Players that you thought would be great but turned out to be busts

[Mike12]

Anyone want to share a player they were positive would be a star in the NFL but turned out to be a bust? I have three:

1. Andre Wadsworth-When the Cards got him I was sure that him and Eric Swann would cause us nightmares for years to come. One of the most gifted and dominant DE's I had seen in a long time at FSU. Sadly injuries cut short what I thought would be a HOF career.

2. Michael Westbrook- I loved him at Colorado and was depressed when the Skins grabbed him. Not sure if it was his attitude or the lack of a great QB throwing him the ball but he was pretty average at best.

3. Trev Alberts- For some reason I wanted this guy to be a Cowboy so bad even though I knew that in the mid 90's LB's were interchangable and they were drafting too low to get him anyway. I remember telling my buddy that this guy would be a star. Again injuries didn't help a career that was very short lived.

 

[irvin88]

Anyone want to share a player they were positive would be a star in the NFL but turned out to be a bust? I have three:

1. Andre Wadsworth-When the Cards got him I was sure that him and Eric Swann would cause us nightmares for years to come. One of the most gifted and dominant DE's I had seen in a long time at FSU. Sadly injuries cut short what I thought would be a HOF career.

2. Michael Westbrook- I loved him at Colorado and was depressed when the Skins grabbed him. Not sure if it was his attitude or the lack of a great QB throwing him the ball but he was pretty average at best.

3. Trev Alberts- For some reason I wanted this guy to be a Cowboy so bad even though I knew that in the mid 90's LB's were interchangable and they were drafting too low to get him anyway. I remember telling my buddy that this guy would be a star. Again injuries didn't help a career that was very short lived.

David Terrell, Ryan Leaf, Thomas Jones.

 

[AsthmaField]

Steve Emtman.

DT out of U of Washington. He had it all. Smarts, drive, intensity and tremendous physical attributes. He just kept getting hurt though.

I think he was a bulked up on steroids and his ligaments just couldn't keep up with his muscles strength.

From Ed Cunningham, who used to work for the U of Washington:

"During my second year at Washington, we signed a defensive lineman who was the most heralded recruit Don James had ever signed. He was Parade Magazine's National Player of the Year, an All-American on every list known to man. Another defensive lineman was also signed in the same class, and he might as well have been a walk-on. He was only recruited by two Division I-A schools, Washington State and us.

The Parade All-American ended up starting just a handful of games, mostly during his senior year, and never really panned out. The lightly recruited lineman took exactly one day to prove he was the best recruit Washington had ever signed.

In our first day in full pads during training camp, in his first one-on-one drill, he proved it would be a long year trying to block him on the scout team. He lined up against Mike Zandofsky, a fifth-year senior and a pre-season Playboy All-American. At the snap, he nearly snapped Mike's helmet off. Frustrated and embarrassed, Mike made the freshman line up again. Same result. Mike picked himself up, and went to the back of the line with a smile on his face. He knew. We all knew. Steve Emtman, a kid from eastern Washington, from some high school no one had ever heard of, was the real deal."

 

[montgod]

Anyone want to share a player they were positive would be a star in the NFL but turned out to be a bust? I have three:

2. Trev Alberts- For some reason I wanted this guy to be a Cowboy so bad even though I knew that in the mid 90's LB's were interchangable and they were drafting too low to get him anyway. I remember telling my buddy that this guy would be a star. Again injuries didn't help a career that was very short lived.

Feel bad for his injuries, but I can't stand him as a sports telecastor!


How about the Rocket and the Missile??

 

[Hostile]

Guys I thought would be good who aren't or weren't...

Quentin Coryatt, LB, Texas A & M

Ken Swilling, S, Georgia Tech

Hart Lee Dykes, WR, Oklahoma State

Anthony Carter, WR, Michigan

Mike Sherrard, WR UCLA

JJ Stokes, WR, UCLA

Tim Couch, QB, Kentucky (still hoping he adjusts)




Guys I thought would be busts who aren't or weren't...

Mike Vick, QB, Va Tech (I felt he was too small to make it)

Doug Flutie, QB, Miami (Same prejudice)

Jim McMahon, QB, BYU (It's a theme)



I'm sure I'm forgetting more than a few.

 

[Roughneck]

Doug Flutie, QB, Miami

 

[ghst187]

Steve Walsh, at one point i was wondering if he'd be our QB over Aikman when Aikman kept getting injured
Vick (although I'm not labeling him an all star QB either, good football player not great QB yet)
Rashaun Woods (at least so far)

Guys that I thought would be busts and are/were:
Quincy Carter
S Peterman
Jacob Rogers
BJ Tucker
Justin Bates
Quentin Jammer

Guys that I thought would be great but weren't heralded or drafted very highly:
Anquan Boldon
Nathan Vasher
Derrick Strait

 

[junk]

I thought Jake Plummer was going to be a much better player in the NFL than he has turned out to be.

I thought Larry Johnson was going to be a huge bust. Jury is still out, but he has looked OK.

 

[dbair1967]

Steve Walsh, at one point i was wondering if he'd be our QB over Aikman when Aikman kept getting injured
Vick (although I'm not labeling him an all star QB either, good football player not great QB yet)
Rashaun Woods (at least so far)

Guys that I thought would be busts and are/were:
Quincy Carter
S Peterman
Jacob Rogers
BJ Tucker
Justin Bates
Quentin Jammer

Guys that I thought would be great but weren't heralded or drafted very highly:
Anquan Boldon
Nathan Vasher
Derrick Strait

little early to be putting two guys who's seasons were basically wiped out by injury as busts dont you think? (Peterman, Rogers)...I suspect had both been 100% all yr, both would have been starting by seasons end

David

 

[dbair1967]

Guys I thought would be good who aren't or weren't...

