Every year, around draft time (right now), names get bandied about as precautionary tales of how not to utilize your draft picks. It should be no surprise, either, as NFL draft picks are worth their weight in gold in a league where the average career hovers somewhere around 16 minutes. This list is a little quarterback-heavy, but that should be no surprise, as they often get picked first, and have the highest expectations to live up to. But I’m equal opportunity, so let’s look at 9 instances where it all went wrong.

9. Akili Smith
The third pick by the Bengals in 1999, Smith didn’t make a name for himself by being atrociously awful, but rather by being so forgettable that he will forever be little more than one more misstep in the Bengals mediocre recent history. The quarterback lasted four year, throwing less than 500 attempts, and ending up with a rating of 52.8. Not the stuff dreams are made of. He kicked around the CFL, as so many draft busts do, before retiring altogether in 2007.

8. Matt Leinart
Few college players ever have had more going for them than Matt Leinart did. He decided to stick around USC for his Senior year, making him a fan favorite, and taking his team back to the championship, only to lose to Texas in one of the most exciting bowl games ever. However, once he got to Arizona, selected tenth, he never lived up to the hype. He played well, but fallouts with the coaching staff, as well as the decision to bench him in favor of Kurt Warner seemed to be a death blow from which he may never recover. Warner is currently serving as the back-up to Matt Schaub in Houston, and didn’t take a single snap all last year.

7. Alex Smith
Smith was taken 1st in the 2005 draft, which could also be known as bust-o-rama, featuring the likes of Cedric Benson, Pacman Jones, Mike Williams in just the first ten picks. Smith was the hope to which the 49ers grabbed onto in their darkest hour. Unfortunately, that hope was short-lived. Smith has seemed to fall just short of “competent” at the QB position. He hasn’t proved himself bad enough to warrant benching, which might actually be a liability, as his presence can virtually guarantee that the 49ers will never catch any postseason success.

6. Cedric Benson
The 4th pick in the 2005 draft showed lots of promise from his days at UT, but Benson couldn’t stop getting out of trouble. His abilities on the field were good (not great), but the image problems he created for the Bears couldn’t be ignored. He got with a boating-while-drunk charge that ended with him getting pepper-sprayed in 2008, then again that same year for driving drunk. He was waived by the Bears, and was picked up by the Bengals, though he got hit in 2010 with an assault charge for punching a bartender. Nice.

5. Tony Mandarich
This #2 pick out of Michigan State was thought to be a sure thing, as most offensive lineman are. However, he seemed to deflate after coming out of college, dropping almost 30 lbs, leading many to believe that he was juiced up during his collegiate days (my hunch is “yes”). Injuries sustained during his brief career back up that assessment, and he unceremoniously walked away from the league, mullet and all, three years after being drafted. It doesn’t help that the players drafted around him were Troy Aikman (1), Barry Sanders (3), Derrick Thomas (4), and Deion Sanders (5).

4. Pacman Jones
Good player, awful person. Really, just the worst. Drafted in 2005 as a CB from West Virginia, Pacman made a name for himself as a standout kick returner and solid coverage back. Actually, he made a name for himself by being a huge a$$hole, but he WAS a strong player. After repeated incidents off the field, Roger Goodell made an example out of Jones by suspending him for a year not for any particular transgression, but just for being a bad dude. Following the suspension, the Titans couldn’t get rid of Jones fast enough; he was traded to the Cowboys, where he did lots of great stuff like attack the bodyguard that was supposed to keep an eye on him.

3. JaMarcus Russell
The slightly-more-modern Ryan Leaf, Russell took all the goodwill he accumulated and pissed it away in very short order after his leap to the NFL. JaMarcus Russell held out the entire preseason, eventually wrestling $68mm away from the Raiders, with almost half of it guaranteed. They are probably kicking themselves for that decision. His third season, he was named the starter, so naturally he showed up to training camp 35 pounds overweight, as he had the previous year. The lack of dedication to his team was telling, and after getting pinched for possessing codeine cough syrup, or “purple drank,” Russell was shown the door after tossing 18 touchdowns and 23 INT’s. He’s currently a “free agent” (Unemployed).

