Chaun of the Dead
Mar 19, 2008 2003 Draft, 2008 Season, Big dudes doing the little things, Chaun, DeMeco Ryans, Dunta Robinson, President Lyndon Veins Johnson, Spin City
Building off of BFD’s last post–or, more accurately, one sentence in the italicized post script to that post–I thought I’d cobble together some information on the newest Texan linebacker, Chaun Thompson. Anyway, the Google pointed me to this series of five articles run by CNNSI.com in the weeks leading up to the 2003 NFL Draft.
It seems that CNNSI decided to follow Thompson through the combine and his pro day, telling the story of the “intriguing” prospect from little-known (in football terms) West Texas A&M. While Thompson was ultimately a second-round pick by the Cleveland Browns, some of the information in these articles is still illuminating. I think. Or maybe I am just looking for column filler.
A native of Mt. Pleasant, Texas, Chaun is comfortable in the warm weather that embraces the Lone Star State.
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“I really don’t have a preference,” Thompson said of his eventual NFL destination. “Wherever I have to go is OK with me. I just want to be there. Whoever calls, I’m there.
“My mom doesn’t care, either. She just wants me to keep playing. … I love my mom,” he said. “She’s never had nothing; just hand-me-downs.
“I’m just thinking about the opportunity. My mom says not to blow my money, but I’m going to help my mama.”
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Thompson — a new-age linebacker, complete with size and speed — went man-to-man last week with his fiercest competitor yet. He asked Faith Boyd’s father for his daughter’s hand in marriage. “And you know he had to give me that fatherly talk,” Thompson added. “‘I love my baby, I never harmed my baby … you better not …’
“I was scared,” he admitted, “because when he said ‘you better not’ he was clinching his fists!
“Then he started crying and went inside. … A few minutes later his wife came out asking, ‘What did you do to my husband?’
“I was nervous,” Thompson said, “because they’d never seen him cry. … The Combine was nothing like asking a dad for his daughter’s hand.”
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“Then I walked in and bench-pressed 225 [pounds] 29 times. I was pumped about that; others didn’t get as many. Those Division I players are just like me; you’ve got to hit the weight room and work hard.”
Despite his impressive workout — his 29 reps at 225 pounds was tied for most among the 12 inside linebackers who participated in the combine drill — Thompson said he remained in awe of his surroundings.
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A three-year starter at the Division II school, Thompson finished with 104 tackles as a senior and played well in two all-star games.
“All I want — all I can ask for — is that one chance,” Thompson said. “I’m maybe not the greatest, but one team is going to give me a chance. … I’m not going to ask for $17 million after five years; I’ll take a pay cut to get a championship.”
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“On Dec. 11, an AFC scout saw Chaun at 223 pounds run a 4.44″ in the 40-yard dash, recalls Griffin. “We sent Chaun to San Diego to work out and then he turns up in Indianapolis at 240 pounds and still had his speed.
“It just goes to show that Chaun is willing to work at all costs for this, his dream. He added 20 pounds, kept his speed and he has 34 1/2-inch arms — all of that is what teams find intriguing.”
Like I said, Thompson wound up playing in Cleveland, where he never missed a game in five seasons. He was a starter at SLB in 2004 and 2005, with that 2005 season being his best effort by far (102 tackles, 9 TFL, 5 sacks, 4 QB pressures, 2 FF, 1 FR). He lost the starting gig in 2006, but remained a solid contributor on special teams. Digging around the internets some more, I can’t come up with any particular reason that he lost his starting spot other than Romeo didn’t like him much. That’s fitting, however, because it appears that many, many Browns fans disliked Thompson because he was a second-round pick. I’ve never really understood Browns fans, though. I mean…you know your actual team is in Baltimore, right? Just sayin’.
