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By Dan Arkush (darkush@pfwmedia.com)
June 16, 2008
As the NFL career of Cedric Benson continues on its steep downhill course — with teams currently avoiding him like the plague after the Bears released him following his second alcohol-related arrest in a five-week span — it seems as good a time as any to take a look at some of the biggest pro football busts of recent vintage.
What follows is a look at 10 of pro football’s foremost first-round failures in the past 10 years, with particular attention paid to how high in the draft each of them was selected. Whether or not you agree with my admittedly subjective selections, it’s a rundown of disappointing down-and-outers of the highest order, which should give you something to ponder with pro football’s dog days of summer fast approaching:
Biggest bust selected 10th overall during the past 10 years
Candidates
2007: DT Amobi Okoye / Texans
2006: QB Matt Leinart / Cardinals
2005: WR Mike Williams / Lions
2004: CB Dunta Robinson / Texans
2003: LB Terrell Suggs / Ravens
2002: OT Levi Jones / Bengals
2001: DE Jamal Reynolds / Packers
2000: WR Travis Taylor / Ravens
1999: CB Chris McAlister / Ravens
1998: CB Duane Starks / Ravens
And the loser is … Jamal Reynolds
A case could certainly be made for Williams, one of many questionable high draft picks by the Lions during the Matt Millen era. But unlike Benson, at least Williams is getting an opportunity in Tennessee to salvage what has been up to now a decidedly disappointing career. Reynolds was the final first-round draft pick of former Packers GM Ron Wolf, who normally earned high marks at the drafting table. Chosen with a pick acquired from the Seahawks (along with a third-round pick, LB Torrance Marshall) in exchange for none other than QB Matt Hasselbeck and the 17th overall selection (OG Steve Hutchinson) in the 2001 draft, Reynolds was a big-time failure from the get-go, missing the first 10 games of his rookie season due mostly to injuries. In his two seasons with the Packers, he played in only 12 games and registered only one sack. Shortly after a trade with the Colts fell through when he failed a physical, Reynolds was released and picked up by the Browns, where he continued to fight a losing battle with his once-lofty status.
Biggest bust selected ninth overall
Candidates
2007: WR Ted Ginn Jr. / Dolphins
2006: LB Ernie Sims / Lions
2005: CB Carlos Rogers / Commanders
2004: WR Reggie Williams / Jaguars
2003: DT Kevin Williams / Vikings
2002: DT John Henderson / Jaguars
2001: WR Koren Robinson / Seahawks
2000: LB Brian Urlacher / Bears
1999: LB Chris Claiborne / Lions
1998: RB Fred Taylor / Jaguars
And the loser is … Ted Ginn Jr.
The verdict is definitely still out on Ginn, but draft experts far and wide continue to question the wisdom of his selection in last year’s draft over Notre Dame QB Brady Quinn, who eventually dropped into the Browns’ lap at the No. 22 spot. Truth be told, Ginn is victimized in this context by what must be considered a pretty solid cast of candidates. Robinson, who no doubt has had his share of baggage, was given consideration, but he had his moments during his time in Seattle, especially his second season, when he gained 1,240 yards receiving and averaged just under 16 yards a catch. Reggie Williams also was considered based on his mediocre track record in his first three years with the Jags, but it appears the light might have finally gone on for him last season.
Biggest bust selected eighth overall
Candidates
2007: DE Jamaal Anderson / Falcons
2006: S Donte Whitner / Bills
2005: CB-S Antrel Rolle / Cardinals
2004: CB DeAngelo Hall / Falcons
2003: OT Jordan Gross / Panthers
2002: S Roy Williams / Cowboys
2001: WR David Terrell / Bears
2000: WR Plaxico Burress / Steelers
1999: WR David Boston / Cardinals
1998: DE-OLB Greg Ellis / Cowboys
And the loser is … David Boston
Currently trying to get his act together in Canada after being released early last year by the Buccaneers following a DUI arrest, Boston gets the nod in a close call over Terrell, who never came close to filling his first-round expectations. Boston looked like a big-time star in the making after earning a starting Pro Bowl berth in 2001, but he’s really bombed since then, both on and off the field.
