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Tony Washington signs with Calgary


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Very best of luck to Tony Washington.

 

The punishment didn't fit the crime.

 

Hopefully this is the first step towards him fulfilling his dream.

I absolutely agree. If you take the time to read Tony's story, you will see how unfairly he has been branded (for life) as a sex offender. Very sad story.

 

I wish him well in Calgary.

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Good luck to him. There are NFL players who have killed people, so you know, the fact he was given the cold shoulder was a little hypocritical.

 

There are also a lot of mid round talents that never got a call due to silly offenses. Unless you are proven, or unquestionably an elite talent, you don't get many extra chances.

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troubled O-lineman

 

I'll see if I can dig up and old thread about him.

 

here it is

 

It's really amazing a guy can go off & kill another person while driving drunk , pay off the family & who ever else to the tune of 8 Mil , spend 24 days or less in jail & is reinstated into the NFL with out hardly a peep .

 

But like this guy makes a mistake they have article after article dragging the guy & his family through the mud over & over again . I wonder what they would have done if he was say a millionaires kid probably just not have said a word !!

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It's really amazing a guy can go off & kill another person while driving drunk , pay off the family & who ever else to the tune of 8 Mil , spend 24 days or less in jail & is reinstated into the NFL with out hardly a peep .

 

But like this guy makes a mistake they have article after article dragging the guy & his family through the mud over & over again . I wonder what they would have done if he was say a millionaires kid probably just not have said a word !!

 

The legal representation he received dealing with the charges was obscenely incompetent. He should have been charged with a lesser offense or if he would have had a good attorney with him when he was interviewed by the police there could have been no charges at all.

 

In my opinion he should have been diverted into a counseling program. His situation was a clear cut miscarriage of justice.

 

I hope things eventually work out for him. I wish him the best.

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There are also a lot of mid round talents that never got a call due to silly offenses. Unless you are proven, or unquestionably an elite talent, you don't get many extra chances.

 

He was projected as a second, possibly late first round pick based on talent and athleticism, so I'm not sure exactly what your point is.

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He was projected as a second, possibly late first round pick based on talent and athleticism, so I'm not sure exactly what your point is.

I must've missed that first round grade... Where'd that one come from? I saw second as a high and fourth as the low end:...

 

 

Do you have a single snap of film of his?

Edited by NoSaint
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Do you have a single snap of film of his?

 

Um, no, because I'm not a scout. I'm a dude on the Internet who likes the Buffalo Bills. How much film have you seen of him?

 

 

 

I must've missed that first round grade... Where'd that one come from? I saw second as a high and fourth as the low end:...

 

The world is full of opinions, but after his performance at the combine I heard at least one person (could have been Mayock) say that he had first round talent.

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Um, no, because I'm not a scout. I'm a dude on the Internet who likes the Buffalo Bills. How much film have you seen of him?

 

 

 

 

 

The world is full of opinions, but after his performance at the combine I heard at least one person (could have been Mayock) say that he had first round talent.

 

I haven't seen any - and that's my point... First round grades are rare for guys that didn't play D1. you wipe the arrest away, and you still have big question marks, even if he excelled against low level talent.

 

Perhaps the fact that he isn't playing in the NFL is remotely linked to his play on the field? He probably would have gotten a shot if not for the arrest, but if someone was confident he was a starting LT worth a first round grade I also believe he would've gotten picked up.

 

Now unfortunately it's hard to separate out the arrest because it prevented him from getting the college chance...

 

I get it- it's just this board tends to fall in love with players they've never seen on the field.

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I haven't seen any - and that's my point... First round grades are rare for guys that didn't play D1. you wipe the arrest away, and you still have big question marks, even if he excelled against low level talent.

 

Perhaps the fact that he isn't playing in the NFL is remotely linked to his play on the field? He probably would have gotten a shot if not for the arrest, but if someone was confident he was a starting LT worth a first round grade I also believe he would've gotten picked up.

 

Now unfortunately it's hard to separate out the arrest because it prevented him from getting the college chance...

 

I get it- it's just this board tends to fall in love with players they've never seen on the field.

 

Well, rumor had it last year that the NFL was blackballing him due to the incest charges. That the commish let it be known to NFL teams that they were to stay away from him. I never heard any criticism of his play, just praise. Doesn't me it didn't exist, just that people had a lot of god things to say about him (size, athleticism, arm length, foot speed, etc).

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I haven't seen any - and that's my point... First round grades are rare for guys that didn't play D1. you wipe the arrest away, and you still have big question marks, even if he excelled against low level talent.