Anyway, given the incredibly reasonable deal we gave Chaun (2 years, $4MM, $650K guaranteed) and given that his numbers as a starting SLB are as good as anything we’ve had in recent years and given that he is a Texas boy who wanted to come home to be closer to his family, I have to say that this my be my favorite signing of the offseason. Assuming he wins the starting job, I think it’s reasonable to pencil him in for 5-8 sacks, 75 tackles, 2-3 FF, and other numbers in keeping with that. And that is my reasonable, low-ball estimate, because here is the kicker: When he played his best season in Cleveland, he did not have a DeMeco Ryans lining up beside him, freeing him to go after the QB with reckless abandon; and he did not have a Mario Williams in front of him, eating up double teams and creating nice, large gaps for him to blitz through. Maybe I am just doing my usual self-convincing, but I am actually excited about our linebacking corps right now.
Even if he doesn’t win the starting SLB position, either because Kevin Bentley is way better than I imagine or because Zac Diles makes a seamless transition over there, it’s safe to say that Thompson will be a contributor in 2008. He has (as BFD pointed out) the speed and size to be a situational end, which is good because Anthony Weaver apparently died some time in late 2006. He’s a top-notch special teams player. And he can still get reps in nickel packages and as a backup SLB.
As a bonus, he also makes the spelling of Dunta’s name seem slightly less silly.
A Pre-cap of All the Stories You’ll Read About Sean Taylor in the Next Week
Nov 27, 2007 2003 Draft, Colts Shmolts, Damn it, Fatty Starbucks, National Media, Non-Texan stuff, Pro Bowl 2008
By now, everyone has heard about the murder of Sean Taylor. While this event is completely out of left field, the media coverage of it will not be. Thus, I present the following NOT to make light of Taylor’s death–I honestly do feel bad for his family and friends–but to make light of the preposterously predictable nature of the media. If, in so doing, I seem slightly insensitive, I apologize. Still, you know DGDB&D well enough to know there are no sacred cows.
“This is a tragedy that really puts the non-importance of football into perspective.” by Mike Lupica
“Taylor’s death shows us how quickly everything can be taken away.” by Peter King
“This is a logical conclusion to the embracing of the “hip hop” lifestyle.” by Skip Bayless
“How does Taylor’s death affect Tony Romo’s love life?” by Matt Mosely
“If this were Pacman Jones, you could blame it on the “hip hop” lifestyle, but Sean Taylor was not a part of that. He had left the bad boy image behind.” by Jeffrey Chadiha
“This is racial. People would be screaming for the killer to be brought to justice if this were Brett Favre.” by Jason Whitlock
“Sean Taylor’s murder is not unlike the death of INSERT FAMOUS ATHLETE HERE.” by Bill Simmons
“The Redskins are dedicating the remainder of their season to Taylor, but where do they go from here?” by Jason La Canfora
“This shows the foresight in Roger Goodell’s zero-tolerance policy, but he needs to be more strict and ban for life any player within 20 yards of a crime.” by Rick Reilly
“Would Sean Taylor have been a Hall of Famer if this didn’t happen?” by Football Outsiders
“It should have been you, Peyton Manning.” by Matt Campbell
Julius Peppers and Clinton Portis might have helped
Jul 7, 2007 2002 Draft, 2003 Draft, 2004 Draft, 2005 Draft, 2006 Draft, Athletes who don't stab people, Batman, Demarcus Faggins sucks, Dunta Robinson, Offensive (punch)Line, Posts that list too many players, Secondary issues are primary
This weekend’s apparent themerology is piggy-backing on posts at BRB. Because I am lazy, mainly, and because–let’s face it–it’s not like there’s a lot out there to comment upon.
Anyway… Tim links to the Texans’ draft history and then points out that only these players are still on the roster:
Pitts (2002)
Weary (2002)
Faggins (2002)
Dre (sole remaining 2003 draftee)
Dunta (2004)
Babin (2004)
Earl (2004)
C. Anderson (2004)
Tr. Johnson (2005)
Mathis (2005)
Hodgdon (2005)
C.C. Brown (2005)
Eww.
