Smallwood is falling | Page 4 | The Boneyard

Smallwood is falling

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Chin Diesel said:
This is where a good football staff and athletic dept needs to look back on the phone conversations and emails and find out who it was that gave Smallwood bum information.

Part of this falls on Smallwood's shoulders for not being in peak condition, part of it is bad luck with nagging injuries preventing him from having a better pro day/combine/team work outs and part of it was outside sources giving poor information.
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I have no idea the legality, whatever, what can be done to monitor this - but I agree with this whole heartedly. UCONN in the past decade, has become a well known commodity for developing quality NFL players - among REAL......Nfl people.
 
dsturdy5 said:
Of that 44%, I wonder how many were ever drafted.
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Drafted or undrafted, they are underclassmen that gave up scholarship eligibility. The thing that I would be interested to see, is how many of them earned degrees before giving up eligibility.
 
It's not like college basketball either where most of the guys not drafted can make a living playing overseas for a few years as well. It's not like there's a ton of spots in the CFL either... you don't make a ton of cash in the CFL either... you probably make more playing basketball in South America or for an Asian team let alone Europe.
 
HuskyHawk said:
Then wouldn't it make even more sense to graduate and have a degree to fall back on?
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I guess that depends on whether he makes the team and the size of his contract. I believe UConn allows it's scholarship athletes to return to school, gratis.

I would hope that his reps had him lift before declaring. 18 is so bad, but again maybe he hurt himself, I have a trick should where at a certain angle I couldn't hold a brick.

Kid was all conference multiple years. He had nothing left to prove and he was going to be in an NFL camp, regardless.
 
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Nostical said:
36 guys left early and were not drafted. That's terrible.
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It's more than that though, the trends everywhere are alarming. The NFL owners can be and should be considered among the most shrewd, and borderline ruthless 31 business CEO's in the world. The preside over a multi-billion dollar industry. The most recent CBA - which seemed like a win for the players, isn't.

34 of the top 64 picks were underclassmen. That's the first 2 rounds, where the big money comes in. Round 3 was almost exclusively players that had exhausted eligibility. From rounds 3-7, among the rest of the picks which numbers a little less than 200 total picks, only 30 were underclassmen.

The industry out there is feeding players info that they can make money by entering the league earlier, as either a lower round pick, or UDFA, and accrue the necessary time for a larger contract. It's bullshit and benefits the owners - because there is competition for roster spots from both ends - rookies and veterans.

All the new CBA did, was significantly decrease the age of players entering the league as high paid rookies through the draft, and thereby decrease the age, of 3-4 year veterans that last in the league, and decrease the amount of money those extended contracts will cost.

Owners maximize profit and return on investment, and minimal cost.

The game is awesome, and players will never stop wanting to play, but the current situation is not good for both NFL and college football. It won't last. Even the owners will realize they cannot keep this up.
 
Back on topic.

I've stated my opinion on Smallwood and his NFL draft situation. It's been the same opinion since December.

My opinion on that matter, has absolutely nothing to do with my opinion on his ability to succeed as an NFL player. Getting into the NFL, is something ENTIRELY different, than succeeding once you get in through the door.

UCONN players now, have a much greater chance of getting their foot through the door now, than they did 15 years ago. That is fact. Shane Stafford, is probably the best, and last player that was NFL material, but never got a foot through the door, as a UCONN product.

Coming out of UCONN now, in 2014 and beyond, carries weight with it now, that did not exist 15 years ago and yes - Paul Pasqualoni - is a part of that. Smallwood getting drafted by the Falcons in round 7 on Saturday, rather than signing a free agent contract on Sunday with the Patriots. Perfect example of what UCONN has become to the NFL.
 
Carl Spackler said:
Back on topic.

I've stated my opinion on Smallwood and his NFL draft situation. It's been the same opinion since December.

My opinion on that matter, has absolutely nothing to do with my opinion on his ability to succeed as an NFL player. Getting into the NFL, is something ENTIRELY different.

UCONN players now, have a much greater chance of getting their foot through the door now, than they did 15 years ago. That is fact. Shane Stafford, is probably the best, and last player that was NFL material, but never got a foot through the door, as a UCONN product.

Coming out of UCONN now, in 2014 and beyond, carries weight with it now, that did not exist 15 years ago and yes - Paul Pasqualoni - is a part of that. Smallwood getting drafted by the Falcons in round 7 on Saturday, rather than signing a free agent contract on Sunday with the Patriots. Perfect example of what UCONN has become to the NFL.
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Are you still hanging onto the ridiculous notion that P's NFL connections got Smallwood drafted? Hopefully you've let go of that one.
 
Jimmy, I'm hoping that the folks that actually run the UCONN football program, and the athletes that actually wear the uniform, have learned something from this year's draft.

I honestly have no idea what kinds of things can be done, and what actions there are to help guys that fit the profile of a 2013 Yawin Smallwood - with their decision making in the future, but something needs to be done.

Smallwood managed to get his foot through the door, regardless of how any of us think it happened, it did happen, and as a draft pick, even a low seventh rounder a short step away from mr. irrelevant - it's a much different road to travel, than the undrafted alternative - especially as an underclassman. I'm not sure if he's finished his degree yet, if he hasn't - even more relieved I am that he was selected.

It's out of other people's hands, and entirely up to him what happens now though - that's the difference between getting in, and staying there. Getting in - you have no control over. Once you're in the league - you do.
 
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