Willie didn't have the insticts or the desire to be an NFL star. But Willie was 6-2, over 200 pounds and could run like a track star. Willie went to the combine in 2001,ran like the wind and got selected 24th overall by the Broncos.
Willie lastedfive dismal seasons in the NFL, starting just one game. He's considereda big-time draft bust.But I'd put more of the blame on then-Broncos coach MikeShanahan forletting the combineinfluence his decision to take Willie in the first round.
Elsewhere around the league ...
. Randy Moss made headlines for saying he doesn't think he'll be in New England after2010. This tells you how slow the news is right now. Randy's contract is upafter 2010. Randy also will be 34 in 2011. So, yeah,logic would suggest this is the last year for him as a Patriot. Not even SuperFreakscan outrunFather Time.
. The Saints didn'tuse theirfranchise tag on Darren Sharper. Again, it only makessense. Like the Vikingsdid last season, the Saints areweighing the odds of Sharperbeing able to cheat Father Time for another season.I don't think there will be a serious market for Sharper.At least not one strong enough to make him leave the perfect fit he foundin New Orleans.
. Tim Tebowwon't throw at the combine because he doesn't want to hurt his draft status. I didn't think it was possible to hurt his draft status. Tebowshould have swaggered into Indy and did everything. Instead, he put his PRspinsters to work saying he's rebuilding his throwing motion for his pro day.Just another reason to ignore the combine.
.If you do watch the combine, you'll hear a lot of teams talk about "character" and"red flags" and other things to make it look like they'reabove takingplayers with questionable personalities. It's done to be politically correct. It's also a bunch ofhogwash.Every player acquisition, includingthe draft,comes down tothis simple equation: Risk vs. Reward.
Last year, Percy Harvin wasconsidered thegreatest character risk among potential first-round picks. The Vikingswere and still are a team that likes to brag about itsteamcharacter andhowthings have been cleaned up since the Love Boat set sail in 2005.