Their peers say Tom and Rick had the best draft
 
 
A scientific analysis of the 2003 draft
 
by Dr. Hiram Henderhosen
Mathematics expert
Sept. 6, 2003 (updated Sept. 10)
 
POPLAR GROVE - The masses have spoken, and according to their peers, it was Tom and Rick who had the best LEAF draft of 2003.
 

Ten of the 12 members of the league participated in this landmark event. Only Andy and Bruce opted not to take part in the poll. As a result, Andy and Bruce each received one more vote than the people who bothered to participate. So to calculate the rankings more accurately, the total count was divided by the number of votes to reach an average score. Here are the results (11 is the highest score possible, 1 is the lowest):

 

1. Tom - 8.889 points

2. Rick - 8.778

3. Todd - 7.667

4. Eric - 6.667

4. Dave - 6.667

6. Troy - 6.333

7. Nick - 6.222

8. Andy - 6.150

9. Keith - 5.667

10. Brendan - 4.167

11. Steve - 3.000

12. Bruce - 2.200

 

Tom, Rick, Nick and Andy each received two first place votes apiece. Eric received one first place vote.

Here's a breakdown of the results, plus some of the comments that went with it.

1. TOM - (80 total points. Highest ranking - 1st place (2). Lowest ranking - 6th place.)

"Nice depth, solid starters, Vick could be the difference down the stretch." - Todd (who cast a 1st place vote)

"Solid across the board" - Brendan (who cast a 1st place vote)

"Showed some guts taking a few injured guys (Vick, Bennett, soon to be Garner). If he can stay in the mix early on, he could be tough to beat with Vick back. But if Vick takes longer than expected to heal, and Bennett is a no-show, his plan could backfire. I think he'll be strong this year." - Rick (who cast a 4th place vote)

"Another solid draft. Maddox is a good start at QB, and in a couple weeks he'll have Vick. Portis is a stud at RB, and Garner's a solid No. 2. And you can't go wrong with Randy Moss and Hines Ward as your WRs, especially with a solid guy like James Thrash to stick in there as a backup." - Keith (who cast a 4th place vote)

 

"Despite his poor choice in a team name, Tom put together one hell of a draft. The key here is good depth at the key positions. Tommy Maddox and Michael Vick at QB should combine for a very productive year. Maddox is underrated, considering Pittsburgh has one of the best receiving pairs in football. Portis and Garner will be tough to beat at the RB slot, and I think Bettis and Kevin Faulk are decent backup (Bennett is a keeper pick for next year, and Randel-El is not a RB, despite Rick's designation on the roster link). On to WR, Randy Moss and Hines Ward are two of the best, no doubt, and Thrash, Streets and Randel-El will make fair backups for bye weeks. If this team stays healthy, and Vick puts in half a season, I don't see anyone beating Tom." - Steve (who cast a 1st place vote)

Tom on Tom: "I think my team is very solid. I like my starting players and would put them up against any others. My bench is solid. Bettis and K. Faulk could even wind up starting at best and splitting carries at worst. If Vick comes back like he was last year, than it only makes my team better. My only concern is Maddox staying healthy until Vick comes back. Especially since so many QB's are gone."

2. RICK - (79 total points. Highest ranking - 1st place (2). Lowest ranking - 7th place.)

"Barring injuries, the trio of Warner, Holmes and Owens could take this team to the top." - Todd (who cast a 2nd place vote)

"Rick is well-rounded at QB with good depth; a stud running back along with a good supporting cast. The TE selection is in the top 3. A good cast of WR, along with a K with a strong leg and a pair of good DEF." - Troy (who cast a 1st place vote)

"Can't go wrong with Warner at Priest as your two stud players, although Stacey Mack as a No. 2 RB is shaky, which is why Rick is not No. 1 in my book. Owens, Chad Johnson and Darrell Jackson are a good combo at WR, and Heap's probably the best TE." - Keith (who cast a 2nd place vote)

 

"Picking number two was my toughest task. There were four teams in the running for this slot (Rick, Todd, Garner, and Fasnacht) and depth was the determining factor. As much as I hate to say it, I'm going with Rick's Cloning Scott Baio team here. If his starting team, a good chunk of which comes from his 2002 championship squad, avoids injuries, he'll give Tom a run for the title. When Kurt Warner, Priest Holmes, and Terrell Owens are at their best, they can win weeks on their own. My only concern here is depth at the running back position. After Holmes it gets shaky fast. Mack is a starter on a bad team, and I just don't seem him racking up huge fantasy points. Alstott is good for a few TDs, Pittman will be in jail soon, Shipp will play on third downs, and Chapman simply won't play. If Mack has a big year, all will be fine. But that's a big IF." - Steve (who cast a 2nd place vote)

Rick on Rick: "I'm happy. I landed the RB I wanted most in Holmes. Owens, C. Johnson and Heap were also key players in my successful run last year, plus I have a potentially better QB. My #2 RB is a little worrisome, but I tried to build depth at that position to cover my bases. My K is a little old, but he's on a high scoring team, so his opportunties should be plentiful. I think the Panthers will have one of the most potent defenses in the league this year."