2. Brian Bosworth
Before he won our hearts as a movie star in fare such as “Stone Cold,” The Boz was an utter disappointment for the Seattle Seahawks. Having left Oklahoma with an ungodly amount of hype, he ended up wallowing in the NFL, as the linebacking prodigy garnered only four sacks in three years. He did make a name for himself, however…when Bo Jackson ran his ass over for a touchdown on a Monday night game.
 

1. Ryan Leaf
The alpha and omega of draft busts. High expectations? Yup. Raw talent? Of course. Crappy work ethic? The worst. Sense of entitlement? Uh-huh. Trouble post-NFL? You bet!

Leaf is almost universally considered the biggest draft bust in NFL history. Picked behind Peyton Manning, Leaf lasted four years in the league compiling a miserable 50.0 QB rating and bouncing between practice squads and bench jobs for four teams over five years.

One must also factor in what the Chargers gave up to get this guy. They were sitting with the third pick, but to guarantee they got Leaf, they traded two first-round picks, a second-round pick, and Eric Metcalf to move up ONE SPOT to get Ryan. Whoops.

After making zero impression, Leaf was asked to be the Tampa Bay Buc’s fourth-string quarterback. I didn’t even know such a position existed. I thought the fourth-string quarterback was the punter.

And then he got busted with prescription painkillers while coaching at West Texas A&M in 2008. Awesome.

It appears as though Miami University quarterback Jacory Harris is one hell of a Raiders fan.  Why else would he own and wear that old school Oakland Raiders hat and the matching overalls, sans shirt?

Just one word of advice Jacory.  Sure you may be a Raiders fan, but come Draft Day, you may want to throw all of those dreams of playing for your favorite team out the window, unless of course you want to end up like the last quarterback that was drafted by the Black & Gold.

Although, we should mention that playing quarterback for the Raiders wasn’t all bad for JaMarcus Russell.  After all, he does appear to have the matching bling for your outfit.

As for the saddest part of this whole outfit, that would have to be the fact that Harris seriously believes he looks “fly”.

Sorry Jacory, but this isn’t the 90s anymore, when liking the Raiders was actually considered cool.

Hat Tip – [Deadspin]

Sports jerseys are a funny thing. Those who choose to buy them shell out $200+ for an authentic jersey of their favorite player and wear it all over town with intense pride. Then, when the player leaves town, changes his number or doesn’t pan out they cast it aside like a used condom. They literally flip the switch from love to hate in the blink of an eye. From there, the jersey inevitably finds it way to an impoverished country in Africa or your local thrift store. Since we are fairly sure most of our readers don’t reside in Africa, we’ll concentrate our focus on the ones that end up in the thrift store.

9. Partially Burned Cavs Jersey
Little did the makers of LeBron James’ Cavaliers jersey know that they would need to fortify the fabric with a flame retardant to ensure longevity. Alas, post “Decision,” that is the only thing that could have possibly saved the thousands of torched LeBron jerseys in the state of Ohio.

On a side not, government bailout money remains the only thing left to ensure longevity for the thousands of retardants residing in Cleveland.

8. Mike Piazza Florida Marlins Jersey
The love affair with Florida and Mike Piazza was clearly fleeting, as it only lasted one week before he was traded to the Mets. However, for five magical games and 18 wondrous at-bats, the hopes and dreams of South Florida hung on the performance of one Mr. Michael Joseph “Mike” Piazza. Actually, that’s not true. Florida barely noticed and a week later he landed in the Big Apple, but not before the Marlins marketing department rolled out a run of Mike Piazza jerseys…probably. And I’ll bet they’re at a thrift store near you right now! Maybe.

7. David Beckham LA Galaxy Jersey
Even the thought of writing about this makes me yawn, much like my reaction to the news that David Beckham was coming to play soccer in the USA. Better known stateside as the husband of that Spice Girls chick, Beckham came… saw… and got conquered. I think he got paid a bunch of money and probably hung out in some sweet Hollywood clubs, but that’s about all that happened. Well, now he’s gone, but those jerseys remain the only sign that he was ever even here.

