OT: Giants Cowboys

[brasssbonanzaa]

This was not the typical Week 17 situation that a lot of teams find themselves in, which is what makes it worse. It's that they played a game plan, with a bunch of key players, for three quarters and then willingly decided to give up down 3 in the 4th quarter. That's a slap in the face to those players and the game.

That's not the same as sitting your starters in a meaningless Week 17 game to reduce risk of injury. If they'd done that, that's defendable - the game meant nothing. Instead, they put those guys out there (at risk of injury) for three quarters then decided to give up at the end of a close game.

This situation is immeasurably worse for Philadelphia than it is for the Giants. Peterson may have permanently lost the trust of the locker room by doing that - including the starting QB who he used to kick his other QB out the door. Meanwhile, you can bet every player in the Giants organization is willing to run through a wall for Joe Judge after that press conference yesterday. And the Giants lose nothing more than a week of practice and one playoff game they'd almost certainly lose. Not insignificant, but nothing compared to deep fractures across the team.

 

[BlueMAB]

I’m not angry at all. This is standard NFC East tone and temperament and I don’t even hate those teams. Seth Joyners opinion means nothing to most of us.

You've posted about this 3 or 4 times but have yet to once explain what exactly the Giants did wrong.

 

[Horatio]

Sorry have no idea why you were on here, was not directed at you Horatio.

No problem Mau. I’m just irritated over the fact that I’ve never seen the Eagles “tank” in my 25-30 years of fandom and their getting this level of criticism. Criticism from fans of a team that has “ Tanked” to the sum of Odell, Barkley and Jones recently. If they were playing the Jags with nothing on the line, no one would’ve cared. The Giants wanted to play Brady again. Oh well

 

[The Viking]

No problem Mau. I’m just irritated over the fact that I’ve never seen the Eagles “tank” in my 25-30 years of fandom and their getting this level of criticism. Criticism from fans of a team that has “ Tanked” to the sum of Odell, Barkley and Jones recently. If they were playing the Jags with nothing on the line, no one would’ve cared. The Giants wanted to play Brady again. Oh well

Beckham was taken 12th. No tanking involved.

The year that caused the Giants to get the 2 pick (Barkley), was because of the incompetence of Bob McAdoo (Geno Smith fiasco), who was promptly fired and replaced by Spagnola who as an interim coach sure as hell wasn't trying to lose...and in fact the Giants won the final game of that season - ironically enough against Washington

The year that caused the Giants to get the 6 pick was under Shurmer and they started 1-7, but finished 4-4 in their last 8.

There are some organizations that play to win - even if they've sucked at it lately - and then there are some organizations that take players out of games in order to avoid winning when it suits them.....even when their own players want to keep playing.

 

[the Q]

Why doesn't the NFL just go the ping pong ball route to avoid this nonsense? The whole Trevor Lawrence watch was embarassing quite frankly. Maybe they will ping pong it up as a response to this.

Take the 20 non-playoff teams, give the worst record 20 ping pongs and the best non-playoff team 1 ping pong. Make a night out of it. It's the NFL for god sakes. Even their NFL lottery drawing will draw crazy ratings. This is a league where some people act like the world has to stop when they release the next year's schedules.

No the NBA showed that is a terrible idea.

Duncan to the Spurs
Rose to the bulls
Brow and Zion to the pelicans

None of these should happen. The bad teams still need those players. Or let teams use cap space so bad teams have a chance of actually signing meaningful fas.

The draft is really just an unconscionable way to save owners money and make money from a tv event

 

[Horatio]

Beckham was taken 12th. No tanking involved.

The year that caused the Giants to get the 2 pick (Barkley), was because of the incompetence of Bob McAdoo (Geno Smith fiasco), who was promptly fired and replaced by Spagnola who as an interim coach sure as hell wasn't trying to lose...and in fact the Giants won the final game of that season - ironically enough against Washington

The year that caused the Giants to get the 6 pick was under Shurmer and they started 1-7, but finished 4-4 in their last 8.

There are some organizations that play to win - even if they've sucked at it lately - and then there are some organizations that take players out of games in order to avoid winning when it suits them.....even when their own players want to keep playing.

You forgot to include the #11 pick they’ll have this year after a another losing season In which they needed their rivals to win a game for them to go to the playoffs.

 

[The Viking]

You forgot to include the #11 pick they’ll have this year after a another losing season In which they needed their rivals to win a game for them to go to the playoffs.

