WOW Football future's Mock draft

[bradentonian]

Thomas
Carriker
Weddle

SCHWING!

I'll drink to that!

[BUCFAN4LIFE]

Gator fans correct me if I am wrong...Did Thomas have "big problems" other than this year. From what I here he was alright except he got into a little "situation" per se at the beginning of the year. really that wasnt that big of a deal as he was suspended only for Southern Miss and UCF. When the second positive heis name arose becasue he appealed it claiming it was still in his system from the first time he smoked it....and his banishment was big news but it wasnt for anything Major...he believed he didnt need to be in rehab because he wasnt going to smoke pot anymore...so he said to hell with this I am going to HHN

Really other than his first suspension his only crime was skipping a rehab session he deemed as unnessesary

I'm an alum, and I always thought he brought it on the field and was better than any DT I saw all year. He hasn't gotten in any trouble that would affect us civilians but he's failed at least 3-4 drug tests in his career, blatantly breached the terms of his reinstatement, and recently made statements about the UF coaching staff being too restricting on him. He may never get arrested or anything, but you start failing drug tests in the NFL and you're gone like Ricky Williams, Odell Thurman and Onterrio Smith. It's very troubling to see someone not be able to live with simple rules with such a big reward waiting for him. I hope he turns it around but that's what he's shown thus far.

I am an alum as well. Thomas failed 2 drug tests and both were positive for marijuana in the summer and was suspended for the first game of the season after a passed test. Then he had another positive for marijuana again during the season and was suspended for 5 games but he appealed and swore it had to be a mistake. He was attending counseling for it during the appeal so Meyer let him play until the appeal process would have been exhausted, but Thomas then missed a test and Urban counted that as another failed and threw him off the team. Thomas came out with his statement and admitted to the two tests over the summer- he still vehemently denies the one during the season but did admit he was pig headed because the coaches rode him so hard and he blew off the other test that got him thrown off the team. He stated he was going thorugh the counseling already and knew he was clean and he thought the coaches realized that becasue as he puts it he had no time to do anything since he was so restricted and thats why he blew off the test. He stated he was very sorry for what he put the Gator nation through and swore he remained clean and that he remained in counseling and finally realized how stupid it was.

IMO he can be a steal for the aforementioned concerns -- I'ld be willing to risk our third on him. Hell Sapp was a pothead too, that turned it around and we know how much we got out of that DT. To me Thomas's press conference was very sincere. I would take a shot his upside is unbelievable.

To answer the though he was never a trouble maker-- just smoked enough weed to get himself caught on a few occassions. And as for the 4th test he blew off. Why does someone blow off a test if they have nothing to hide???

[Feel Real Good]

I am an alum as well. Thomas failed 2 drug tests and both were positive for marijuana in the summer and was suspended for the first game of the season after a passed test. Then he had another positive for marijuana again during the season and was suspended for 5 games but he appealed and swore it had to be a mistake. He was attending counseling for it during the appeal so Meyer let him play until the appeal process would have been exhausted, but Thomas then missed a test and Urban counted that as another failed and threw him off the team. Thomas came out with his statement and admitted to the two tests over the summer- he still vehemently denies the one during the season but did admit he was pig headed because the coaches rode him so hard and he blew off the other test that got him thrown off the team. He stated he was going thorugh the counseling already and knew he was clean and he thought the coaches realized that becasue as he puts it he had no time to do anything since he was so restricted and thats why he blew off the test. He stated he was very sorry for what he put the Gator nation through and swore he remained clean and that he remained in counseling and finally realized how stupid it was.

IMO he can be a steal for the aforementioned concerns -- I'ld be willing to risk our third on him. Hell Sapp was a pothead too, that turned it around and we know how much we got out of that DT. To me Thomas's press conference was very sincere. I would take a shot his upside is unbelievable.

To answer the though he was never a trouble maker-- just smoked enough weed to get himself caught on a few occassions. And as for the 4th test he blew off. Why does someone blow off a test if they have nothing to hide???

It came out he also failed a test as a freshman and the last test he failed this year had GHB in it. Don't ask how that happened. The last straw for him was he was forbidden from leaving Gainesville but he went to Halloween Horror Nights with friends in Orlando and that was it. In his initial statement, he was apologetic, but later him and his agent said the stuff about UF being too restrictive. I agree he's not been a troublemaker but neither was Ricky Williams and you don't see much of him these days. It's not hard to smoke your way out of the league if you're stupid. I'd love for him to turn it around but that's the risk.