Biggest bust selected seventh overall
Candidates
2007: RB Adrian Peterson / Vikings
2006: S Michael Huff / Raiders
2005: WR Troy Williamson /Vikings
2004: WR Roy Williams / Lions
2003: QB Byron Leftwich / Jaguars
2002: OT Bryant McKinnie / Vikings
2001: DE Andre Carter / Niners
2000: RB Thomas Jones / Cardinals
1999: CB Champ Bailey / Commanders
1998: OT Kyle Turley / Saints
And the loser is … Troy Williamson
After failing to catch on with the Vikings, Williamson, who often has looked like he has hands of stone, is getting a chance this season to turn his career around with the Jaguars. With only three TDs in his three seasons in Minnesota, the odds hardly look promising.
Biggest bust selected sixth overall
Candidates
2007: S LaRon Landry / Commanders
2006: TE Vernon Davis / Niners
2005: CB Pacman Jones / Titans
2004: TE Kellen Winslow / Browns
2003: DT Johnathan Sullivan /Saints
2002: DT Ryan Sims / Chiefs
2001: DT-DE Richard Seymour / Patriots
2000: DT Corey Simon / Eagles
1999: WR Torry Holt / Rams
1998: DE Grant Wistrom / Rams
And the loser is … Johnathan Sullivan
Talk about a big bust — literally. After the Saints traded up to select him, the consistently overweight Sullivan rewarded them by turning poor conditioning into an art form. After managing only 1½ sacks and 77 tackles in 36 career games with the Saints, he was eventually traded to the Patriots for fellow disappointment Bethel Johnson. His June 2006 arrest for possession of marijuana sealed his downward spiral.
Biggest bust selected fifth overall
Candidates
2007: OT Levi Brown / Cardinals
2006: LB A.J. Hawk, Packers
2005: RB Cadillac Williams / Buccaneers
2004: S Sean Taylor / Commanders
2003: CB Terence Newman / Cowboys
2002: CB Quentin Jammer / Chargers
2001: RB LaDainian Tomlinson / Chargers
2000: RB Jamal Lewis / Ravens
1999: RB Ricky Williams / Saints
1998: RB Curtis Enis / Bears
And the loser is … Curtis Enis
An obvious case can be made instead for Ricky Williams, whose substance-abuse problems over the years have been well documented. But our sources in Miami tell us new head honcho Bill Parcells genuinely believes Williams can get his act back together in a big way, and that’s enough to swing the final vote in the direction of Enis, whose three-year career in Chicago couldn’t have been more forgettable (four TDs, 3.3-yard career average per rush). Enis also had a hard time connecting off the field, as he received the nickname “Curtis Strange” in Chicago for good reason.
Biggest bust selected fourth overall
Candidates
2007: DE Gaines Adams / Buccaneers
2006: OT D’Brickashaw Ferguson / Jets
2005: RB Cedric Benson / Bears
2004: QB Philip Rivers / Giants (traded to Chargers)
2003: DT Dewayne Robertson / Jets
2002: OT Mike Williams / Bills
2001: DE Justin Smith / Bengals
2000: WR Peter Warrick / Bengals
1999: RB Edgerrin James / Colts
1998: CB Charles Woodson / Raiders
And the loser is … Cedric Benson
We’ve got to go with back-to-back Bears, taking into account the three strikes that have — at least for the time being — sent Benson into NFL exile: his poor production, his injury problems and his off-the-field shenanigans. It’s worth noting, though, that the choice of Benson here was not all that clear-cut, with the likes of Williams and Warrick also in the muddled mix.
Biggest bust selected third overall
Candidates
2007: OT Joe Thomas / Browns
2006: QB Vince Young / Titans
2005: WR Braylon Edwards / Browns
2004: WR Larry Fitzgerald / Cardinals
2003: WR Andre Johnson / Texans
2002: QB Joey Harrington / Lions
2001: DT Gerard Warren / Browns
2000: OT Chris Samuels / Commanders
1999: QB Akili Smith / Bengals
1998: DE Andre Wadsworth / Cardinals
And the loser is … Akili Smith
As is the case with the fourth overall picks of the past decade, there are more than a few candidates to choose from in this group. But as suspect as Harrington, Warren and Wadsworth have been in their pro careers, they couldn’t hold a candle to Smith, who was considered a major reach by many draft experts after impressing at the college level for really only one season at Oregon. It was all downhill for Smith after contract disputes impeded his initial development. In four years with the Bengals, he had only 17 starts and subsequently flamed out in Green Bay, where he failed in his attempt to back up Brett Favre, and in the CFL, where he was released by the Calgary Stampeders last October.
