I'm running on fumes but if there's any, any chance this could mean anything, change anything, matter, here's my Marc Ross scorecard. I know not if it will be good.
Ross worked as the Philadelphia Eagles' Eastern Regional Scout from 1997-2000. Ross was precocious. He was 23 when he signed with Philadelphia and 27 when he was named scouting director. Eastern is a tough classification to pin down. I'll define it as: Anything that's not West.
1997
1 25 Jon Harris DE Virginia
3 71 Duce Staley RB South Carolina
4 119 Damien Robinson DB Iowa
5 152 N. D. Kalu DE Rice
5 155 Luther Broughton TE Furman
6 190 Antwuan Wyatt WR Bethune-Cookman
6 198 Ed Jasper DT Texas A&M
7 225 Byron Capers -- Florida State
7 227 DeAuntae Brown DB Central State (Ohio)
Harris was a "sleeper", because, much like recent sleeper Michael Johnson, he was tall, large and athletic. He was also a complete bust. Ray Rhodes marked him an underachiever before his second season. Before his third season, he was a Packer.
Staley we know. Well, most of us. Staley was an asset for Philly in five seasons of his seven seasons as an Eagle. Rare combination of inside power and receiving ability, Staley got a ton of touches but was never a great back.
Robinson contributed nothing to the Eagles, bounced around the league a bit and eventually signed with Seattle to end his career.
For some reason I've always liked Kalu. He did nothing for the Eagles that drafted him but returned after a two-season stint with the Redskins and was then crafted into a fine rush linebacker by Jim Johnson.
I can only guess Broughton wrote his own Wikipedia page. Behold.
Wyatt never broke through.
Jasper clung to the roster for two seasons before rocking socks in Atlanta. A tidy little DT pickup that happened to benefit another team.
I don't know who Byron Capers is.
The diphthong in DeAuntae is venerable.
1998
1 11 William Thomas T Florida State
3 72 Jeremiah Trotter LB Stephen F. Austin St.
3 85 Allen Rossum DB Notre Dame
4 116 Clarence Love DB Toledo
5 142 Ike Reese LB Michigan State
7 220 Chris Akins DT Texas
Who the hell is William Thomas. Epic bust, amiright? Oh, wait. That's TRA Thomas. The badass run blocking left tackle for one of the best offenses of the decade. Yeah. That's a good pick.
Trotter. It took stones to take someone out of Stephen F. Austin St. in the early third, but Trotter was a very good all around linebacker for many years. An underappreciated part of some very good Johnson defenses.
Rossum didn't do much but become one of the best return men of his generation. Never reached the heights of Cribbs or a Hester, but has had a long, productive, and in fact existing career. Was not productive as an Eagle.
Jobber.
Another low rent linebacker Johnson squeezed production from. Seeing a trend here.
Not to be confused with the safety selected by the Packers a season later, this Atkins was even less notable. At the time, Akins was a decent upside pick that was rightfully downgraded because of a severe knee injury. He never recovered.
1999
1 2 Donovan McNabb QB Syracuse
2 35 Barry Gardner OLB Northwestern
3 64 Doug Brzezinski G Boston College
4 128 Damon Moore SS Ohio State
4 130 Na Brown WR North Carolina
6 172 Cecil Martin FB Wisconsin
6 201 Troy Smith WR East Carolina
7 251 Pernell Davis DT Alabama-Birmingham
Ross nets McNabb. Ross graduated from Princeton. McNabb was a redshirt freshman at Syracuse the same year Ross was an All-Ivy league receiver for Tigers. Ross nets McNabb. I assume this pick had something to do with his promotion in 2000.
Gardner is another reasonably valuable but undistinguished linebacker.
Zinsk was around for a while. Never more than depth.
Moore proved a liability in coverage and was shucked by the league.
Brown was a fourth receiver for three seasons and then dropped.
Martin was an unremarkable fullback forgotten by most.
The pre-David Garrard Pirates were a futile franchise honored to be invited into Conference USA. I can only guess that Ross believed both of their late nineties receivers were undervalued because of the surrounding talent. That proved untrue.
Pernell.
2000
1 6 Corey Simon DT Florida State
2 36 Todd Pinkston WR Southern Mississippi
2 61 Bobbie Williams G Arkansas
4 99 Gari Scott WR Michigan State
6 171 Thomas Hamner RB Minnesota
6 178 John Frank -- Utah
6 192 John Romero - California
Simon had a huge peak that began his rookie season. For the stretch of his rookie contract, he was the kind of unblockable inside presence that makes a 4-3. He served the Eagles extremely well for the life of his contract and then broke down post free agency.
