POSNANSKI: Bowe to Canton or maybe a bust? - Page 2

**Tribal Warfare** · 05-02-2007, 08:13 AM

http://www.kansascity.com/160/story/87896.html

Bowe to Canton or maybe a bust?

By JOE POSNANSKI
Columnist

Here’s the thing they won’t tell you about the NFL draft: Nobody knows. Sure things flop all the time. An undrafted free agent led the NFL in rushing. The best quarterback in the NFL was either the No. 1 overall pick (Peyton Manning) or a sixth-round pick (Tom Brady).

The best defensive player in the NFL was either the 12th pick overall (Shawne Merriman) or the 73rd pick (Jason Taylor).

The Chiefs busted with Junior Siavii in the second round and hit 90 picks later with fourth-rounder Jared Allen. They flopped with Trezelle Jenkins in the first round one year but found a Hall of Famer with Will Shields in the third round another. They traded up to get Tony Gonzalez, which worked awfully well. They traded up to get Ryan Sims, which was a fiasco. Point is: Nobody knows.

But the NFL draft has become such a monster event, everybody wants to know, everybody needs to know right now exactly what the Chiefs got on Saturday when they drafted LSU receiver Dwayne Bowe. Everybody wants answers — will he be a Pro Bowler? A starter? A bust? Sylvester Morris?

The Chiefs’ brain trust seemed excited about him. Of course, teams are always overly excited about their draft picks. They always seem stunned that the player they wanted all along — the player they dreamed about for weeks, the player they loved so much they had his name tattooed on their shoulder — somehow made it to them.

Chiefs coach Herm Edwards liked Bowe so much, he offered the ultimate compliment.

“He’s a football player,” Edwards said.

This is good to know. It would be awful to think the Chiefs spent all that time and money scouting players only to draft a golfer in the first round. Of course, Herm was referring to Bowe’s toughness, his tenacity, his sense of the game. The Chiefs talked a lot about those things. They kept talking about how big Bowe is, how strong he is, how tough he is, how well he can block and so on.

Of course, they may be a bit biased. We might need other opinions. We wanted to hear what the ESPN announcers thought about Bowe — unfortunately, they were so busy talking about Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn that they never seemed to notice the Chiefs drafted Bowe. In fact, they never seemed to notice that the draft went on after he was drafted. Look: I realize that Quinn dropping to the 22nd pick was a pretty big story (he almost fell all the way to the Chiefs — it would have been interesting to see if Carl Peterson would have drafted him like he promised). ESPN covered it like it was Armstrong landing on the moon. And I love the way they just kept crediting Quinn for the classy way he handled his plummet. Did they expect him to make obscene gestures to the camera? Start screaming and threatening general managers?

Sorry. Let’s go to the magazines.

Pro Football Weekly: “(Dwayne Bowe) shows good run strength after the catch and can break tackles … Very tough … Good worker.”

See, that looks good, oh wait, there’s more.

Pro Football Weekly: “(Bowe is) not elusive after the catch … Will mistime his jump and misjudge the ball … Not very smart and will take a few years to really understand an offense.”

OK, well, see, that doesn’t look quite as good. Of course, this is what all the magazines do — they will describe a player’s strengths and weaknesses so that no matter what happens in the future they can say they told you so. Let’s look at a few more (hey, I paid good money for these magazines):

Street & Smith’s

Strengths: “Will go across the middle and make the tough catch … adjusts well to ball in the air … runs well after the catch …hard worker … respected team leader.”

Concerns: “Slow in and out of breaks … sloppy route runner … inconsistent hands and will drop a few passes … still learning to read coverages.”

The Sporting News

Strengths: “Well-built athlete … will work the middle without fear … runs good routes … excels on jump routes … hands are strong enough to snag high and off-target passes.”

Weaknesses: “Must catch passes more consistently with his hands … should be better at breaking tackles … not a game breaker.”