I didn't forget it because it has nothing to do with the Giants tanking....because they historically do not, even when they are giving an opportunity to let the floor fall out from under them.

Regardless, it just adds to the rivalry. I'm sure the next few years if Judge and NY has a chance to run up the score on Philly they will. And the postgame handshakes will be fun to watch.

 

[The Viking]

No the NBA showed that is a terrible idea.

Duncan to the Spurs
Rose to the bulls
Brow and Zion to the pelicans

None of these should happen. The bad teams still need those players. Or let teams use cap space so bad teams have a chance of actually signing meaningful fas.

The draft is really just an unconscionable way to save owners money and make money from a tv event

I think an even more terrible idea is when organizations are lured into taking actions to make winning less likely. The lottery provides more uncertainty to who organizations may get by doing this.

 

[BlueMAB]

You forgot to include the #11 pick they’ll have this year after a another losing season In which they needed their rivals to win a game for them to go to the playoffs.

I don't think you understand 1) what tanking is or 2) how trades work. However, you're really proficient at throwing out accusations without supporting them.

 

[the Q]

I think an even more terrible idea is when organizations are lured into taking actions to make winning less likely. The lottery provides more uncertainty to who organizations may get by doing this.

Yes. But teams outside say the top 5 shouldn’t be getting the top picks.

 

[Husky25]

No one is saying the giants are good. They sucked so they got high draft picks. But when they had chase young if they lost to Washington last year....they played to win and they did..and lost out on young. no One around the NFL is supporting what the iggles did

Giants fans should hold no grudge vs Washington over this. That game went to overtime, both teams wanted to win.

Despite the two loses to the Giants, Washington scraped together seven wins this year, and probably could have had more if Alex Smith (5-1) played all year. Even Bruce Arians recognizes that they aren't playing the Haskins led WFT (2-8). Other than the two wins over Washington, The Giants could only muster four others. Be upset at Pederson's antics to your heart's content, but Washington owes the Giants nothing.

 

[8893]

Giants fans should hold no grudge vs Washington over this. That game went to overtime, both teams wanted to win.

Wha?

 

[Husky25]

Wha?

The game for the right to pick Chase Young.

Giants Beat Redskins 41-35 in Overtime

Daniel Jones put together the best performance of his rookie season fresh off an ankle injury, throwing for 352 yards and five touchdown passes in the New York Giants’ 41-35 overtime victory against the Washington Redskins on Sunday. Jones was 28 of 42 in his first action since missing the past...

www.nbcwashington.com

 

[8893]

The game for the right to pick Chase Young.

Giants Beat Redskins 41-35 in Overtime

Daniel Jones put together the best performance of his rookie season fresh off an ankle injury, throwing for 352 yards and five touchdown passes in the New York Giants’ 41-35 overtime victory against the Washington Redskins on Sunday. Jones was 28 of 42 in his first action since missing the past...

www.nbcwashington.com

Oh. I thought you meant the Washington-Beagles game last weekend.

 

[Horatio]

You're really serious about this? You really think the Giants did something wrong??? LMAO. Bruh.

I can't believe someone out there really think the Giants did something wrong in that trade. Accorsi selected Rivers knowing he didn't have a deal in place yet, and that it meant he wouldn't draft the other QB he rated as highly as Eli.

Eli didn't want to play for the Chargers. He told them not to draft him. They did anyway. Read below, or click the link.

However, Eli Manning has never used his father as a scapegoat, instead taking responsibility for the decision to oppose the Chargers.

"However, Eli Manning has never used his father as a scapegoat, instead taking responsibility for the decision to oppose the Chargers. "I made up my mind, I talked to my dad about it, talked to Tom Condon about it," Manning recounted to the New York Post in 2014. "We had this plan to kind of say, we'll tell San Diego not to draft you and hopefully they won't draft you, no one ever knows about it, they draft someone else, and you might get drafted by Oakland. Or you might get drafted by Arizona. Those were [picks] 2-3, and then the Giants were 4. ... He said, 'Maybe you slide to 4.' That was kind of what we were hoping for.

"Obviously it did not work that way, and San Diego came out and told them what I expressed to them. It's an uncomfortable situation -- you're excited about being at the draft and playing in the NFL, but then you have to deal with a lot of questions, and people were kind of questioning you and what's going on."