Pinkston was the Eagles first attempt at DeSean Jackson. We all get do overs. Pinkston burns in the black snowball heart of many an Eagles fan, not because he was bad, because they are pretty sure they coulda beat his ass.
Williams was never good, but he stuck. He started for a few good Bengals offenses after his Eagles career was over.
The easily Googleable Gari Scott was a marginal returner-receiver before fading from the league.
Thomas Hamner, John Frank and John Romero walked into a bar. No one recognized them.
2001
1 25 Freddie Mitchell WR UCLA
2 55 Quinton Caver LB Arkansas
3 63 Derrick Burgess DE Mississippi
4 121 Correll Buckhalter RB Nebraska
5 147 Tony Stewart TE Penn State
5 155 A.J. Feeley QB Oregon
Mitchell couldn't achieve the heights of Pinkston, played out his rookie contract and retired. During his time, he was one of the most despised men in football. Mitchell was a rare combination of diva and suck. Truth is, Mitchell wasn't awful-awful, but he was awful unlikeable. Peculiar first round pick that burned bridges into an early retirement.
Caver was supposed to be another plug and play linebacker in Johnson's defense but neither plugged nor played much more than special teams. A bit of a wasted pick. Linebacker in the second should be relatively low downside but Caver achieved it.
I forgot how much of a tyrant this guy was for the mid-aught Raiders. Burgess had a couple catastrophic injuries, a broken foot and a torn Achilles, that ate a hole in his Eagles career, but he returned a Raider and began a dominant run in which he had 35 sacks in three seasons. Unless Burgess is gifted with rare healing ability, and that's possible of course, he was some kind of amazing talent to find in the third. He was still incredibly dominant despite surely losing athleticism on the operating table.
Buckhalter still plays because of a first gear tuned by Shelby. Undemanding back with a gliding style, decent hands and some inside power. Good.
Stewart is a serviceable blocking tight end that still plays. Raider by way of Bengal.
Lofa's boy. Another run of the mill backup quarterback that Philla fan once called to start because of extant racism.
2002
1 26 Lito Sheppard CB Florida
2 58 Michael M. Lewis SS Colorado
2 59 Sheldon Brown CB South Carolina
3 91 Brian Westbrook RB Villanova
4 124 Scott Peters C Arizona State
5 162 Freddie Milons WR Alabama
6 198 Tyreo Harrison LB Notre Dame
7 238 Raheem Brock DE Temple
Sheppard's been nothing but solid. Good overall athlete, good open field tackler, good ball skills, struggled with injuries, but, as a late first rounder, a remarkable value.
Lewis is an in the box safety that can move out enough to not kill the secondary. He needs a team that can create quick pressure or he'll be exposed, but has value within his limitations. Was paid a kajillion dollars by the 49ers.
Brown still starts opposite Asante Samuel. Like Sheppard, he's not a pure cover corner, but he is, wait on it, a good overall athlete, good open field tackler, with good ball skills, that's enjoyed good health, and, as a late second rounder, a double-remarkable value.
Westbrook is one of the ohmygod values of the decade. What puts the wax stamp of ‘BA' on this pick is Westbrook's triple red flags:
Despite his dominance in college, NFL teams were hesitant to draft him in the 2002 NFL Draft for three reasons: his small size (he was listed at only 5'8", 200 lb (91 kg)), his injury history (he missed an entire college season with a knee injury), and the fact that he did not play college football for a NCAA Division I-A school. Philadelphia Eagles head coach Andy Reid liked what he had seen from Westbrook and drafted him in the third round.
Reid deserves credit, but so does the guy that found Reid Westbrook, Ross*. Westbrook was unremarkable at the Combine, a definitive event for running back, and then became that rare transcendent back that scrapes quarterback value. Amazing receiver, route runner; his vision was uncanny, Jesus Christ - Am I an Eagles fan?
*That's a motherfuckin' trick sentence, bitches.
Peter's a center that's bounced around that league. Valued enough to be put on IR by the Cardinals.
I know nothing about Milons and think that says enough.
Harrison: ST Fodder.
Brock bulked up and became a very productive defensive tackle for Tony Dungy's pure Tampa 2. There's a few T2 names on this list. Huge win - just not for Cross.
