No Successful NFL Team Drafts Best Player Available

[eromeopolk]

Thank you. T. Diggs was the last BAPON at CB in the 2nd round. I thought the Steelers was going to draft him. He is from a football playing family.

 

[vicjagger]

That's just what Dallas did. Cool.

 

[eromeopolk]

BAPON 3rd Round...

My BAPON is Lloyd Cushenberry C/OG LSU. I remember the lean years between Andre Gurode and Travis Fredrick. C is the most important position on the OL. Ask Jimmy Johnson who drafted both Mark Stepnoski and Steve Wisenewski in his first draft as Cowboys Head Coach. Also the Landry years started with only Dave Manders, John Fitzgerald, and Tom Rafferty at C during that 20 year win streak.

 

[darthseinfeld]

Taco was BPA. Still agree?

Cook was BPA

 

[kskboys]

Cook was BPA

And there's another reason not to take BPA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[JPM]

And? Was there a problem with Steve Walsh? No problem with that pick. Steve Walsh led the 1 in 1-15 that year. Remember Paul Palmer? Remember who the 1 win was against? Remember the 'Boys were still rebuilding at that time?

I was agreeing with you for fakes sake.

 

[garyv]

I hear Cowboys fans talk a lot about drafting the best player available. No team is successful drafting the best player available (BPA). Ask the Detroit Lions who drafted Charles Rodgers, Roy Williams, Mike Williams, and Calvin Johnson in almost consecutive drafts.

You draft the best available player of need (BAPON), ranking the players by grade, then by positions, ranking your needs in priority (prioritized needs), and then you make your BAPON draft board. You can trade up or down using BAPON but you better stick with the board. The 2005 draft that is on ESPN2 today shows how it worked correctly. Parcells wanted to change to a 3-4 Defense and need players. To go to a 3-4 D you better have and outstanding pass rusher at OLB that can also drop in coverage when needed. You also need a DL that can hold up at the line of scrimage and then be able to rush the passer (275 to +300 pound DL).

The Cowboys had DL as there no.1 priority position of need in 2005, and no. 2 was OLB. When the Cowboys came to pick in the 1st round of the 2005 draft, they had a dilemma. Demarcus Ware was the BAPON on the draft board, but the no.1 priority position of need fit was Marcus Spears, DL, LSU from Southern Lab High in Baton Rouge, and Nick Saban Coached. Parcell's loved Ware saying he reminded him of a retired LB in FL (LT), however his no. 1 priority need was not the no.1 player on the draft board. So the Cowboys personnel department (Jeff Ireland, others) had to conveince him to stick to the board and draft Ware then hope that Spears fell to their 20 pick in the 1st round or they could trade up to snatch him. Parcells did not want to take the risk but he also knew about the Cowboys not sticking with the BAPON draft board leading the all the sorry Larry Lacewell drafts that he required Jerry Jones to fire for Parcells to Coach the Cowboys. So, the Cowboys stuck with the BAPON and drafted future Hall of Fame and Ring of Honor OLB Demarucs Ware. The remainder of the draft BAPON was used and the Cowboys went for 4-3 to 3-4 in one draft, creating a playoff/super bowl caliber defense that continued through the lousy coaching and coaching carousel of Son of Bum, and that Red Head clapping idiot who finally wasted what was drafted in 2005.

BAPON was the method used by Gil Brandt/Wooten during the Landry years (20 consecutive winning seasons) before Landry got more involved in personnel decisions in the mid/late 80's. BAPON was used masterfully by Jimmy Johnson/Ackles/Wooten to build the Cowboys Dynasty of the 90's. BAPON was totally neglected during the Jerry Jones/Lacewell years. BAPON was brought back during the Parcells years (see the trade down in 2004 that lead to the 2 1st round picks in 2005). Neglected again during the Jerry Jones/Tom Ciskowski years. After the 2013 fiasco (trade down not using BAPON) BAPON was brought back by Will McClay. However Jerry still can mess it up when he listens to coaches vs. scouts see the Hill DT pick, and the waste of former 1st round pick Taco Charlton, who had as many sacks as Demarcus Lawrence in less games last year for the Dolphins as Lawrence cost per sack total was $4M less than Taco.

When you draft the Best Available Player of Need according to your draft board, you will pass on Johnny Football, and draft a OG from Notre Dame named Zach Martin. Keep yourself and your coaches out of the selection process, and never draft the best available player without looking at prioritized needs or you will end up with 4 WR as your number one pick 4 out of 5 years.

It works if the BPA are players of need and for Dallas they are drafting BPA for players that will start:

CeeDee Lamb starts in Cobb's place
Trevon Diggs starts at 1CB spot
Gallimore rotates with Poe and McCoy

All fill needs so far and they are very close to BPA

 

[darthseinfeld]

And there's another reason not to take BPA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

No one is saying we should.

But its well known that they didnt consider Taco BPA

 

[Big_D]

BPA needs to be flexible. Maybe a window of 5 players depending on need and team situation? I don't think you can make a list of every single NFL position and not veer from it a little. If That's BPA. It's stupid. Specially when BPA is completely subjective. I think some put way too much stock in it.

 

[Vintage]

It’s tiered base.

If you have three players in a tier together and one is a need, you will take the need.

But if you have someone a tier or two above where the need is (which is probably the case with Lamb if you take Jerry’s comments as truthful), then you consider the more talented tier.

