SI.com: Worst draft busts of the modern era (RG3 included) M.E.T.

[Chew]

I don't understand.  I thought to be a "bust," you had to suck from Day 1.  RG3's first year was amazing.  He led the NFL in completion percentage for 13 of the 17 weeks, one of the best TD/INT ratios, and won ROTY.  

 

Yeah, his play fell off hard after that, but I thought at least having success in your first year and actually showing promise negated being a bust.  

 

If ****ing Ngata's punk ass had not hurt Robert's knee, we would've made the NFC Championship

[Mr. Sinister]

I don't understand. I thought to be a "bust," you had to suck from Day 1. RG3's first year was amazing. He led the NFL in completion percentage for 13 of the 17 weeks, one of the best TD/INT ratios, and won ROTY.

Yeah, his play fell off hard after that, but I thought at least having success in your first year and actually showing promise negated being a bust.

If ****ing Ngata's punk ass had not hurt Robert's knee, we would've made the NFC Championship

Apparently "Bust" has gone from Top pick, to do nothing gump, to out of the league in 3-4 years or buried near the bottom of a teams depth chart, and been replaced by someone who doesn't live up to someones expectations.

Hell, some people call 2nd, 3rd, and 4th rd picks busts.

Now apparently what ot took to trade up and draft them determines whether they are a bust. Just baffling

[Taylor 36]

Arguing this point with you is useless  because you give him zero credit for his 2012 season ... calling it gimmicky.   That is an extremely shortsighted statement.   A play is gimmicky, an exotic formation is gimmicky, an entire offense that was one of the very best for over 16 games - is anything but.  That offense was unique, and it was designed only for a few QB's in the league to run. 

Since the entire offense was based on a set of gimmicky plays, it is fair to call the offense itself a gimmick.  If it was not a gimmick, it would be a prominent offense in the league today.  Hell, it wasn't used much after 2012, other than a play here or there, because, as was said by many in the NFL community, it was a gimmick that defensive coordinators would study in the offseason and shut it down.

 

It didn't even work for all of the Redskins' 16 games in 2012, so saying it worked for "over 16 games" is a stretch.  It was a college offense put in play for a QB who could not handle a pro offense, which was proven in '13, '14, and the '15 preseason before professional football people finally were able to have control of the situation and end the suffering.

 

I give Robert credit for running a college offense better than most could have thought.  I give credit to the Shanahans for having the foresight to know what they were working with when it came to Robert and molding an offense that would highlight his strengths and mask his weaknesses.

 

EDIT - Again, I'm not trying to be disrespectful, but let's be honest.  If the RGIII situation was exactly the same today with the exception that it was one of the other 31 teams that drafted him and not the Redskins, many of the people that are saying he can't be called a bust would be calling him a bust.  And, if that team happened to be the Cowboys, Eagles, or Giants, people would be joking that organization for what they gave up, what they got, and what they don't have any more because the player didn't come remotely close to living up to the hype or the expectations = bust!

[abdcskins]

He's a huge bust, no way around it, regardless of his first year. Biggest bust ever? Close, but no.

Obviously he has the rest of his career to turn it around (I don't see it happening).

[GoSkins0721]

RG3 was RoY. Set a record for highest rookie passer rating and lowest rookie interception percentage. 

 

The ****ing media anti-Redskin bias knows no bounds. 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Wasn't his fault we traded the picks to get him.  You're also talking about a front office that had a questionable track record of selecting talent in the draft, too.  Stop acting like it's GMSM trading 3 years of first round picks.  IIRC there was plenty of question marks surrounding Shanahan's ability to draft effectively.  That said, thank goodness he picked Cousins as people tend to think RG3 was a Snyder creation.

 

He'd also have been taken in the top 10 by someone else if we didn't trade up to get him, let's not pretend that we were the only ones interested in taking him that high.

 

It's a good thing for him that we did trade up to get him because the Shanahan's knew how to use him in year 1 to mask his deficiencies.  Say what you want about how he didn't know how to read a defense or whatever but I remember some absolutely amazing throws that year.  Threading the needle, deep bombs, he did it all.  I still don't believe those throws were flukes, you don't get that lucky that many times.  Those throws were so precise and so on the money too many times to be lucky...no, that was a good qb.  

 

What has happened to him since is anyone's guess.  No doubt the injury de-railed him, knocked some of the confidence out of him.  No doubt the media and fans turned on him here pretty quickly. 

 

Hardly a bust.  Year 1 was amazing, no bust can even come close to that.  Disappointing, yes.  Bust, no.  

[Gamebreaker]

Since the entire offense was based on a set of gimmicky plays, it is fair to call the offense itself a gimmick.  If it was not a gimmick, it would be a prominent offense in the league today.  Hell, it wasn't used much after 2012, other than a play here or there, because, as was said by many in the NFL community, it was a gimmick that defensive coordinators would study in the offseason and shut it down.

 

You clearly do not watch games that aren't Skins games. The read option is not a gimmick. It is no different than playaction, and has become the stable of many offenses since 2012. It is a mainstay of the Seattle offense, and has helped Russell Wilson develop further into a pocket passer. But hey, I guess going to two Superbowls and winning a championship means it got shut down. Matter of fact, the last four NFC representatives since 2012 have been offenses with mobile QBs which used read option extensively(Kaepernick, Wilson twice, and Newton). Stop listening to stupid mediots who don't know what they're talking about. 

[Gizmo 3squire]

Yea this bust nonsense is ridiculous.

 

One, there were many components as to why he wasn't successful in DC, not just on him as many on this site like to make it out to be.

  - Injury

  - Coaching Staff

  - That bull**** cap penalty that costed us picks

  - The fact that this organization was not equipped with a halfway decent GM to make personnel decisions

 

Two, 2012 and that system he ran is still being used today, and it's the reason why the Seahawks were successful that following year in getting the SB. Newton, Kap that same year.

 

Three, Ryan Leaf and JaMarcus Russell are by far the worse of the modern era. I mean bust on all angles.

 

Four, He's still in the league, so we'll see how things turn out.

 

But again, some folks are allowing their personal feelings to clout their judgement.

Disappointing? Yes, very much so.

[Fat Stupid Loser]

Um, bigger then Johnny Football?  At least Griffin is still in the NFL and can blame blowing his knee affecting his athleticism that helped make him ROY.  Manziel is a dice roll away from picking up a chance card and going directly to jail, if not worse.  They must be factoring in the trade to get him.

Yeah, but did anyone actually expect Manziel to be good?

[TheGoodBits]

Yeah, but did anyone actually expect Manziel to be good?

The Browns and Jerry Jones did.

[justice98]

Um, bigger then Johnny Football? At least Griffin is still in the NFL and can blame blowing his knee affecting his athleticism that helped make him ROY. Manziel is a dice roll away from picking up a chance card and going directly to jail, if not worse. They must be factoring in the trade to get him.

I dont agree with Griffin at #1, but Manziel wasnt even close to the second overall pick. Expectations have a lot to do with this, few people outside of Josh McDaniel thought Manziel was a first round pick. So him busting is less shocking.

[Boss_Hogg]

Yeah, but did anyone actually expect Manziel to be good?

 

the entire ESPN network 

[Renegade7]

I dont agree with Griffin at #1, but Manziel wasnt even close to the second overall pick. Expectations have a lot to do with this, few people outside of Josh McDaniel thought Manziel was a first round pick. So him busting is less shocking.

 

I'm not even sure why we have these types of expectations for players drafted that high.  Only three QBs in NFL history drafted with the #1 overall pick are in the Hall of Fame right now.

 

Three.

 

A lot of people believed Manziel could be a franchise QB, so for him to never start more then 6 games and be out the league in 2 years because of substance abuse, that does not sound akin to most people expected from him.  After this thread, I'm not sure I know what a bust is anymore.  Vick was draft #1 overall, only won two playoffs games, and never developed as a QB before his speed diminished (only throwing for more then 3000 yards twice in his NFL career).  Is he a bust?

 

I, too, am watching to see how it works out in Cleveland.  It will be harder to defend him in general if he flames out there as well (though it would not be surprising simply because of all places right now he's in Cleveland).  There's a good chance Manziel would still be in the NFL if he didn't get draft by the Browns.  He needed somebody that could hold him accountable, and that wasn't going to happen there.

[Taco Bell]

Ha - I wrote a 10 page document and then just realized something.

 

Everyone - this is in chronological order!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

---

 

unless you can sort it a different way or something!

[elkabong82]

No, RG3 isn't the biggest bust. Plus, he can't even qualify for consideration because he's still in the league and is the penciled in starter for the Browns right now.

 

Plus, he was ROTY and if not for injury his career may be very different right now.

 

Further, if you are going to factor in draft picks cost (out of the player's control), then contract cost should also be factored in. Leaf and Russell got major contracts as high picks on the old pay scale system. They cost their teams a lot in terms of cap space, which also limited other player acquisitions same as trading draft picks would. Those two player gave ZERO return on investment. RG3 at least won his team the division.

 

These days I can't tell who's nosedived the hardest, ESPN or SI. 

[Fat Stupid Loser]

the entire ESPN network 

 

That's why I don't watch ESPN.

[justice98]

I'm not even sure why we have these types of expectations for players drafted that high. Only three QBs in NFL history drafted with the #1 overall pick are in the Hall of Fame right now.

Three.

