Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

Brian wolf wrote:The term, whether Notbust, journeyman, vanilla, average, adequate etc. is subjective....

Agreed.
It is predicated on our (unrealistic?) expectations for that individual.
(I wonder what Buddha would say about that...)

Isn't what we're really trying to label an average NFL player, or even above average, who "failed" to live up to others' expectations?
That has to happen all the time...

Mike Mamula was not a bad player. Just overdrafted
because he killed the combine.

He did have short career, had injuries so maybe even
if he'd gone late 1st round he'd have still been
disappointment---

but never could live up to expectations.

I have two baseball ones--two of my favs

Bobby Murcer---good player, in Mantle's shadow could never, ever meet standard
Bobby Bonds, same story as Murcer, but never another Mays

Brian wolf wrote:The summation of Alex Smith is good but had he not gotten injured or had a few more breaks go his way, his career could have been much better. When his Niners lost the 2011 NFC Championship to the Giants, it was the special teams that blew that game. Had he faced and beaten the Patriots in the SB maybe he doesnt get injured the following year, where Kaepernick emerges ...

Alex Smith had no business being drafted in the first round. I didn't understand how he was seen as the #1 overall pick.

That being said, I agree with you. Another bad break he had was when OC Norv Turner left after the 2006 season. He was getting better when that happened.

This is a good concept. A lot of people expect a high first-round pick to be a star, many Pro Bowls, etc. But really, if a guy starts for several seasons and does a good job, like those mentioned, that's a solid pick. Especially when you consider players from the same draft who play the same position. You're just not going to have superstar WRs come out of the draft every year. That goes for every position. If a guy fills a need for an extended period of time, that's a quality draft selection, IMO.

Jeff George.

Its tough looking at QBs because the expectations are so high ... Culpepper or Cutler would qualify for me over a Jeff George, who had unbelievable talent but was a bust because he couldnt win or motivate teammates. Cutler also disappointed like Stafford, until Stafford finally got a championship.
When a QB is a high first round pick, he is judged more harshly than anyone else and a very fine line between bust and merely good.

QBs like McNabb, Cunningham and McNair are HOVG to me because they had to lead and win games almost by themselves with hardly any weapons but to many people they are NotBusts because they at least met certain expectations for their draft status, talent or strength of teams.

I don't think Cutler or Culpepper were busts at all, they both met or exceeded expectations. They were both drafted #11. I don't expect a SB winning QB at that draft position. You might get that, but it's less than 50% by a long shot. If you get a long term starter you're doing well.

In Culpepper's draft there were 5 QBs picked in the 1st round. Three of them, Couch, Akili Smith, and Cade McNown, were just flat out busts. Donovan McNabb made a SB, PB 6 times, a ways away from NotBust. Culpepper was a force for a few years, then got hurt and declined. Chris Claiborne of the Lions, drafted #9, would be NotBust. A starter for seven years but no honors.

Cutler was the best QB in his draft. Vince Young and Matt Leinart drafted before. Half the 1st round of that draft made the PB, including Cutler. I think Cutler performed about as expected given his draft position.

NotBust to me is a solid player who is still disappointing given his draft position. AJ Hawk from Cutler's draft, drafted #5, qualifies. Even though he started for a SB champion. Not impactful enough. I don't think Cutler or Culpepper were disappointing from the #11 slot.