PICKING SECOND IS SOMETIMES A GOOD THING at the NFL Draft

Photos: Barber & Strahan were probably two of the "Greatest Ever"second round selections...Tiki Barber Photo by David Shankbone via Wikipedia-Strahan(shown "schooling" a Youngster) By Victor Pagan for Football Reporters)
(Eds. Note: this is the first installment of Football Reporters Online's "Pro Draft Report" for 2011, reposted here with permission. It will run every Day until the Draft on April 28th
PICKING SECOND IS SOMETIMES A GOOD THING
By Don Stokes Senior Writer Mid-West Football Reporters Online

I can truly relate to being second. I was born the second of two boys. I got the hand-me downs clothes and shoes from my one year older brother. So I can really understand to being number two. No with the upcoming 2011 NFL draft just weeks away every team is crossing their collective fingers that they make the best 1st round choice. As every football executive knows making the wrong 1st rounder can put your franchise in a serious tailspin which can take many years to recover.

Ask the San Diego Chargers who chose QB Ryan Leaf with their 1st round pick in 1998. Or the more recent 1st round flop JaMarcus Russell by the Oakland Raiders in 2007. While no team has been totally picture perfect with their 1st picks this piece is not about that. But what of the second round pick? For this is about the 2nd round choices that some NFL executives have made and for some have ultimately lost their good reputations (or jobs) over. I have taken the time and looked for 30 years of data to choose the best and the worst of each NFL teams 2nd round picks.

First let’s go over my criteria:
A) These 2nd round picks are a 30 year (1980 thru 2010) period. For some teams like Carolina, Jacksonville, Baltimore and Houston their NFL existence is a shorter time span.

B) The player MUST have contributed for that team in some manner which he was the choice (ex. In 1991 with their 2nd pick Atlanta chose QB Brett Favre, a future hall of famer but didn’t contribute much for the Falcons during his brief stay with them)

C) A Pro Football Hall of famer tops any all-pro choice (see my example later)

D) A pro bowler tops a player who had a solid career (ex. seasoned veteran).

E) Playing in the NFL is extremely difficult so if you managed to have played at least 20 NFL games during your career you are not considered the worst pick for that or any team.

F) Regardless of injury and you played NO games in your career but you were a 2nd round pick of that club you WILL be considered the best of the worst.

E) Finally, if you made the ultimate sacrifice you will be considered the best 2nd round choice of that team.
With that in mind some of these choices were very challenging. For some teams (Cowboys, Dolphins and Patriots) they had many players to pick from while others (Redskins, Chiefs and Jets) the pickings were slim at best. Some of my choices you may disagree with but here they are:

NFC EAST
DALLAS COWBOYS 1980-2010
BEST 2ND ROUND PICK: Larry Allen G 1994 Somona State
IN CONSIDERATION: Steve Wisniewski G 1989 Penn State
WORST 2ND ROUND CHOICE: Shane Hannah 1995 G Michigan State

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES 1980-2010
BEST 2ND ROUND PICK: Brian Dawkins DB 1996 Clemson
IN CONSIDERATION: Randall Cunningham QB 1985 UNLV
WORST 2ND ROUND CHOICE: Mike Bellamy WR 1990 Illinois

NEW YORK GIANTS 1980-2010
BEST 2ND ROUND PICK: Michael Strahan DE 1993 Texas Southern
IN CONSIDERATION: Tiki Barber RB 1997 Virginia
WORST 2ND ROUND CHOICE: Joe Montgomery RB 1999 Ohio State

WASHINGTON REDSKINS 1980-2010
BEST 2ND ROUND PICK: Chip Lohmiller PK 1988 Minnesota
IN CONSIDERATION: Tre’ Johnson G 1994 Temple
WORST 2ND ROUND CHOICE: Bob Slater DT 1984 Oklahoma

It’s interesting that the Redskins best 2nd round choice during the past 30 has been a place kicker. Lohmiller was the only 2nd rounder for Washington who developed into a Pro Bowl player. Although both had great careers choosing Michael Strahan (A SB win) over Tiki Barber wasn’t as difficult is it appears. Philadelphia with the 2nd round Brian Dawkins was a tough choice over Randall Cunningham.

NFC NORTH
CHICAGO BEARS 1980-2010
BEST 2ND ROUND PICK: Mike Singletary LB 1981 Baylor
IN CONSIDERATION: Devin Hester DB 2006 Miami
WORST 2ND ROUND CHOICE: Dan Bazuin DE 2007 Central Michigan

DETROIT LIONS 1980-2010
BEST 2ND ROUND PICK: Chris Spielmann 1987 LB Ohio State
IN CONSIDERATION: Jason Hanson K 1992 Washington State
WORST 2ND ROUND CHOICE: John Ford WR 1989 Virginia

GREEN BAY PACKERS 1980-2010
BEST 2ND ROUND PICK: Le Roy Butler DB 1990 Florida State
IN CONSIDERATION: Darren Sharper DB 1997 William and Mary
WORSE 2ND ROUND CHOICE: Mark D’ Onofrio 1992 LB Penn State

MINNESOTA VIKINGS 1980-2010
BEST 2nd ROUND PICK: Sidney Rice WR 2007 South Carolina
IN CONSIDERATION: EJ Henderson LB 2003 Maryland
WORST 2ND ROUND CHOICE: James Manley DT 1996 Vanderbilt

Singletary was a no brainer over Devin Hester since one is a Pro Football Hall of Famer and one is not (yet). The choice of Le Roy Butler over Darren Sharper was a bit more difficult. It’s interesting that the Vikings two best 2nd rounders were drafted within the last 10 years.