Biggest bust selected second overall
Candidates
2007: WR Calvin Johnson / Lions
2006: RB Reggie Bush / Saints
2005: RB Ronnie Brown / Dolphins
2004: OT-OG Robert Gallery / Raiders
2003: WR Charles Rogers / Lions
2002: DE Julius Peppers / Panthers
2001: OG-OT Leonard Davis / Cardinals
2000: LB LaVar Arrington / Commanders
1999: QB Donovan McNabb / Eagles
1998: QB Ryan Leaf / Chargers
And the loser is … Ryan Leaf
With other deserving candidates such as Rogers, Gallery and even Bush, Leaf really had to pull out all the stops to earn top billing. After receiving the largest signing bonus ever paid to to a rookie up to that point in time, Leaf proceeded to skip a mandatory rookie symposium, setting the stage for a career marred by unbelievably poor media relations. On the field, the red flags started waving furiously in the third game of his rookie season, when he completed only 1-of-15 passes for four yards with two interceptions and fumbled four times, losing three, in a loss to the Chiefs. After managing only four wins as a starter in three years (he sat out 1999 with a shoulder injury), the Chargers cut the cord with Leaf, who went on to meet a similar fate with the Buccaneers, Cowboys and Seahawks. Leaf’s career QB rating of 50.0 with a 14-36 TD-interception ratio, combined with his surly, punkish demeanor off the field, just might make him the biggest bust in NFL history.
Biggest bust selected first overall
Candidates
2007: QB JaMarcus Russell / Raiders
2006: DE Mario Williams / Texans
2005: QB Alex Smith / Niners
2004: QB Eli Manning / Chargers (traded to Giants)
2003: QB Carson Palmer / Bengals
2002: QB David Carr / Texans
2001: QB Michael Vick / Falcons
2000: DE Courtney Brown / Browns
1999: QB Tim Couch / Browns
1998: QB Peyton Manning / Colts
And the loser is … Michael Vick
We might as well finish this column with a flourish that’s bound to raise some eyebrows, considering all the positive things the supremely gifted Vick brought to the table as a football player. But as a result of his unsavory association with competitive dogfighting, which has resulted in a 23-month prison sentence that has put his NFL career in severe jeopardy, he has singlehandedly plummeted the Falcons' franchise into a hopelessly deep rut. Sad to say, but that probably qualifies him as the biggest loser of all.
http://www.profootballweekly.com/PFW/Commentary/Columns/2008/arkush061608.htm
June 16, 2008
As the NFL career of Cedric Benson continues on its steep downhill course — with teams currently avoiding him like the plague after the Bears released him following his second alcohol-related arrest in a five-week span — it seems as good a time as any to take a look at some of the biggest pro football busts of recent vintage.
What follows is a look at 10 of pro football’s foremost first-round failures in the past 10 years, with particular attention paid to how high in the draft each of them was selected. Whether or not you agree with my admittedly subjective selections, it’s a rundown of disappointing down-and-outers of the highest order, which should give you something to ponder with pro football’s dog days of summer fast approaching:
Biggest bust selected 10th overall during the past 10 years
Candidates
2007: DT Amobi Okoye / Texans
2006: QB Matt Leinart / Cardinals
2005: WR Mike Williams / Lions
2004: CB Dunta Robinson / Texans
2003: LB Terrell Suggs / Ravens
2002: OT Levi Jones / Bengals
2001: DE Jamal Reynolds / Packers
2000: WR Travis Taylor / Ravens
1999: CB Chris McAlister / Ravens
1998: CB Duane Starks / Ravens
And the loser is … Jamal Reynolds
A case could certainly be made for Williams, one of many questionable high draft picks by the Lions during the Matt Millen era. But unlike Benson, at least Williams is getting an opportunity in Tennessee to salvage what has been up to now a decidedly disappointing career. Reynolds was the final first-round draft pick of former Packers GM Ron Wolf, who normally earned high marks at the drafting table. Chosen with a pick acquired from the Seahawks (along with a third-round pick, LB Torrance Marshall) in exchange for none other than QB Matt Hasselbeck and the 17th overall selection (OG Steve Hutchinson) in the 2001 draft, Reynolds was a big-time failure from the get-go, missing the first 10 games of his rookie season due mostly to injuries. In his two seasons with the Packers, he played in only 12 games and registered only one sack. Shortly after a trade with the Colts fell through when he failed a physical, Reynolds was released and picked up by the Browns, where he continued to fight a losing battle with his once-lofty status.
