2007 NFL Draft Hidden Gems

[EXoffender]

Originally Posted by Grim21Reaper

I thought that Smardzija has chosen baseball over football...

Smardzija has chosen baseball over football and is playing for the cubs. He said on Sirius NFL that he will alomst certainly never play in the NFL.

But if any team drafts him they would have first dibs if he was a complete MLB bust. There's almost no risk selecting him at some point in the draft. Unfortunately, we are a team that treats second day draftees like like UDFAs.

[GMScud]

Originally Posted by EXoffender

But if any team drafts him they would have first dibs if he was a complete MLB bust. There's almost no risk selecting him at some point in the draft. Unfortunately, we are a team that treats second day draftees like like UDFAs.

Samardzija already has a 10 million dollar contract in place from the Cubs and he's still in the minors. Big league pitchers are among the highest paid athletes in all of sports, and the good ones perform at a high level late into their 30's, some into their 40's. He is considered a big-time pitching prospect, and could be called up to start games for them as early as this season if a starter gets hurt. And he just turned 22. He's 6-5 with a fastball in the 97 mph range. Plus his first love is baseball. I'd bet any amount of money he will never wear an NFL uniform. The risk for injury in football coupled with the potential to make millions every year for the next 15 years in baseball is too much to deny. Here's a few links to good articles about his choice of MLB over the NFL:

Samardzija Walks Away From Football, Signs with Cubs - UHND.com

Samardzija selects Cubs over NFL, signs five-year deal - USATODAY.com