The NFL Lockout presents a problem not commonly talked about by draft experts like ESPN's Mel Kiper and NFL Network's Mike Mayock: teams can't have any kind of direct contact with the players they draft in the 2011 NFL Draft.
That heavily impacts the quarterback conversation, where some, like Kiper and Mayock, have predicted (or is it suggested?) that The Carolina Panthers take either Cam Newton or Blaine Gabbert as the number one pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. So, for the sake of example, let's say the Panthers do that, as unwise as it would be.
Commissioner Roger Goodell says "With the first pick, the Carolina Panthers select Cam Newton, Quarterback, Auburn." Or Commissioner Roger Goodell says "With the first pick, the Carolina Panthers select Blaine Gabbert, Quarterback, Missouri." In ether case, the Panthers are looking at a signing bonus of between $40 million and $50 million, and the need to get their prized selection into team headquarter and then to mini camp, the very next week.
That was the case last year for Sam Bradford, the Oklahoma Sooners signal caller who was picked number one by the St. Louis Rams. Bradford met with the media at the Draft, then got on a plane to St. Louis to meet his new bosses, first among them Rams Head Coach Steve Spagnuolo. Then, the very next week, Rams Rookie Mini Camp started, and allowed Spagnuolo to not just make sense of the new playbook, or new to the draft picks, but how it feels to run the plays in it.
Now, fast-forward to 2011. The Carolina Panthers can't do any of that because of the NFL Lockout. The Panthers can't fly their pick in to town for anything other than a press conference, coach the pick in camps of any kind, or have any direct contact with the pick.
Nothing.
NFL PR Head Greg Aiello says
The problem is not just that the teams can't have contact with their new teams, but that no one knows how long the NFL Lockout will go on for. So if the Lockout extends to June, that's two months of direct coaching time lost, and players who have no experience playing with their veteran NFL teammates. That means no time to develop a feel for the speed of the NFL game.
June is the start of training camp, and a month-and-a-half to essentially make up for lost time. Then the 2011 NFL season starts. So, you're going to throw in your Newton or Gabbert in just because you paid $40 million, plus for him?
The whole scenario winds up a waste of $40 million.
That's the situation facing a lot of NFL Teams and according to NFL Draft colleague and 34-year NFL Draft veteran Dr.William Chachkes, taking a QB high in the draft this year is dicey considering the prep time needed:
Thus, the best decision for the Panthers is to take one of the top defenders available in a defender rich NFL Draft. A defensive player is more ready to step in and play because the nature of the position is to react to what the offensive player does. It's easier to get a great athlete and plug that person into the lineup with less training time.
So, in this draft, look for the Caroline Panthers to select a defender like Robert Quinn, the top ranked defensive end from North Carolina who runs like the wind - unless they're willing to spend $40 million and wait a year to see if the investment pays off.
That heavily impacts the quarterback conversation, where some, like Kiper and Mayock, have predicted (or is it suggested?) that The Carolina Panthers take either Cam Newton or Blaine Gabbert as the number one pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. So, for the sake of example, let's say the Panthers do that, as unwise as it would be.
Commissioner Roger Goodell says "With the first pick, the Carolina Panthers select Cam Newton, Quarterback, Auburn." Or Commissioner Roger Goodell says "With the first pick, the Carolina Panthers select Blaine Gabbert, Quarterback, Missouri." In ether case, the Panthers are looking at a signing bonus of between $40 million and $50 million, and the need to get their prized selection into team headquarter and then to mini camp, the very next week.
That was the case last year for Sam Bradford, the Oklahoma Sooners signal caller who was picked number one by the St. Louis Rams. Bradford met with the media at the Draft, then got on a plane to St. Louis to meet his new bosses, first among them Rams Head Coach Steve Spagnuolo. Then, the very next week, Rams Rookie Mini Camp started, and allowed Spagnuolo to not just make sense of the new playbook, or new to the draft picks, but how it feels to run the plays in it.
Now, fast-forward to 2011. The Carolina Panthers can't do any of that because of the NFL Lockout. The Panthers can't fly their pick in to town for anything other than a press conference, coach the pick in camps of any kind, or have any direct contact with the pick.
Nothing.
NFL PR Head Greg Aiello says
They can bring in their draft picks for a press conference between the time they are picked and the conclusion of the draft on Saturday afternoon. Once the draft ends, a team can have no further contact with its draft picks until the work stoppage ends.Sure, Newton and Gabbert can look at the playbook, but with all of the information flying around the Internet, they can already do that. What they can't do is run plays under the direction of the Panthers coaches.
The problem is not just that the teams can't have contact with their new teams, but that no one knows how long the NFL Lockout will go on for. So if the Lockout extends to June, that's two months of direct coaching time lost, and players who have no experience playing with their veteran NFL teammates. That means no time to develop a feel for the speed of the NFL game.
June is the start of training camp, and a month-and-a-half to essentially make up for lost time. Then the 2011 NFL season starts. So, you're going to throw in your Newton or Gabbert in just because you paid $40 million, plus for him?
The whole scenario winds up a waste of $40 million.
That's the situation facing a lot of NFL Teams and according to NFL Draft colleague and 34-year NFL Draft veteran Dr.William Chachkes, taking a QB high in the draft this year is dicey considering the prep time needed:
"The QB position today in 2011 is not the same "beast" as it was in 1996 or 2002, or even 2006. Today the "study" portion of a Qb's Preparation is a 12 month a year-work-in-constant progress. You can not expect to draft a QB in this draft class and expect him to be a major contributor if the Lockout continues past the draft week itself. If your (Team-Coach) expects a "drafted QB" to be ready for opening day 2011 you need to have every available minute to prepare."
Thus, the best decision for the Panthers is to take one of the top defenders available in a defender rich NFL Draft. A defensive player is more ready to step in and play because the nature of the position is to react to what the offensive player does. It's easier to get a great athlete and plug that person into the lineup with less training time.
So, in this draft, look for the Caroline Panthers to select a defender like Robert Quinn, the top ranked defensive end from North Carolina who runs like the wind - unless they're willing to spend $40 million and wait a year to see if the investment pays off.