re: Juniors leaving early befuddles me

Most top schools tell their players if they are 1st rounders they should take it, otherwise, they will benefit by coming back.

In addition, many of these guys do not belong in college any way. The more classes they take the tougher the classes get revealing their ineptitude. That cannot feel good. Many of them are looking for a way out after 3 years no matter the risk.

quote:

---

Having said that, I use Minter as an example. He would have increased hid draft stock had he stayed and all he is doing now is playing special teams BUT i think his contract got him a million bucks this year.

---

No he would not have. His setback was speed and he had to cover up a lot of mistakes for the terrible LB crew we have now and had last year. Anthony Barr, Kyle Van Noy, and CJ Mosley would have gone before him this year.

He was taken at 45 as the #4LB with 4 yr 4.39 million dollar contract with a 1.57 signing bonus.

LB in round, pick, contract, signing bonus

Jarvis Jones - R1 P17, 8.7 mill, 4.71 mill
Alec Ogletree - R1 P30, 7.03 mill, 3.49 mill
Manti Te'o - R2 P38, 5.17 mill, 2.14 mill
Kevin Minter - R2 P45, 4.39 mill, 1.57
Kiko Alonso - R2 P46, 4.3 mill, 1.51 mill
Arthur Brown R2 P56 - 3.55 mill, 888k

All contracts across the whole league go like this for any player regardless of position. Minter would not have went first round having to take up slack for this horrible defense debacle.

When Mingo, Montgomery, Reid, and Logan left, he would have been a fool not to.

It all comes down to money and fear of injury. A million dollars isn't like winning the lottery to any of us, because we know how fast that can go after bills, taxes, a few cars, a house, etc.

A college student who was born in poverty doesn't have that perspective. And we all know how hard it is to give advice to a kid in college. They "already know" about life out there in the real world.

You would be shocked at how quickly these guys blow through their money, even with a financial advisor. I know somebody who did just that (helped to manage the accounts) for a few of them. I'm not going to say who on either side as a sign of respect and the fact that the advisor could lose his/her job if it got leaked out. I was told firsthand the stories of how these players basically hook up everybody in the family with a house (parents, aunts, uncles, cousins), make ridiculous financial decisions, and can't keep up to stay in the black. They spend it quicker than they can get it. Add to that as soon as the player hits the jackpot, the family comes 'a runnin. Anyway, that's a whole different topic and I don't want to get off topic.

I don't blame them for leaving early, is where I stand on it. Money is money. But it's more to somebody who was raised in a family of poverty.

I've been saying for a few years now that not only do Chavis/Stud/Cameron and Miles need to change the way we recruit, but also the strategy behind their choice as well. They need to just expect the players to leave early rather than be halfway surprised by it. I say hit up the "free agency" of NCAA (aka Junior Colleges) and get guys who have experience and aren't completely green with college level football, so they can start now and have a learning curve above that of your typical incoming freshman. Which, is pretty much what they do now for the most part.

quote:

---

Logan is about where he is at, but not horrible choice. Ford and Ware weren't going to go higher than they did and were going to continue getting reduced roles this season. Minter might have been best suited coming back and so would've Faulk, but each had their reasons.

---

Every kid's situation is different, but the borderline are the ones that you would like to see stay and contribute and get their degree. Lately, it seems that every single player that has a slight chance to play in the NFL is going early. Is Les "processing" or they all just looking to get the big check?

(and don't get me wrong. I am a fan of CLM. I thing he runs a good program. This may even be a nationwide trend, but the question needs to be asked.)

I am old school, but I still think the degree should be a goal for guys that may only play a year or two.

The answer is condoms. Too many kids having kids

Minter already graduated before declaring. I think that's a factor as well.

the worst part of it is sometimes these kids never even make a big contribution for their college career. at most it seems like we get 1 good year out of them. look at guys like Freak and Ego - we won't even get one great year before they are gone.

I don't understand how the NFL scouts can pick guys because of athleticism if they don't have either the football smarts, the will, or both to be real players.

It seems to me, though, that once the floodgates are open, there aren't any seniors around to draft, so the NFL takes what they can get out of the junior class.

It's really ruining the college game for me. Like it did for college basketball.

PS I don't blame any kid for believing the lie and taking the money. we know they all end up broke, except for those few who are very lucky to get themselves on solid ground, or those lucky enough with an upbringing to be solid emotionally already.

I hate professional sports. I just can't get excited about my mercenaries vs your mercenaries.