04-29-2017, 03:33 AM
(04-28-2017, 11:56 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: Joe Mixon is supremely talented. Uniquely skilled. Absolutely qualified.
He is also extremely risky.
There is no doubt the former Oklahoma running back can excel on an NFL field. He's got the speed and strength and skills to be not only one of the best tailbacks in this draft class but also in the league.
But any team considering picking him in the NFL Draft, which begins Thursday, should have serious reservations — and not just because of the punch.
It's because Mixon is prone to moments of immaturity.
The evidence goes well beyond Mixon slugging fellow OU student Amelia Molitor three years ago. While you could argue Mixon was then a teenager who made a very, very bad mistake that night on Campus Corner, it isn't the only red flag.
Remember that run-in with the on-campus parking attendant?
Under normal circumstances, such an incident wouldn't even register. No one was injured. No harm. No foul. But two years after Mixon punched a woman, he tore up a parking ticket and tossed it at another person. That smacks of disrespect and disregard for others.
As people age and mature, disrespect and disregard wane. We know better. We act right.
Not Mixon.
And don't forget, this is a guy who knew he was on a short leash at OU. Bob Stoops and his superiors gave Mixon a second chance after a year-long suspension post-punch, but he had to keep his nose completely clean or else. Instead of thinking about consequences he might face or team success he might jeopardize, he acted on impulse and instinct.
Not mature.
Neither are some of the choices that Mixon has made since declaring himself eligible for the draft. Frankly, I think entering the draft was smart, but his team of advisers has some headscratchers, starting with his agent. While I admit I have never talked with Peter Schaffer, any desire to do so evaporated after reading the transcript of the interview that he did with the Sports Animal. He was combative. He was bizarre.
The last thing Mixon needs is a front man who's combative and bizarre. They need to be contrite about what happened. Win over people. Change the narrative. Instead, you are left to wonder about Mixon even more.
Frankly, that's only exacerbated by how little Mixon interacted with the outside world after his suspension. He was sheltered by the team. He was limited with the media.
And that put any sliver of access under a microscope.
On OU's Pro Day, for example, Mixon was one of the Sooners going through drills. Players went from station to station, oftentimes having to change shoes or add gear depending on what drill they were doing. At one point, a drill was starting, but Mixon was nowhere to be found.
A couple moments later, he ran over saying something about needing tape for his gloves.
That's all good and fine, but Mixon knew exactly what he would be doing at Pro Day and precisely what he would need. Why didn't he have everything?
And second, since he wasn't invited to the NFL Combine, Pro Day was his big opportunity to show what he could do. At that point, it was his one and only guaranteed job interview. If you only had one shot to get a job that you've been dreaming about all your life, wouldn't you make sure every lace was tied and every snap was secured?
I'm not bringing this up because I wish ill on Mixon. Quite the opposite.
Whatever team drafts Mixon — and we know one will because of his feet and hands, his cuts and catches — must take steps to counteract his lapses in judgment. Put his locker amid seasoned veterans. Assign him a security team like Dallas did with Dez Bryant a few years back. Give him a strict set of guidelines for off-field conduct. That might seem extreme, but any team that takes a chance on him in the draft, then gives him a boatload of money should want to protect its investment.
Joe Mixon is a splendid talent who could have a long career in the NFL.
But Joe Mixon has also proven at times to be an immature young man who's about to have millions of dollars in his bank account. Every 20-year-old has some level of immaturity, but few have the resources or the scrutiny that he's soon to have.
Here's hoping his new team is willing to help him and engage in risk management.
Jenni Carlson: Jenni can be reached at (405) 475-4125 or jcarlson@oklahoman.com. Like her at facebook.com/JenniCarlsonOK, follow her at twitter.com/jennicarlson_ok or view her personality page at newsok.com/jennicarlson.
http://newsok.com/article/5547042
More risky than the player accused of RAPE who went in Round One ???
1968 Bengal Fan
