Washington Redskins Top Ten Biggest Draft Busts: Devin Thomas...(& Malcolm Kelly???)

by Ken Meringolo on Apr 21, 2011 2:38 PM EDT in Redskins 2011 Draft

We all knew we would end up here eventually--the infamous 2008 NFL Draft where Vinny Cerrato made a HUGE move to get 3 second round picks. In the 2nd round, NFL teams expect to get starters. I will once again remind us all that draft picks are not guarantees and that plenty of men smarter than Vinny have drafted players who looked to be solid NFL prospects only to watch them fizzle out.

Back to what could have been Vinny's finest hour...

With three 2nd round picks, the Redskins were poised to address three holes in the lineup. We potentially could have raked in three starters. Worst case...two guys pan out as reliable starters and the third becomes an adequate backup. But no way we whiff on all three, right?

At this point, let me just say that Fred Davis was not a whiff. The dude is a stud. The problem is that we already had a stud at his position. If the intention was to use two tight ends more frequently, then great. But our offense has not materialized as the Double TE threat that many of us have been screaming to see. So while Fred Davis is by no means a bust, one could argue that his selection did not have the impact on our roster that we could have had if Vinny had taken a player that would have filled a dire need.

That said, we whiffed hard on Devin and Malcolm. In the title, I allow for the possibility that Malcolm Kelly could turn into a productive player in 2011. But when you talk about draft busts and you mention Devin Thomas, it is hard to not throw in Malcolm Kelly. After all, drafting two wide receivers who have done nothing for us and then throwing a superfluous tight end into the equation kind of completes the perfect shitstorm that was the 2nd round in the 2008 draft, doesn't it?

Devin Thomas started 11 games in just over two seasons for the Redskins. He had 40 catches and 3 touchdowns. Although he has since suited up for two other teams, he has not recorded a catch since he last donned the burgundy and gold (according to Pro Football-reference.com).

This guy was drafted 34th overall...ahead of DeSean Jackson, Jordy Nelson, Eddie Royal and a couple of standout running backs (hey, as long as we were drafting wide receivers and tight ends we didn't need, we could have considered Ray Rice and Matt Forte, right?) But playing the "who could we have drafted game" is no fun, and allows for hindsight that was unavailable at the time. (Still...do you need the benefit of hindsight to know that with a wide receiver and tight end in tow, maybe you could address another part of the roster instead of taking another wide receiver that is ALREADY injured?)

This was an all-in move by Vinny and if it would have paid off, he would still be here today. Alas...Devin Thomas could do as many shirtless magazine covers as it took to cover Kevin's bedroom walls but it wouldn't change the fact that he couldn't get it done on Sundays.

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I was ok with the Devin Thomas pick

But no way was I on board with the pick (at first… I talked myself into it) of Fred Davis, and when he picked Malcolm Kelly, it was like WTF?

Here is a link about some of my next day reactions to that draft. Note that Philip Merling, the person we most like would have drafted if we hadn’t gotten Devin Thomas based on early reports, has been injury prone, and SOMEWHAT of a disappointment, but has been solid as a rotational DE for the Dolphins

All in all, since DeSean Jackson wasn’t even on the collective radar of Redskins nation at the time, we were doomed in this draft regardless of Vinny. Of course, the loss of Calais Campbell by having him snatched out from under us (due to picking Davis at 48 instead of 51) is probably by far the most far reaching.

Yes, Devin was a bust; it was a possibility I pointed out, but the grades were in favor of the pick. But not taking the player you REALLY wanted next, in order to draft a guy who would have been available three picks later, was criminal. The loss of a DT who would have filled a serious hole that has now cost us one season, and possibly more, is unforgiveable.

Forget Thomas as the worst pick of that draft. I’m willing to go on record saying that picking Davis at 48 was the worst pick; if I’d been in Vinny’s shoes, we’d have picked Thomas, Campbell, and then (using Vinny’s own logic) Davis.

Of course, in retrospect, I’d take DeSean Jackson, Campbell, and then Davis for the same three picks…

It could have worked out so well for Vinny, and if he had chosen that way, he would still be GM; we wouldn’t be screaming so hard for his head, either.

No Danny, Nooooooo - Tom Landry, 1982., and Washington Redskins fans, 1999-

by BillWard on Apr 21, 2011 3:24 PM EDT reply actions

You were cool with that pick

Many were not. Our patchwork o-line had the integrity of hobo clothes at the time & is still a serious problem because of those myopic picks of Kelly & Thomas + the befuddling HC pick of Jim Zorn, who may barely be good enough to coach varsity football.

by Grand Tanyon Sturtze on Apr 22, 2011 5:47 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

At the time, our identified needs were WR, DT, DE, and ILB

You’re thinking with hindsight, not with the knowledge of the team AT THE TIME. We had just come off a playoff season, and had won a playoff game where our Oline had been dominating other teams Dlines, opening gaping holes for our start running back. We were playing inspired football, after the death of a star player.

In retrospect, yes, our Oline was about to collapse; serious injuries and age were breaking down the very high caliber (multiple player, multiple pro-bowl) line that we had had for the better part of a decade, and the lack of quality young players to replace them looms huge NOW, but the conventional wisdom, and accepted wisdom at Redskins Park, was that we were ok; we needed to start rebuilding to get the next generation in place, but the existing players were good for another two, three years easy. We were wrong, but that’s 20-20 hindsight. Your talking about what happened after the Tsunami, so to speak, when we’re talking about the day BEFORE the Tsunami (I originally had 9/12 vice 9/10, but that seemed like it’s still to early to use those kinds of references for something as trivial in comparison).