But, continuing that post one step further, who could we have had? By which I mean, who were the three picks taken immediately after our picks in each round? (I use the next three somewhat arbitrarily, but under the assumption that all of the teams would have had those fours players ranked somewhat similarly. I realize how faulty this assumption is when taken to Babin-esque extremes, but I had to draw the line somewhere. Occasionally, I will note when a very good player was taken more than three picks after ours. Also, by and large, this ignores any trades up or down.)
In 2002:
Round 1. We took David Carr. The next three were Julius Peppers, Joey Harrington, or Mike Williams (T, Texas). Ouch. Seriously… ouch. Best possible pick: Peppers.
Round 2, Pick 1. We took Jabar Gaffney. We could have had DeShaun Foster, Kalimba Edwards, or Josh Reed. Best possible pick: Foster or Reed.
Round 2, Pick 2. We took Chester Pitts. We could have had Clinton Portis, Anthony Weaver (oh… wait), or Langston Walker. Best possible pick: Portis.
Round 3, Pick 1. We took Fred Weary. We could have had Matt Schobel, Andre Goodman, or Saleem Rasheed. Best possible pick: Weary.
Round 3, Pick 2. We took Charles Hill. We could have had Lamar Gordon, Kris Richard, or Marquise Walker. Best possible pick: Walker?
Round 4. We took Jonathon Wells. We could have had Dante Wesley, Kevin Bentley, or Jeff Chandler. Best possible pick: Wells, strangely.
Round 5, Pick 1. We took Jarrod Baxter. We could have had Randy Fasani, John Owens, or Justin Bannan. Best possible pick: Owens, I guess.
Round 5, Pick 2. We took Ramon Walker. We could have had Jonathan Goodwin, Terry Jones, or Aaron Kampman. Best possible pick: Kampman.
Round 6, Pick 1. We took DeMarcus Faggins. We could have had Keith Heinrich, Chris Cash, or Kevin Thomas. Best possible pick: Insanely, Faggins.
Round 6, Pick 2. We took Howard Green. We could have had Jeb Putzier (oh… wait), Reggie Coleman, or John Stamper. Best possible pick: Putzier.
In 2003:
Round 1. We took Andre Johnson. We could have had Dewayne Robertson, Terence Newman, or Johnathan Sullivan. Best possible pick: Johnson.
Round 2. We took Bennie Joppru. We could have had Ken Hamlin, Pisa Tinoisamo, or Taylor Jacobs. Best possible pick: Hamlin.
Round 3, Pick 1. We took Antwan Peek. We could have had Lance Briggs, Jason Witten, or Gerald Hayes. Best possible pick: Briggs or Witten, depending on what you needed.
Round 3, Pick 2. We took Seth Wand. We could have had Mike Seidman, Musa Smith, or Wade Smith. Best possible pick: N/A.
Round 3, Pick 3. We took Dave Ragone. We could have had Andrew Williams, Donald Strickland, or Visanthe Shiancoe. Best possible pick: Shiancoe.
Round 4. Domanick Williams (nee Davis). We could have had Montrae Holland, Bradie James, or George Wrighster. Best possible pick. Williams. (Assante Samuel was taken 19 picks after ours.)
Round 6, Pick 1. We took Drew Henson. We could have had Marques Ogden, Aaron Hunt, or Antonio Garay. Best possible pick: N/A.
Round 6, Pick 2. We took Keith Wright. We could have had Scott Kooistra or Ben Johnson. Best possible pick: N/A.
Round 7, Pick 1. We took Curry Burns. We could have had Malaefou MacKenzie, Justin Bates, or Blue Adams. Best possible pick: N/A.
Round 7, Pick 2. We took Chance Pearce. We could have had Spencer Need, Ahmaad Galloway, or Brandom Drumm. Best possible pick: N/A.
In 2004:
Round 1, Pick 1. We took Dunta Robinson. We could have had Ben Roethlisberger, Jonathan Vilma, or Lee Evans. Best possible pick: Vilma, though Evans could change that with another good season or three. (Tommie Harris was taken right after Evans.)
