No, I’m not talking about Alabama Baseball since that is the only active sport that could possibly get shutout (No way the softball team does). As a matter of fact, the Alabama Baseball team routed Auburn today 17-7 to take the series 2 games to 1. That wasn’t the issue of the weekend. The issue was, this is the first time since 1970 that no player from the University of Alabama was taken in the NFL Draft. That’s 38 years; that’s a long, long time. I have mixed feelings about all of this but more than anything it shows what Alabama has been missing over the past couple of seasons. Talent. And depth.
I found it very interesting to read and hear some of the reactions from Alabama fans today as the Mr. Irrelevant pick was announced and not a single Tide player got the good news phone call. Basically, it took 48 hours for the majority of our fan base to realize that Alabama is not that good and hasn’t been that good for a while. There are some exceptions obviously, but for the most part things have been rather sour. This weekend has left some in shock as punters, long snappers, and kids from colleges that no one would ever imagine existing were called ahead of the Alabama players.
I had originally thought that there would be at least three Alabama players taken: Wallace Gilberry, DJ Hall, and Simeon Castille. Probably in that order as well. I thought maybe, just maybe, Matt Caddell could slip in because of his impressive showing in Alabama’s Pro Day. However, as the picks rolled by (no pun intended) it really got me thinking. Maybe these guys weren’t that good after all. It was mind blowing because Gilberry was a 1st team All-SEC defensive lineman last season. He led the league in tackles for loss and was certainly up there for sacks and QB pressures, but he really is too small to play that position in the pros. Still though, he went up against great talent, was constantly held, and still put up great numbers. This one irritates me a little.
Number 92 is a beast. Hopefully he’ll get a chance to prove he’s good enough for the league.
Next, DJ Hall. Alabama’s Mr. Everything. Alabama’s greatest wide receiver in the history of the program. Blah, blah, blah. Yes, I’ll admit that I really liked the guy especially after last season and into the start of this one. However, some of his characteristics on and off the field is probably what kept him out of the draft. His showing up his quarterback was not a plus either. The talent for a NFL Wide out is certainly there, but his mind isn’t. By the end of today I agreed with every analyst, every team, and every general manager not taking the guy. I’m not trying to bash him, but DJ is not a team player. He even admitted it to himself and the rest of us in an interview talking about how he didn’t buy into Saban’s system. Whatever dude.
Touchdown reception by DJ Hall against Ghost’s favorite player, Eric Berry and his beloved Vols.
And finally, Simeon Castille. There are several people, mostly Alabama fans that still have their jaws dropped at this one. I am not one of them, however. I’ve said all along that Simeon is really not that good at all. He’s very slow and consistantly gets burned by teams’ third and sometimes fourth options at wide out. I thought that maybe because of his last name that some team would pull the trigger and take a chance on the kid, but not surprisingly it never happened.
Simeon Castille
I do feel bad for the guys because they did have decent to great careers at UA. I know how much hard work and sweat and tears went into their time at Alabama, and I am forever grateful for that. As a student at Alabama and a huge fan of all things Crimson, it is a tough pill to swallow. However, at the end of the day to have to take a look back and see why all of this happened. Poor decisions. Poor decisions by the coaching staffs, poor decisions by some of our players, and most importantly, poor decisions by our Athletic Director. We’ll leave it at that for now.
As rare as it has been for something like this to happen, seeing it happen again will not be something Alabama fans have to worry about in the near future. There are a few guys who will certainly hear their name called during next years draft, such as Rashad Johnson. One other guy, if he decides to leave (Oh God, please don’t…stay Andre, stay!!!) will likely be a top 5 pick whether it’s the ‘09 draft or ‘10 draft (Typing ‘10 was really weird; I actually had to do it a couple times to make sure. I think it’s right.)
Finally, I want to make a plea to my ‘Bama brethren. Good times are soon to come. Enjoy the upcoming season. While we will most likely struggle to make a bowl game, just enjoy watching so many freshman grow and improve right before your eyes. I can’t wait for next season because I want to see how these guys handle being forced into action like a deer in headlights. I’m saying upwards to 10-12 true freshman will see a good bit of playing time over the course of next season. Some of these will be instant starters and by the end of the season, more will be starting with them. If you don’t believe me, take a look at what we lost from this season and where they are now.
My point exactly.
Yeah, this is the number one class of 2008. Looking pretty good to me.
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I was really surprised Gilberry wasn’t taken. And for all those that thought Shula was an above-average recruiter….um..yeah.