2003
1 15 Jerome McDougle DE Miami (Fla.)
2 61 L.J. Smith TE Rutgers
3 95 Billy McMullen WR Virginia
4 131 Jamaal Green DE Miami (Fla.)
6 185 Jeremy Bridges G Southern Mississippi
7 244 Norman LeJeune DB Louisiana State
McDougle was super-intriguing but saw his career eaten up by injuries like few players ever. He was hit with a gamut of unrelated but serious conditions from an irregular heartbeat to multiple knee injuries. Injury bust.
Smith is another frustrating, high profile Eagle that would likely be welcome with open arms and unconditional hugs by Lions, Raiders and Rams fans. A good tight end that would be eminently forgettable if not for the city he played in.
McMuffin.
Currently a border patrol agent.
Bridges contributed nothing for the Eagles but bounced between the Cardinals and Panthers: Two teams that favor big linemen and power blocking.
Also, he sounds like a dick.
Lejeune has struck around football, and that beats managing graveyard at Jack in the Box. Currently a California Redwood, whatever the hell that is.
2004
1 16 Shawn Andrews T Arkansas
3 89 Matt Ware DB UCLA
4 129 J.R. Reed DB South Florida
4 131 Trey Darilek T Texas-El Paso
5 162 Thomas Tapeh RB Minnesota
6 185 Andy Hall QB Delaware
6 192 Dexter Wynn DB Colorado State
7 227 Adrien Clarke G Ohio State
7 242 Bruce Perry RB Maryland
7 243 Dominic Furio C Nevada-Las Vegas
Andrews is a target for the cruel, petty and tiny peckered. He suffers from depression. That caused him to miss 2008 and then injuries took out his 2009. He's recently 27 and all ready has three Pro Bowls under his belt. Andrews is already a win for Cross, but dude get's his head straight, it's a smash.
Good enough to stick but never good enough to be good. Ware was last seen battling for snaps with the dreaded Ralph Brown.
I vaguely remember Reed as the rangy corner that got burned up in the Tatupu game. Think he's out of the league.
Darilek never did much during his playing career but has a well organized Wikipedia page.
I do not remember Tapeh. I read that he was a fullback that mostly played special teams.
Instead of discussing Hall, who proved physically unable to compete at the NFL level, let's play a little thought puzzle. Ross targeted a ton of sub-prototypically sized/bodied quarterbacks. Was this his work or the work of Andy Reid? I assume Reid, as Philly also added Garcia after Ross had moved on. So should we then assume that Ross was preselecting talent for the coaching staff, but not masterminding the draft? I think that's possible.
Jobber.
Another huge offensive linemen.
Regional jobber.
The coolest name ever conceived.
2005 (with the Bills)
2 55 Roscoe Parrish WR Miami (Fla.)
3 86 Kevin Everett TE Miami (Fla.)
4 122 Duke Preston C Illinois
5 156 Eric King DB Wake Forest
6 197 Justin Geisinger G Vanderbilt
7 236 Lionel Gates RB Louisville
Parrish is mad good in the last version of Madden I played. Mad. Good. Worth a few high value receptions a season and an excellent punt returner; An undersized, fast, agile DeSean Jackson like receiver that Ross drafted independent of Reid.
I read Kevin Everett and remembered. The NFL is indebted to its players to improve their equipment.
I do not remember Preston well. He started twenty games but is now a free agent.
DB fodder soon forgotten.
Currently a Panther, Geisinger is partway between blocking drills and muddin the Raptor through Upcountry. Which is to say: He looks to be in that backup-trending-towards-retired phase of his anonymous NFL career.
Gates has never achieved much as a pro, but with new tread still on his tires and a pretty good profile coming out of Louisville, he's as much prospect today as he was back then. Hopefully he someday gets a chance before being ignored into retirement. Or, should he not want that, collect hundreds of thousands of dollars to attend practice and watch NFL football from the sidelines. It's all good.
2006
1 8 Donte Whitner SS Ohio State
1 26 John McCargo DT North Carolina State
3 70 Ashton Youboty CB Ohio State
4 105 Ko Simpson FS South Carolina
5 134 Kyle Williams DT Louisiana State
5 143 Brad Butler T Virginia
6 178 Keith Ellison OLB Oregon State
7 216 Terrance Pennington T New Mexico
7 248 Aaron Merz G California
Whitner is beloved by his fans and watching him it's easy to see why. He's active and fierce and liable to create a big play at any moment. The jury's out on if Whit's actually a great player, but he's just 24. A mix of a high profile, franchise upheaval, a run in with the law, and another season of missed time has soured his reputation somewhat.