The Giants caught wind of Manning's opposition to the Chargers and began plotting a trade to acquire him. New York general manager Ernie Accorsi coveted the quarterback and wanted to strike a deal with San Diego. However, Accorsi feared making first contact would diminish his leverage. He also felt the Giants had an appealing backup plan in case no deal for Manning materialized. "I had a great backup position because of [Miami of Ohio quarterback Ben] Roethlisberger," Accorsi said on WFAN in 2016. "We loved Roethlisberger."

But while the Giants preferred Roethlisberger as their Plan B to Manning, the Chargers favored N.C. State signal-caller Philip Rivers. Rivers had impressed Smith and his personnel department during a spectacular senior season in which he completed 348 of his 483 passes (72.0% completion) for 4,491 yards, 34 touchdowns, and seven interceptions.

That difference of opinion became critical when Smith selected Manning and didn't have a deal in place yet with New York. Accorsi faced a dilemma when the Giants came on the clock. Either he could take Roethlisberger, the best quarterback available in his evaluation, or select Rivers and hope to iron out a deal with the Chargers.





He selected Rivers, the teams made a trade, and the only one still mad about it is @Horatio

I could care less. I don’t even hate Eli or the Giants, or the Cowboys, WFT. I’m just pointing out that if the media and Giants fans, etc. are going on a week long witch hunt about what the Eagles did (once), let’s talk about what other teams do regularly. The drafting of Eli was manipulated. The Giants benefited. The end

 

[BlueMAB]

I could care less. I don’t even hate Eli or the Giants, or the Cowboys, WFT. I’m just pointing out that if the media and Giants fans, etc. are going on a week long witch hunt about what the Eagles did (once), let’s talk about what other teams do regularly. The drafting of Eli was manipulated. The Giants benefited. The end

The drafting of Eli was not manipulated. You just don't have your facts right.

Eli told them not to draft him. They did anyway. Everything else is you complaining about something you don't care about.

 

[8893]

I could care less.

 

[Husky25]

The drafting of Eli was not manipulated. You just don't have your facts right.

Eli told them not to draft him. They did anyway. Everything else is you complaining about something you don't care about.

The Giant's didn't do anything wrong, but Eli did, IMO. The Mannings knew the rules of the draft game and thought they were above them. If they weren't so public, it wouldn't have mattered as much.

My thought is unless a franchise did something like what Tampa did to Bo Jackson (lied about impermissible benefits, affecting eligibility), they should let the situation play out.

Elway did something similar to the Colts, but both Elway and Jackson had leverage, in that they were high MLB draft picks. Manning only his name.

 

[NJHusky]

Giants fans should hold no grudge vs Washington over this. That game went to overtime, both teams wanted to win.

Despite the two loses to the Giants, Washington scraped together seven wins this year, and probably could have had more if Alex Smith (5-1) played all year. Even Bruce Arians recognizes that they aren't playing the Haskins led WFT (2-8). Other than the two wins over Washington, The Giants could only muster four others. Be upset at Pederson's antics to your heart's content, but Washington owes the Giants nothing.

How did you get me having an issue with WFT? My comment was to the Iggles fan showing that last year the Giants played the Skins to win, when it was in their best interest to loose. Had they lost Young would be a Giant.

 

[Husky25]

How did you get me having an issue with WFT? My comment was to the Iggles fan showing that last year the Giants played the Skins to win, when it was in their best interest to loose. Had they lost Young would be a Giant.

Not you per se, but Giants fans in general. Those who think WFT is less deserving than the Giants because they beat WFT twice, but still came out behind a 7-9 team.

 

[NJHusky]

Not you per se, but Giants fans in general. Those who think WFT is less deserving than the Giants because they beat WFT twice, but still came out behind a 7-9 team.

WFT deserves it because they won the game they had to....and those are the rules...Giants choked it away when Engram dropped that pass against Philly. My issue is with Philly throwing in the towel in Q4, not with WFT winning or playoffs. If it was for Trevor Lawrence I would understand, but to move from #9 to #6???

 

[Husky25]

WFT deserves it because they won the game they had to....and those are the rules...Giants choked it away when Engram dropped that pass against Philly. My issue is with Philly throwing in the towel in Q4, not with WFT winning or playoffs. If it was for Trevor Lawrence I would understand, but to move from #9 to #6???

I'll buy that. Some of your fellow fans feel differently across different social media outlets, vis a vie who deserves the playoff spot.

 

[NJHusky]

I'll buy that. Some of your fellow fans feel differently across different social media outlets, vis a vie who deserves the playoff spot.

lot's of sore losers who don't accept the facts of life...living in FL i'll be rooting for Tampa, but I'm happy for A. Smith...he's been through a lot and deserves lots of respect and kudos for his work ethic. Good for him but I can't root for WFT or Snyder...he's a train wreck.

