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2011 was the year of the captain. Pretty much every player that Allen and Shanahan went after were seniors and team captains. No nonsense, high motor, high effort guys. The guys you want when things go wrong to keep things calm who you know will keep fighting. Guys who can begin to change the culture of a team that had been a little fat and satisfied or prima donna-ed a little too long.
Based on the 2012's first two picks, this is the year that the front office wanted to add fighters. One of the things that RGIII said that stuck in my head was that, "I finally got a team that wanted me to be me" (paraphrase) In other words, how many wanted him to be a safety, running back, reciever, and he had to fight to prove that he could be the qb, the leader, the thrower and not just the track star athlete.
Moving on to the third round, LeRibius (sp?)... my first instinct was what and who... and then I heard things I didn't like. This guy had to sit out a year because he was academically inelligible? He ballooned to a horrible weight? But then I thought, you know what... this guy knows what it's like to be on the edge of losing it all. He was kicked off the team, he fell apart physically, and he sucked it up. Clearly, he had to fight really hard to pick up the pieces and get himself back in shape, back academically, back into his team's good graces. Sometimes, guys like that are remolded in the fire into something special.
Too many players these days are coddled and take everything for granted. From high school they get everything they want and are treated like Gods. Maybe, LeRibius fell into that trap. If he did by pulling himself out he demonstrated a fight and a hunger that could be really important for his future. They say he has a mean streak... maybe that's because he knows what it's like to lose it and that drives him.
Now, it could also go the other way, but it seems that the early theme of this draft is to pick guys who are fighters, overcomers... strange to say that about RGIII, but look at where he came from. Baylor is not a qb factory, not even an elite football team. Clearly, RGIII had to fight to get to and become the number two pick. Obviously, he had to work really hard to come back as cleanly from the knee surgery.
We'll see if the theme holds up, but it's not a bad one. Am I sold on Leribeus... honestly, I have no clue about him and he'll have to fight to win me over. Gladly, it's something he seems more than willing to do.
Based on the 2012's first two picks, this is the year that the front office wanted to add fighters. One of the things that RGIII said that stuck in my head was that, "I finally got a team that wanted me to be me" (paraphrase) In other words, how many wanted him to be a safety, running back, reciever, and he had to fight to prove that he could be the qb, the leader, the thrower and not just the track star athlete.
Moving on to the third round, LeRibius (sp?)... my first instinct was what and who... and then I heard things I didn't like. This guy had to sit out a year because he was academically inelligible? He ballooned to a horrible weight? But then I thought, you know what... this guy knows what it's like to be on the edge of losing it all. He was kicked off the team, he fell apart physically, and he sucked it up. Clearly, he had to fight really hard to pick up the pieces and get himself back in shape, back academically, back into his team's good graces. Sometimes, guys like that are remolded in the fire into something special.
Too many players these days are coddled and take everything for granted. From high school they get everything they want and are treated like Gods. Maybe, LeRibius fell into that trap. If he did by pulling himself out he demonstrated a fight and a hunger that could be really important for his future. They say he has a mean streak... maybe that's because he knows what it's like to lose it and that drives him.
Now, it could also go the other way, but it seems that the early theme of this draft is to pick guys who are fighters, overcomers... strange to say that about RGIII, but look at where he came from. Baylor is not a qb factory, not even an elite football team. Clearly, RGIII had to fight to get to and become the number two pick. Obviously, he had to work really hard to come back as cleanly from the knee surgery.
We'll see if the theme holds up, but it's not a bad one. Am I sold on Leribeus... honestly, I have no clue about him and he'll have to fight to win me over. Gladly, it's something he seems more than willing to do.