I think therein lies the issue for many of us fans. If Maroney was a third or fourth round pick - he would be considered decent and a good value. However, he is a first round pick and expectations are high. He has not met, nor will he meet, the expectations that people have for a first round pick.
This is about as dumb a comment as I've seen.
Where a player was drafted is irrelevant once the season starts. Value only counts the day you get the guy, and ends that evening.
Right now is value is what he can provide to the team THIS SUNDAY compared to what someone else can provide THIS SUNDAY. If you want to figure money into it, Maroney's value skyrockets as his salary is rookie minimum.
If player X is better than player Y then he is better. Period. It doesn't matter that player Y is almost as productive but was drafted way later. Oh yeah, great. So he gains .9 yards on fourth and one, but so what - he was undrafted. .9 yards is great for an UDFA.
Forget draft selection spot.
If Maroney, Morris and BJGE were all free agents, and you could sign one to a one-year deal for the same $$, then Maroney is the guy you want.
To say Maroney's 4.1 ypc isn't as good as Morris's 3.5 ypc because Maroney was drafted higher is truly dumb.
Who cares where a guy was drafted. How many yards can he bang out this Sunday?
That is all that matters.
Is this what all you Maroney bashers are hung up on? The fact that he was a first round pick? And that if he was an UDFA you all would be fine with him?
Geez, if the is a bigger bunch of maroons in the NFL universe, I'd be surprised.