Biggest bust selected ninth overall
Candidates
2007: WR Ted Ginn Jr. / Dolphins
2006: LB Ernie Sims / Lions
2005: CB Carlos Rogers / Commanders
2004: WR Reggie Williams / Jaguars
2003: DT Kevin Williams / Vikings
2002: DT John Henderson / Jaguars
2001: WR Koren Robinson / Seahawks
2000: LB Brian Urlacher / Bears
1999: LB Chris Claiborne / Lions
1998: RB Fred Taylor / Jaguars
And the loser is … Ted Ginn Jr.
The verdict is definitely still out on Ginn, but draft experts far and wide continue to question the wisdom of his selection in last year’s draft over Notre Dame QB Brady Quinn, who eventually dropped into the Browns’ lap at the No. 22 spot. Truth be told, Ginn is victimized in this context by what must be considered a pretty solid cast of candidates. Robinson, who no doubt has had his share of baggage, was given consideration, but he had his moments during his time in Seattle, especially his second season, when he gained 1,240 yards receiving and averaged just under 16 yards a catch. Reggie Williams also was considered based on his mediocre track record in his first three years with the Jags, but it appears the light might have finally gone on for him last season.
Biggest bust selected eighth overall
Candidates
2007: DE Jamaal Anderson / Falcons
2006: S Donte Whitner / Bills
2005: CB-S Antrel Rolle / Cardinals
2004: CB DeAngelo Hall / Falcons
2003: OT Jordan Gross / Panthers
2002: S Roy Williams / Cowboys
2001: WR David Terrell / Bears
2000: WR Plaxico Burress / Steelers
1999: WR David Boston / Cardinals
1998: DE-OLB Greg Ellis / Cowboys
And the loser is … David Boston
Currently trying to get his act together in Canada after being released early last year by the Buccaneers following a DUI arrest, Boston gets the nod in a close call over Terrell, who never came close to filling his first-round expectations. Boston looked like a big-time star in the making after earning a starting Pro Bowl berth in 2001, but he’s really bombed since then, both on and off the field.
Biggest bust selected seventh overall
Candidates
2007: RB Adrian Peterson / Vikings
2006: S Michael Huff / Raiders
2005: WR Troy Williamson /Vikings
2004: WR Roy Williams / Lions
2003: QB Byron Leftwich / Jaguars
2002: OT Bryant McKinnie / Vikings
2001: DE Andre Carter / Niners
2000: RB Thomas Jones / Cardinals
1999: CB Champ Bailey / Commanders
1998: OT Kyle Turley / Saints
And the loser is … Troy Williamson
After failing to catch on with the Vikings, Williamson, who often has looked like he has hands of stone, is getting a chance this season to turn his career around with the Jaguars. With only three TDs in his three seasons in Minnesota, the odds hardly look promising.
Biggest bust selected sixth overall
Candidates
2007: S LaRon Landry / Commanders
2006: TE Vernon Davis / Niners
2005: CB Pacman Jones / Titans
2004: TE Kellen Winslow / Browns
2003: DT Johnathan Sullivan /Saints
2002: DT Ryan Sims / Chiefs
2001: DT-DE Richard Seymour / Patriots
2000: DT Corey Simon / Eagles
1999: WR Torry Holt / Rams
1998: DE Grant Wistrom / Rams
And the loser is … Johnathan Sullivan
Talk about a big bust — literally. After the Saints traded up to select him, the consistently overweight Sullivan rewarded them by turning poor conditioning into an art form. After managing only 1½ sacks and 77 tackles in 36 career games with the Saints, he was eventually traded to the Patriots for fellow disappointment Bethel Johnson. His June 2006 arrest for possession of marijuana sealed his downward spiral.
Biggest bust selected fifth overall
Candidates
2007: OT Levi Brown / Cardinals
2006: LB A.J. Hawk, Packers
2005: RB Cadillac Williams / Buccaneers
2004: S Sean Taylor / Commanders
2003: CB Terence Newman / Cowboys
2002: CB Quentin Jammer / Chargers
2001: RB LaDainian Tomlinson / Chargers
2000: RB Jamal Lewis / Ravens
1999: RB Ricky Williams / Saints
1998: RB Curtis Enis / Bears
And the loser is … Curtis Enis
An obvious case can be made instead for Ricky Williams, whose substance-abuse problems over the years have been well documented. But our sources in Miami tell us new head honcho Bill Parcells genuinely believes Williams can get his act back together in a big way, and that’s enough to swing the final vote in the direction of Enis, whose three-year career in Chicago couldn’t have been more forgettable (four TDs, 3.3-yard career average per rush). Enis also had a hard time connecting off the field, as he received the nickname “Curtis Strange” in Chicago for good reason.
