05-29-2019, 10:19 AM
Agree that it's gotta be Akili. Although I must admit that I was fooled by him too -- I was certain that he was the next best thing after Couch, and a sure-fire HOFer. I remember cheering when the Eagles took McNabb and left him on the board for us. Several experts agreed, as I recall a few of them saying during the draft that he was the best in a "historic, '83-level" QB class. I thought we had our Elway. Even now, every year around draft time, I go to YouTube and watch Akili's Oregon highlight reels -- which are freaking awesome, BTW -- and just shake my head. Kid had so much athletic talent, but just couldn't wrap his head around a NFL playbook ...
As an aside, I think too much is made of the fact that we were offered "the Saints' entire draft" but turned it down for Akili. Have you ever taken a look at who was actually drafted with those Saints' picks? Apart from Arrington, who had a handful of good years (but was kind of an injury bust himself), they all sucked balls. No reason to think we would have done any better with those picks:
1999 first round pick (12th overall, later traded to Chicago, used to select Cade McNown)
1999 third round pick (71st overall, later traded to Chicago, used to select D'Wayne Bates)
1999 fourth round pick (107th overall, used to select Nate Stimson)
1999 fifth round pick (144th overall, later traded to Chicago, used to select Khari Samuel)
1999 sixth round pick (179th overall, later traded to Denver, used to select Desmond Clark)
1999 seventh round pick (218th overall, later traded to Denver, used to select Billy Miller)
2000 first round pick (2nd overall, used to select LaVar Arrington)
2000 third round pick (64th overall, used to select Lloyd Harrison)
Side note - Washington traded 12 and 71 to move up and select HOF'er Champ Bailey, but I guarantee we would have stood pat and picked McNown.
As an aside, I think too much is made of the fact that we were offered "the Saints' entire draft" but turned it down for Akili. Have you ever taken a look at who was actually drafted with those Saints' picks? Apart from Arrington, who had a handful of good years (but was kind of an injury bust himself), they all sucked balls. No reason to think we would have done any better with those picks:
1999 first round pick (12th overall, later traded to Chicago, used to select Cade McNown)
1999 third round pick (71st overall, later traded to Chicago, used to select D'Wayne Bates)
1999 fourth round pick (107th overall, used to select Nate Stimson)
1999 fifth round pick (144th overall, later traded to Chicago, used to select Khari Samuel)
1999 sixth round pick (179th overall, later traded to Denver, used to select Desmond Clark)
1999 seventh round pick (218th overall, later traded to Denver, used to select Billy Miller)
2000 first round pick (2nd overall, used to select LaVar Arrington)
2000 third round pick (64th overall, used to select Lloyd Harrison)
Side note - Washington traded 12 and 71 to move up and select HOF'er Champ Bailey, but I guarantee we would have stood pat and picked McNown.
