//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
*UPDATE*
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
I'm doing a deep dive on the top 8 teams or thereabouts over the last 8 years + the Cowboys.
Looking at 1st round asset allocation firstly, the rest of their draft secondarily, and overall retention thirdly.
* If a team moved on from a guy (multi-year) and they succeed it will be classified as an "L."
* If a team re-signed a guy (multi-year) and they flopped it will be classified as an "L."
* If a team re-signed a guy (multi-year) and they succeed it will be classified as a "W."
* If a team moved on from a guy (multi-year) and they flopped it will be classified as a "W."
* The Bust label is applicable to 1st selection only, and ignored afterwards to avoid semantics. Unless the team in question has multiple 1st round picks, then all 1st rounders will be counted.
* 1st selections will be classified as busts who do not get big multi-year 2nd contracts with few exceptions, if any.
* 2nd selection and beyond, I am focusing on just the "Hits" (bigger multi-year contracts).
* 5 Designations in total: Hit, W, Retained, Bust, and L.
* SCORING SYSTEM:
+3 points for a Hit;
+2 points for Retained;
+1 point for a W;
Negative 1 point for an L;
Negative 3 points for a 1st Selection Bust;
Negative 3 points for Poor 1st rd Asset usage (Bad Trade).
Fourth up is the 2016 NFL Draft.
BALTIMORE RAVENS 2016
------
1st / 6 - Ronnie Stanley (OT) [HIT][W] 1st Team All-Pro; 5 yrs $112M w/Baltimore.
------
Other Notable Selections:
104 - NB - Tavon Young [L] / 3 yrs $25.8M w/Ravens.
130 - G - Alex Lewis [W] / 3 yrs $18.6M w/NYJ.
146 - Edge - Matthew Judon [L] - 2x Pro Bowl; 4 yrs $56M w/New England.
UDFA - NT - Micheal Pierce [W] - 3 yrs $27M w/Minnesota.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Tavon Young signed a contract making him the highest paid nickel back in the NFL. Then proceeded to have a neck injury followed by a torn ACL, bad injury luck = L. Alex Lewis is an average starting Guard for the NYJ, nothing more nothing less, it will alway be a W in my book when you avoid paying average. Judon was one of the steals of the 2016 draft. They franchise tagged him in 2020, and then chose to let him walk in 2021, L. Baltimore hit on a run-stuffing gem in UDFA, but they already had a stud in that spot in Brandon Williams, they get the W for losing a productive player, who opted out in 2020 due to Covid, though this could flip to an L down the road if Pierce comes back with a vengeance in Minnesota.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
5 Hits; 3 W's; 1 Retained; 2 L's = 18 points.
DALLAS COWBOYS 2016
------
1st / 4 - Ezekiel Elliiot (RB ) [HIT][L] - 1st Team All-Pro; 2x NFL Rushing Yards Leader - 6 yrs $90M w/Dallas.
------
Other Notable Selections:
034 - LB - Jaylon Smith [W] - 1x Pro Bowl; 5 yrs $64M w/Dallas.
135 - QB - Dak Prescott [W] - All Rookie Team; 2x Pro Bowl; 4 yrs $160M w/Dallas.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Zeke was phenomenal on his rookie contract and has been a shell of his former self since getting paid, L. Jaylon Smith, though a little overpaid has been a tackling machine for the Cowboys. Dak is the only Franchise QB to be found outside of the top 10 picks since Russell Wilson, W.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
3 Hits; 2 W's; 3 Retained; 1 L = 16 points.
GREEN BAY PACKERS 2016
------
1st / 27 - Kenny Clark (NT) [HIT][W] 1x Pro Bowl; 4 yrs $70M w/Green Bay.
------
Other Notable Selections:
131 - LB - Blake Martinez [L] - NFL Tackles leader in 2017; 3 yrs $30M w/NYG.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
You know you're damn good when you can make the Pro Bowl as a Nose Tackle in the NFL, Kenny Clark, W. Losing a productive player like Martinez is an L.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
2 Hits; 1 W; 1 Retained; 1 L = 8 points
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS 2016
------
2nd / 37 - Chris Jones (DT) [HIT][W] - 2x 2nd Team All-Pro - 4 yrs $80M w/Kansas City.
* KC traded down with SF and picked up 105 and 178 which bore no fruit of note.
------
Other Notable Selections:
165 - WR - Tyreek Hill [W] / 3x 1st Team All-Pro; 3 yrs $54M w/Kansas City.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Outside of Aaron Donald there isn't many guys who get to the QB better from the interior than Chris Jones, W. Tyreek Hill is one of the best WRs in the NFL drafted all the way down at pick #165.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
2 Hits; 2 W's; 2 Retained = 12 points
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS 2016
------
1st / -- FORFEITED (Deflate Gate) [-3 Points]
2nd / 60 - Cyrus Jones (CB) (1st Selection) [BUST]
------
Other Notable Selections:
078 - G - Joe Thuney [L] / 2nd Team All-Pro; 5 yrs $80M w/Kansas City.
