What was the first thing that came to your mind when we drafted LD?

[wegoingtothesuperbowl]

I thought it was a good pick at the time....

[cardinal eric]

I thought he'd be a can't miss freak....whoops.:Cards logo:

[BullheadCardFan]

At the time it seemed like the right thing to do .. no one can predict how much motivation a player will play with ...

[CardinalForever]

At the time it seemed like the right thing to do .. no one can predict how much motivation a player will play with ...

I wonder though how motivated he would have been on a contending team. We have had other draft picks that have seemed solid, but playing for the Cardinals seems to make them mediocre.

[Darth Llama]

Just another reason why you should depend on free agents for building, and the draft for depth.

The Draft is a crap shoot. Any one of the top 5 could be a future pro bowler.. or a total bust.

[CardinalForever]

I still think we should have re-signed him though.

[Reckon]

I look at the draft as the NFL's version of national letter signing day when high school players announce what college they've choosen. I can't predict who is going to bloom or bust, and the crystal ball used by professional is just about as foggy as mine. I can't recall having any feeling of glee or doom after the LD pick.

[arizona_cards_11]

I was angry because I didn't think he was the BPA at the time. I'm the same way with Joe Thomas at this point, and if we draft him I will be extremely disappointed.

[Saturn5]

I preferred Richard Seymour or Justin Smith. And though both have had some injuries, they both have been better players than big.
Justin Smith schooled big when they played Texas in college, which told me big was going to have major problems in pass protection.

Sadly, that has been exactly most of his problems.

And Richard Seymour reminds me of Eric Swann, who I thought was one of the better Cardinal players in the last 10-15 years.

[wegoingtothesuperbowl]

I am kinda worried about Joe Thomas because he could be really good or he could be like LD.

[LC17]

i thought the cardinals had a all pro tackle for the next 10-15 years. it is really too bad.

[Kaojin]

I wanted LT2 or Smith. Leonard Davis seemed too much of a giant to me to be a quality linesman in the NFL.

I wasn't too mad and hoped he'd prove me wrong. :oops:

[Belac44]

I was hoping for Seymour, but I knew we needed oline and I trusted the Cards staff.

[Gee!]

I'll never forget the first interview after we drafted him.. They asked him so what do you think about being drafted by the Cards? He said in a caveman deep voice.. "protect Jake".. thats all he said lol.. I was happy, but that soon all went away..

[HAVACARDSFAN]

Maybe , "Protect Jake" was all he could remember from his prepared speech...:biggrin: All kidding aside, I wonder what could have been if he had, had a demanding coaching staff when he got drafted, like I hope we do now. Let's face it, Mac was a nice guy and all that, but he let the OL get away with doing very little in the way of conditioning and working out, according to statements made when Denny came on board. Three years of being lazy probably were too much to change, especially if he had poor coaching for the first 2 years Denny was here. What might have been...of course, we'll never know. I do know that I was happy when he came on board, because we needed a tackle, and he appeared to fill the bill, but over the years, lots of things happened and he never fulfilled his potential.

[SunDevilDon]

I thought he was a beast and would be a monster at GUARD!!! But of course, I didn't know and underestimated how much of a ***** he was so I think that's what made the difference.

[PlanoCard]

It was hard to argue the pick of LD when the Cards drafted him. He still has potential, but it's hard to argue that he hasn't consistently underachieved as a Cardinal. He played at a real small high school here in Texas, and was surrounded by a lot of talent at the Univ. of TX, but the NFL is such a different game and he can't get by on just being "big." Regardless, there is no way that he shouldn't have been to the Pro Bowl by now with his physical talent.

[OregonBigRed]

It was hard to argue the pick of LD when the Cards drafted him. He still has potential, but it's hard to argue that he hasn't consistently underachieved as a Cardinal. He played at a real small high school here in Texas, and was surrounded by a lot of talent at the Univ. of TX, but the NFL is such a different game and he can't get by on just being "big." Regardless, there is no way that he shouldn't have been to the Pro Bowl by now with his physical talent.

i really agree with you. it was a disappointment for most of us.

[sharkman]

I thought he would be the next great offensive guard.

Unfortunately, almost all NFL prospects understand that the NFL salary heirarchy is:
1. Quarterbacks
2. Offensive Tackles

Big wanted to be a tackle because of the salary. Someone should have been in his corner telling him the facts of life. Wide receivers make more money than tight ends....does that mean that Shockey or Gates are wide receivers because of salary?

[Saturn5]

Someone should have been in his corner telling him the facts of life.


Thanks denny.