No Danny, Nooooooo - Tom Landry, 1982., and Washington Redskins fans, 1999-

by BillWard on Apr 22, 2011 9:36 PM EDT up reply actions

i still content jackson couldve sucked jus as hard as anybody once playing in the skins "system"

And devin thomas mightve been great playing for the eagles with that supporting cast. That being said, fuck vinny

Wins til .500: 73

by TJL on Apr 21, 2011 4:18 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs

Agreed

But how long do we wait for this man (MK) to get it and start producing?

And what if, we give up on him…let him go, and then finally he turns it on?

So either he: 1. He becomes a great contributor; 2. He’s a bust; 3. He’s release and then becomes a stud….I don’t like the 33% odds here, and I am sure there are other possibilities that I don’t even see

by Legacee on Apr 22, 2011 9:06 AM EDT up reply actions

How Long?

I think this would have to be his last chance to make the team. If he doesn’t perform at a high level in camp and through preseason, then he is gone. If he ends up breaking out somewhere else, oh well, you can’t fault us for that. We have given him more than every opportunity to show us what he’s got.

by MagicHat on Apr 22, 2011 9:34 AM EDT up reply actions

True

I am not a big MK fan, but I sincerely hope he breaks out this year as a Redskin!! Mainly because hind-sight being 20/20 is killing me (based on who we left on the board to pick up the 2008 bundle — we have to get something positive other than F. Davis out of that draft haul).

by Legacee on Apr 22, 2011 10:47 AM EDT up reply actions

Not a big MK fan either...

but I sure as hell would like to be!

by MagicHat on Apr 22, 2011 12:55 PM EDT up reply actions

+100

by aFan4Life on Apr 23, 2011 10:00 PM EDT up reply actions

I said 2 years ago Kelly & Thomas would suck donkey cajones

Despite two years of “rah-rah they’re looking better than ever this training camp! And so do Roydell Williams and Marko Mitchell. Playoffs!”, I’m relieved to read this FanPost. +1000

by Grand Tanyon Sturtze on Apr 22, 2011 5:35 PM EDT up reply actions

I miss Todd Yoder...

by preppiejack on Apr 21, 2011 6:37 PM EDT reply actions

yes....

Im going to work on making him our next guest.

"You're not going to remember Albert Haynesworth as a bust" - Haynesworth 2/28/2009
Hogs Haven. On Twitter..

by Kevin Ewoldt on Apr 21, 2011 9:23 PM EDT up reply actions

First there was the coaching change

and for whatever reason Shanahan did not like Thomas. I see 2 other Redskins on the roster. So, I don’t think its that big a deal. Different coaches always means roster turn over. Did every one see Campbell gone? Who knows what would have happened if Zorn had stayed? How can he draft knowing that Shanahan would be the next coach? Dragging Cerrato through the mud again and again seems some sort of necessity. As far as who the Skins could have drafted? Jackson was drafted in the 2nd round. A few other teams missed on him as well.

by hambonejackson on Apr 21, 2011 6:38 PM EDT reply actions

Shanahan didn't like Thomas because Thomas can't play.

Looks like Tarzan and plays like Jane. Thomas won’t make the Ginas 53 man roster and will be out of the league.

I consider myself a one man wolfpack..@Diesel__44 on twitter.

by Diesel44 on Apr 21, 2011 7:53 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs

so true

Another yes man coach would have kept Thomas not only on the roster but as a starter simply b/c he was a 2nd round pick…the fact he went to NY and CAR and is now out of the NFL shows we have more competent evaluators than we thought. On that note…fuck vinny.

"You're not going to remember Albert Haynesworth as a bust" - Haynesworth 2/28/2009
Hogs Haven. On Twitter..

by Kevin Ewoldt on Apr 21, 2011 9:25 PM EDT up reply actions

amen

Oh, and we’re not dragging Vinnythrough the mud again and again.

It’s a daily column on draft busts and draft successes. His name just keeps coming up.

by Ken Meringolo on Apr 22, 2011 12:12 AM EDT up reply actions

LOL

Diesel44…I look forward to your brutal honesty and candor! LOL…keep it up, I love it!

by Legacee on Apr 22, 2011 9:09 AM EDT up reply actions

Devin Thomas always sucked, it's just that many people here were biased towards his/Kelly's favor for a long, long time

Looks like Tarzan and plays like Jane. Thomas won’t make the Ginas 53 man roster and will be out of the league. Looks like Tarzan and plays like Jane. Thomas won’t make the Ginas 53 man roster and will be out of the league.

It was too awesome to simply +1. That made me literally laugh out loud. Well done Diesel.

by Grand Tanyon Sturtze on Apr 22, 2011 5:37 PM EDT up reply actions

LOL, "Dragging Vinny Cerrato through the mud"

What a joke. That’s on par with (and embarrassingly untenable as) Richard Nixon & George Bush apologism. Lol.

Maybe you should call up little Danny Snyder & have his in-house counsel sue us here on HH for “mud-dragging” libel. After all, he only cost us years of competitiveness with a humiliatingly awful emergency coach in Zorn and awful, awful draft picks like Devin Thomas & Malcolm Kelly.

Watch this while you ponder the Cerrato, Zorn, Thomas, & Kelly years.

by Grand Tanyon Sturtze on Apr 22, 2011 5:44 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs