Oh, What Might Have Been!: LT Marcus McNeill Makes Pro Bowl

[mtnman]

If you were so well aware dont term it a back injury-- injuries heal- spinal stenosis doesn't. Your welcome for the defintion you apparently knew

I didn't even term it a back injury. Heh, you argue the least relevant thing, and don't even get that right. My point was, he had a health question about him undoubtedly. How big of one, who knows? But he never had injury problems and his health in college never really was an issue. He wasn't banged up because of the condition or otherwise at Auburn. Colmer was the opposite, seeing a handful of injuries and missing a whole year recovering directly due to his disease. Poor comparison, IMO.

This and you didn't even touch on the meat of my post.

Once again, thank you for nothing my friend.....

Actually, IIRC he said he injured his back during his sophomore year an once that cleared up it was never a problem again.

[alldaway]

At the top of round 2? Of course you can find a pro bowl level potential LOT at the top of round 2 (especially in this upcoming draft). Trueblood was a tier 2 tackle picked at the bottom of round 2 (that is why I do not understand why people consider him a reach). Davin in my opinion was a reach though with the late first round pick.

The fact that he is restricted to ROT is what made him a reach in Rd2 IMO. LOT was our need, not ROT, so I didn't see the need for the pick there, especially when there is a good chance he could have been there in the 3rd.

The sweet spot for finding starting right tackles is starting at the top of the second round to mid third round.  That sweet spot for finding starting guards is early third round to late fourth round (In contrast that shows how high Davin was picked).  Left tackle was a need but so was right tackle given Kenyatta's uncertain future. So I have to go back to my arguement earlier I made with Kaczur and Colmer.  Even if they drafted a left tackle it would not change the fact that right tackle would still be a need. 

I disagree that he would have been there at the bottom of the third round where the Bucs were picking.  The middle of the third round is when the last tier two tackles usually are off the board and you start to see the tier three tackles come off.

[dbtb135]

If you were so well aware dont term it a back injury-- injuries heal- spinal stenosis doesn't. Your welcome for the defintion you apparently knew

I didn't even term it a back injury. Heh, you argue the least relevant thing, and don't even get that right. My point was, he had a health question about him undoubtedly. How big of one, who knows? But he never had injury problems and his health in college never really was an issue. He wasn't banged up because of the condition or otherwise at Auburn. Colmer was the opposite, seeing a handful of injuries and missing a whole year recovering directly due to his disease. Poor comparison, IMO.

This and you didn't even touch on the meat of my post.

Once again, thank you for nothing my friend.....

[dbtb135]

P.S. - the "wonderful" talent evaluators in San Diego also passed on McNeil in the first and drafted Antonio Crotmarie - who has looked absolutely awful as a corner this year.

San Diego does draft well. So does New England, and the Ravens, and the Steelers. But then again, so do the Bucs. Michael Clayton (who by the way, at the time was a brilliant pick but something happend that NO ONE could have predicted) notwithstanding, Gruden & Co have done a great job drafting. Don't believe me? Take a look at his track record of drafting. Since 2003, the following guys, all drafted by Gruden, have started at least 3 games for Tampa:

White
Simms
Mahan
Cox
Clayton
Allen
Caddy
Ruud
A. Smith
Buenning
joseph
Trueblood
Gradkowski

This means at least half of our starters are guy that we have drafted over the last 4 years alone. Keep in mind also that one of those drafts we didn't have a first rounder. Say what you will about Gruden's love for veterans, he's been on of the best drafting coaches in the last 4 years.

Are you yanking my chain? Look at that list of players man! Thats not something to be proud of. Most of those guys, people want to be replaced with high picks this year for christ's sake. Clayton, Mahan, Allen, Grads. Even a few wanting Buenning and Simms reduced to backups. Cox already is. We've gotten starts out of these guys, but the quality is definitely questionable in that group.

Damn, many of us were hoping the Bucs would take LT Marcus McNeill in Round 1 last April -- I guess the Chargers STOLE the Pro Bowler in R2 instead.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2733385

Congrats, Chargers.  This shows that your front office can run circles against "our" front office. 

[Mohawkbucs]

I know that sucks, he could have been a huge difference maker

[sammy8887]

Guess his back held up. 

[BUCFAN4LIFE]

guess 32+ other teams read the same reports on his back---Bucs couldn't afford another Odom debacle. McNeil wasn't even the starter out of camp until Oben went down.

[jerseybucsfan]

Still the right decision. A gamble we couldn't take. One great year doesn't make it the right decision or are you a Michael Clayton apologist?

[dbtb135]

guess 32+ other teams read the same reports on his back---Bucs couldn't afford another Odom debacle. McNeil wasn't even the starter out of camp until Oben went down.

True wasn't the starter until Yatta went down. Either way, I don't think anyone around here/any Charger fans care.

This is just another example of the Chargers drafting perfectly. Them and the Pats have reached the top tier of the league when it comes to this. We're at the bottom looking up at them.

[Huey Freeman]

It sucks to think that we might have passed on a perennial Pro Bowl LT, but I still think we got a good player in Round 1.  One year does not a HOFer make. 

[jsunm73]

to be honest the back thing kind of scared me also.stenosis is what it was called right?besides we got trueblood and joseph.so why complain.

[BucFan9720]

Rather than **CENSORED** and moan about what could have been, lets give credit where credit is due to McNeil who made the best out of an unexpected situation and played great this year.

[T-Bone]

If his back happened to act up and we having already gone through the same gambling scenario with Chris Colmer what would everyone be saying - "Oh Gruden Loves the sick pick, he needs to go, he can't evaluate a hill of beans -- blah, blah, blah, etc. etc.". Gru-allen did not want to roll the dice on a first rounder and I think it was a sound decision. Davin Joseph is solid.

Another lil nugget, he only had 2 holding calls against him and gave up "0" sacks all year!!!