 

Perhaps the fact that he isn't playing in the NFL is remotely linked to his play on the field? He probably would have gotten a shot if not for the arrest, but if someone was confident he was a starting LT worth a first round grade I also believe he would've gotten picked up.

 

Now unfortunately it's hard to separate out the arrest because it prevented him from getting the college chance...

 

I get it- it's just this board tends to fall in love with players they've never seen on the field.

 

In all the draft publications that I read or reviewed he was noted as a second to third round talent with some even noting that he had first round ability. They all also cryptically noted (without much explanation) that he had some serious issues that clouded his prospects.

 

Isn't it surprising that not one team took a chance on him in the draft or as an undrafted free agent? It is apparent (at least to me) that there was a tacit mandate coming out of the commisssioner's office not to draft him.

 

Maybe the best thing that could happen to him (in the long run) is for him to take a more circuitous route to the NFL and demonstrate that he has the ability and character to play in the league.

 

Tony Washington's story is not a simple story. It is very complex. It is very easy to portray his situation as being very ugly and sick. When his situation and environment are more fully explored he becomes a more sympathetic person.

 

As I stated in a prior posting, if he would have had competent representation his situation would be so much better.

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In all the draft publications that I read or reviewed he was noted as a second to third round talent with some even noting that he had first round ability. They all also cryptically noted (without much explanation) that he had some serious issues that clouded his prospects.

 

Isn't it surprising that not one team took a chance on him in the draft or as an undrafted free agent? It is apparent (at least to me) that there was a tacit mandate coming out of the commisssioner's office not to draft him.

 

Maybe the best thing that could happen to him (in the long run) is for him to take a more circuitous route to the NFL and demonstrate that he has the ability and character to play in the league.

 

Tony Washington's story is not a simple story. It is very complex. It is very easy to portray his situation as being very ugly and sick. When his situation and environment are more fully explored he becomes a more sympathetic person.

 

As I stated in a prior posting, if he would have had competent representation his situation would be so much better.

 

 

Never tried to imply it was simple. What I am saying is that this isn't all that rare either. Plenty of talented kids get in legal or other issues and never get a chance. It's not fair to compare him to NFL stars that have messed up, because they have had the chance to prove they are worth whatever baggage is following them. He hasn't proven that yet.

 

As a GM I wouldn't want to stick my neck out on the chopping block in a situation like this unless I knew what I was getting. With a guy that played against such weak competition it's hard to know what you are getting and even with an immaculate resume and great skills I think the tackle for abilene Christian would struggle to get high round consideration. Look at our own Michael Jasper - physical freak, elite measureables, clean record, hard worker and still struggled to get any recognition. Without the arrest you still have a kid that didn't play against or with the best talent, and clearly has some emotional development question marks. I dont doubt he would've gotten a phone call but I do doubt it would've been first, or even second day.

 

Basically my point is it might be less of a conspiracy and more a case of gms not thinking his play warrants having to deal with the questions.

Edited by NoSaint
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Sounds to me like he has some sort of mental illness... I am no doctor. But I think someone who is sexually attracted to his sister is not normal...

 

With that said I wouldn't of had a problem if the bills signed him... He didn't rape her or kill anyone. He doesn't sound violent. Sounds like he hasnt had any problems since. Sounds like he has moved on from this and I believe he should have a second chance... He was a kid when it happened....

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Never tried to imply it was simple. What I am saying is that this isn't all that rare either. Plenty of talented kids get in legal or other issues and never get a chance. It's not fair to compare him to NFL stars that have messed up, because they have had the chance to prove they are worth whatever baggage is following them. He hasn't proven that yet.

 

As a GM I wouldn't want to stick my neck out on the chopping block in a situation like this unless I knew what I was getting. With a guy that played against such weak competition it's hard to know what you are getting and even with an immaculate resume and great skills I think the tackle for abilene Christian would struggle to get high round consideration. Look at our own Michael Jasper - physical freak, elite measureables, clean record, hard worker and still struggled to get any recognition. Without the arrest you still have a kid that didn't play against or with the best talent, and clearly has some emotional development question marks. I dont doubt he would've gotten a phone call but I do doubt it would've been first, or even second day.

 

Basically my point is it might be less of a conspiracy and more a case of gms not thinking his play warrants having to deal with the questions.

Any one of 32 teams could have brought him in as a UFA. No risk involved. Why didn't one team out of 32 do that? IMO...fear of fan backlash.

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