Round 1, Pick 2. We took Jason Babin. We could have had Chris Gamble, Michael Jenkins, or Kevin Jones. Best possible pick: Gamble.
Round 4. We took Glenn Earl. We could have had Stacy Andrews, Michael Waddell, or Jason David. Best possible pick: David, though Earl is close.
Round 6, Pick 1. We took Vontez Duff. We could have had Triandos Luke, Kelly Butler, or Von Hutchins (oh… wait). Best possible pick: Ironically, Hutchins.
Round 6, Pick 2. We took Jammal Lord. We could have had Kirk Chambers, Bo Lacy, or Marko Cavka. Best possible pick: N/A.
Round 6, Pick 3. We took Charlie Anderson. We could have had Jeff Smoker, John Navarre, or Drew Strojny. Best possible pick: Anderson, I guess, though I will always claim Navarre should have gotten a chance in Arizona.
Round 7, Pick 1. We took Raheem Orr. We could have had Eric Taylor, Darrell McClover, or Jonathan Smith. Best possible pick: N/A.
Round 7, Pick 2. We took Sloan Thomas. We could have had same as above.
Round 7, Pick 3. We took B.J. Symons. We could have had Bobby McCray, Bradlee Van Pelt (oh… wait), or Scott Wells. Best possible pick: Van Pelt.
In 2005:
Round 1. We traded down three spots and took Travis Johnson. Had we not traded, we could have taken Derrick Johnson. Even with the trade, we could have had David Pollack, Erasmus James, or Alex Barron. Best possible pick: D. Johnson.
Round 3. We took Vernand Morency. We could have had Justin Tuck, Eric Green, or Karl Paymah. Best possible pick: Morency. (Drafting with what was originally our pick, the Raiders took Kirk Morrison five spots after Morency.)
Round 4. We took Jerome Mathis. We could have had Marviel Underwood, Craphonso Thorpe, or Chase Lyman. Best possible pick: Mathis.
Round 5. We took Drew Hodgdon. We could have had Adrian McPherson, Adam Kieft, or Robert McCune. Best possible pick: N/A.
Round 6. We took C.C. Brown. We could have had Jovan Haye, Tab Perry, or C.J. Mosley. Best possible pick: Brown.
Round 7. We took Kenneth Pettway. We could have had Shaun Nua, James Kilian, or Matt Cassel. Best possible pick: N/A.
We’ll assume it’s too early to tell “best” picks in 2006, but here are the results.
Round 1. We took Mario Williams. We could have had Reggie Bush, Vince Young, or D’Brickashaw Ferguson.
Round 2. We took DeMeco Ryans. We could have had D’Qwell Jackson, Rocky McIntosh, or Chad Jackson.
Round 3, Pick 1. We took Charles Spencer. We could have had Abdul Hodge, Claude Wroten, or Paul McQuistan.
Round 3, Pick 2. We took Eric Winston. We could have had same as above.
Round 4. We took Owen Daniels. We could have had Max Jean-Gilles, Michael Robinson, or Darnell Bing.
Round 6. We took Wali Lundy. We could have had Mike Hass, Jonathan Orr, or Reed Doughty.
Round 7. We took David Anderson. We could have had Marques Colston (oops), Dave Tollefson, or Vickiel Vaughn.
So, what’s the verdict? I think the most striking thing is that, other than the Andre Johnson pick, our misses are much more noteworthy than our hits. I mean, Travis Johnson over Derrick Johnson? Carr over Peppers? Chester Pitts over Clinton Portis? Those are all the types of moves than set your team back seasons. On top of which, most of our successes are with guys like Brown and Earl (both of whom we have talked about needing to replace).
The two other things that jumped out were, first, the number of players we could have drafted who are now on our roster and, second, the number of players we drafted who were never heard from again. I’m sure the latter happens to some extent with every team, but I don’t know that most people notice the number of Kenneth Pettways and Sloan Thomases every team discards.
