All-Time Bargains

[the taildragger]

After being totally infuriated by SI's predictably feeble attempt at the "Top Draft Bargains of the Past 20 Years" -- where Steve Smith somehow trumped our QB (and Shannon Sharpe) -- I decided to make a point by sending in my top ALL-TIME bargains.

I'm posting it here so you can take your best shot -- it won't hurt my feelings. Or better yet, counter with your own top-10, it's totally subjective.

I can hear it now, "Staubach over Montana?, ru ******ed?"...welcome to my demented paradigm...but remember, Staubach won the Heisman and went off to war which caused him to drop all the way out of the top-100 -- in my book that would've helped his draft stock (and I'd even take Roger over Joe on an even-value-basis anyway, so there).

#199 Brady
#129 Staubach
#82 Montana
#200 Starr
#102 Unitas
#232 Raymond Berry
#186 Deacon Jones
#85 Joe Schmidt
UD: Steve Young
#192 Shannon Sharpe
#181 Willie Davis
#321 Rosey Brown
#204 art Donovan
#52 Stabler
#103 dante Lavelli
#84 Bobby Mitchell
Marino: 6th QB taken in '83 draft
#102 Buoniconti
#182 Rayfield Wright
#125 Mike Webster
#105 Harry Carson
#129 Jackie Smith
#117 Largent
#80 Shell
#48 Howie Long
#93 Charlie Joiner
#42 Waterfield
#103 Tom Fears
#86 Jackie Slater
#82 Stallworth
#46 Lambert
#34 Ham
#214 Ken Houston
#53 Blount
#50 Willie Lanier
#196 Terrell Davis (we now know it's the O-line, but while he was still a tremendous back he's not a HoFer IMO -- no RB deserves to go to Canton with a shorter career than Sayers).

Somewhere below these guys: Warner, Steve Smith (due to injuries), T.O. (due to
disciplinary issues)

For all the talk about how the draft is "overrated" consider that the Packers/Steelers/Niners/Cowboys/Pats, basically built their "dynasties" in a single draft (or two).

People are going to get fired because of what they decide this weekend -- coaches and GMs -- just not right away. And once in a while a team will hit the jackpot.

Since FA, the rosters turnover so much faster and you have to replinish your team more frequently, so the draft today is WAY more important than it ever was 15 years ago...it's not even close. Most teams will end up being dissapointed, but it's still worth hyping -- but seriously, can we get some people on TV that have a clue?

 

[patchick]

Antonio Gates made a pretty nice UDFA.

 

[spacecrime]

UD: Steve Young

Didn't Young start out in the USFL? And the Niners pick him up as FA afterwards?

 

[SamBamsFan]

Antonio Gates made a pretty nice UDFA.

priest Holmes as well...

 

[the taildragger]

Didn't Young start out in the USFL? And the Niners pick him up as FA afterwards?

yeah, he didn't pay off for the bucs...but he still counts.

 

[zippo59]

Perhaps Rod Smith, another UDFA.

 

[the taildragger]

priest Holmes as well...

Great athlete, great bargain, no doubt...way underrated at the time...but personally I'd rate him around T.davis -- Priest had the best O-line in the game, with one of the best LTs in league history (where he ran most of the time) + a Pro Bowl fullback + a HoF TE to clear out the backers. I was one of the first to jump on the LJ bandwagon. The scary thing about their ground game is that you know exactly what they're going to do but can't stop them...sort of like Lombardi's Packers (except with Trent Green and a lousy defense instead).

 

[the taildragger]

Antonio Gates made a pretty nice UDFA.

true. however most of my list is already enshrined, or a lock, so the question for me is, if AG's career ended tomorrow, would his "career value" put him in this illustrious list? He's definitely on pace though.

 

[SamBamsFan]

Great athlete, great bargain, no doubt...way underrated at the time...but personally I'd rate him around T.davis -- Priest had the best O-line in the game, with one of the best LTs in league history (where he ran most of the time) + a Pro Bowl fullback + a HoF TE to clear out the backers. I was one of the first to jump on the LJ bandwagon. The scary thing about their ground game is that you know exactly what they're going to do but can't stop them...sort of like Lombardi's Packers (except with Trent Green and a lousy defense instead).

Still Priest was pretty good considering the Ravens didn't even spend a pick on him.