3. TODD - (69 total points, Highest ranking - 2nd place. Lowest ranking - 8th place.)

"Ah, the curse of picking last. It didn't work out to badly for Todd, who should do well as long as Favre doesn't start showing his age. Strong from top to bottom, and a pretty good "upside" bench (Smith, Foster, Boller, Toefield, Fargas, Bulger)." - Rick (who cast a 3rd place vote.)

"Solid team. QB worries me after Favre. RB is weak after starters. But a pretty good team." - Tom (who cast a 5th place vote.)

"I had Todd and Tom pretty even, but Todd got the nod because of better depth." - Eric (who cast a 4th place vote.)

 

"The Turd Burglars (the name is #1) have a great starting team, and a lot of potential on the bench. I'd be a little concerned if Favre goes down, but it looks like Boller is going to be decent, and Bulger is a gem if Warner gets hurt (at round 16, I have no idea why Rick didn't pick up this guy). Again, to the back-ups - Onterrio Smith should end up as the Vikings starter, and Olandis Gary will see a lot of carries in Detroit. And there's nothing wrong with Troy Brown as a back-up WR." - Steve (who cast a 4th place vote)

Todd on Todd: "Although no superstars, this veteran has "solid" written all over his lineup."

4. ERIC - (60 total points, Highest ranking - 1st place. Lowest ranking - 9th place (2).)

"If Jake comes through, could surprise although Bench sucks." - Todd (who cast a 6th place vote.)

"I like Jake Plummer... as a backup. As my starter, I might be a little panicky. The Eddie George era is over, so a 2nd round pick was wasted on him. Good WRs, McAllister is solid, his TE tandem could be good, and he got one of the best defenses. The laughter that accompanied his pick of A. Cobourne (that's A for Avon) will not likely die down now that Olandis Gary has joined the Lions to spell the injured James Stewart. Fortunately, Eric is willing to "Spend it like Beckham" so he'll be alright once he dumps a few dogs." - Rick (who cast a 9th place vote.)

"Another good team. Until his QB's show that they are capable of having a entire good year, I'll have to put him where he's at." - Tom (who cast a 3rd place vote.)

"As Steve would say, drafting Eddie George at RB "is a good pick -- eight years ago." But Deuce will pick up the slack at RB. I'm sure Eric's crossing his fingers on the Jake Plummer pick, because Kelly Holcomb and Cleveland are over-rated (in my opinion). Driver and Moulds are good at WR." - Keith (who cast a 7th place vote.)

 

"Actually, I think Eric's team may be a bit better than eighth, but I'm sure he picked me as the worst draft, so I'm considering this placement generous. I like his starters, Kelly Holcomb will probably be a very good backup. And with bench that includes Troy Hambrick, Jimmy Smith, and Muhsin Muhammed, Eric should be competitive." - Steve (who cast an 8th place vote)

Eric on Eric: No comment.

4. DAVE - (60 total points. Highest ranking - 2nd place. Lowest ranking - 8th place)

"Peerless and Laver-anus have the names, but no QBs to get them the ball." - Todd (who cast a 6th place vote.)

"I would've put Dave in first place, because I think he picked the strongest starting lineup. But his bench is just too darn shaky. He has potential position MVPs at every position except TE, but nothing solid to fall back on. And it's inevitable that you'll have to fall back on your bench for one reason or another during the season. He'll be a strong contender out the gate, but it may take some trading and free agency to keep up the momentum. Proof #1 that drafting 5 QBs is a risky proposition." - Rick (who cast a 6th place vote.)

"Everybody gave Steve a hard time about drafting QB's, but Dave drafted just as many. And the ones he drafted to backup Gannon are very poor, hurt, or riding bench. Backups aren't much either." - Tom (who cast a 6th place vote.)

"On paper, Gannon, Faulk and Taylor are studs -- but they're also iffy with their injury histories. If they all stay healthy, he's in great shape. If one or more get hurt, he's in trouble. His potential backup QBs are either going to miss most of the season (Pennington) or just plain suck (Carter). And Larry Johnson and LaMont Jordan don't really do it for me as backup RBs. Coles and Price are solid, but both are playing for new teams and won't put up last year's numbers." - Keith (who cast a 3rd place vote.)

