# Players passed over in favor of... **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [November 9, 2012, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/players-passed-over-in-favor-of/640515 "2012-11-09T19:53:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2012, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/players-passed-over-in-favor-of/640515/41 "2012-11-14T23:03:24Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > That still makes NFL executives stupid, not Warren Moon. If Warren believed he was more than capable of playing quarterback in the NFL at a high level, he was 100% right and the GMs who passed him over were 100% wrong. > > Jack Thompson was a first round choice. Warren Moon was completely overlooked. That’s both racist AND idiotic. Completely agreed on all counts. It’s hard to believe now, given that few, if any, NFL execs would give a second thought to a QB’s skin color today, but back then, the conventional wisdom really was that black QBs were not successful at the NFL level…and even if you would have had a hard time getting a GM or coach to publicly state that in 1979, it was also hard to find the one who was willing to buck the conventional wisdom. The Bucs drafted Doug Williams in the first round in '78, but it wasn’t until he moved to the Redskins in the mid '80s that he was seen as an effective QB – in his first few years in Tampa Bay, his reputation was for having a cannon of an arm, but no accuracy whatsoever (he didn’t even complete 50% of his passes until his fourth season). ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2012, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/players-passed-over-in-favor-of/640515/42 "2012-11-14T23:09:28Z")
In Williams’ defense: '78 was TB 3rd year in existence. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2012, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/players-passed-over-in-favor-of/640515/43 "2012-11-14T23:15:53Z")
> [@etv78](#): > > In Williams’ defense: '78 was TB 3rd year in existence. True, but I watched him play back then: he had no sense of touch as a young QB, and seemed to throw every pass as though he was trying to put it through a brick wall. I would not be at all surprised if he broke bones in his receivers’ hands (and, no, I’m not exaggerating). It took him some time to learn a level of finesse. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2012, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/players-passed-over-in-favor-of/640515/44 "2012-11-15T00:19:19Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > True, but I watched him play back then: he had no sense of touch as a young QB, and seemed to throw every pass as though he was trying to put it through a brick wall. I would not be at all surprised if he broke bones in his receivers’ hands (and, no, I’m not exaggerating). It took him some time to learn a level of finesse. The popular joke at the time was “President Carter is sending Doug Williams to Iran, to overthrow the Ayatollah.” ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2012, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/players-passed-over-in-favor-of/640515/45 "2012-11-15T04:09:27Z")
The 1988 MLB Draft 1 Andy Benes San Diego Padres 2 Mark Lewis Cleveland Indians 3 Steve Avery Atlanta Braves LHP 4 Gregg Olson Baltimore Orioles 5 Bill Bene Los Angeles Dodgers RHP 6 Monty Fariss Texas Rangers SS 7 Willie Ansley Houston Astros OF 8 Jim Abbott California Angels 9 Ty Griffin Chicago Cubs 2B 10 Robin Ventura Chicago White Sox 3B 11 Pat Combs Philadelphia Phillies LHP Baylor University 12 Tom Fischer Boston Red Sox LHP University of Wisconsin–Madison 13 Austin Manahan Pittsburgh Pirates SS Horizon HS (Scottsdale, AZ) 14 Tino Martinez Seattle Mariners 1B 15 Royce Clayton San Francisco Giants SS 16 Stan Royer Oakland Athletics C 17 Charles Nagy Cleveland Indians RHP 18 Hugh Walker Kansas City Royals OF 19 Dave Wainhouse Montreal Expos RHP 20 Johnny Ard Minnesota Twins RHP Mike Piazza, the best hitting catcher EVER…went in the 62nd Round. Pick # 1390 ---
**Author:** ![G0sp3l](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c68b51/32.png) [@G0sp3l](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G0sp3l)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2012, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/players-passed-over-in-favor-of/640515/46 "2012-11-15T16:52:12Z")
The Atlanta Hawks passed on both Chris Paul and Deron Williams. Luckily for them. Atlanta hadn’t made a good pick since Stacey Augmon or a great pick since Maravich. Atlanta: Where Greatness Comes To Die. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![markdash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@markdash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markdash)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2012, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/players-passed-over-in-favor-of/640515/47 "2012-11-15T19:07:37Z")
> [@G0sp3l](#): > > The Atlanta Hawks passed on both Chris Paul and Deron Williams. Luckily for them. Atlanta hadn’t made a good pick since Stacey Augmon or a great pick since Maravich. > > Atlanta: Where Greatness Comes To Die. ☹ The Marvin Williams pick was pretty brutal both in retrospect and at the time, but the Hawks have made some good picks over the last 10 years or so: 2007 pick 1-3 Al Horford 2004 pick 1-17 Josh Smith 1999 pick 1-10 Jason Terry ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2012, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/players-passed-over-in-favor-of/640515/48 "2012-11-15T19:31:41Z")
Seattle picking The Boz rather than any other defensive player that wouldn’t get run over by Bo Jackson. ---
