As a 1st round pick, how bad do you have to be?

[Niner Outlaw]

If you're a 1st rd pick, just how bad do you have to be get shipped out of town within a year or 2 of being drafted?


Since the draft is one of my offseason hobbies, I went back about 35 years (1980), looking over the draft records and I believe this to be a complete list (someone correct me if I'm wrong) of the players that were cut or traded before their 3rd season. If a player was on his opening day roster (active, PUP or IR), I counted it as a season, so if a player was traded in the middle of his 3rd year, I gave him credit for that year and he won't be on the 2 year list. For the record, I'm not counting players that went to the USFL or CFL then came back to the NFL.


ONE YEAR BLUNDERS
The 1-and-done club. Those chosen few sent packing after just one year? There are only 3 that I could find. D.Underwood (Vikings) and A.Johnson (Skins) and AJ Jenkins (Niners)

Dimitrius Underwood was waived without ever playing a down of football after he left TC during his rookie season. He had various mental health problems. His college coaches even warned NFL teams about his mental state, but Denny Green rolled the dice, and it came up snake eyes.

Back in 1996, the Redskins drafted OT Andre Johnson at the end of the 1st round, who never played a down for the team and was cut after his rookie season. It was clear from day 1 that he had no business being in the NFL. What's really bad about the Johnson pick is that the Skins traded UP to get him (giving up a 3rd rounder…ouch).

WR AJ Jenkins was taken at the end of the 1st round and from day one, just wasn't very good. It was a bad sign that he couldn't get any real playing time on a team that badly needed WRs. He was shipped over to the Chiefs for their underachieving 1st round, soon-to-be-unemployed WR, Baldwin.


TERRIBLE TWO'S
What about the 2 year club? There are more than you think. Mike Junkin (Browns), Reggie Rogers (Lions), Todd Marinovich (Raiders), Lawrence Phillips (Rams), Aaron Maybin (Bills), Brandon Weedon (Browns), Danny Watkins (Eagles), Johnny Manzeil (Browns), and Dominique Easley (Pats) were cut after 2 years. R.Woods (Niners), Cade McNown (Bears), Jim Druckenmiller (Niners), Tim Tebow (Broncos), and Jon Baldwin (Chiefs) were all traded after just 2 years.

Steve Walsh is not on that list even though he didn't make the Cowboys opening day roster in his 3rd year. He's not on the list because, unlike the other "traded two's", he wasn't given away for nothing and wasn't traded because he stunk. Walsh was traded because the Cowboys had Troy Aikman and they sent him to the Saints for a 1st, 2nd and 3rd.

I'm not counting NYG RB David Wilson. He had recurring neck injuries and retired after two seasons on doctors' advice.


I saw a few interesting things:
--The one year guys were taken toward the end of the 1st round. I guess the guys in the top 10 get at least 2 years before they're sent packing, eh?

--In the 2 year list, 5 guys were taken in the top 3rd of the draft. Junkin, Rogers, McNown, Phillips, and Maybin.

--Out of the 2 year list, half of them are QBs. Who says you have to give them 3 or 4 years?

--Junkin and Rogers were 5th and 7th overall in the same 1987 draft. As a GM, how would it make you feel to know that you took those guys over Jerome Brown(9th), Rod Woodson(10th), Harris Barton(22nd), or Bruce Armstrong(23rd)?

--Rogers needed counseling as a rookie. While driving drunk one night, he ended up killing some people and breaking his neck. He did plenty of jail time. In 2008, he got his 5th DUI.

--Taking a look at the teams that drafted those one year blunders and the terrible two's, you will notice that only two teams appears on the list more than once, the Factory of Sadness--Cleveland Browns (three), and my 49ers (3 times). That says plenty about why those teams stunk for so long.


Who's next?
As cut down day approaches, we could see some other players added to these lists. Anyone 1st rounder on your team from 2014 or 2015 that might get cut or traded before opening day? I can only think of:

--Eagles—if the Eagles cut/trade Marcus Smith before opening day, he'll be on the 2 year list

--Eagles—Nelson Agholor is more on the bubble than he should be. Due to guaranteed salary, a trade is the only way he's leaving this year, but prior to the 2017 season, he might join the 2 year list.

 

[Davis_Mike]

I could be wrong, outside of Cleveland, it feel like their aren't as many truly terrible first round draft picks under the new CBA as there had been in the past. The rookie wage scale has made those picks too valuable to take too many chances. Most teams are playing it safer in the later portions of the first round, getting solid guys who have have a higher floor but might not have that superstar potential. The advantage of being able to lock up a good player for 5 years & if he turns into a superstar, seven years, before the guy can hit free agency, is just extremely valuable.

Due to how contracts are now set up, most teams wait till after year three to pull the plug on first round picks. Both Mingo(6) and Cooper(7), 2013 picks, were traded during this offseason. For different reasons, both have been largely ineffective, but both are still young enough that they could pan out on a new team.

 

[DirtDirtDirt]

How bout a 2nd round kicker not making the opening day roster?

 

[cdumler7]

How bout a 2nd round kicker not making the opening day roster?

That story has turned crazy. Sounds like he is bringing in sports psychologist to help him out. His coach has told him he could miss 100 kicks in a row but there is no way a team would let him miss even 10 in a row before cutting him.

 

[megalodon30]

His coach has told him he could miss 100 kicks in a row

I think that was a quote from Tony Dungy.

 

[Broncos6482]

Really cool info, although you missed the Broncos worst draft pick of all time, Ted Gregory. He was picked in the first round, number 26 overall, in the 1988 draft.