UDFA - CB - Jonathan Jones [W] / 3 yrs $21M w/New England.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
New England took it on the chin with Deflate Gate, and then whiffed on their 1st selection putting them in a big hole they never really climbed out of, though they did draft Joe Thuney and found Jonathan Jones in UDFA.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
2 Hits; 1 W; 1 Retained; 1 L; 1 Bust; 1 Deflate Gate = 2 points
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS 2016
------
1st / 12 - Sheldon Rankins (DT) [BUST][W] / 2 yrs $17M w/NYJ.
------
Other Notable Selections:
047 - WR - Michael Thomas [W] / NFL OPotY; 2x 1st Team All-Pro; 5 yrs $100M w/New Orleans.
062 - S - Vonn Bell [L] / 3 yrs $18M w/Cincinnati.
120 - DT - David Onyemata [W] / 3 yrs $27M w/New Orleans.
UDFA - K - Wil Lutz [W] 5 yrs 20.25M w/New Orleans.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Rankins would've been a hit but was injured too often to be considered as such. They get the W for letting him walk and not blowing another $17M on him. Michael Thomas has been one of the most prolific WRs in the NFL since entering the league. Vonn Bell was one of those can't keep everyone situations, L. David Onyemata can give similar production to Rankins and can actually stay on the field. Lutz technically started with Baltimore but was waived in camp and gifted to the Saints. He has gone on to be one of the best Kickers in the NFL.
-------------
4 Hits; 4 W's; 3 Retained; 1 L; 1 Bust = 18 points
PITTSBURGH STEELERS 2016
------
1st / 25 - Artie Burns (CB) [BUST]
------
Other Notable Selections:
089 - DT - Javon Hargrave [W] / 3 yrs $39M w/Philadelphia.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Avoided massively overpaying Hargrave, W. Otherwise an uninspired draft from Pittsburgh.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
1 Hit; 1 W; 1 Bust = 1 point
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS 2016
------
1st / 31 - Germain Ifedi (OL) [BUST]
* Seattle traded down from 26 netting pick 94 which turned into a backup TE, yay.
------
Other Notable Selections:
049 - DT - Jarran Reed [W] / 2 yrs $23M w/Seattle.
UDFA - OT - George Fant [W] / 3 yrs $30M w/NYJ.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Germain Ifedi provided backup quality play for 4 seasons, and then signed a 1 yr deal with Chicago for the league minimum, BUST! Jarran Reed has provided good all-around play and has been a staple on the Seahawks D-Line since being drafted, W. Fant was a nice find in UDFA, Seattle never really developed him, and wisely let him get overpaid by the Jets, swapping him for Brandon Shell who is a better player at a fraction of the price, W.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
2 Hits; 2 Ws; 1 Retained; 1 Bust = 7 points
THE RAMS (LA/ST. LOUIS) 2016
------
1st / 1 - Jared Goff (QB) [BUST][L] / 4 yrs $134M w/The Rams.
* The Rams traded two 1sts, two 2nds, and two 3rds, to move up to #1 to draft Jared Goff [BAD TRADE]. They would later go on to eat $32M in dead money and trade two more 1sts to get him off of their team, LOL.
------
Other Notable Selections:
110 - TE - Tyler Higbee [W] / 4 yrs $31M w/The Rams.
UDFA - LB - Corey Littleton [W] 3 yrs $36M w/Las Vegas.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Selling the farm for Goff ultimately is the reason why the Rams do not have a Super Bowl championship, if not multiple championships. Tyler Higbee and Littleton were nice finds, but the Goff trade was one of the worst of the decade.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
2 Hits; 2 W; 1 Retained; 1 L; 1 Bust; 1 Bad Trade = 3 points
TOTALS THROUGH THE 2013, 2014, 2015, & 2016 NFL DRAFTS:
1st
KC = 54 pts
2nd
DAL = 43 pts
3rd
NE = 42 pts
4th
BAL = 40 pts
5th
GB = 36 pts
5th
NO = 36 pts
7th
PIT = 29 pts
8th
RAM = 25 pts
9th
SEA = 14 pts
Dallas is surprisingly at #2, but when you think about how many O-Lineman they hit on and finding Dak Prescott in this time period, it isn't all that surprising. KC continues to find 'Hits" to stay in first place, NE was pretty bad and I wonder if their draft luck has run out going forward. New Orleans has just started their run of epic drafts so they should shoot up the board. Seattle… I am disappoint.
I will do 2017 NEXT!!!!!!!!!!!!![/quote]