Here's the best choice: call off this dull draft

Sporting News, The, April 7, 1997 by T.J. Simers

The three most important things in the lives of most normal people are their spouse, their children and the NFL draft--not, of course, in that order.

This year, however, the news is very distressing. the NFL draft might have to be cancelled because it is scheduled to begin with the first pick on April 19, and presently there is no first pick.

There is no quarterback, no running back and no wide receiver worthy of that selection, and so it would seem no good reason to conduct a draft.

The best player in this draft is now going to be the first player taken in next year's draft because Bill Parcells tried to be a tough guy with Archie Manning. Instead of ripping the jersey off Neil O'Donnell's back and making him the chauffeur to fetch quarterback Peyton Manning, Parcells wanted to keep his options open.

So Manning will remain at Tennessee and Parcells is left with a pick with no value and the rest of us are left with a draft featuring a bunch of "No Names Who Will Never Touch The Ball."

Parcells has been unavailable for comment, and now you know why. In his first official act as the Jets' coach, he blew it. Locked away in a bunker--as if the whole world really cares what lug he's going to pick--he is probably reading Mel Kiper's 1997 Draft Update and listening to Keyshawn Johnson's advice while anxiously hoping his phone rings with a trade offer.

The NFL probably would frown on it, but shouldn't Parcells be seeking help from New England owner Robert Kraft, his football mentor, who kept him from passing on wide receiver Terry Glenn last year?

If Parcells is expecting another team to bail him out of the boring draft he has created, history says it probably won't happen.

In the past 25 years, there have been only eight trades involving the first pick in the draft--and all eight were made to get playmakers: running backs Earl Campbell and Ki-Jana Carter, defensive linemen Ed Jones and Russell Maryland, quarterbacks Steve Bartkowski and Jeff George, wide receiver Irving Fryar and linebacker Tom Cousineau.

The best player in this year's draft is Ohio State's Orlando Pace, but he's an offensive lineman. Baltimore took Jonathan Ogden with the fourth pick in the first round of last year's draft. He was everything the team had hoped for in an offensive lineman, inspiring the Ravens to win four games.

It has been 29 years since a team exercised the first pick in the draft on an offensive lineman (Ron Yary of the Vikings), and one look at the Jets' defense-poor rooster suggests that streak will continue for another year.

So how does this draft begin?

What if Parcells could get everyone excited about an impact defensive player, thereby driving up the value of that first choice and generating talk of a trade? You know, someone like USC defensive tackle Darrell Russell. In the past six years, three of the top picks in the draft have been defensive tackles (Maryland, Steve Emtman and Dan Wilkinson).

It was an idea with potential had Russell cooperated, but so far Russell has reacted like a young man being asked to drive a truck the rest of his life. Russell, a 6-5, 312-pound run stuffer, has dodged workout requests while citing a sore hamstring.

Last week, teams were invited to USC to view him at work. And after he ran a 40-yard dash in 4.8-plus time, he disappeared into the training room, according to observers, and never returned.

Go sell that.

One scout reportedly was overhead to say, "I took a red-eye to watch this?"

So who wants to give up their first-round pick, probably a second and maybe an additional choice for a guy who doesn't seem all that eager to earn a $6 million signing bonus?

Any other ideas before calling this draft off? Florida State defensive end Peter Boulware? Ohio State cornerback Shawn Springs? Texas cornerback Bryant Westbrook?

You select Boulware and you have to pay him first-pick money when you know he's not really the first pick in the draft--the very worst kind of buyer's remorse. A cornerback? Pittsburgh was the last team to use the first choice to select a defensive back (Gary Glick), and that was in 1956.

Parcells has no choice: He passes on Pace, Boulware, Springs and Westbrook, takes Russell and wakes up screaming every night, "I'm sorry, Peyton, whatever you want."

T-I-M-B-E-R

Three years ago, Health Shuler was the third player taken in the draft and, after signing an eight-year deal for $19.3 million with Washington, he quickly accomplished the impossible: He made draft-mate Trent Dilfer, who was chosen three spots behind Shuler, look pretty good.

Now, Shuler, a restricted free agent, has agreed to terms with the Saints on a four-year, $7.6 million contract. All that has to be worked out is the Redskins' compensation--probably only a third- or fourth-round pick. If Jim Everett has any chance of remaining the Saints' starting quarterback, he has to hope New Orleans finalizes the deal.

Shuler, who owns Dilfer-like numbers with 19 interceptions and 13 touchdown passes in his career, couldn't beat out Gus Frerotte. And when he did play, he got hurt, missing nine games in 1995 with a sprained shoulder and broken finger.