Biggest Nfl Bust Ever.....

[Aten]

Bobby Petrino

[neckdemon]

Marinovich by a nose, but let us not forget the falling turd that was Reggie Rembert.

marinovich's father totally screwed that kid up.

[Bob]

Remember how Marinovich was going to be the "prototype" for future QBs?

[kelticwizard]

marinovich's father totally screwed that kid up.

Agreed. His father so controlled him that he would only let the kid listen to classical musical, no popular music at all.

His arm strength made Chad Pennington look like Brett Favre. Seriously.

[kelticwizard]

I think the reason so many automatically think of Ryan Leaf is the fact that coming out of college, there was actually some debate about who should be chosen first-Leaf or Peyton Manning.

If it was just Leaf alone coming out of college, his fall would have been bad. But to have the guy who you are considered equal to do so well only makes you look so much worse.

[Aten]

Agreed. His father so controlled him that he would only let the kid listen to classical musical, no popular music at all.

The thing about those goofy vanity project kids is that they're gullible as all holy hell. Marinovich bombed because the defensive linemen kept telling him his shoelace was untied.

[Larz]

the colts win for having 2 busts taken with the #1 and #2 picks in the same draft

that's right, they had both of the top two picks and got nuttin for it

emtman and coryatt

aundray bruce deserves dishonorable mention

mandarich actually had a few decent seasons

[neckdemon]

Agreed. His father so controlled him that he would only let the kid listen to classical musical, no popular music at all.

His arm strength made Chad Pennington look like Brett Favre. Seriously.

his arm was that weak huh? i don't remember hearing much about that back then.

[slowmoe57]

Ki-Jana Carter also deserves a nod

[neckdemon]

surprised blair thomas hasn't been mentioned yet

[Obrien2Toon]

Gholston, B. Thomas, K. Brady.

At least they're the ones that killed me the most.

[#27TheDominator]

Gholston, B. Thomas, K. Brady.

At least they're the ones that killed me the most.

I don't understand all the Kyle Brady hate. Before I started coming on these boards I thought he was a decent pick. Most "busts" don't play in the NFL for 13 years or have 175 career starts. Jets fans are funny. They'll spend all preseason whining about the lack of blocking TE and then they want to crucify Kyle Brady and Anthony Becht.

Might as well list Pennington if you're going to list Brady.

[Matt39]

I don't understand all the Kyle Brady hate. Before I started coming on these boards I thought he was a decent pick. Most "busts" don't play in the NFL for 13 years or have 175 career starts. Jets fans are funny. They'll spend all preseason whining about the lack of blocking TE and then they want to crucify Kyle Brady and Anthony Becht.

Might as well list Pennington if you're going to list Brady.

Both were stiffs. You better be a threat in the passing game if you're picked that early. Becht moreso because he sucked more...but you can find players like Becht and Brady much later in the draft.

There not all time busts, but to Jets fans, yeah they're definitely busts.

[GangisGreen]

Leaf gets my vote. But I did want to throw in David Carr.

I also think Reggie Bush is a bust. I understand he may not be the biggest, but man the hype was rediculous.

[Arsis]

Chad Pennington. Crabtree.

[The Troll]

The obvious answer is Ryan Leaf, but that's the wrong answer.

The correct answer is Tony Mandarich. Ryan Leaf was a bust of epic proportions, but his draft class did not include Barry Sanders, Derrick Thomas, and Deion Sanders.

[124]

Ryan Leaf or Charles Rogers.

[afosomf]

The obvious answer is Ryan Leaf, but that's the wrong answer.

The correct answer is Tony Mandarich. Ryan Leaf was a bust of epic proportions, but his draft class did not include Barry Sanders, Derrick Thomas, and Deion Sanders.

I tried to tell Sperm that....

[neckdemon]

I don't understand all the Kyle Brady hate. Before I started coming on these boards I thought he was a decent pick. Most "busts" don't play in the NFL for 13 years or have 175 career starts. Jets fans are funny. They'll spend all preseason whining about the lack of blocking TE and then they want to crucify Kyle Brady and Anthony Becht.

Might as well list Pennington if you're going to list Brady.

probably because most wanted us to draft sapp.

[DMaynard]

Dolly Pardon

[visajets]

Mike Nugent.

[#27TheDominator]

probably because most wanted us to draft sapp.

By that criteria, wouldn't Ki-Jana Carter have to be considered worse or does he just get a pass because of the injury?