Athlon Sports

Strong points: Long arms and big hands … will block downfield … tough and intense player … can burst in and out of his cuts.

Weak points: Inconsistent hands … loses concentration and focus at times.

NFL DraftTracker on ESPN.

Strengths: Fluid and smooth athlete … Does a good job catching the ball over his head … his hands are extremely strong … shifty and physical runner.

Weaknesses: Has a tendency to lose focus … will drop some catchable passes … lacks elite speed.

So there you go. It looks like Dwayne Bowe is a powerful player with remarkably strong hands who will work hard and make fabulous catches over defenders. And it looks like Dwayne Bowe is a slow receiver who drops passes and doesn’t run very good routes. It looks like a great pick. It also looks like a terrible pick. Like all the others.

Dr. Johnny Fever · 05-02-2007, 11:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tribal Warfare

Chiefs coach Herm Edwards liked Bowe so much, he offered the ultimate compliment.

“He’s a football player,” Edwards said.

This is good to know. It would be awful to think the Chiefs spent all that time and money scouting players only to draft a golfer in the first round.

Brilliant.

Eleazar · 05-02-2007, 11:32 AM

I don't see what the big problem is with the article. He wrote about quality players being found in later rounds. He wrote about good players the Chiefs have found in later rounds and bad ones they took in early rounds. Jabbed at ESPN's Quinnapalooza draft coverage. Laid out a bunch of scouting reports from the 'experts' that all contradict each other.

And the point of it all was that you can't trust any of these self-appointed expert voices. Ultimately it's up to the player to prove it.

Why is that so terrible? Is it because he didn't say "Bowe is a great pick" or "This draft was terrible"?

**Bob Dole** · 05-02-2007, 11:42 AM

All Bob Dole knows is that he's had at least 3 hardcore LSU fans tell Bob Dole what a great pick Bowe KC made.

**Reaper16** · 05-02-2007, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob Dole

All Bob Dole knows is that he's had at least 3 hardcore LSU fans tell Bob Dole what a great pick Bowe KC made.

Did these LSU fans mention anything about the WR that San Diego drafted?

L.A. Chieffan · 05-02-2007, 12:17 PM

Obviously he's not a golfer.

htismaqe · 05-02-2007, 12:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cochise

Why is that so terrible? Is it because he didn't say "Bowe is a great pick" or "This draft was terrible"?

It's because, in the end, he really didn't say anything at all.

**RealSNR** · 05-02-2007, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by htismaqe

It's because, in the end, he really didn't say anything at all.

Yes he did. That draft pundits and magazines give invalid claims. People who get excited or overly upset (like a lot of fans on Chiefsplanet) are wasting their time.

Pretty obvious, I know, but he had a couple of good jokes in there. It's not a bad article.

htismaqe · 05-02-2007, 12:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SNR

Yes he did. That draft pundits and magazines give invalid claims. People who get excited or overly upset (like a lot of fans on Chiefsplanet) are wasting their time.

Pretty obvious, I know, but he had a couple of good jokes in there. It's not a bad article.

Well, maybe it's just me then.

But he didn't say anything that I didn't already know.

**Reaper16** · 05-02-2007, 01:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by htismaqe

Well, maybe it's just me then.

But he didn't say anything that I didn't already know.

I'm fairly certain that your football knowledge exceeds that of the average football fan, especially the casual fan who might not read columns every day but read the draft coverage to see who the Chiefs picked up.

Thig Lyfe · 05-02-2007, 02:55 PM

More like a bust IN Canton!!!

Am I right, or am I right!!!?!!?!?!?!?!?!?!one/one/

Logical · 05-02-2007, 03:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by htismaqe

Well, maybe it's just me then.

But he didn't say anything that I didn't already know.

What you want him to be informative? WTF that would be unprecedented for a KC writer. Truthfully I would be shocked to see them do a little research and offer an insightful opinion.

Nice of him to repeat all the stuff I can get from other sources.

