included alcohol and sexual activity. Left the school for Oklahoma.
Marcus Thomas, DT, Florida
Tested positive for marijuana and suspended six games in 2006. Returned for 2006 but was dismissed for not complying with terms of his reinstatement.
Steven Harris, DT, Florida
In 2003, he beat a man unconscious outside a Gainesville, Fla., nightclub and missed fall camp and three games after a suspension. Pled no contest to misdemeanor battery and agreed to six months probation, anger management classes and restitution because the man lost a tooth and needed 11 stitches and other medical expenses paid. Had a warrant issued for failing to pay a $258 fine on two citations of driving with a revoked license. Suspended from the team for unspecified reasons for good in spring 2006.
Nate Harris, OLB, Louisville
After making a commitment to Miami, had his scholarship offer revoked after a 2002 arrest for armed robbery. Spent six months in boot camp after a guilty plea to being the lookout in the armed robbery. Played JC ball a year. Had 16 gold teeth removed in 2006 to appear more professional.
Eric Wright, DB, UNLV
While attending Southern California, he was arrested in March 2005 on suspicion of rape. Police reported finding 136 ecstasy pills in his apartment during the investigation. Left USC before he could be expelled and transferred to UNLV.
Bo Smith, DB, Weber State
Redshirted in 2004 at Kentucky because he had to have a plate inserted in his forehead after being smashed in the head with a baseball bat during a bar fight. Missed 2005 spring practices to try to get grades in order, then was kicked off the team in spring 2006. Transferred and played 2006 season at Weber State.
Duane Coleman, DB, Clemson
Arrested for possession of marijuana and forced to miss Music City Bowl.
http://www.dailysouthtown.com/sports/345902,181SPT1.article
