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Hacksaw’s Monday Bonus Podcast..NFL DRAFT RECAP-1:30pm
You Tube Lee Hacksaw Hamilton
Hot Topics on Table..Stay for Fans Forum
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“NFL-vs-SHEDEUR SANDERS”
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Fireworks from start to finish in the NFL Draft.

Not so much about who was selected, but who was not selected for so long.

The Shedeur Sanders story stole the excitement of the NFL draft, and the antics of ESPN’s panel of draft experts sucked the oxygen out of the draft in Green Bay.

It was historical, the drop of Sanders, from the so-called 2nd QB on the draft board, to the plunge to becoming the 144th player taken, as a 5th round draft choice.

Historical too was the ranting-raging of Mel Kuiper and the ESPN draft panel, railing on NFL teams for bypassing Sanders, and then turning onto the NFL for its conduct in the draft.

If Sanders’ statistics at Jackson State and Colorado were inflated by what they ran scheme wise, the opinions expressed by Kuiper enraged people around the country viewing the telecast.  Kuiper and his co-hosts ranted 6-different times in 3-hours about their opinions on Sanders and their criticism of all the teams that bypassed him.

So why did the anointed one from Colorado sit for 3-days, 5-rounds, before being chosen by the Cleveland Browns?

Was it that the NFL teams didn’t like his talent?  Not like his attitude?   Not accept what they saw in person in limited workouts, on video, or in his meetings with coaches?

Was it race related?

Was it resentment about all the things Deion Sanders seems to represent out of the ordinary in running his Colorado Buffaloes football program?

I asked an NFL scout and a former GM their opinions, in exchange for anonymity, and got some pretty blunt answers.

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“They ran a junk offense at Colorado-and-Jackson State.  The star wide receivers at those schools, gained all the yards, made all the plays.  it was alot of freelance football’

‘If you subtract the bubble screens and flare passes, and just did the metric breakdown on important passes NFL-QBs have to throw, his completion rate on deep slants, deep crosses, deep sidelines and out passes was (39%)’.

‘Remember the run-and-shoot?  How long did that last? It was a gimmick package, defenses caught up to it, QBs got killed and it was gone quickly’

‘You cannot run what he ran in the NFL.  Great at Jackson State-Colorado.  Great stats-but nothing else’

‘He took 96-sacks in two years because he does not move the pocket well.  He was (13-12) in two years at CU.  He was (1-7) vs Top 25 teams’

‘He does not have a rocket arm to put the ball into tight spots.  He is late on throws.  He holds it too long.  His propensity is to roll left all the time’

‘He does not check off the elite boxes talent wise you want an NFL-QB to have’
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This had nothing to do with being Coach Prime’s son, the cars, the bling, the girls, the posh lifestyle.

There were turn offs however.  Reports he interrupted a zoom call with a head coach to take a cell phone call.   The fact the told an NFL club he would not work out for them-just go look at the 4-years of tape.  He gave 1-word answers to questions.  He looked disinterested in personal interviews.  He acted like it should be an honor he was giving a coach his time.  He came off entitled.

Tom Brady, all QB all the time, did not endorse him enough for the Raiders to take him;.  The quarterback disaster Browns passed on him 5-times in the draft.  The equally troubled Steelers bypassed him 4-times in the draft.

There is alot of evidence stacking up that Shedeur lacks in alot of football areas, and maybe in the personal world he grew up in.

ESPN’s coverage damaged alot of reputations, especially Kuiper.  You have an opinion, fine, make it, and move on to the next pick, the trades, the needs.  Instead Kuiper went off on a Trump-like tirade that was a bad look, for 3-hours in a row throughout draft night

Do you know ESPN did not interview #1 pick Cam Ward, a success story unto himself, a zero recruit, who went from Division II to the number 1-pick, as a student of the game, and a standout stud.  Ignored him to make space for the sewage Kuiper was selling

NFL Scouts and Player Personnel guys live and die on draft evaluations.  They live in video rooms with every form of evaluation possible on QBs.  They have to, because if they miss, it costs people jobs and careers.  The video does not lie about productivity.

So where do you draw the line on Kuiper and his posse, Shedeur and the fellas, and the NFL scouts of the 31-other teams who did not think it was worth a pick to take a risk on this guy, regardless of what the QB nor his dad-coach thinks.

Can he become an NFL-QB?  Sure.  Kevin Stefanski is a highly regarded offensive mind.  There will be time to teach.  Time to observe.  Time to be on the field.  I guarantee you the parade of celebrities and the entourage will end because the Browns will lock the building, close the practice field.  There will be no distractions.

Of course the Browns now have 5-in the QB room, from the pros pro-Joe Flacco, to the struggling other high pick Ken Pickett, to the fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel, to the injured-controversial Deshaun Watson.  And here comes Shedeur.  Players-personalities and all types of experiences.

But the 3-days of draft coverage and information-opinions was non stop.  it was a tidal wave-tsunami that overwhelmed every story that was out there.  This entire experience has become so polarizing, it took the joy out of the draft.

Guarantee you though, that era and the his stories are over.

Now we find out if he is good enough to be someone’s active roster QB?  Is he going to like life on the developmental squad?  Will his name be on the waiver wire?  Might he be headed to the Canadian Football League?  Will Coach Prime shut up?

Does anyone need to hear anything more from Mel Kuiper?

Shedeur Sanders was not taken early because he is not complete, as a player and maybe not even as a person.

Was this about the player or about the person?  Probably about both.
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