[ABuccs Fan]

Johnson may just be a better prospect than Thomas. That point gets passed over by the people that see a LT in our range.

He very well may be. What would make our team better? A team with Johnson, or a team without Thomas.

[rpc1978]

Exactly. While I would prefer Thomas simply because of the position that he plays, I would still be thrilled with Johnson who is the better player. Hell, he might be the best prospect of the last 5 drafts.

While I like Calvin isn't there one WR like him almost every year?

2005 Braylon Edwards (3) was big, fast, can't miss.
2004 LFitz (3) was a Calvin level player at the time.
2003 Charles Rodgers (2) and Andre Johnson (3) were viewed with much the same awe.
2001 David Terell (7) was a stud player
2000 Peter Warrick (4)
1999 Tory Holt (6)

I'm not trying to argue that he's not a good player becuase some of these cats are really good but people look at him like something that's never been before and in simple fact he's a big, fast dude and that isn't all that rare.

its funny all the sites say that calvin is a cant miss, "comes along once every so many years" type of guy.  But as your list indicates, almost every year there are those big athletic guys in the draft.  Add David Boston, Koren Robinson, Plaxico Burress, Roy Williams, Mike Williams, Reggie Williams to your list. 

i'm still not ready to give up on clayton -

How many more unproductive seasons are you willing to give him?

[SunnyD]

Thats just a bad mock for the Bucs. Going after Woodley over Carriker is passing on Anderson for Jenkins all over again. Carriker would be a better pass rusher than Woodley who is most likely gonna end up being an LB. I won't even talk about CJ over Thomas.

Okay Jenkins is the perfect size and fit to play UT or DE in this system so 1.) I think you should give Jenkins more time and 2.) Do you really think Mark Anderson would have preformed as well for this defence as he preformed for the Bears defence?

[Caveat Emperor]

Ignoring the Charles Rogers types, the best of the recent top 5 receivers are Fitzgerald, Andre Johnson and Roy Williams and they put up good numbers for 3 of the worst teams in the league. It's a hard sell that even if Calvin Johnson is great, he's going to turn around the Bucs who are in need of a near complete overhaul.

He can't throw to himself, and he certainly can't pass block to give Simms throwing lanes to get him the ball.

Other than Tory Holt, none of the "elite" NFL wideouts has ever won a Super Bowl. Championship teams don't need great WRs/

[rpc1978]

Harell's problem is physical however...If you remember he is the one that ruptured his bicep and if ended his collegate career....MT I think can develop and mature under a Derrick Brooks/Chris Hovan/Rhonde Barber/Monte Kiffen and I am sure from whatever he did he is regretting everything he has done (he missed out on the National Championship) and looking to prove something

Harrell had surgery by the end of September. They can fix those things. I hope Thomas can turn it around but I have more faith in modern medicine than some kid with an attitude who has yet to show he 'gets it'.

Gator fans correct me if I am wrong...Did Thomas have "big problems" other than this year. From what I here he was alright except he got into a little "situation" per se at the beginning of the year. really that wasnt that big of a deal as he was suspended only for Southern Miss and UCF. When the second positive heis name arose becasue he appealed it claiming it was still in his system from the first time he smoked it....and his banishment was big news but it wasnt for anything Major...he believed he didnt need to be in rehab because he wasnt going to smoke pot anymore...so he said to hell with this I am going to HHN

Really other than his first suspension his only crime was skipping a rehab session he deemed as unnessesary

another thing to consider, its not like his teamates rallied round him when he was dimissed and spoke of what a great guy he was.  In fact, quite the opposite.  Brandon Siler is the defensive leader and spoke out about Thomas in a radio interview about how selfish Thomas was and that he put himself before the team by repeatedly getting into trouble.  When his own teamates dont even back him up, that's all i need to know about the guy's character and his ability to fit into a lockeroom. 

[acacius]

[snip]

...did admit he was pig headed because the coaches rode him so hard and he blew off the other test that got him thrown off the team.

And to be honest, this part bothers me very nearly as much if not more than the tests he failed, even assuming (a HUGE assumption) that he didn't actually blow off the test because he knew he'd fail it.  If he thinks nfl coaching staffs are going to treat him with kid gloves, I expect he's greatly mistaken.  I certainly can't see OUR coaching staff treating him like a delicate flower.  He really does sound like a head case to me.