Saints are NFL Re-Draft Champions
by Dave Cariello on May 16, 2011 6:00 AM CDT
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PrintOn Friday, ESPN's Rick Reilly took it upon himself to re-draft the entire first rounds of the 2006, 2007 and 2008 NFL Drafts knowing now what we didn't know then. The results are nothing short of impressive for the New Orleans Saints, who have been able to get incredible value out of their later round draft picks during the Sean Payton era. Most of us have already known that but Reilly's re-draft experiment proves it:
We learn that there's a reason the re-draft champions, the New Orleans Saints, have finally become a power. They stopped wasting first-round picks (their worst, WR Robert Meachem, only fell 44 spots) and they've found more bargains than Yelp (linemen Carl Nicks and Jahri Evans, to name two -- a combined +243 -- both of whom would be first-rounders now).
In 2006, Reilly thinks Saints Pro Bowl tackle Jahri Evans should have been taken 7th overall, a jump of +101 spots from his actual draft position of 108th overall. And for those of you that may think Reggie Bush is a draft bust, Reilly still has Bush as a first round pick in 2006, only this time he's the final pick of the round.
Jermon Bushrod becomes the 27th overall re-draft selection in 2007, up +98 positions from his actual draft slot. As stated above, Reilly moves Robert Meachem down -44 spots to 71st overall.
The Saints had not one but two of their 2008 draft picks get moved up to the first round in Reilly's re-draft. Tracy Porter now gets taken 12th overall instead of 40th and Carl Nicks makes a huge jump of +142 spots when he's re-drafted 22nd overall. Sedrick Ellis only slipped -29 positions to 36th overall.
When it's all said and done, the Saints lead the league in draft value with a score of +266 using Reilly's re-draft formula. That's some pretty exceptional drafting right there, wouldn't you agree?
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And for those of you that may think Reggie Bush is a draft bust, Reilly still has Bush as a first round pick in 2006, only this time he’s the final pick of the round.
So, Ryan Leaf with a Patrick Ramsey price tag? Awesome! Where can we buy these in bulk?
"I was not on the boat in question" -Darren Sharper
Im not real big on Bush either but he is far from Leaf that guy was a nut case!
What in the HELL just happened!?
by GESWhoseBack on May 16, 2011 11:34 AM CDT up reply actions
Yes but Bush was big on her Bush...for a while anyway
INGRAMANIA equals LOMBARDI 2012
by cajuncommando58 on May 16, 2011 5:30 PM CDT up reply actions
I read Riley’s piece and didn’t see Colsten in his redraft. Huh? Maybe I just missed but are you saying Colsten wouldn’t be a 1st rounder in a redraft?
Oh and Riley is awful.
Colston shouldn’t be a first rounder in a redraft. A solid second rounder, though.
"Winter is coming"
Why not?
Not like a 2nd overall, but a 29th or 30th seems right.
Canal Street Chronicles-A place of great Saints news and information. Oh and the stuff I write!
He hasn’t had first round production…that’s why. He’s had good solid years…aka…second round production from a wideout.
"Winter is coming"
You can’t really go by that in a redraft, though. What if less than 32 players from a given draft class put up what would normally be considered first round production?
"I was not on the boat in question" -Darren Sharper
Less OR more. There’s nothing to relegate that perceived value to a head count of 32.
"I was not on the boat in question" -Darren Sharper
Then after you’ve completed the less than 32 that graded out in the first round…you’d obviously then start grading out the others. The fact that there weren’t 32 to grade out doesn’t matter in the slightest. You simply grade out the top 32, and that’s where they would land. I don’t see Colston being top 32 unless it was a bad draft year.
"Winter is coming"
Right, I’m just saying you can’t arrive at that conclusion simply by saying “he hasn’t put up first round production”. It DOES matter what the rest of the class is doing, as you just admitted. Suppose only 31 players in an entire draft made their respective teams’ final rosters. In a case that extreme, the 31st guy wouldn’t even need to see the field to qualify as a first round redraft.
