"The Future 50"

[ElLudicoloLoco]

What do you guys think of the "Future 50" and do you really believe that these are the most promising prospects in the game?

If you could redo the list who would you add/drop? Personally I would drop Dravannti Jordon for Kammeon Walker.

Here is the list for a quick reference. I'm interested in what you guys think. (Also, I encourage you to consider players from the 2008 draft class)

QB
Kaven Duncan / Nevada
Jack English / Stanford
Chad Gunn / Texas Tech
Alex Hurst / Alabama
Kelly James / Miami
Dane Morrow / Penn St
Darius Pryor / Texas
Cooper Reno / UNLV
Tristan Riley / Ole Miss
Jake Scott / Texas St
John Scotland / Oklahoma
J.J. Sunday / Notre Dame
Drew Thompson / UCLA
Talon Tolliver / San Diego St
Mike Zazzail / Arizona

HB
Boar Jackson / Auburn
Marcus Jackson / Colorado
LeRon James / Northern Arizona
Ozzie Jones / Oklahoma St
Darby Miles / Missouri
Phillip Okafor / Texas A&M
Jelani Okoye / Oregon St
Cletis Parker / LSU
Donsay Smith / Georgia Southern
Maceo Sweetney / Tennessee

WR
Jamarion Bellows / Grand Valley St
Darrent Boulware / Texas
Flash Gorden / LSU
Jervonte Johnson / San Diego St
Dravannti Jordan / Notre Dame

TE
Jermail Rucker / Cincinnati


LT
Travian Davis / Florida
Javon Jackson / Florida
Enoka Oshinowo / Nebraska

LG
John Onken / Texas A&M

RG
Patrick Boma / NW Oklahoma St
Peter Boma / NW Oklahoma St
Blake Onken / Texas A&M

DE
Vonteego Cross / South Carolina

DT
Jemarcus Boone / UCF
Devin Gilbert / USC
Quincy Sims / Miami

LOLB
JerMarcus Jackson / Colorado

MLB
Mack "Truck" Jackson / New Mexico
Vince McGrady / Alabama

CB
Demetrius Grimes / Arkansas
Tee Morgan / Tennessee
Juran Riley / Texas
Demario Waddell / Washington

FS
Antonio Boxx / Tennessee

[Skarecrow]

If we're adding the class of 2008, then from my experience the following 3 easily make the list:

HB
Darren McFadden

LT
Jake Long

LE
Chris Long

After that, Debate starts. Here are my contributions to the debate, based on players I personaly have drafted and used.:

I'd kind of like like to add QB Andre Woodson. He's situational though. It depends a lot on what team takes him and what they do with him. I've seen him be awesome and I've seen him be useless. I personally have never gotten the best out of him.

HB Felix Jones is very good, but he's no McFadden. Also he was quite injury prone the one time I took him.

I take LG Branden Albert every time I can. Thing is, he's in a position that's just hard to see a lot of stand-out-moments from. It's hard to clarify just how good he is or isn't in the context of "well, he did his job being a wall."

A lot of people really like RE Calais Campbell. I didn't see that much out of him the two times I drafted him, but I was running 3-4 both times so that may have been why.

I like DT Dre Moore once he develops. A lot. Very reliable.

DT Glenn Dorsey is good but he's the most injury prone player I've ever had. Between getting injured in practice, multi-week injuries, and getting knocked out of games early, I'd say that on average, he played less than half the total minutes the defense was on the field. The original top 50 list doesn't seem to take points off for that, so I guess I can't either? if you dont' take points off for him spending half the season, every season, sitting at home in a cast, he almost certainly makes hall-of-fame caliber.

SS Kenny Phillips I'm watching very closely in my current Dynasty (just started). I've had him once before, but he played backup to Troy Polamalu and Eugene Wilson. This time, he's starting. He's done ok so far, but nothing spectacular.

K Alexis Serna is good, but for me he's never been great. I've had him in almost every franchise I've done, but he still misses way too many clutch FGs for my taste. Maybe he'll be hall-of-fame caliber another 5 or 10 years down the line, I don't know.

[Wheeler Dealer]

I got three players in my first draft that became perennial stars.

Jake Long, 1st overall, moved quickly to an OVL 96 and stayed there. Missed one game in 8 years.

Kenny Phillips, drafted #32, topped out at 91 but got me great results and never missed a game.

Andre Woodson, 1st pick 4th round, developed to a 94, led my team to 3 Superbowls.

In my 9th year I moved to a new team and found Chris Long still there, playing great as an OVL 94.

[Mike3207]

HB-Drop Boar Jackson, add Lemarcus Taylor. I'd keep him but he's another Adrian Peterson-can't stay healthy. Last dynasty I had he got cut by the team that drafted him.

I'd also drop Jeloni Okoye and add a ROLB-3 choices. ROLB Keith Rivers, ROLB-Buffalo (1st year-English) or ROLB-Iowa (Ist year-Jones).

WR Dravanti Jordan is a major bust if you don't have a Speed philosophy, and even if you do-too easily injured. We don't have a SS in the Top 50, so I'll add one-SS Craig Steltz in the 2008 draft. Pro Bowl year after year, and is a easy re-sign after his RFA contract is up.

