The player or the system...

[Tatonka]

I was just sitting here thinking about all the players in the NFL, past and present, that were not first round picks, but turned out to be some of the best in NFL history..

guys like these are all over the place on every team..

joe montana and jerry rice are a good example of older names.. but think about current guys.. priest holmes, terrell davis, tiki barber, rhonde barber, antonio gates, colston, hasslebeck, boldin, warner..

my question is.. how can teams get it so wrong? i mean how is it truely possible that NO ONE could figure out that colston was going to be a stud? did he just look so ****ty in college that most didnt even waste time looking at him?

and tiki barber.. how is it that no one could see him as a bell cow running back?

i guess that is why i love the draft.. hell, ellison could turn out to be the best LB on our roster by years end.. or kyle williams may turn out to be a dominant DT.. who the hell knows..

so the question is.. do you think that these guys that perform like high first round picks that are taken much later.. are they a product of the stars aligning.. are they just in the right place and the right system at the right time? or are teams just way off.. are they putting too much stock in measurables, and not enough on how they played in college?

[Philagape]

Through the years, the most common reason a player busts is he has the wrong attitude/desire/intelligence. Teams drool over physical attributes and draft accordingly, but none of that matters if the player isn't right in the head. That's harder to measure before kids actually play at NFL speed, trying to learn NFL playbooks and getting used to the NFL lifestyle.

Conversely, the diamonds in the rough are kids who may not have had the most impressive numbers but who show heart and devote themselves to learning the transition. They "get it."

[jamesiscool]

i think it could be both.

With denver and runningbacks, its the system, no question about it.

But someplayers are just too good to be bad in any one specific system.

drew brees was good in his last season with the chargers and STELLAR last season with the saints. different coaches, different personnel, different playbook yet still amazing production.

while some players are better fit for some systems over others its not ENTIRELY the player or the system. its about finding the right player for the right system.

[jmb1099]

There is a machining factory not too far from where I live that will not hire anyone with experience. Sounds crazy I know. They do this because they feel it is easier to train the right way from scratch than it is to have to break old bad habits and re train and so on. Incidently it works they make money hand over fist. That being said they will occassionaly hire someone with some experience if the attitude is right.

As far as football is concerned there is a natural ability that certain players have that just can't be taught and that is coveted. But to have that ability and to play undisciplined football will result in poor production. As was already stated Drew Brees is a classic example of raw talent meeting desire, motivation, and proper coaching.

[casdhf]

I think it's hard work. At this level, all of these guys can play. Sure, some have more talent than others ... but every player has enough talent to make it this far. The difference is how hard they work. You see stuff on these low picks that end up in the pro-bowl and most of them watch film like 365.

[TheGhostofJimKelly]

The thing is nobody knows. We all form an opinion, but when that kid goes from being BMOC to just another rookie, he has to adapt to that. They have to go into a situation that they have to give 100% all of the time. All in all, most of them don't make it.