NFC SOUTH
ATLANTA FALCONS 1980-2010
BEST 2ND ROUND PICK: Alge Crumpler TE 2001 North Carolina
IN CONSIDERATION: Scott Case DB 1984 Oklahoma
WORST 2ND ROUND CHOICE: Nathan Davis DE 1997 Indiana

CAROLINA PANTHERS 1980-2010
BEST 2ND ROUND PICK: Muhsin Mohammed WR 1996 Michigan State
IN CONSIDERATION: Kris Jenkins DT 2001 Maryland
WORST 2ND ROUND CHOICE: Eric Shelton RB 2005 Alabama

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS 1980-2010
BEST 2ND ROUND PICK: Rickey Jackson LB 1981 Pittsburgh
IN CONSIDERATION: Roman Harper SS 2006 Alabama
WORST 2ND ROUND PICK: Reggie Freeman LB 1993 Florida State

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS 1980-2010
BEST 2ND ROUND PICK: Mike Alstott RB 1996 Purdue
IN CONSIDERATION: James Wilder RB 1981 Missouri
WORST 2ND ROUND PICK Dexter Jackson WR 2006 Appalachian State

The Buccaneers running backs Mike Alstott and James Wilder both had outstanding careers for Tampa. Mohammed, who recently retired had a solid NFL. The Saints Ricky Jackson, of course is a Pro Football HOF so that was an easy choice.

NFC WEST
ARIZONA CARDINALS 1980-2010
BEST 2ND ROUND PICK: Aeneas Williams DB 1991 Saginaw Valley State
IN CONSIDERATION: Tim McDonald DB 1987 USC
WORST 2ND ROUND CHOICE: Tony Jeffery RB 1988 TCU

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS 1980-1994
BEST 2ND ROUND PICK: Roger Craig RB 1983 Nebraska
IN CONSIDERATION: Ricky Watters RB 1991 Notre Dame
WORST 2ND ROUND CHOICE: Israel Ifeanyi DE 1996 USC

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS 1980-2010
BEST 2ND ROUND PICK: Kevin Mawae C 1994 LSU
IN CONSIDERATION: Lofa Tatupu LB 2005 USC
WORST 2ND ROUND CHOICE: Andre Hinds T 1980 Stanford

ST.LOUIS RAMS 1980-2010
BEST 2ND ROUND PICK: Isaac Bruce WR 1994 Memphis
IN CONSIDERATION: Henry Elliard WR 1983 Fresno State
WORST 2ND ROUND CHOICE: Jesse James C 1995 Mississippi State

With St. Louis this was my toughest decision, Isaac Bruce vs. Henry Elliard. Both had great careers with the Rams as wide outs. But the nod went to Bruce (a Super Bowl title) who could be voted in the Hall before Henry Elliard. The 49ers RB’s Roger Craig against Ricky Watters wasn’t that tough. Both had solid careers but three Super Bowl rings (Craig) to one (Watters) was the deciding factor.

the story behind the story about Tiki retiring

From Pro Football Weekly-online edition you know i'll have something to say about this!!
Barber upsets Coughlin in initial foray into media career
By Trent Modglin
March 11, 2007





Tiki Barber is already walking that thin line, the one many before him have toed with caution, some without. Former players who turn in the helmet and cleats for the designer suit, microphone and sharp-witted opinions that make people want to tune in on Sundays.

As the media world’s newest and most anticipated addition, he waited but a few minutes after ending the day job he has had for the past 10 years — that being running back of the Giants — to lay into his former boss, Tom Coughlin.

Barber will work on NBC’s “Today Show” and on the network’s Sunday-night football coverage. At his introduction as the newest member of “Today,” Barber didn’t hold back in ripping into Coughlin, suggesting that it should be considered an “act of God” that the physical demands the coach placed on him in New York did not result in any serious injuries.

“Coach Coughlin is very hard-nosed, and I didn’t get a lot of time off, couldn’t sit down and rest myself, and so it was a constant grind — a physical grind on me that started to take its toll,” Barber told reporters at the press conference.

“The grind took its toll on me and really forced me to start thinking about what I wanted to do next. And that’s not a bad thing. That’s a good thing, for me at least. Maybe not for the Giants, because they lose one of their great players, but for me, it is.