I have no problem with the Lamb pick.

 

[erod]

The Baltimore Ravens have been taking best player available for two decades, and their drafts have been awesome.

They make the playoffs routinely as a result.

Ridiculous thread.

 

[Verdict]

The Taco pick was not BAPON or you would have selected Wyatt. It was what the coaches said the need as Taco was much bigger than Wyatt. But it was obvious the Cowboys had not moved on for unreliable players like Gregory (always suspended) and Lawrence (who had been suspended) as priority was to get unreliable coaching favorites to play versus Taco.

However I am not getting into a Taco arguement because cutting him broke the 3 year rule, the BAPON rule, and the Cowboys are still trying to count on unreliable players like Gregory and Aldon Smith.

Taco totally destroys your argument. You can’t ignore the fact that it doesn’t support your theory.

 

[Verdict]

The Baltimore Ravens have been taking best player available for two decades, and their drafts have been awesome.

They make the playoffs routinely as a result.

Ridiculous thread.

Yes. They usually stick to their board and draft well.

 

[Verdammung]

Out of curiosity, which of these picks the Cowboys have made wasn't a need? CeeDee Lamb is a massive upgrade at WR #3 at worst, which is for all intents a starting position. Trevon Diggs is a CB, which is amongst the weakest positions in terms of top depth, bottom depth, and long term depth. Neville Gallimore is a DT; McCoy is over 30 and his contract is shorter than a rookie deal, there's no real commitment to Dontari Poe, and Trysten Hill is on the fast track out of here.

I think we were remarkably lucky all things considered; we were able to align BPA with positions of need.

 

[Cmac]

I was agreeing with you for fakes sake.

...no mind reading.....I got it now. Much love.

 

[joseephuss]

I hear Cowboys fans talk a lot about drafting the best player available. No team is successful drafting the best player available (BPA). Ask the Detroit Lions who drafted Charles Rodgers, Roy Williams, Mike Williams, and Calvin Johnson in almost consecutive drafts.
.

Terrible example. Charles Rogers was not the BPA. He wasn't even the best WR available. There were better choices than Roy Williams. Mike Williams was most certainly not the BPA. He had to sit out a whole season because of his dumb decision to try to leave school early. There were many players better than him that the Lions passed over. Calvin Johnson was indeed the BPA at the time.

Even if the Lions did draft a good player, that franchise was/is a mess and struggled to get the most out of players. Their troubles extend past the draft.

 

[CCBoy]

Taco totally destroys your argument. You can’t ignore the fact that it doesn’t support your theory.

Hey, you found a poker chip on the floor, but we're throwing dice.

 

[Whirlwin]

Never draft to need you get burned. Best available you might not need him. My philosophy has always been most worthy

 

[rnr_honeybadger]

Well we did need a guy who can play slot.

 

[eromeopolk]

Here is the BAPON left for the 4th round:
QB *Jacob Eason

(DS#5 QB/Overall: #64) Washington 2nd 2 3rd 6-6 231 4.82 - 4.96
#65
DE *Curtis Weaver

(DS#5 DE/Overall: #65) Boise State 2nd 2-3 3rd 6-2 265 4.63 - 4.82
#69
CB *Amik Robertson

(DS#10 CB/Overall: #75) Louisiana Tech 3rd 2-3 4-5th 5-08 187 4.40 - 4.58
#79
DT *James Lynch

(DS#8 DT/Overall: #81) Baylor 2nd 2-3 3rd 6-4 289 4.93 - 5.08
#88
DE Khalid Kareem

(DS#8 DE/Overall: #88) Notre Dame 2-3rd 3 4th 6-4 268 4.68 - 4.87
#89
CB Bryce Hall

(DS#11 CB/Overall: #89) Virginia 3rd 3 4-5th/INJ 6-1 202 4.38 - 4.58
#101
C *Tyler Biadasz

(DS#3 C/Overall: #101) Wisconsin 2-3rd 3 5th/INJ 6-4 314 5.24 - 5.47
#103
OG Ben Bredeson

(DS#5 OG/Overall: #104) Michigan 2-3rd 3 4th 6-5 315 5.16 - 5.43
#107
OT Prince Tega Wanogho

(DS#11 OT/Overall: #107) Auburn 2-3rd 3-4 4th-5th/INJ 6-5 308 4.74 - 4.93
#108
FS J.R. Reed

(DS#4 FS/Overall: #108) Georgia 3rd 3-4 4-5th 6-1 202 4.46 - 4.60
#109
DE Jason Strowbridge

(DS#11 DE/Overall: #111) North Carolina 3rd 3-4 4-5th 6-4 275 4.82 - 4.96
#113
TE *Thaddeus Moss

(DS#6 TE/Overall: #113) LSU 2-3rd 3-4 4th 6-2 250 4.54 - 4.73
#115
TE *Hunter Bryant

(DS#7 TE/Overall: #117) Washington 2-3rd 3-4 4th 6-2 248 4.63 - 4.80
#118 - Convert to FB
C Darryl Williams

(DS#4 C/Overall: #124) Mississippi State 3rd 3-4 5-6th 6-2 304 5.12 - 5.30
#125
FS Alohi Gilman

(DS#5 FS/Overall: #125) Notre Dame 3rd 3-4 5-6th 5-10 201 4.52 - 4.67