 

[Husky25]

lot's of sore losers who don't accept the facts of life...living in FL i'll be rooting for Tampa, but I'm happy for A. Smith...he's been through a lot and deserves lots of respect and kudos for his work ethic. Good for him but I can't root for WFT or Snyder...he's a train wreck.

Smith almost lost his life. That's not just Comeback Player of the Year, It's Comeback Human.

I'd feel the same if I weren't a 37+ year WFT fan (Still love the color scheme, which is what drew me to them at 6 years old over the Dolphins in the first place.). Especially since Brady is on Tampa. I don't think little Danny has many fans outside his blood relatives, and even then...

 

[BlueMAB]

The Giant's didn't do anything wrong, but Eli did, IMO. The Mannings knew the rules of the draft game and thought they were above them. If they weren't so public, it wouldn't have mattered as much.

My thought is unless a franchise did something like what Tampa did to Bo Jackson (lied about impermissible benefits, affecting eligibility), they should let the situation play out.

Elway did something similar to the Colts, but both Elway and Jackson had leverage, in that they were high MLB draft picks. Manning only his name.

The guy didn't want to play for San Diego. He told them before they drafted him that he didn't want to play for them. They didn't think they were above the rules, they simply protected and acted in Eli's own best interests. THE HORROR!! When you're the number one overall pick, you can do that. Because: leverage.

The only power Eli had was in refusing to play. Where is NFL the rule that says you are not allowed to choose to do something else with your life if you don't like the fact someone else gets to decide where you'll be working and living for the next 3-4 years? He told them he was willing to sit out if they picked him, and they did it anyway. Yet people blame the man who wanted to be in control of his own life. Sounds like jealousy to me.

Eli was the number one pick, not sure how much more leverage you can get than that. He also won, or was in the running, for a ton of individual awards. No leverage? How much more leverage can you get than the #1 overall pick? I suppose he won all these awards and two super bowls based on nothing but his name.

Awards​

• 2001: Conerly Trophy – Best College Football Player in Mississippi[53]
• 2001: Davey O'Brien Award (finalist) – Awarded to the Nation's Top Quarterback[53]
• 2001: Honorable Mention All-American – The Football News[54]
• 2002: Independence Bowl MVP[55]
• 2003: Second Team All-American – The Associated Press[56]
• 2003: Maxwell Award – Nation's Top Player[57]
• 2003: Conerly Trophy – Best College Football Player in Mississippi[58]
• 2003: SEC MVP – Birmingham Monday Morning Quarterback Club[58]
• 2003: Sports Person of the Year in Mississippi – The Clarion-Ledger[58]
• 2003: Mississippi Amateur Athlete of the Year – Jackson Touchdown Club[58]
• 2003: National Scholar-Athlete Class – Division I-A QB[59]
• 2003: Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award – Awarded to the Nation's Top Quarterback[60]
• 2003: SEC Offensive Player of the Year – The Associated Press and the SEC Coaches[57]
• 2004: Sporting News Radio Socrates Award[61]
• 2004: SBC Cotton Bowl Classic MVP[58]
• Colonel Earl (Red) Blaik Leadership Award – All-American Football Foundation[58]
• USA Today Player of the Year in Louisiana[62]
• First team All-American – The All-American Foundation[54]
• SEC Player of the Year – The Commercial Appeal and the SEC Coaches[57]
• First Team All-SEC – Associated Press[57]
• SEC Top Offensive QB – Touchdown Club of Atlanta Wally Butts Award[58]

 

[Husky25]

The guy didn't want to play for San Diego. He told them before they drafted him that he didn't want to play for them. They didn't think they were above the rules, they simply protected and acted in Eli's own best interests. THE HORROR!! When you're the number one overall pick, you can do that. Because: leverage.

The only power Eli had was in refusing to play. Where is NFL the rule that says you are not allowed to choose to do something else with your life if you don't like the fact someone else gets to decide where you'll be working and living for the next 3-4 years? He told them he was willing to sit out if they picked him, and they did it anyway. Yet people blame the man who wanted to be in control of his own life. Sounds like jealousy to me.

Eli was the number one pick, not sure how much more leverage you can get than that. He also won, or was in the running, for a ton of individual awards. No leverage? How much more leverage can you get than the #1 overall pick? I suppose he won all these awards and two super bowls based on nothing but his name.