"I was not on the boat in question" -Darren Sharper
I 100% agree. My whole argument was that I didn’t see Colston as a first round guy. I also have not dug into the entire draft class of 2006 to ensure that I felt there were at least 32 guys i would rate higher. Was simply going on gut feeling at that point.
"Winter is coming"
Just looked it over and there were 28 Pro Bowlers taken ahead of Colston. There’s also several non-Pro Bowlers taken MUCH higher that have been arguably just as, if not more, productive when compared to their positional peers. Jonathan Joseph, Santonio Holmes, Anthony Fasano, Bernard Pollard, Richard Marshall, Barry Cofield … that’s just some of the names jumping out at me. I don’t think Colston would be TOO much lower than that, but it’s hard to definitively argue Top 32, when he hasn’t even made a trip to Honolulu.
"I was not on the boat in question" -Darren Sharper
Still ridiculous value for the pick production wise … I just have to wonder how many other 7th round WRs would do just as well, if handed a starting position in a scheme this pass-friendly. I know Rod Smith went undrafted and is at least an arguable HOF candidate now. A lot of that obviously has to do with playing with Elway all those years. Not much difference here, I wouldn’t think. Marques is just as unspectacular, yet destined for silly career numbers, provided he stays in Drew’s hip pocket for another 8 years or so. Which isn’t likely to happen due to both free agency and Drew’s age, but you never know.
"I was not on the boat in question" -Darren Sharper
so are you ok with Brandon Marshall and Santonio Holmes being draft much higher in this redraft? the only WR in the entire draft with better career stats than Colston is Greg Jennings and not by much…Colston has the equal amount of super bowl rings as Holmes and Jennings.
here are the 4 players career stats:
REC YDS TDS
Jennings 332 5222 40
Colston 369 5097 40
Marshall 413 5033 28
Holmes 287 4581 26
I really don’t see how they can put all 3 of those players into the 1st round and not consider Colston.
In the Schrute family we believe in a five fingered intervention. Awareness, education, control, acceptance and punching.
If Colston’s a first round pick, he wouldn’t be a Saint, meaning he probably wouldn’t have those numbers. I would think the other three would all be close to where they are now statistically, as they’re not part of a pass-heavy scheme. Put it this way, if it wasn’t for non-football related issues, I’d take any of those three in a straight up trade. As is, Jennings is the only one I’d be willing to go that route for. Strictly talent, Colston’s fourth.
"I was not on the boat in question" -Darren Sharper
well MOST NFL team draft for both talent and character, so why would a team draft Holmes with the 6th pick in the draft when Pittsburgh didn’t even want him after his character concerns (heck they kept Big Ben). Look at this years draft, like Jimmy Smith, they said he could have been up there in the top 15 top 10 but his character dropped him to the later half of the first round
In the Schrute family we believe in a five fingered intervention. Awareness, education, control, acceptance and punching.
I would definitely place Colston behind those three without a second thought. As to “not consider Colston”…who says they didn’t? They only show the top 32.
As to the stats…you have to remember that those are skewed. Jennings wasn’t even a starter for the first two seasons and there’s no way you can argue he hasn’t been better than Colston in the last three since he did become a starter. Same for Marshall who has significantly out performed Colston in the last four years.
As to Holmes…there’s no question Colston isn’t the same kind of home run type threat that Holmes can be. Plus Holmes has done all his work for teams that are as run happy as the Saints are pass happy.
"Winter is coming"
has significantly out performed Colston in the last four years.
how the heck do you figure that?
In the Schrute family we believe in a five fingered intervention. Awareness, education, control, acceptance and punching.
and I’ll take my well mannered colston over any of those divas (excluding Jennings) any day
In the Schrute family we believe in a five fingered intervention. Awareness, education, control, acceptance and punching.
That was never part of the issue. I would take Colston over them as well as far as who I wanted on my team…that wasn’t the discussion. As to Colston’s injury…during that time frame, Marshall played in exactly TWO more games than Colston…that’s it.
"Winter is coming"
the whole discussion is who would you rather as a whole though, and I’d draft Colston (knowing what I know now) over all of those guys except Jennings (and definitely over Hester and Brad Smith)
In the Schrute family we believe in a five fingered intervention. Awareness, education, control, acceptance and punching.