“We were in full pads for 17 weeks, and with the amount of injuries that we had, it just takes a toll on you. You just physically don’t want to be out there when your body feels the way you do in full pads. And while it probably doesn’t have a really detrimental effect on how you practice or how you play, it does on your mind. And if you lose your mind in this game, you lose a lot.”

This was not the first time Barber had been openly critical of Coughlin. He said the Giants were outcoached after a playoff loss to the Panthers a year ago and bristled at the play-calling after another game. He also had a much-publicized spat with Giants DE Michael Strahan over Strahan’s contract squabble with the team.

But here’s where it gets tricky. Barber has plenty of friends in the Giants’ locker room and around the NFL. His twin brother, Ronde, with whom he hosts a weekly Sirius satellite radio show, still plays for the Buccaneers. And now, as Barber changes gears professionally, he will be asked to further analyze, to pick apart and dissect, and ultimately, to criticize his peers.

No more cookie-cutter, P.R.-sanitized answers to mundane, everyday questions. No more holding back for the sake of wondering whose feathers you might ruffle. He’s not getting paid to run the football anymore. He’s getting paid to observe and to speak his mind.

As a member of the media, the challenge for Tiki is to be unbiased, to challenge those who need it. To use his vast playing experience and the fact he’s so recently removed from the game to provide insight and knowledge that viewers wouldn’t ordinarily have been privy to. But some of the people he will put under the microscope will undoubtedly be the same he sought out for a hug after games. Those he had dinner with on the road on Saturday night before games. Those he will be relying on for inside information from around the NFL.

Jerome Bettis, his new teammate on NBC’s Sunday-night broadcast, could share a piece of advice. Early in his tenure with the media, Bettis upset his former head coach, Bill Cowher, by saying he believed Cowher would retire after their Super Bowl title with the Steelers a year ago. Turns out, Cowher stepped down this year, so Bettis was actually only a season off with his prediction, but injecting his opinion when he did still disappointed his beloved coach.

Coughlin, too, was annoyed at Barber’s parting shots. Mostly, he was upset that Barber didn’t discuss it directly with him. Why Barber had to lay it out in front of reporters as opposed to in his office, he’ll never know. Like the rest of us, Coughlin assumed the press conference was designed to announce Barber’s new gig with NBC. And it was. But Barber also found time to hit a few scathing notes before the nameplate could even be changed above his locker.

“I think to give the illusion that I had something to do with his retirement, I don’t quite follow that,” Coughlin said.

And let’s keep one more thing in perspective here. Coughlin helped make the Tiki Barber we know. The one with multiple Pro Bowl appearances. The star.

Before Coughlin arrived in New York, Barber’s high mark for rushing yards in a season was 1,387. And he fumbled the football more than our president does words, coughing up the pigskin 40 times from 2000-04. In three seasons under Coughlin, Barber rushed for 1,518, 1,860 and 1,662 yards and eliminated the aforementioned fumbling problems by holding the ball upright, tight to his body, the way Coughlin taught him. He fumbled only four times the past two seasons.

I admire Barber for having the guts to leave the game in his prime, when he was ready, before his body or a general manager was the one telling him it was time to go. If Stephen King wanted to stop writing and become, say, a painter, who are we to judge? If Julia Roberts wanted to put an end to her acting career and start a day care, it’s her prerogative. As fans, we’re selfish and long to see more, but it’s their lives.

In my experience, far too many media types let athletes off easy, asking the softball questions or offering glossed-over, obvious evaluations that provide us with nothing. What we have grown to expect out of studio analysts like Tom Jackson, Merril Hoge, Cris Collinsworth or Howie Long, however, is more honest, forthright assessments. We want to see the game through their eyes, and they often let us. And I have no doubt Barber will be good at this aspect of the job. He is smooth, articulate, bright and, as we’ve seen on occasion, opinionated.

But taking a shot at a former coach who did so much for your career, intimating that his disciplinarian style — which has been well-documented in the past — helped hasten your decision to leave stage left, seemed unnecessary and a harsh way to part ways. Perhaps that’s why Barber’s representative, in response to my request, said Barber wasn’t currently doing any further interviews.

And despite his training on radio and TV’s “Fox and Friends,” I guess that’s part of the challenge of his new gig. To learn what to say and when to say it. To objectively critique without coddling (the opposite of Michael Irvin) or coming off resentful. And since Barber is a twin, his new boss said he has a backup plan.

“On those days when you’re not feeling well, we’ll just call Tampa Bay and get your brother,” NBC News president Steve Capus said.

Wonder if that made Jon Gruden nervous?



Forget about John Gruden for a minute.

So everyone now thinks Tiki retired because Coughlin was pushing him too hard, leading to the perception that Tiki is "Soft"
Soft is not 6 strait 1,000+ yard seasons. Soft is not 4 fumbles in 3 years once he changed his style of carrying the ball.
Your not soft when you say" It's time to hang it up" before your body tells you to. Tiki's just speaking his mind, and last i heard, you are allowed to do that in this country.....