 

"Believe it or not, the only reason Garner makes number 5 on my list is because of Quincy Carter. Dave's starting team is solid, but other than Carter, he has no one at backup QB. Pennington is keeper-only material, Carr has no one to throw to, and Leftwich will be holding a clipboard all year. Carter, on the other hand, despite what most of you think about the Cowboys, showed a lot of promise in the final two preseason games. He seems to be working well with Galloway, he can scramble, and he has Richie Anderson for the quick dumps. I think it's a good combination, and it should give Dave's Brickyard Bullies (another weak name) just enough bench strength to have a strong season." - Steve (who cast a 5th place vote)

Dave on Dave: "If everyone stays healthy there is no doubt my team is in the top 3. Problem is, I gambled on guys who get hurt."

6. TROY - (57 total points, Highest ranking - 2nd place. Lowest ranking - 10th place)

 
"Can't really make fun of this team. Some solid players I might want on my squad (hint!). " - Todd (who cast a 5th place vote.)
 

"A very solid crew. The only thing I'd worry about is whether Antowain Smith is going to be a full-season starter. He may very well be. He has decent bench depth - so injuries notwithstanding, it may be awhile

before Troy has to select a free agent to fill a gap." - Rick (who cast a 2nd place vote.)

"The only thing concerns me with his team is his #2 RB also. Not much bench after his starters." - Tom (who cast a 4th place vote.)

 

"Before I pick on Troy, let me just say that I think everyone has a competitive starting team. The distinctions, as I've said several times, can be found on the benches of our league. And there's not much of one here. Joey Harrington as your backup QB. Yikes! Jamel White and Najeh Davenport backing up Antowain Smith? I see a real problem at running back here. Curtis Conway would have been a decent backup if Pennington were playing, but the Jets are now a non-factor. I'm afraid Troy's Raiders will be Leafball's version of the 2003 Jets." - Steve (who cast an 11th place vote)

 
Troy on Troy: No comment.

7. NICK - (56 total points. Highest ranking - 1st place (2). Lowest ranking - 10th place (2).)
"Emmitt, Rice... Can you say A.A.R.P.?" - Todd (who cast a 9th place vote.)

"Nick is in for a sophomore slump, if his drafted team stays intact. With a median age of about 75, he's relying on some old wheels to carry him through the season. He'll use a good backup as a starting QB (McNair), conduct the injury watch with Green and Martin, and probably find out why Amani Toomer causing his owners so much frustration (3 points one week, 30 the next - when you benched him). Emmitt Smith and Jerry Rice would've been great picks in 1993. In 2003? We'll see." - Rick (who cast a 10th place vote.)

"Very solid across the board at each position. No stand out stars but looking at the team in general, he has a good team." - Tom (who cast a 1st place vote.)

"He drafted a good team, but not a great one. McNair is a great start week in and week out at QB, but RBs are iffy. If Curtis Martin's career isn't starting a downward spiral he'll be fine, but Ahman Green probably won't be able to carry the load for him at RB alone. And Anthony Thomas as a backup won't help him much. Toomer and Burress are a good WR tandem, and getting McMichael at TE when he did is a steal. - Keith (who cast a 5th place vote.)

"I had the top three ranked evenly (Nick, Dave, Troy), but gave the edge to Nick because of the strength of his bench at RB." - Eric (who cast a 1st place vote.)

 

"I still don't know what his team name means. Again, good starting team. Again, very weak bench. Kordell Stewart will not find success in Chicago, and neither will Anthony Thomas. Emmitt Smith will find it tough to run as no one will respect the Cardinal passing attack (except for maybe Andy's Larry Foster), Javon Walker is on a short list of mediocre wide receivers in Green Bay, and Chad Lewis was a flash in the pan for Philadelphia. The only bench player I like on this team is Jerry Rice." - Steve (who cast a 9th place vote)

Nick on Nick: "I thought the draft went fairly well. A little too much on the sacrcasm side, but I enjoyed myself. I think as always we deal with the team we have drafted. I'm very comfortable and confident of my ballclub, but only time will tell."

 
8. ANDY - (61.5 total points. Highest ranking - 1st place (2). Lowest ranking - 10th place)
 

"Built a fairly solid nucleus, with high scoring Daunte Culpepper and LaDanian Tomlinson as his first two picks. If William Green picks up where he left off last season, Andy could be tough to beat." - Rick (who cast a 1st place vote.)

"Culpepper, LT and William Green are solid at QB and RB. Booker and Rod Smith are good WRs. Having Duce Staley and Tim Brown as backups give him decent depth." - Keith (who cast a 1st place vote.)

"Andy, Bruce, Nick and Keith, what can I say? Looking at their teams there are only one or two players I would even want." - Dave (who cast an 8th place vote.)

