Oh how we used to produce in the late rounds...

[billsfan_34]

While they haven't hit it every year, there have been some good late round finds like Sammy Morris, Freddy Smith, Brad Butler, Keith Ellison, Kyle Williams, Mario Haggan, Justin Bannan, and the very well beloved Lauvale Sape.

I hope your being sarcastic! None of these players are in the same category.

[billsfan_34]

Well, Williams and Butler were both 5th rounders. Ellison was a 6th rounder. Schouman was a 7th rounder, and there is some positive buzz about Bell, who I believe was a 6th rounder last year. Jason Peters and Jabari Greer were both undrafted as was Fred Jackson. All of these guys have been/potentially will be starters.

Yeah, starters for a non play off team.

[Coach55]

Of course there were more late round steals back then. 20-25 years ago there wasn't nearly the coverage and publicity surrounding the draft that there is now. Fans didn't read scouting report upon scouting report from internet guru's like they do now. There wasn't as much film watching by fans and draft guru's, they didn't have entire shows specifically for draft talk, there wasn't the news technology there is today... I could go on forever.

 

In this day and age, 2009, it is almost impossible for a player to fly under the radar. Sure there are players here and there, such as a Marques Colston, even Tom Brady. But as a whole, it was much easier for that to occur back then. Now, it is nationally publicized about what your 7th round draft pick ate for lunch.

 

Just different age and era. You're not going to find the consistency in late round steals per team that you did before.

I completely disagree. There may be more draft coverage, but now more than ever people just are concerned with the premier schools. It is just as rare for a player to come out of a lower tier school as it was in the past. However, in this day and age more emphasis is put on the draft as GM's need to save face. Therefore teams stick to their high draft picks based on "potential" and rarely take an undrafted guy of equal or better quality. That's why you have people like Fred Jackson, who could start on most teams, have to take extreme unorthidox ways (via indoor football)and catch a break (series of injuries) to get on the field. People like Mike Williams, Rob Johnson, JP Losman, etc. have all of the physical tools and were highly sought after. GM's don't ever want to admit they are wrong. That's why Clarence Coleman (http://www.ferris.edu/htmls/sports/football/archives/01news/coleman6.htm) was never given a fair shake during the Donahoe era, despite tearing up pre-season for several years.

 

Nobody ever gets everything right, but I think that's what separates the great GM's from the rest. Bill Polian, for example, was never afraid to cut or demote anyone, regardless of when picked.