Gregory was drafted by the Denver Broncos following a sterling collegiate career at Syracuse. Gregory listed his height as 6'1".[1] However, a shocked Dan Reeves, who is also listed as 6'1"[2] commented, "I'm taller than he is!" upon meeting Gregory after the draft. By Reeves' estimate, Gregory was closer to 5'9".[3]

Gregory had injured his knee in his last collegiate game, and the knee gave out during training camp. Following scathing criticism from the press for wasting a pick on damaged goods, the Broncos traded him to the Saints for Shawn Knight before the season.

Gregory blew out his knee in this third game with the Saints, and never played in the NFL again.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

I could be wrong, outside of Cleveland, it feel like their aren't as many truly terrible first round draft picks under the new CBA as there had been in the past. The rookie wage scale has made those picks too valuable to take too many chances. Most teams are playing it safer in the later portions of the first round, getting solid guys who have have a higher floor but might not have that superstar potential. The advantage of being able to lock up a good player for 5 years & if he turns into a superstar, seven years, before the guy can hit free agency, is just extremely valuable.

Due to how contracts are now set up, most teams wait till after year three to pull the plug on first round picks. Both Mingo(6) and Cooper(7), 2013 picks, were traded during this offseason. For different reasons, both have been largely ineffective, but both are still young enough that they could pan out on a new team.

Mingo...I saw this one coming...actually didn't expect him to make the 53 in CLE...he is athletic, but doesn't have the moves/strength combo to be a pass rusher at this level...bulked up this season apparently, but still plays stiff.

Maybe BB will get something more out of him...to think I wanted him in PIT over Jarvis Jones, and both have been players taking up snaps but nothing special.

 

[SoCalWizFan]

If you're a 1st rd pick, just how bad do you have to be get shipped out of town within a year or 2 of being drafted?


ONE YEAR BLUNDERS

Back in 1996, the Redskins drafted OT Andre Johnson at the end of the 1st round, who never played a down for the team and was cut after his rookie season. It was clear from day 1 that he had no business being in the NFL. What's really bad about the Johnson pick is that the Skins traded UP to get him (giving up a 3rd rounder…ouch).

That was in the midst of a period where the Redskins - without question - had the worst 1st round draft history in the NFL & probably all of sports. Take a look at the period from 1969-1996:

List of Washington Redskins first-round draft picks - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Included during that time are 2 HOFers - Monk & Darrell Green. Beyond that it is ugly! 19 years where they have no # 1 pick and 6 mainly forgettable # 1 picks. D. Howard was a major contributor but for another team.

Keep in mind that none of this was during the Snyder era (& a lot of it during a time where free agency was easier so you could actually survive & even thrive w/o high picks). They have obviously made some major mistakes since this time, but the current GM likely will turn this around over the near future.

 

[Fountain City Blues]

Good read. Thanks, OP.

 

[Judge Fudge]

Good job bringing some blasts from the past

 

[Niner Outlaw]

Really cool info, although you missed the Broncos worst draft pick of all time, Ted Gregory. He was picked in the first round, number 26 overall, in the 1988 draft.

I knew I had probably missed a few. Gregory fits the bill all right. You don't often see a guy drafted in the first rd and then traded away for low value before the very first season.

 

[Clayton]

It might happen a little more often if teams weren't too stubborn about their own scouting

No idea how Christian Ponder wasn't immediately cut, for example

 

[blue_suns]

Shouldn't Trent Richardson be somewhere on the list?

 

[Niner Outlaw]

Shouldn't Trent Richardson be somewhere on the list?

No, I didn't include guys that were traded for actual value--guys like Richardson and Steve Walsh.

 

[Niner Outlaw]

It might happen a little more often if teams weren't too stubborn about their own scouting

No idea how Christian Ponder wasn't immediately cut, for example

Good point. Too often, a team could be too proud to admit a 1st rd mistake. That's the only saving grace for teams like the Niners and Browns--they weren't too proud to get rid of players that stunk even though they were 1st rd picks. Don't go throwing good money after bad.

 

[VikingFan2k2]

That was in the midst of a period where the Redskins - without question - had the worst 1st round draft history in the NFL & probably all of sports. Take a look at the period from 1969-1996:

List of Washington Redskins first-round draft picks - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Included during that time are 2 HOFers - Monk & Darrell Green. Beyond that it is ugly! 19 years where they have no # 1 pick and 6 mainly forgettable # 1 picks. D. Howard was a major contributor but for another team.

Keep in mind that none of this was during the Snyder era (& a lot of it during a time where free agency was easier so you could actually survive & even thrive w/o high picks). They have obviously made some major mistakes since this time, but the current GM likely will turn this around over the near future.

How the hell did you win 3 Superbowls with no firsts through all of the 70s and most of the 80s? And what we're all of these picks traded for?

 

[VikingFan2k2]

It might happen a little more often if teams weren't too stubborn about their own scouting

No idea how Christian Ponder wasn't immediately cut, for example

Stubborn GM who can't evaluate QBs in Spielman and an emasculated coach in Frazier. I'd have fired Spielman before Goodell said the "d" in Ponder.

The Minnesota Vikings select: Christian Pon-"You're fired!"

 

[Money]

If you're a first round pick, there needs to be other issues than just play on the field for you to be shipped out of town within a year or two.

If a 1st rounder is shipped out that soon solely due to play on the field, than the team has nobody to blame but themselves.

 

[cowboycolors]

be interesting to see the list of 1st rounders that just played out their first contracts and moved on to be successful

I am to lazy to look it up

 

[fordman84]

Good point. Too often, a team could be too proud to admit a 1st rd mistake. That's the only saving grace for teams like the Niners and Browns--they weren't too proud to get rid of players that stunk even though they were 1st rd picks. Don't go throwing good money after bad.

Barbie Carpenter FTW