Quentin Coryatt, LB, Texas A & M

Ken Swilling, S, Georgia Tech

Hart Lee Dykes, WR, Oklahoma State

Anthony Carter, WR, Michigan

Mike Sherrard, WR UCLA

JJ Stokes, WR, UCLA

Tim Couch, QB, Kentucky (still hoping he adjusts)

.

agree with most of this list, but Anthony Carter? didnt he go to a few probowls with the Vikes?

Mike Sherrard wouldnt be on that list if not for the broken leg thing, but had he not broken his leg 3 times we might not have ever drafted Irvin in 1988

David

 

[ManicDepressiveMan]

Roy Williams S, Dallas Cowboys: Good, but hardly great

Terrence Newman CB, Dallas Cowboys Mr. Toast himself.

I knew Jacob Rogers would be a bust. Walking injury waiting to happen and it was there in countless scouting reports for everyone to see.

Thanks for that bum Parcells.

 

[Sitting Bull]

Amen on Plummer. I thought he'd be a superstar, especially after Bill Walsh hyped him. I rarely get that "lock" feeling about a draft pick. I like to remember the ones I got right (Al Wilson, Shaun Alexander and Kendrell Bell come to mind) Others I had strong feelings about who missed:

Mike Elkins, QB, Purdue
Perry Klein, QB, CW Post
Cory Flemming, WR, Tenn
Lovell Pickney, WR, Texas
Andy Katzenmoyer, LB, Ohio St.
Quentin Jammer, CB, Texas
Hank Poteat, CB, Pitt

 

[ghst187]

little early to be putting two guys who's seasons were basically wiped out by injury as busts dont you think? (Peterman, Rogers)...I suspect had both been 100% all yr, both would have been starting by seasons end
David

well I'd be ecstatic to eat my words on those but man...
Rogers = 4 shoulder surgeries already and he was a lightweight to begin with to play T in the NFL
Peterman could come back but he was pretty undertalented and as poorly as Gurode has played, I still don't buy that Peterman would've played this year.

I wish we'd move Tucker inside to his natural position RG and get a FA RT.

 

[Hostile]

No one was high on Brian Bosworth? Shocking.

I had a buddy who thought I was crazy that I didn't like Bosworth as much as Cornelius Bennett.

 

[Rack]

No one was high on Brian Bosworth? Shocking.

I had a buddy who thought I was crazy that I didn't like Bosworth as much as Cornelius Bennett.

I still think the Boz would of been a good MLB in a 4-3. He told the seahawks he didn't want to play there because he didn't want to play in a 3-4.


A player I thought would be good is Mike Rumph. I thought he'd be the next Bobby Taylor.

Boy was I wrong on that one.

 

[Mike12]

Guys I thought would be good who aren't or weren't...

Quentin Coryatt, LB, Texas A & M

Ken Swilling, S, Georgia Tech

Hart Lee Dykes, WR, Oklahoma State

Anthony Carter, WR, Michigan

Mike Sherrard, WR UCLA

JJ Stokes, WR, UCLA

Tim Couch, QB, Kentucky (still hoping he adjusts)




Guys I thought would be busts who aren't or weren't...

Mike Vick, QB, Va Tech (I felt he was too small to make it)

Doug Flutie, QB, Miami (Same prejudice)

Jim McMahon, QB, BYU (It's a theme)



I'm sure I'm forgetting more than a few.

Nicely done Hostile. Man I forgot about a few of those guys. I was ticked when the 49ers traded up to get Stokes in 95, he was so great at UCLA, what happened to him. Wasn't Ken Swilling one of the most hyped safeties in a long time up until about his junior year, them it was like he fell off a cliff.

 

[Hostile]

Nicely done Hostile. Man I forgot about a few of those guys. I was ticked when the 49ers traded up to get Stokes in 95, he was so great at UCLA, what happened to him. Wasn't Ken Swilling one of the most hyped safeties in a long time up until about his junior year, them it was like he fell off a cliff.

Swilling was projected as the next Ronnie Lott and a top 10 pick as a Junior. He stayed for his Senior year and got hurt. He was never anything after that.

We used to chant "JJ Chokes, JJ Chokes" every time he was near us at the stadium, but I'll be honest, I thought he was amazing and that San Fran stole him.

 

[irvin88]

Major Harris, QB.

 

[Phrozen Phil]

Quentin Jammer is no bust, folks. He's part of the big story on the Charger's surprise season. As for Peterman and Rogers, the story on those guys has yet to be written. Offensive Linemen often take time to develop. Larry Allen had a challenging first year. Rogers may yet develop into the kind of player we need. My pick for bigest bust would have to be Tony Mandarich. He appeared on the cover of SI, touted as "The Best Offensive Lineman Prospect, Ever..." He got injured, got healthy, but never got good. He was the biggest dissapointment for the Pack, ever....

 

[kingwhicker]

90% of the players the Cowboys have drafted in the past decade have been busts, so I figure 90% of the guys they draft this year will be busts as well. Book it!