Actually that was never part of my discussion or CP’s I believe. The whole point of this discussion was a reflection of the article. Who would be drafted where best on their performance combined with overall football ability.
As to Hester and Brad Smith…In my mind they definitely don’t belong in the first round either…and both significantly below Colston.
"Winter is coming"
Who would be drafted where best on their performance combined with overall football ability.
in that case why did Holmes get the #6 spot?
In the Schrute family we believe in a five fingered intervention. Awareness, education, control, acceptance and punching.
Because his football ability quite frankly is higher than any of the other four, combined with what I stated earlier regarding the fact that his production has been quite good on two teams who rely heavily on a run first philosophy…the exact opposite philosophy that has allowed Colston to do what he has.
"Winter is coming"
With the way Drew spreads the ball around no one really gets the chance to have first round production
INGRAMANIA equals LOMBARDI 2012
by cajuncommando58 on May 16, 2011 5:32 PM CDT up reply actions
I guess I just never knew there was such animosity against Colston like there is here.
In the Schrute family we believe in a five fingered intervention. Awareness, education, control, acceptance and punching.
If by animosity you mean lack of bias, it rears its pretty head every so often.
"I was not on the boat in question" -Darren Sharper
but it’s not even bias, what about with that whole Meachem or Colston thing? everyone making Meachem out to be a God, when really he hasn’t done S*** compared to what Colston has done
In the Schrute family we believe in a five fingered intervention. Awareness, education, control, acceptance and punching.
by GRlZZ on May 16, 2011 3:14 PM CDT up reply actions 2 recs
This.
Canal Street Chronicles-A place of great Saints news and information. Oh and the stuff I write!
sigh…seriously. Is there just something running around here that causes any Saint fan still in N.O. to not be objective? Because he’s not a first round guy and a perennial all pro we must have animosity toward him? HE’S GOOD!!….he’s simply not great. And damnit there’s nothing wrong with that so I for one would appreciate it if people stopped acting like we’re treating him like a piece of moldy bread.
"Winter is coming"
I don’t know if I’d consider any WR in the 2006 class “great”. There’s a handful of good ones.
"I was not on the boat in question" -Darren Sharper
There's a difference between being objective and watching what fans of other teams don't see.
There have been some WR drafted in the first round that didn’t even pan out, and Colston is still here being consistent, being physical and doing his job without being a diva.
Canal Street Chronicles-A place of great Saints news and information. Oh and the stuff I write!
I 100% agree with that statement. But being a non-diva and being consistent and doing a good job does not automatically guarantee that you’re a first round graded player, and that’s what people here seem to being trying to push.
"Winter is coming"
those 3 things SHOULD make you a first round graded player though, and if I had it my way I’d put Colston as a first round talent. If you knew a WR was going to come out of college and catch for 1k yards, almost every season, and average 8-10 touchdowns a year, oh and be a non-diva and non locker room cancer, and an all around role-model, you wouldn’t take him?
In the Schrute family we believe in a five fingered intervention. Awareness, education, control, acceptance and punching.
No…they shouldn’t. Your first round players are typically held down for your Pro Bowlers…players who can change the course of a game and completely take over. Players that other teams have to redirect scheme for and plan around. None of those descriptions fit Colston.
"Winter is coming"
Yeah, top 20 players.
I’m talking about 29th, 30th. That’s more of a “Solid to consistent” player. You don’t have these lofty expectations on them that you do a 10th overall pick.
Canal Street Chronicles-A place of great Saints news and information. Oh and the stuff I write!
you dont think other teams have to change their defense based on the fact that a 6’4" wr is playing them with great leaping ability and above average hands?
In the Schrute family we believe in a five fingered intervention. Awareness, education, control, acceptance and punching.
Doh!! I think Colston was one of the steals of that draft
Whether he should be re-drafted as a 1st rounder , I`m not sure how these things
are calculated. However in a lot of games last year he seemed to drop the 1st pass
thrown his way with the same irritating frequency as opposing TE`s made 3rd down
conversions.
That could`ve been me,a useless knome fishing
for turds in a birthing pool.
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