re: Reggie Bush = Bust?

Like I've been saying, everything in life has its proper context. Had Reggie been drafted in the 2nd round or later, he would have been considered a really good pick. But considering where he was taken, he was underwhelming. A #2 overall pick shouldn't be just a "solid contributor".

Prospects are not graded equally. It all depends on what the cost was. a 6th round pick who doesn't make it through training camp is not a bust. The odds were against him from the beginning, and he had an uphill battle to begin with. Alternatively a 1st or 2nd round pick doesn't make it through training camp, and he's a huge bust. Two different players, same result, different views.

I think a general timeline/guide from what to expect a top-5 pick to look like is something like this: Years 1-2, solid/quality starter. Years 3-6, fighting for probowl spots, years 5+ in the conversation for all-pro at their position. Mack and Von are perfect examples of what is EXPECTED out of a top-5 pick. Does that always come to fruition? No. But Reggie wasn't even close to these expectations.

Again, like I said, it's all relative. Reggie was the #2 pick and didn't live up to the expectations that come with that selection, not even close really. Had he been taken lower, the cost would have been less, thus the expectations lower, equaling a career without the bust stigma attached to him.