**Easy 6** · 05-02-2007, 03:29 PM

Other than some humorous swipes, this is pretty pedestrian work from Joe.

Its true about the magazines though, i looked up our guys in 5 different ones & its convinced me to never buy another draft guide ever again...each ones analysis contradicts itself a paragraph down.

KChiefs1 · 09-30-2007, 10:11 PM

another interesting read....

**the Talking Can** · 09-30-2007, 10:17 PM

not one of his better efforts

PastorMikH · 09-30-2007, 10:18 PM

Knowing what we know now, if Quinn had dropped to us, how many would rather have him than Bowe?

I'd pass Quinn in a heartbeat for Bowe.

05-02-2007, 08:13 AM
Tribal Warfare The Boom Boom Room Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Far Beyond Comprehension Casino cash: $552813	POSNANSKI: Bowe to Canton or maybe a bust? http://www.kansascity.com/160/story/87896.html Bowe to Canton or maybe a bust? By JOE POSNANSKI Columnist Here’s the thing they won’t tell you about the NFL draft: Nobody knows. Sure things flop all the time. An undrafted free agent led the NFL in rushing. The best quarterback in the NFL was either the No. 1 overall pick (Peyton Manning) or a sixth-round pick (Tom Brady). The best defensive player in the NFL was either the 12th pick overall (Shawne Merriman) or the 73rd pick (Jason Taylor). The Chiefs busted with Junior Siavii in the second round and hit 90 picks later with fourth-rounder Jared Allen. They flopped with Trezelle Jenkins in the first round one year but found a Hall of Famer with Will Shields in the third round another. They traded up to get Tony Gonzalez, which worked awfully well. They traded up to get Ryan Sims, which was a fiasco. Point is: Nobody knows. But the NFL draft has become such a monster event, everybody wants to know, everybody needs to know right now exactly what the Chiefs got on Saturday when they drafted LSU receiver Dwayne Bowe. Everybody wants answers — will he be a Pro Bowler? A starter? A bust? Sylvester Morris? The Chiefs’ brain trust seemed excited about him. Of course, teams are always overly excited about their draft picks. They always seem stunned that the player they wanted all along — the player they dreamed about for weeks, the player they loved so much they had his name tattooed on their shoulder — somehow made it to them. Chiefs coach Herm Edwards liked Bowe so much, he offered the ultimate compliment. “He’s a football player,” Edwards said. This is good to know. It would be awful to think the Chiefs spent all that time and money scouting players only to draft a golfer in the first round. Of course, Herm was referring to Bowe’s toughness, his tenacity, his sense of the game. The Chiefs talked a lot about those things. They kept talking about how big Bowe is, how strong he is, how tough he is, how well he can block and so on. Of course, they may be a bit biased. We might need other opinions. We wanted to hear what the ESPN announcers thought about Bowe — unfortunately, they were so busy talking about Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn that they never seemed to notice the Chiefs drafted Bowe. In fact, they never seemed to notice that the draft went on after he was drafted. Look: I realize that Quinn dropping to the 22nd pick was a pretty big story (he almost fell all the way to the Chiefs — it would have been interesting to see if Carl Peterson would have drafted him like he promised). ESPN covered it like it was Armstrong landing on the moon. And I love the way they just kept crediting Quinn for the classy way he handled his plummet. Did they expect him to make obscene gestures to the camera? Start screaming and threatening general managers? Sorry. Let’s go to the magazines. Pro Football Weekly: “(Dwayne Bowe) shows good run strength after the catch and can break tackles … Very tough … Good worker.” See, that looks good, oh wait, there’s more. Pro Football Weekly: “(Bowe is) not elusive after the catch … Will mistime his jump and misjudge the ball … Not very smart and will take a few years to really understand an offense.” OK, well, see, that doesn’t look quite as good. Of course, this is what all the magazines do — they will describe a player’s strengths and weaknesses so that no matter what happens in the future they can say they told you so. Let’s look at a few more (hey, I paid good money for these magazines): Street & Smith’s Strengths: “Will go across the middle and make the tough catch … adjusts well to ball in the air … runs well after the catch …hard worker … respected team leader.” Concerns: “Slow in and out of breaks … sloppy route runner … inconsistent hands and will drop a few passes … still learning to read coverages.” The Sporting News Strengths: “Well-built athlete … will work the middle without fear … runs good routes … excels on jump routes … hands are strong enough to snag high and off-target passes.” Weaknesses: “Must catch passes more consistently with his hands … should be better at breaking tackles … not a game breaker.” Athlon Sports Strong points: Long arms and big hands … will block downfield … tough and intense player … can burst in and out of his cuts. Weak points: Inconsistent hands … loses concentration and focus at times. NFL DraftTracker on ESPN. Strengths: Fluid and smooth athlete … Does a good job catching the ball over his head … his hands are extremely strong … shifty and physical runner. Weaknesses: Has a tendency to lose focus … will drop some catchable passes … lacks elite speed. So there you go. It looks like Dwayne Bowe is a powerful player with remarkably strong hands who will work hard and make fabulous catches over defenders. And it looks like Dwayne Bowe is a slow receiver who drops passes and doesn’t run very good routes. It looks like a great pick. It also looks like a terrible pick. Like all the others.
Posts: 42,165

