Rocky McIntosh

[EARTHQUAKE2689]

Originally Posted by Defensewins

You are missing my point. You will shoot yourself in the foot if you set your depth chart in May by where a player was drafted.
You play your best players regardless of pedigree and you let the players prove their worth on the field, not in a draft room.
In the 1981 draft, Mark may was the 1st round pick and top draft choice. Gibbs and Bugel benched May and instead started two young undrafted OL Joe Jacoby and Jeff Bostic and 3rd rounder Russ Grimm and used an old retred in George Starke in at May's position. Why? Because Starke was better than May at tht time and Starke gave us the better chance to win at that time. 1st round pick and top draft pick Mark may sat on the bench. May did not crack the starting line up for a couple of years later. That 1982 offensive line went on to win the super bowl with May on the bench 1983.

There are ton more examples:
In 1985 top draft pick CB Tory Nixon was a bust, but in that same draft 8th round pick Barry Wilburn became a starter, while not a great player he eventaully EARNED the starting job over an incomptent Tory Nixon.

In 1994 draft 8th round pick Gus Ferrotte became the better pro than 1st round pick Heath Shuler.

8th round pick OG Darryl Grant from tiny little Rice University was moved to DT and he started over our top pick in 1984 DT Bob Slater from Oklahoma. Slater never cracked the starting lineup and hurt his knee and was cut.
I could keep on going. There are a ton of examples.
Let the player prove it on the field. If Rocky comes in and gets a sack or interception or a several tackles behind he line of scrimmage, by all means start him! But that has not happened yet for whatever reason.

In today's Nfl with a salary cap and front office egos larger than ever, I guess you look bad if you start a lower drafted player over a higher drafted one. To them it means you made a mistake. Gibbs and Williams should not care and start whoever works best. That is a major problem with having your coach as your GM.

and there are a ton of examples of going the other way and they said rocky was going in as the starter that could change