6. Ryan Leaf Jersey
Ryan Leaf was a colossal dick. I mean, on draft day, these were his words: “I’m looking forward to a 15-year career, a couple of trips to the Super Bowl and a parade through downtown San Diego.” Well, it’s almost 15 years later, and he may well end up with a 15-year career selling insurance or something, he’s probably attended a couple of Super Bowls as a spectator, but who knows or cares if he has been to a parade in downtown San Diego. But on a positive note, if he ever wants to relive the old days he can get a killer discount on his old jersey at the Salvation Army.

5. Darko Milicic Jersey
The people of Detroit have had it hard lately. Not only are they stuck in Detroit, but the economic crisis hit them square between the eyes with Ivan Drago-like force. Luckily, in 2003, they were given a lesson in disappointment that would help prepare them for what was to come. His name was Darko Milicic and he was the Piston’s first round pick that year. He went second overall and after him, in order: Carmelo Anthony, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. His failure was enough to make you want to flush your Milicic jersey down the toilet, but clogged pluming would only add to your problems, so you gave it to a homeless guy. But he didn’t want it either and now it’s in a downtrodden Detroit thrift store collecting dust and moths.

4. Duke Lacrosse Jersey
Most people don’t want to wear anything that loudly pronounces, “I support those who allegedly rape strippers!” Sure, there are you outliers that do, but for the most part people shy away from things like that. Even though the Duke players accused of stripper-rape (as opposed to regular rape) were exonerated, the court of public opinion isn’t very good at following up on sensational news stories and most people figure the allegations were fact (thanks Al Sharpton). To these people, Duke Lacrosse equals stripper-rape. To strippers, Duke Lacrosse jerseys equal no lap dances. Therefore, in the Carolinas, the result is a lot of Duke Lacrosse jerseys at Good Will outlets and a steady pace of lap dances in the strip clubs.

3. Rod “He Hate Me” Smart Jersey
Ah, the XFL. It’s a shame the league didn’t make it because for all of its flaws, it did bring us some solid memories like Rod “He Hate Me” Smart. According to www.all-xfl.com (who is still paying the internet hosting for that?) his nickname was chosen because he used that to get pumped up before the game. He looked at his coach and said, “Yeah, he hate me.” Then he looked at his opponents and said, “They hate me, and they are going to hate me more when I run all over them today.” Well Rod, I hate to tell you this, but we loved you. However, your Las Vegas Outlaws jersey was a bit played out after about 2003, and so it had to go. Feel free to hate us for that.

2. Jamarcus Russell Jersey
Raider fans don’t let go easily. I mean, think about it. They still root for the Raiders. They are die-hard, so you have to be especially terrible to get them to ditch your jersey. Well, Jamarcus Russell is especially terrible. One of the greatest first overall busts of all-time (remember, Ryan Leaf was the #2 overall behind Peyton Manning) Russell took an already terrible organization to new lows. Next, he will do the same with Taco Bell.

1. Randall Gay Jersey
Perhaps it was a gift from a well-meaning aunt. Maybe it was something you bought as a joke when you were wasted at the stadium. Or perhaps it was some other bizarre circumstance that led to you owning a jersey that said, in big capital letters, “GAY” on the back of it. Whatever the case, you decided that it wasn’t sending the message you wanted the world to hear when you walked into a room, so you ditched it. And now it is the problem of the thrift store as it hangs alone on the rack, awaiting a flamboyant homosexual on the lookout for an ironic outfit to wear out to “Flame,” the hot new nightclub on the outskirts of town that you are completely unaware of. But until then, it waits…and waits…and waits…

That was the message delivered by TNT announcers Kevin Harlan and Doug Collins.  Simply put, Harlan believes that in Russell’s case, “if he spent as much time in the film room as he did in the jewelry store, he’d be a much better quarterback.”  We think Harlan may be on to something here.

Russell was dawning diamonds all over his body, and his fashion display was capped off with a necklace which featured a pendant of himself wearing #2 on his jersey, and the word “Chosen” behind it.  We should probably add that it was covered in diamonds.

“Chosen” indeed.  After all, not just anyone can make the type of salary he does while watching from the bench as quarterbacks like Bruce Gradkowski and Charlie Frye outplay this former first overall pick for the starting job.  Russell may want to consider saving some of that money from his first contract, rather than blowing it all on jewelry.  After all, it looks as though it will likely be the last one he signs.