Oh to live and work in Weather-perfect San Diego. THE HORROR!! As if that situation was worse than his brother's living landlocked and playing half or more of his games indoors on a slab of concrete.

So let me get this straight, Olivia (I jest, but why does it seem like you are taking this so personally?)

If his little coup to get out from under the Chargers didn't work out, your son was prepared to give up $$Millions from the NFL to work in some marketing department for $40k and 10 days vacation in 2004?

That is what I mean by leverage. Elway and Jackson, as a 2nd and 4th (1st round talent according to the 30 for 30) rounder, respectively could have conceivably make the same in baseball as they did in the NFL.

 

[BlueMAB]

Oh to live and work in Weather-perfect San Diego. THE HORROR!! As if that situation was worse than his brother's living landlocked and playing half or more of his games indoors on a slab of concrete.

So let me get this straight, Olivia (I jest, but why does it seem like you are taking this so personally?)

If his little coup to get out from under the Chargers didn't work out, your son was prepared to give up $$Millions from the NFL to work in some marketing department for $40k and 10 days vacation in 2004?

That is what I mean by leverage. Elway and Jackson, as a 2nd and 4th (1st round talent according to the 30 for 30) rounder, respectively could have conceivably make the same in baseball as they did in the NFL.

The Colts have nothing to do with this. Their stadium and the fact Indy is landlocked also has nothing to do with it. You're just throwing crap at the wall because a guy used his leverage to avoid playing for what, at the time, was a disaster of a franchise. Listen to yourself. You're arguing he had no leverage, while criticizing the fact he leveraged his way out of San Diego. It's apparent you just don't like the Mannings.

Imagine the number one overall pick prioritizing the weather over the ineptitude displayed for decades in that organization. "it's okay we suck and never make the playoffs, and are an afterthought in California behind the Raiders and Niners, but as long as the sun is shining, I'd love to play for the Chargers!"

The weather? That's dumb. Really, really dumb. There were tens of millions of dollars on the line for Eli with his career, and you think he should shut up and settle because of the weather? Cheese and rice go somewhere and be quiet.

The number one overall pick has leverage. The number overall pick who has a millionaire father, and a millionaire brother already in the league, has leverage. Something tells me Eli would have been able to (financially) do nothing but train and watch film for the year he would have sat. I just don't think he was deciding between the NFL or a marketing specialist role at Coca-Cola, but it's cute of you to pretend like those were his options.

I'm not taking any of this personally. I find it really strange how quickly people bend down and lick the boots of the owners. The billionaire owners churn through athletes as if they were cattle. We shouldn't even have a draft, players should go directly into free agency, and we should have relegation and promotion with salary caps.

Anytime the athletes who give up their bodies and brains to provide us with entertainment get the opportunity to, within the rules, do what is best for them and their career/lives they should do it.

Let's simplify this...

Exactly what rule did Manning break?

I'll wait.

 

[Husky25]

The Colts have nothing to do with this. Their stadium and the fact Indy is landlocked also has nothing to do with it. You're just throwing crap at the wall because a guy used his leverage to avoid playing for what, at the time, was a disaster of a franchise. Listen to yourself. You're arguing he had no leverage, while criticizing the fact he leveraged his way out of San Diego. It's apparent you just don't like the Mannings.

The Colts are only relevant to this discussion because Peyton was a much better and more accomplished individual player than Eli. However, he did not have Eli's leverage, as his did not have a millionaire All-Pro brother already in the League. Peyton provided that much cache to the name. Plus I didn't argue Eli had no leverage. I said Elway and Bo had different leverage (better, IMO), as they could garner comparable compensation for their athletic abilities from a different professional sport. By comparison, Manning had his last name.

Imagine the number one overall pick prioritizing the weather over the ineptitude displayed for decades in that organization. "it's okay we suck and never make the playoffs, and are an afterthought in California behind the Raiders and Niners, but as long as the sun is shining, I'd love to play for the Chargers!"

The weather? That's dumb. Really, really dumb. There were tens of millions of dollars on the line for Eli with his career, and you think he should shut up and settle because of the weather? Cheese and rice go somewhere and be quiet.

I only mentioned weather once and it was really intended to be a loose reference to Jerry McGuire ("I'll either surf or ski."). Did you really have to disagree with it four times? Anyway, the Chargers were not exactly inept for decades. Free agency and Bobby Ross made them respectable in the early 90s, culminating in a Super Bowl appearance by the middle of the decade, and by the time Manning was drafted, Shottenheimer was bringing them back again. Ebbs and flows are wont to happen with most teams in the Free Agency Era.