BTW, Gilberry signed with the Giants as an undrafted free agent, Simeon and Justine Britt signed with the Bengals, and Matt Caddell signed with the Rams. Unbelievably, DJ Hall isn’t with anybody as of yet.
I think the one who has the most talent that could produce itself in the NFL is DJ Hall. He definitely has some attitude problems, but he is the closest one to having the requisite athletic ability. He runs really good routes, and comes out of his routes pretty clean. He also has better than average hands. I thought he would have gone some time around the 4th round.
Gilberry is way undersized, and does not have the athleticism. Castille is slow and will have to try and become a safety. He does have pretty good instincts for finding the ball. I still DJ would have the best chance of becoming a successful player in the NFL, if he can keep his head on straight.
Honestly, I think Gilberry has the best shot at success. Think about how many stories in the NFL start with “everyone thought he was undersized.” The production he’s had on the field is proof enough. I’m not saying the SEC is like the NFL-lite, but it’s the highest level of competition in college ball and he produced at a tremendous level. Mark Anderson was said to be wrong for the pros and he only managed to finish second in Rookie MVP voting and helped lead his defense to a Super Bowl. Not too bad for a guy from the same defense that Gilberry largely played under.
I always considered Keith Brown to have more pro potential than Hall or Caddell, but he could never stay healthy. DJ’s attitude on and off-the-field (as mentioned in the post) is what killed him. If a guy has late round talent, but has character/attitude issues, he isn’t getting drafted.
I think Gilberry and Caddell can stick. Caddell can play special teams, so that will help him.
I am still stunned that Chris Capps didn’t get picked.
Did any Alabama guys get picked up as UFAs?
Yes, Matt Caddell, Simeon Castille, and Wallace Giberry are the ones I know, but still no DJ Hall.
DJ Hall got picked up by the Giants late yesterday.
Of those four, I predict that Hall and Caddell will make a roster. Caddell just fits so well with what St. Louis does and he was definitely under-utilized at Bama. Hall is going to chafe against Coughlin, but if he gets his act together and realizes he has a lot to learn, he definitely has the physical skills. Gilberry will outwork every other rookie on that team, and the Giants only signed one DE in this draft. If working hard is enough, he’ll see PT, not just make the roster. Castille…what a waste.
cd,
Was the problem that Shula wasn’t really an above-average recruiter or that Shula wasn’t a competent developer of talent? Or both? I didn’t pay any attention to Alabama football 4 years ago so I don’t know what kind of recruiting classes he had. But a lot of low-prospect guys did well in the draft because of their development, so I was wondering how much a lack of improvement over their college career played into the draft.
I am not quite sure it is either in my opinon. Shula’s best classes would be juniors and seniors this year. I think there are a few guys that will be drafted out of these classes (Caldwell, Smith, etc.). I know the standard fan answer would be that Shula was a terrible recruiter, but I think looking at it from one year does not give you full perspective; however, I do think Shula’s prowess as a great recruiter was overrated.
I am not sure how you can blame Saban, none of the guys who were eligible for the draft regressed from last year. DJ had an excellent year, when he was on the field. Gilberry was first team All-SEC, he easily had the best year of his career. I guess an argument could be made that Castille was not as good as his junior year, but he still had a solid year.
In the end I think Shula’s classes will be looked out as average. I think there is some individual talent left over, but it is not what is necessary to compete at the highest levels of the SEC.
Shula’s recruiting classes were over-rated. He benefited from being in rich recruiting soil (meaning the Southeast), but when you look at his classes, the best he had was tenth in the country (and that was supplemented by late signees Saban brought in) and that was still only the seventh best in the conference, which is pretty reflective of where Alabama was under Shula. That doesn’t even count the number of players that never made it onto campus but made our classes look better. Every school has some of that, but it’s not usually the best of the kids you sign, which it consistently was with Shula. Mike Ford–he went to the Big East after failing to meet SEC qualifications three times. Kerry Murphy–still claiming he’s coming to Bama, but it’s not looking good.
As for a developer of talent, he might be great at it, but if he is, I’d trust him with national security secrets the way he kept that hidden.
Just one further thought on Shula’s player development….there were far too many players who did better as freshman before they had spent any great length of time in that system. Castille for one. Gilberry’s freshman year was far better than the next two before he flourished last season. Player after player looked fantastic but never got beyond high school form under him.
Hoop, TFIT pretty much said what I think about Shula.
It’s not about who gets drafted, it’s about who wins games on Saturday’s.