05-02-2007, 11:32 AM	#17
Eleazar Beyond the Rapids Join Date: May 2003 Location: Langley, VA Casino cash: $-370000	I don't see what the big problem is with the article. He wrote about quality players being found in later rounds. He wrote about good players the Chiefs have found in later rounds and bad ones they took in early rounds. Jabbed at ESPN's Quinnapalooza draft coverage. Laid out a bunch of scouting reports from the 'experts' that all contradict each other. And the point of it all was that you can't trust any of these self-appointed expert voices. Ultimately it's up to the player to prove it. Why is that so terrible? Is it because he didn't say "Bowe is a great pick" or "This draft was terrible"?
Posts: 80,659

05-02-2007, 11:42 AM	#18
Bob Dole King Shit of **** Mountain Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Texarkana, Texas Casino cash: $2224497	All Bob Dole knows is that he's had at least 3 hardcore LSU fans tell Bob Dole what a great pick Bowe KC made.
Posts: 48,726

05-02-2007, 12:17 PM	#20
L.A. Chieffan PLAY GOOD FOOTBALL Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: American Gardens Building Casino cash: $3948654	Obviously he's not a golfer.
Posts: 17,368

05-02-2007, 02:55 PM	#25
Thig Lyfe Banned Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Thigpen's America Casino cash: $10004900	More like a bust IN Canton!!! Am I right, or am I right!!!?!!?!?!?!?!?!?!one/one/
Posts: 25,680

05-02-2007, 03:29 PM	#27
Easy 6 pie is never free Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: the drivers seat Casino cash: $3367775	Other than some humorous swipes, this is pretty pedestrian work from Joe. Its true about the magazines though, i looked up our guys in 5 different ones & its convinced me to never buy another draft guide ever again...each ones analysis contradicts itself a paragraph down.
Posts: 92,086

09-30-2007, 10:11 PM	#28
KChiefs1 I’m a Mahomo! Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Mid-Missouri Casino cash: $6771021	another interesting read.... __________________
Posts: 54,038

09-30-2007, 10:17 PM	#29
the Talking Can Supporter Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: street Casino cash: $10022208	not one of his better efforts __________________ Clark Hunt: "Thank god for the Dominican pool boy"
Posts: 51,585

09-30-2007, 10:18 PM	#30
PastorMikH Will KC ever be better? Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Land of Red Dirt & Necks Casino cash: $9925087	Knowing what we know now, if Quinn had dropped to us, how many would rather have him than Bowe? I'd pass Quinn in a heartbeat for Bowe. __________________
Posts: 20,454