**Author:** ![ReticulatingSplines](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@ReticulatingSplines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ReticulatingSplines)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2012, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/players-passed-over-in-favor-of/640515/49 "2012-11-15T19:35:42Z")
> [@markdash](#): > > The Marvin Williams pick was pretty brutal both in retrospect and at the time, but the Hawks have made some good picks over the last 10 years or so: > > 2007 pick 1-3 Al Horford > 2004 pick 1-17 Josh Smith > 1999 pick 1-10 Jason Terry The Hawks also drafted Pau Gasol, though they traded his rights for Shareef Abdur-Rahim. ---
**Author:** ![markdash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@markdash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markdash)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2012, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/players-passed-over-in-favor-of/640515/50 "2012-11-15T20:01:54Z")
> [@ReticulatingSplines](#): > > The Hawks also drafted Pau Gasol, though they traded his rights for Shareef Abdur-Rahim. I was reluctant to list that one because sometimes trades like that are arranged ahead of time, with the trading team being told by the acquiring team which player to draft. ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2012, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/players-passed-over-in-favor-of/640515/51 "2012-11-15T20:20:39Z")
Seems like you could write a book about players the Chicago Bears have passed over in order to draft someone but I’ll stick with one. In 1998 with the 5th overall pick in the draft, the Bears chose Curtis Enis, who promptly held out for a bigger contract, finally started playing, then tore his ACL halfway through the season. Just a few picks later, the Jacksonville Jaguars picked Fred Taylor. Also available in that draft was Randy Moss, Keith Brooking, Takeo Spikes, and Hines Ward, among others. ---
**Author:** ![G0sp3l](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c68b51/32.png) [@G0sp3l](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G0sp3l)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2012, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/players-passed-over-in-favor-of/640515/52 "2012-11-15T21:23:36Z")
> [@markdash](#): > > The Marvin Williams pick was pretty brutal both in retrospect and at the time, but the Hawks have made some good picks over the last 10 years or so: > > 2007 pick 1-3 Al Horford > 2004 pick 1-17 Josh Smith > 1999 pick 1-10 Jason Terry I do like those players (even J Smith) but they came in the league after Williams and J Smith wasn’t even their first pick that year, they chose Josh Childress first. Except J Terry, and he was sent to Dallas so they could make room for Dan Dickau. Yeah. > [@markdash](#): > > I was reluctant to list that one because sometimes trades like that are arranged ahead of time, with the trading team being told by the acquiring team which player to draft. likewise, he was never intended to be a Hawk, so I skipped him. ---
**Author:** ![ReticulatingSplines](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@ReticulatingSplines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ReticulatingSplines)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2012, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/players-passed-over-in-favor-of/640515/53 "2012-11-15T22:11:20Z")
> [@markdash](#): > > I was reluctant to list that one because sometimes trades like that are arranged ahead of time, with the trading team being told by the acquiring team which player to draft. Ah, right, right…they had already traded their following year’s pick so couldn’t just swap the #3 slot. Totally forgot about that. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/players-passed-over-in-favor-of/640515/54 "2012-11-16T01:12:45Z")
> [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](#): > > the Bears chose Curtis Enis Curtis “The ‘P’ Fell Off My Jersey” Enis? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Chicagojeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b19c9b/32.png) [@Chicagojeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chicagojeff)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/players-passed-over-in-favor-of/640515/55 "2012-11-16T16:45:57Z")
Have to thank all of you for bringing Curtis Enis… (I got a blowjob and now i found god)… and Brooks Keishnick… Next year… He’ll be up and be a star… My memory is the Bears wanted a qb in 1999… and they stretched for Cade Mcnown… that shit talking little punk… but in 1999 aside from Mcnabb all the qb’s were suck ass… Culpepper had a short run… but Akili Smith… (So bad he brought the Black quarterback myth back) Tim couch… soft as tissue paper… Shaun King… Brock Huard… Joe Germaine… what a completely shitty year for Qb’s… I saw Mcnown play at UCLA… and I remember him having a pop up arm and basically throwing jump balls to a really tall white dude at wideout… that guy didn’t come to Chicago with him… McNowns only ability was to beat Green Bay for some reason… so I can’t hate him completely… As for Brooks K… yeah… baseball is a crap shoot men… he sucked as a outfielder and then sucked as a pitcher… ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/players-passed-over-in-favor-of/640515/56 "2012-11-16T17:08:13Z")
Cincinnati Bengals in the 2004 draft select Chris Perry out of Michigan…instead of Steven Jackson. ---
**Author:** ![Lochdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/edb3f5/32.png) [@Lochdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lochdale)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/players-passed-over-in-favor-of/640515/57 "2012-11-17T16:46:03Z")
I still cared about the Bears back in '99 and it was clear that McNabb or Moss were the stand out players. The Trib basically begged the Bears to pick Moss. Culpepper was a fine QB he just had some terrible coaches. As for Warren Moon, top class QB but his stint in the CL probably helped him ( BS reason aside fir his not being drafted). Might not be a bad idea for other young QB’s to start there [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/players-passed-over-in-favor-of/640515.md?page=2)