There's some intrigue surrounding McCargo. He passed out during training camp his rookie season and in 2008 voided a trade to Indianapolis by failing a physical. McCargo's career has been derailed but I do not know what by.
Youboty is a dime back but a good one.
Ko Simpson was traded to Detroit after a brief but mostly good stint in Buffalo. He still has a lot of potential despite the Bills undermining him and shipping him out for peanuts. Simpson turned 26 November 9 of last season.
The good Kyle Williams has been a solid inside presence and pass rushing tackle for some good but not great Bills defenses that could, nevertheless, kick a fistula through the Seahawks gizzards.
Butler has been a standard right tackle for a league average, now formerly league average, offensive line. Tore his ACL and took the opportunity to manicure his Wikipedia page.
Milquetoast linebacker that wouldn't own a roster spot on most teams, Ellison is the kind of player that accumulates game checks for an organization that likes to cut league-minimum game checks.
Pennington was a fringe prospect probably drafted for his size: 6'7" 315. He has since quit football.
Merz was smart enough to quit.
2007
1 12 Marshawn Lynch RB California
2 34 Paul Posluszny MLB Penn State
3 92 Trent Edwards QB Stanford
4 111 Dwayne Wright RB Fresno State
6 184 John Wendling DB Wyoming
7 222 Derek Schouman FB Boise State
7 239 C.J. Ah You DE Oklahoma
Lynch is a bit better than most realize, because like Steven Jackson, Lynch toils on a broken offense. After being suspended for weapons charges, Lynch ceded starting to Fred Jackson and was soon forgotten. Jackson has proven a major find, capable of excellent production on rotten team. Lynch likely has the better future, but is more demanding and needs more talent around him to succeed. He may not find it until free agency.
Poz reminds me of Lofa. He doesn't have sideline to sideline range, but he attacks the ball carrier and tackles down hill in the hole and behind the line. Posluszny is an aware coverage linebacker that is very reliable in a very small space.
Edwards has yet to develop into much. He may not - most likely will not ever develop, but for any team trawling quarterback talent, his mix of height and completion percentage make him, well, not vomitous.
Wright followed Ross to New York only to be waived again.
Wendling is a special team player and now dimeback for the ballin' Bills.
If the name sounds familiar, it's because novelty promotes memory. Ah You had one big moment in the 2009 preseason. He's clinging to a Rams roster spot.
2008
1 31 Kenny Phillips FS Miami (Fla.)
2 63 Terrell Thomas CB USC
3 95 Mario Manningham WR Michigan
4 123 Bryan Kehl OLB Brigham Young
5 165 Jonathan Goff LB Vanderbilt
6 198 Andre Woodson QB Kentucky
6 199 Robert Henderson DE Southern Mississippi
Phillips was promising as a part time player in 2008 and started 2009 with two interceptions in two games. He was shut down for patellofemoral arthritis, which is, more plainly, arthritis occurring between the knee cap and the thighbone. I don't know what caused this, I know it's serious, I know Phillips underwent microfracture knee surgery, and I know his career is in jeopardy. I'd love to reward Ross for the potential, but it's impossible to know what Phillips would have become.
Thomas is a good number two corner: decent tackler, somewhat shaky in coverage but good ball skills.
I missed on Manningham. After he disappeared his rookie season, I thought Mario was fulfilling my belief that he was an excellent college player whose skills wouldn't translate to the pros. There's still time for Manningham to get lost in the shuffle and he plays a bit like Nate Burleson East, but he's established himself as a weapon in his second season, forcing me to cut across field like a lunatic and eat my words under a pile of defenders.
Apropos of nothing,
Goff qualified for the Johns Hopkins Gifted and Talented student program based on SAT scores received when he was twelve years old.
Goff is the current starting middle linebacker for a unit that's suffered some injuries. It's probably a bit early to define Goff's ability.
Woodson was the swamp footed quarterback prospect bogus mock sites referred to as a scrambler. He had his supporters, but I never saw pro potential. Too slow. His type just doesn't exist in the modern NFL. Free agent.
Lion. Undistinguished but still signed.
And so I may go to bed:
I won't offer any conclusions in this compromised state, but Ross strikes me as an excellent talent evaluator. An excellent talent evaluator that's clearly at his best when paired with excellent coaches.