Biggest bust selected fourth overall
Candidates
2007: DE Gaines Adams / Buccaneers
2006: OT D’Brickashaw Ferguson / Jets
2005: RB Cedric Benson / Bears
2004: QB Philip Rivers / Giants (traded to Chargers)
2003: DT Dewayne Robertson / Jets
2002: OT Mike Williams / Bills
2001: DE Justin Smith / Bengals
2000: WR Peter Warrick / Bengals
1999: RB Edgerrin James / Colts
1998: CB Charles Woodson / Raiders
And the loser is … Cedric Benson
We’ve got to go with back-to-back Bears, taking into account the three strikes that have — at least for the time being — sent Benson into NFL exile: his poor production, his injury problems and his off-the-field shenanigans. It’s worth noting, though, that the choice of Benson here was not all that clear-cut, with the likes of Williams and Warrick also in the muddled mix.
Biggest bust selected third overall
Candidates
2007: OT Joe Thomas / Browns
2006: QB Vince Young / Titans
2005: WR Braylon Edwards / Browns
2004: WR Larry Fitzgerald / Cardinals
2003: WR Andre Johnson / Texans
2002: QB Joey Harrington / Lions
2001: DT Gerard Warren / Browns
2000: OT Chris Samuels / Commanders
1999: QB Akili Smith / Bengals
1998: DE Andre Wadsworth / Cardinals
And the loser is … Akili Smith
As is the case with the fourth overall picks of the past decade, there are more than a few candidates to choose from in this group. But as suspect as Harrington, Warren and Wadsworth have been in their pro careers, they couldn’t hold a candle to Smith, who was considered a major reach by many draft experts after impressing at the college level for really only one season at Oregon. It was all downhill for Smith after contract disputes impeded his initial development. In four years with the Bengals, he had only 17 starts and subsequently flamed out in Green Bay, where he failed in his attempt to back up Brett Favre, and in the CFL, where he was released by the Calgary Stampeders last October.
Biggest bust selected second overall
Candidates
2007: WR Calvin Johnson / Lions
2006: RB Reggie Bush / Saints
2005: RB Ronnie Brown / Dolphins
2004: OT-OG Robert Gallery / Raiders
2003: WR Charles Rogers / Lions
2002: DE Julius Peppers / Panthers
2001: OG-OT Leonard Davis / Cardinals
2000: LB LaVar Arrington / Commanders
1999: QB Donovan McNabb / Eagles
1998: QB Ryan Leaf / Chargers
And the loser is … Ryan Leaf
Ryan Leaf and Michael Vick
With other deserving candidates such as Rogers, Gallery and even Bush, Leaf really had to pull out all the stops to earn top billing. After receiving the largest signing bonus ever paid to to a rookie up to that point in time, Leaf proceeded to skip a mandatory rookie symposium, setting the stage for a career marred by unbelievably poor media relations. On the field, the red flags started waving furiously in the third game of his rookie season, when he completed only 1-of-15 passes for four yards with two interceptions and fumbled four times, losing three, in a loss to the Chiefs. After managing only four wins as a starter in three years (he sat out 1999 with a shoulder injury), the Chargers cut the cord with Leaf, who went on to meet a similar fate with the Buccaneers, Cowboys and Seahawks. Leaf’s career QB rating of 50.0 with a 14-36 TD-interception ratio, combined with his surly, punkish demeanor off the field, just might make him the biggest bust in NFL history.
Biggest bust selected first overall
Candidates
2007: QB JaMarcus Russell / Raiders
2006: DE Mario Williams / Texans
2005: QB Alex Smith / Niners
2004: QB Eli Manning / Chargers (traded to Giants)
2003: QB Carson Palmer / Bengals
2002: QB David Carr / Texans
2001: QB Michael Vick / Falcons
2000: DE Courtney Brown / Browns
1999: QB Tim Couch / Browns
1998: QB Peyton Manning / Colts
And the loser is … Michael Vick
We might as well finish this column with a flourish that’s bound to raise some eyebrows, considering all the positive things the supremely gifted Vick brought to the table as a football player. But as a result of his unsavory association with competitive dogfighting, which has resulted in a 23-month prison sentence that has put his NFL career in severe jeopardy, he has singlehandedly plummeted the Falcons' franchise into a hopelessly deep rut. Sad to say, but that probably qualifies him as the biggest loser of all.
http://www.profootballweekly.com/PFW/Commentary/Columns/2008/arkush061608.htm