A lot of people believed Manziel could be a franchise QB, so for him to never start more then 6 games and be out the league in 2 years because of substance abuse, that does not sound akin to most people expected from him. After this thread, I'm not sure I know what a bust is anymore. Vick was draft #1 overall, only won two playoffs games, and never developed as a QB before his speed diminished (only throwing for more then 3000 yards twice in his NFL career). Is he a bust?

I, too, am watching to see how it works out in Cleveland. It will be harder to defend him in general if he flames out there as well (though it would not be surprising simply because of all places right now he's in Cleveland). There's a good chance Manziel would still be in the NFL if he didn't get draft by the Browns. He needed somebody that could hold him accountable, and that wasn't going to happen there.

You've got 3 now, but i dont think that number has as much significance in context. That number could easily be double. Eli and Jim Plunkett have 4 SB rings, Cam and Luck are just starting out, Peyton's going in obviously. Guys like Bledsoe and Palmer arent getting in, but they had plenty respectable careers.

I disagree with the premise that a lot of people thought Manziel was a franchise QB. Sycophants in the media maybe, but I would suspect NFL people didnt think that. Otherwise, he wouldnt have been sitting there looking stupid on draft day. Had Cleveland not taken him where they did, I suspect he'd still been sitting there into the 2nd and 3rd round. And then it's a different conversation about Manziel and his bust status. But all it takes is one team.

[Renegade7]

You've got 3 now, but i dont think that number has as much significance in context. That number could easily be double. Eli and Jim Plunkett have 4 SB rings, Cam and Luck are just starting out, Peyton's going in obviously. Guys like Bledsoe and Palmer arent getting in, but they had plenty respectable careers.

I disagree with the premise that a lot of people thought Manziel was a franchise QB. Sycophants in the media maybe, but I would suspect NFL people didnt think that. Otherwise, he wouldnt have been sitting there looking stupid on draft day. Had Cleveland not taken him where they did, I suspect he'd still been sitting there into the 2nd and 3rd round. And then it's a different conversation about Manziel and his bust status. But all it takes is one team.

I said people felt he could be franchise QB, not that people felt he was one already. Is "respectable" worthy of a #1 overall pick, though? I'm not sure what the metric is to say one is or is not worth it in hindsight, but there's definitely been more people you can make the argument against being worth that #1 pick then you can individuals you can say were worth it.

[Riggo-toni]

JaMarcus Codeine Hustle was a #1 overall pick and got a record rookie contract, but he never belonged anywhere near a football field. Definitely the biggest bust all time. Dude made Akili Smith look bright by comparison.

[chipwhich]

I'd probably put Ricky Williams ahead of him if we're talking about how much the player cost a team and how much he did (or didn't do) for that team. I know Griffin was 3 # 1s but Williams was an entire draft and another #1. Besides, thanks to Cousins, Griffin didn't set the team back for too long. Williams definitely did.

 

Ricky Williams had a solid career.

[BornaSkinsFan83]

few people outside of Josh McDaniel thought Manziel was a first round pick

I think you're thinking of Tebow.

[jflow78]

I don't think you can call Ricky Williams a bust, he still was productive the last two years he played in a back-up capacity and for his career racked up 10,000 yards and 66 TDs.  He played 11 seasons, granted one season he played in 1 game, so it's really more like 10 seasons worth of stats.

 

They gave up a lot for him, but he still had some good years and decent stats.  Worth what NO gave up for him?  No, but not a bust, imo.

 

My comment was assuming that they were only counting his time with the team who drafted him (since I don't know how they can call a guy a bust if he is still playing and had ANY possibility of correcting his career, like Griffin). Williams, IMO, was a much bigger bust for New Orleans than Griffin was the the Skins.

 

Griffin had one great year and then nothing. Williams had no great years until he got out of New Orleans (and don't forget he retired from football to smoke pot, at least Robert is still trying). Williams' best football were in Miami and it's not close. He had one decent season for New Orleans (1,200 yards) and he missed 10 games during the other two seasons, so I think the comparison is pretty good. He also never won rookie of the year or carried his team to a playoff game. So, I'd still say Williams was the bigger bust for the team that drafted him.

[justice98]

I think you're thinking of Tebow.

Yeah, I totally was. I meant the Browns. lol

[justice98]

For me, in general, to be in on all-time bust status, you have to literally have done nothing. No RoY, no Pro Bowls, no playoffs (for QBs), no big stat years, etc. 2012 single handedly keeps Griffin off the list, or at least away from the top.

[Taco Bell]

Wait a second, am I missing something, no one acknowledged it the last time.  

 

Isn't this article literally just in reverse chronological order?  There's no ranking here, unless I am missing it, but I've opened that link 20 times and it keeps showing up with RG3 first and Boz last. With literally every single player slotted in by year, there's not a single player out of order year wise. 

 

If so, I don't see why it's even a discussion then of him being first, because clearly he's not "the biggest bust of the modern era" and that's not what the intention of the article is or ever was.  

 

Alright carry on lol