[Sperm Edwards]

The obvious answer is Ryan Leaf, but that's the wrong answer.

The correct answer is Tony Mandarich. Ryan Leaf was a bust of epic proportions, but his draft class did not include Barry Sanders, Derrick Thomas, and Deion Sanders.

I tried to tell Sperm that....

Mandarich sucked horribly.

But a guy who is a full-time starter for 4+ NFL seasons is not as big of a bust as guys taken just as high and barely started 4 games like Schlichter. Even through a winless strike season for the Colts, he couldn't muster up enough confidence to warrant starting a single game over the great Mike Pagel.

Then his 2nd season he was suspended for gambling (wikipedia has a good recap of it; I won't even pretend to have remembered all of it).

Then in year 3, with the team out to a 4-7 start, they gave him the starting job for the remainder of the season (he got knocked out of one of them after throwing 3 passes, one of them a pick). They went 0-5.

In year 4, he started 1 game. Then the Colts released him because he was gambling again. Never took another snap.

Bad as Mandarich was, his career was more successful (if anyone could refer to anything he did in the NFL as successful). A couple of HOF'ers were taken after him as well (Munchak & Marcus).

[nycdan]

I see both ways of looking at it. Overall value vs. position taken, and then overall value vs. the players taken right after him.

So if you look for players drafted high that sucked and were followed by players who were, in hindsight, much better (the Bowie vs. Jordan theory) there are a few who stand out.

One who hasn't been mentioned is Courtney Brown. Brown was picked #1 by CLE just ahead of Arrington, Chris Samuels (both by WAS), then closely followed by Jamal Lewis, Corey Simon, and Brian Urlacher. The next two DEs taken after Brown were Abraham and Ellis, need I say more.

Not an epic bust, but certainly one they would like to have back.

You could say CLE did it again next year when they went back to the DL well to take Gerard Warren ahead of Tomlinson and Richard Seymour (who was also a DT in college). Ouch.

A few years later, DET took Charles Rogers one pick ahead of Andre Johnson. Awkward!

Also when discussing Leaf as epic, don't forget his role model, and former Jet for a day, Rick Mirer. Not exactly the gold standard for QBs taken with a top-5 pick.

[Jets Babe]

Dimitrius Underwood, he was a first round pick (late first), but his college coaches WARNED NFL scouts about drafting him. Crazy story.

With most busts...Underwood, Marinovich, Gholston, you see it coming. Underwood missed most of his senior year. Marinovich was arrested with cocaine possesion at USC. Gholston took plays off. You see it coming, why do NFL GM's even draft these guys?

[afosomf]

I see both ways of looking at it. Overall value vs. position taken, and then overall value vs. the players taken right after him.

So if you look for players drafted high that sucked and were followed by players who were, in hindsight, much better (the Bowie vs. Jordan theory) there are a few who stand out.

One who hasn't been mentioned is Courtney Brown. Brown was picked #1 by CLE just ahead of Arrington, Chris Samuels (both by WAS), then closely followed by Jamal Lewis, Corey Simon, and Brian Urlacher. The next two DEs taken after Brown were Abraham and Ellis, need I say more.

Not an epic bust, but certainly one they would like to have back.

You could say CLE did it again next year when they went back to the DL well to take Gerard Warren ahead of Tomlinson and Richard Seymour (who was also a DT in college). Ouch.

A few years later, DET took Charles Rogers one pick ahead of Andre Johnson. Awkward!

Also when discussing Leaf as epic, don't forget his role model, and former Jet for a day, Rick Mirer. Not exactly the gold standard for QBs taken with a top-5 pick.

2 mandarich

3 sanders HOF

4 thomas HOF

5 Sanders HOF

not even close IMO

[Sperm Edwards]

I see both ways of looking at it. Overall value vs. position taken, and then overall value vs. the players taken right after him.

So if you look for players drafted high that sucked and were followed by players who were, in hindsight, much better (the Bowie vs. Jordan theory) there are a few who stand out.

One who hasn't been mentioned is Courtney Brown. Brown was picked #1 by CLE just ahead of Arrington, Chris Samuels (both by WAS), then closely followed by Jamal Lewis, Corey Simon, and Brian Urlacher. The next two DEs taken after Brown were Abraham and Ellis, need I say more.

Not an epic bust, but certainly one they would like to have back.