[ElLudicoloLoco]

@Wheeler Dealer & Skarecrow I drafted Woodson before and in six years he was okay at best. What system did you guys use with him?

Quote: Originally Posted by mrs844224

..I'd also drop Jeloni Okoye and add a ROLB-3 choices. ROLB Keith Rivers, ROLB-Buffalo (1st year-English) or ROLB-Iowa (Ist year-Jones). WR Dravanti Jordan is a major bust if you don't have a Speed philosophy, and even if you do-too easily injured. We don't have a SS in the Top 50, so I'll add one-SS Craig Steltz in the 2008 draft. Pro Bowl year after year, and is a easy re-sign after his RFA contract is up.

I agree with Keith Rivers and ROLB Buffalo. I drafted both of them before both we're great for my defense!


Also, I have no player for player switch on this one but I would definitely slim down the amount of QB's on the list. 15 is crazy.

[Wheeler Dealer]

Quote: Originally Posted by ElLudicoloLoco

@Wheeler Dealer & Skarecrow I drafted Woodson before and in six years he was okay at best. What system did you guys use with him?

I forget the exact name of my playbook choice, West Coast something. Although the result doesn't really fit my idea of what a West Coast offense should be. I run about 25%, call short passes about 25% and passes for 10 yards or more the other 50%. Within the passes, maybe a third are play action. That feels more like some sort of vertical offense.

Woodson's only intentional runs were QB Sneaks. I don't recall Woodson having any serious competition for the starting job in Miami so he started every game for the eight years I stayed there.

[Skarecrow]

I've never given Woodson what he truly needs to develop, which is time, and a fantastic QB coach.

The Buccs did though. In my last franchise, I picked up Woodson as an undrafted rookie, and had him ride the bench most of the season. I let him go at the end, and Tampa picked him up. I don't know what they did to him, but he shined under their staff. He led them to the NFC championship, and had stats only a notch under the top tier (payton, palmer, and brady that year I believe), and that was only as an ovl 87. He was still getting better! He was in the top 5 for offensive player of the year for the NFC (didn't win) that year.

I forgot about the variably named CB from Minnesota in 2009 Jones draft, compared to Charles Woodson. He's the best cornerback I've ever had in any franchise. 10 interceptions his rookie year, at least half of them run back for touchdowns, awesome kick/punt returner, great potential at both man and zone coverage, he can do it all. He won D rookie of the year, defensive back of the year, was in the top 5 for defensive player of the year, and made the pro bowl, all in his rookie year.

As you may have noticed, I have a habit of rarely going more than 4 years into a franchise before starting a new one. I'd like to see some people comment on players from beyond 2014 that they think belong in the caliber of the "future 50". I think almost all the listed future 50 come from 2009 to 2012 in various draft paths, with only 2 or 3 outliers from years past that.

[ElLudicoloLoco]

Quote: Originally Posted by Wheeler Dealer

I forget the exact name of my playbook choice, West Coast something. Although the result doesn't really fit my idea of what a West Coast offense should be. I run about 25%, call short passes about 25% and passes for 10 yards or more the other 50%. Within the passes, maybe a third are play action. That feels more like some sort of vertical offense. Woodson's only intentional runs were QB Sneaks. I don't recall Woodson having any serious competition for the starting job in Miami so he started every game for the eight years I stayed there.

I would like to see Andre do well in one of my games. Even in the ones where I don't draft him he seems to do okay. But eventually he just fizzles out and is out of the league in a few years

I have to agree with Skarecrow's point in the quote below, Andre needs the right system and coaches to produce in this game.. I think I might give him another try and try another career mode and build a team around him.

Quote: Originally Posted by Skarecrow

I've never given Woodson what he truly needs to develop, which is time, and a fantastic QB coach. The Buccs did though. In my last franchise, I picked up Woodson as an undrafted rookie, and had him ride the bench most of the season. I let him go at the end, and Tampa picked him up. I don't know what they did to him, but he shined under their staff. He led them to the NFC championship, and had stats only a notch under the top tier (payton, palmer, and brady that year I believe), and that was only as an ovl 87. He was still getting better! He was in the top 5 for offensive player of the year for the NFC (didn't win) that year. I forgot about the variably named CB from Minnesota in 2009 Jones draft, compared to Charles Woodson. He's the best cornerback I've ever had in any franchise. 10 interceptions his rookie year, at least half of them run back for touchdowns, awesome kick/punt returner, great potential at both man and zone coverage, he can do it all. He won D rookie of the year, defensive back of the year, was in the top 5 for defensive player of the year, and made the pro bowl, all in his rookie year. As you may have noticed, I have a habit of rarely going more than 4 years into a franchise before starting a new one. I'd like to see some people comment on players from beyond 2014 that they think belong in the caliber of the "future 50". I think almost all the listed future 50 come from 2009 to 2012 in various draft paths, with only 2 or 3 outliers from years past that.

The Minnesota CB is a great choice! I always make sure to pick him up when I do the Ozzie path.

I have the same habit as you do, I go 3-4 years into a career before I get a new one. The farthest I've gone is 9 years with my beloved Seahawks in the English path and I started this thread in hopes of a glimpse of the better players in the later years!

I think most of the "Future 50" are in the early years because they will have time to develop. It would be great to see some of the more experieced "Head Coachers" give their two cents on the list and any edits they would like to see!