On a kickoff by the Raiders, a pigeon flew onto the field.  The pigeon didn’t just fly on the field, however, but actually lined up for the kick and flew down the field as though he was in coverage.  Although the referees did not call a penalty for too many men on the field, the pigeon essentially acted as a 12th man in coverage, running downfield with the kicking team and even playing for containment on the outside.  Other animals on the field haven’t worked out as well, like Sabre the horse for Virginia bucking his rider off.

Was the pigeon the key to the Raiders success this week?  Let’s just say the Raiders are now 1-4 without the pigeon and 1-0 with it.  Al Davis has brought in far worse players for far bigger contracts before, so why not give the pigeon a shot?  There’s no way he can be worse than Jamarcus Russell, who basically looks like bird crap every week.  And I bet he would get more sideline love than Tolzien did for the Badgers last week.

Hat Tip Video – [FanSided]

We’ve been keeping track of some of the worst cases of ugly bling.   First we showed your pictures of Larry Johnson wearing a pink watch,  then we gave you a look at Jamarcus Russell’s oversize jersey bling.

The latest NFLer to caught on camera sporting bad bling is San Diego Charger, Shawne Merriman.  In a recent picture Merriman can be seen sporting some Conan inspired armbands.  They are covered in diamonds and look really weird.  I wonder how much they cost?  I really hope he didn’t spend more than 20 bucks on those bad boys.  For his sake I hope they are fake diamonds.

HT Picture – [TheDirty]

Shawn Merriman Gets His Fashion Tips From Conan

Is this really a fair comparison?  Cutler has already been to a Pro Bowl in just his third season (second as the full time starter) and George never made it to the pro bowl after more than a decade in the league, but he also only threw eighteen interceptions once in his career and Cutler, as already done that one too. The question with Cutler, as with any “gunslinger” type of QB, does his ability to make plays that other QBs can’t over shadow the amount of turnovers he produces when trying to make the tough throw and not succeeding?

Last year Cutler’s interception percentage was 2.9, not horrible, but far from great.  In fact, that is the same interception percentage put up but Tyler Thigpen of the Chiefs, who had many less weapons around him and was forced to create his own play because of it more than Cutler.  That was 2.9 is higher than the 2.3 that Philip Rivers turned in on his way to leading the league in QB rating and touchdowns before getting snubbed out of the Pro Bowl for Cutler who threw for five hundred more yards and seven more interceptions.

In fact, only one QB threw more interceptions than Cutler last year, and almost every other young QB had a lower interception percentage, including but not limited to: Matt Cassel, Aaron Rodgers, Tyler Thigpen, Joe Flacco, Trent Edwards, Matt Ryan, Derek Anderson, JaMarcus Russell, Jason Campbell.  But out of that group only two QBs threw more touchdowns than Cutler’s 25 (Rivers, 34, Rodgers, 28).

This is where the future of Cutler becomes a question mark.  He can obviously do some great things on the football field, but he if moves teams will he be able to continue to complete 62.5 percent of his passes? Will his touchdown percentage of 4.4 be as high if he is on a team that doesn’t have as good of a receiving core and pass protection as the Broncos did last year (which is most)?  And that is why Cutler needs to stop complaining that the new head couch didn’t immediately give the job of franchise savior to him and why he needs to stay and prove that he can be exactly that.  Because he will most likely not find a better place to prove Mel Kiper wrong, and if he talks his way out of a good situation he just may have Kiper saying,  “I told you so” and using Cutler as an example of why teams shouldn’t draft “gunslinger” QBs for the next few years.

The skills of the player seem an obvious start point for evaluation, but if recent history tells us anything GMs don’t find this easy. Arm strength is atop of many personnel coordinators’ list of desired attributes, and it got JaMarcus Russell ahead of Brady Quinn in 2007 and Joe Flacco flying up draft boards last year. It’s a pretty contentious issue and I personally don’t find it the be all and end all, since modern football is putting a greater emphasis on a game of efficiency since 60+ yard aerial plays tend to land in the hands of Ed Reed; throwing a more accurate seam route that bends away from the safety is a far more realistic goal than a deeper vertical. The biggest arm in the draft has catapulted Matthew Stafford to the top, and if he is throwing to one of the best down field threats in the league Calvin Johnson he’s going to need it. You also have to consider that division rivals Green Bay, Chicago and Minnesota all struggle to defend the deep ball thanks to a combination of slow corners and poor safety play, but if Chad Pennington has shown us anything it’s that a big arm isn’t everything.