You could say CLE did it again next year when they went back to the DL well to take Gerard Warren ahead of Tomlinson and Richard Seymour (who was also a DT in college). Ouch.

A few years later, DET took Charles Rogers one pick ahead of Andre Johnson. Awkward!

Also when discussing Leaf as epic, don't forget his role model, and former Jet for a day, Rick Mirer. Not exactly the gold standard for QBs taken with a top-5 pick.

Brown isn't close to being THE biggest bust ever drafted by anyone.

To me it's not just where he was taken and who else could have been had with that pick, but also how much the player saw the field. There are guys like Rich Campbell who was drafted 6th overall and attempted 68 passes in his entire NFL career. Bad as Marinovich was, he started & played every offensive snap in more games than this clown's total passes thrown. Marinovich, to me, is merely more famous. Same with Leaf, because there was so much hype over "Who should go #1?" between him & Manning, and with Manning becoming an all-time great.

You can make credible arguments for a bunch of these guys because they all sucked balls. Some are merely remembered better because they were more recent.

Look at a guy like Akili Smith. Started 17 games in his career and retired at age 27, perfectly healthy. The next 5 players, and 7 of the next 8 taken, were all pro bowlers. Ouch.

[nycdan]

Brown isn't close to being THE biggest bust ever drafted by anyone.

To me it's not just where he was taken and who else could have been had with that pick, but also how much the player saw the field. There are guys like Rich Campbell who was drafted 6th overall and attempted 68 passes in his entire NFL career. Bad as Marinovich was, he started & played every offensive snap in more games than this clown's total passes thrown. Marinovich, to me, is merely more famous. Same with Leaf, because there was so much hype over "Who should go #1?" between him & Manning, and with Manning becoming an all-time great.

You can make credible arguments for a bunch of these guys because they all sucked balls. Some are merely remembered better because they were more recent.

Oh, I wasn't arguing he was the biggest bust ever, just adding him to the list of sucky guys drafted high just ahead of guys who were great. To me, it does come down to Mandarich and Leaf. Nobody else even close.

BTW, think SI wants a do-over on this cover?

[Sperm Edwards]

Oh, I wasn't arguing he was the biggest bust ever, just adding him to the list of sucky guys drafted high just ahead of guys who were great. To me, it does come down to Mandarich and Leaf. Nobody else even close.

BTW, think SI wants a do-over on this cover?

lol

[afosomf]

Oh, I wasn't arguing he was the biggest bust ever, just adding him to the list of sucky guys drafted high just ahead of guys who were great. To me, it does come down to Mandarich and Leaf. Nobody else even close.

BTW, think SI wants a do-over on this cover?

Amen I forgot about that cover

Kind of proves my point

[ThisYearsModel]

Blair Thomas

[harts724]

Todd Blackledge

[ZachEY]

With most busts...Underwood, Marinovich, Gholston, you see it coming. Underwood missed most of his senior year. Marinovich was arrested with cocaine possesion at USC. Gholston took plays off. You see it coming, why do NFL GM's even draft these guys?

Because they're like women who get mistreated by douchebags. They thought they could change the guy.

Nope.

[neckdemon]

Brown isn't close to being THE biggest bust ever drafted by anyone.

To me it's not just where he was taken and who else could have been had with that pick, but also how much the player saw the field. There are guys like Rich Campbell who was drafted 6th overall and attempted 68 passes in his entire NFL career. Bad as Marinovich was, he started & played every offensive snap in more games than this clown's total passes thrown. Marinovich, to me, is merely more famous. Same with Leaf, because there was so much hype over "Who should go #1?" between him & Manning, and with Manning becoming an all-time great.

You can make credible arguments for a bunch of these guys because they all sucked balls. Some are merely remembered better because they were more recent.

Look at a guy like Akili Smith. Started 17 games in his career and retired at age 27, perfectly healthy. The next 5 players, and 7 of the next 8 taken, were all pro bowlers. Ouch.

i hear ya....but marinovich's whoe llife was geared towards becoming an nfl qb. what he ate, drank, watched,the air he breathed etc etc. guy was pretty much trained from birth.........became huge hype as a high school qb...recruited by almost college in the nation and then got to the nfl and bombed big time. that's one collossal bust if you ask me. the fact that idiot davis picked him just makes it even funnier.

[Jets Babe]

Because they're like women who get mistreated by douchebags. They thought they could change the guy.

Nope.

Ha!