The number one overall pick has leverage. The number overall pick who has a millionaire father, and a millionaire brother already in the league, has leverage. Something tells me Eli would have been able to (financially) do nothing but train and watch film for the year he would have sat. I just don't think he was deciding between the NFL or a marketing specialist role at Coca-Cola, but it's cute of you to pretend like those were his options.

Being the #1 pick is irrelevant. Elway and Jackson were #1 overall picks as well. The rest is addressed above...

I'm not taking any of this personally. I find it really strange how quickly people bend down and lick the boots of the owners. The billionaire owners churn through athletes as if they were cattle. We shouldn't even have a draft, players should go directly into free agency, and we should have relegation and promotion with salary caps.

Anytime the athletes who give up their bodies and brains to provide us with entertainment get the opportunity to, within the rules, do what is best for them and their career/lives they should do it.

Let's simplify this...

Exactly what rule did Manning break?

I'll wait.

That's a weird pivot. I'm not sure where any owners' boots were licked, unless you are referring to the draft, a method used by nearly, if not, all major sports leagues. It is how the system has worked for nearly 85 years and agreed to by the union. I actually agree with the second part of this, to a point, but that is where free agency come in.

Finally, I thought it'd be clear that, "the rules of the draft game," would be understood as a figure of speech, i.e. the unwritten rule playing for the team that drafts you, at least initially. Evidently not. C'est la vie, because I didn't say Eli broke a rule per se. I said I thought it was wrong for him to weasel out of San Diego. Again, just my opinion.

 

[Vuce]

The guy didn't want to play for San Diego. He told them before they drafted him that he didn't want to play for them. They didn't think they were above the rules, they simply protected and acted in Eli's own best interests. THE HORROR!! When you're the number one overall pick, you can do that. Because: leverage.

The only power Eli had was in refusing to play. Where is NFL the rule that says you are not allowed to choose to do something else with your life if you don't like the fact someone else gets to decide where you'll be working and living for the next 3-4 years? He told them he was willing to sit out if they picked him, and they did it anyway. Yet people blame the man who wanted to be in control of his own life. Sounds like jealousy to me.

Eli was the number one pick, not sure how much more leverage you can get than that. He also won, or was in the running, for a ton of individual awards. No leverage? How much more leverage can you get than the #1 overall pick? I suppose he won all these awards and two super bowls based on nothing but his name.

Awards​

• 2001: Conerly Trophy – Best College Football Player in Mississippi[53]
• 2001: Davey O'Brien Award (finalist) – Awarded to the Nation's Top Quarterback[53]
• 2001: Honorable Mention All-American – The Football News[54]
• 2002: Independence Bowl MVP[55]
• 2003: Second Team All-American – The Associated Press[56]
• 2003: Maxwell Award – Nation's Top Player[57]
• 2003: Conerly Trophy – Best College Football Player in Mississippi[58]
• 2003: SEC MVP – Birmingham Monday Morning Quarterback Club[58]
• 2003: Sports Person of the Year in Mississippi – The Clarion-Ledger[58]
• 2003: Mississippi Amateur Athlete of the Year – Jackson Touchdown Club[58]
• 2003: National Scholar-Athlete Class – Division I-A QB[59]
• 2003: Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award – Awarded to the Nation's Top Quarterback[60]
• 2003: SEC Offensive Player of the Year – The Associated Press and the SEC Coaches[57]
• 2004: Sporting News Radio Socrates Award[61]
• 2004: SBC Cotton Bowl Classic MVP[58]
• Colonel Earl (Red) Blaik Leadership Award – All-American Football Foundation[58]
• USA Today Player of the Year in Louisiana[62]
• First team All-American – The All-American Foundation[54]
• SEC Player of the Year – The Commercial Appeal and the SEC Coaches[57]
• First Team All-SEC – Associated Press[57]
• SEC Top Offensive QB – Touchdown Club of Atlanta Wally Butts Award[58]

So why have a draft then? Shouldn’t every player have control of their life and where they play? Each player should act like Eli and just say they refuse to sign with whoever drafts them and go play in the place of their choice. I’m sure the top 5 to 15 picks each year would have leverage too

 

[Waquoit]

I don't see why you need a draft when you have a salary cap preventing the big teams from buying all the top young talent.