NFL teams love the intangibles, the skills you can’t put numbers to or glean from a combine. Matt Ryan earned the respect of the league and teammates with his high intelligence, character, leadership, clutch performances and game management skills, whilst JP Losman wound up offensive linemen with his erratic play and penchant for escaping the pocket without warning. Consequently, a lot of my skepticism about Mark Sanchez is because of his intangibles; a lack of game experience doesn’t help, and he has reportedly come across as borderline arrogant in interview. A USC quarterback who is a little too self confident and might be susceptible to off the field distractions. Where have I seen that before? Hmm.

As far as physical attributes go, I love Josh Freeman. 6’6″ and above average athleticism make this guy super impressive and I hope a team polishes his mechanics and turns him into a real force. You can’t talk physical freaks without mentioning Pat White. I understand his athleticism and NFL teams hate facing option plays that are pass or run, but at 6′ and under 200lbs he’ll be the shortest starter in the league by a long way, face practical problems of seeing over linemen and will have major durability concerns. He has his heart set on being a QB but suspect mechanics make that a struggle to believe – a slot receiver/returns man/backup within 3 years.

That’s the QB, but you also have to consider your own team. A bad line can kill a young QB – David Carr literally had the talent knocked out of him. Whether it’s through injury, demoralization or a total halt to development, careers can be put to rest if you don’t protect your signal caller. San Francisco and Detroit gave up more sacks than anyone else, and whilst I expect Detroit to add an offensive tackle at 20 giving Stafford the bare minimum protection, I really worry about Sanchez’s safety if he lands in San Fran. He isn’t mobile and may not have the game time experience to make veteran moves like spotting blitzes or quick reads; this may be enough to make offensive tackle the 49ers’ selection at 10. You also need to supply your QB with a strong running game to rely on – look what it did for Matt Ryan last year. If you can help reduce the number of third and 9 passing situations faced, you’ll keep a rookie QB’s turnovers to a minimum. Luckily for this year’s quarterbacks, most of the teams in the market for them have competent run games (Gore, Kevin Smith, Derrick Ward, Thomas Jones, AP), but what teams won’t do is sit on a QB and let him get used to the NFL’s speed under a veteran’s tutelage. Detroit, Tampa and San Francisco don’t have this luxury.

Finally you have to consider the pro style versus college system debate. Even if not all gimmick offenses produce busts it certainly helps, and that’s why professional sides value experience of 3, 5 and 7 step drops as well as depth to a QB’s route vocabulary – talk to Alex Smith if you need further clarification. Stafford and Sanchez ran pro-offenses, whilst Pat White and Texas Tech’s Graham Harrell suffered from the number inflating shotgun gimmickry that can ruin a prospective pro.

Any position can bust, but when a QB goes down he goes down in a big expensive fireball. You have to limit the scope for failure, and looking at the player’s skills, the protection you’ll offer him and whether he’s a system quarterback with no transferable skills to the pros are good starts to finding the solution to a pivotal position.

Check out exhibit A and B (top of page) and you can clearly see that Mr. Spears has an infatuation with fat stacks of small bills.  I know it was his birthday, but is there ever really a good time to make it rain?  I’m sorry that I put all the blame on Pacman yesterday, when clearly Spears was involved in the showers of money as well.

This picture is clearly shows that Spears was carrying around a backpack full of money, which he was throwing into the air.  Maybe he was trying to impress JaMarcus Russell, whatever the reason was there is still no excuse for being dressed like that in public.

Photos courtesy of Partychaser

I remember I ran into Michael Pittman in a Tampa bay night club just after the Bucs had won the Superbowl.  He was wearing a huge platinum and diamond encrusted number 32 and I thought that was big, but Russell’s chain is the next level of big.  On an average sized person it would most likely give them neck problems for the rest of their life.

Check out the pick of Russell and Spears, does it look like Russell has been following the Raiders off-season work-out schedule?

Photos courtesy of Partychaser