 

"I like the implications that cum with this name (Glazed Fasnachts). I'm going with Andy at number three, because I think you need to have a decent backup QB in this day and age (case in point - Chad Pennington and Michael Vick). While you could argue that I went overboard on QBs, the argument that too many teams in this league do not have a servicable #2 is even more valid. Andy should score big with Culpepper, and if he goes down, Brad Johnson, who is no-frills but is consistent, will provide an adequate stop-gap. After that, the skill positions look solid here. Tomlinson, Green, Staley, and Duckett at RB. Booker, Rod Smith, Chambers, and Tim Brown at WR (sorry, I couldn't mention Larry Foster in that group - easily one of the most worthless picks of the draft)." - Steve (who cast a 3rd place vote)

"Rookie." - Todd (who cast a 10th place vote.)

Andy on Andy: No comment.

9. KEITH - (51 total points. Highest ranking - 2nd place. Lowest ranking - 11th place.)

"Brady must produce but should be in the money." - Todd (who cast a 4th place vote.)

"A team with decent upside. If Edgerrin James plays like a first rounder again, and if Tony Gonzalez can shake off his injury, Keith will be a force. Will a change of scenery be good for Stephen Davis? If it is, good pick. but that one would have given me jitters as a second rounder. A very solid bench." - Rick (who cast a 7th place vote.)

"No studs. Talented players, but not exceptional other than James, if he comes back like everyone thinks." - Tom (who cast a 10th place vote)

 

"Weapons of Mass Destruction - boy, that's fun to say. Again, nice starting team, but I'm not overly impressed with the backup situation. Ramsey is too green to rely on for great stats. He's good for 180 yards and a TD every week. And if Edgerrin James doesn't have a rebound season, there could be trouble here as well. Davis got heaps of hipe during the preseason, but he plays for Carolina, and DeShawn Foster is primed for some carries. I like Warrick Dunn, but his coaches seem to find ways to screw him out of playing time every year. And Moe Williams won't have the starting job for long. Keith's wide receivers are solid, from starters to the bench. I especially like Ashley Lelie in the 9th round. If Plummer has a good year, Lelie will have a great one." - Steve (who cast a 6th place vote)

Keith on Keith: "I won't predict an overall championship, but I think I'm at least a contender. Assuming Edge is back at 100 percent (and I wouldn't have picked him if I didn't think he was), I'm set at RB. Stephen Davis is going to get a lot of carries, thanks to Carolina's pathetic QB situation. I don't think DeShaun Foster will be a big factor for them this year, and Davis does great when he's the primary rusher. And if he's not, I'll take my chances with Dunn as a backup. Tom Brady threw for more TDs than anybody last year, and since NE didn't address their need at RB, he'll be firing again. Ramsey's a decent backup for him. I'm very happy with Holt and Morgan at WR, and I think I got a great potential keeper in Lelie. Gonzalez is a top 3 tight end, and Jones is a potential star as a backup."

10. BRENDAN - (37.5 total points. Highest ranking - 5th place. Lowest ranking - 11th place.)

"As the Saints go, so will Gang Green. Wow, 4 Saints as your starters (and one former Saint!) But he picked some good ones; in fact, they appear to be his strongest starters. Gotta love Jeff Garcia as your backup, but you gotta worry that Todd Pinkston is your starting WR." - Rick (who cast a 5th place vote.)

"If Canidate and Rogers are stars than, he'll be #1. But it's wishful thinking that two players can pull it out for you. Excellent QB situation though." - Tom (who cast a 9th place vote.)

"Rookie." - Todd (who cast a 10th place vote.)

"Nice job by the rook. Brooks and Garcia are two good QBs, and Ricky Williams is a stud RB. The rest of his RBs are fairly weak, however, unless Trung Candidate breaks out. WRs are questionable, other than Horn. If Pinkston becomes a star, he'll be fine (and as an Eagles fan, I sure hope he does)." - Keith (who cast a 6th place vote.)

"I had Keith and Brendan even, but Brendan had to be ranked lower because he's the Rookie." - Eric (who cast an 11th place vote).

 

"Now here's a team with an impressive backup QB (Jeff Garcia, better than most team's starters). However, the depth weaknesses at other key positions lowers his ranking for me. Starting RBs look good, but Pinkston as a number two receiver could be a soft spot. Pinkston is good, but not consistently good. Marc Boerigter and Josh Reed are probably more valuable. Time will tell. There's just too many weak links on this team for my liking: Thomas Jones (a disappointment every year), Shawn Bryson (third down back), Lamar Gordon (will start the two games that Marshall Faulk misses every season), Charles Rogers (rookie receivers, minus Randy Moss, never pan out), Robert Ferguson (worthless), and Josh Reed (he's no Peerless Price). That's pretty much the whole bench." - Steve (who cast a 7th place vote)

Brendan on Brendan: "I have two above average QBs and 1 stud RB. I regret not taking an RB in 2nd round and then work on receivers later in draft."

11. STEVE - (27 total points. Highest ranking - 7th place (2). Lowest ranking - 11th place.)

"Well, he won't be needing a quarterback, that's for sure. Very solid running back tandem should guarantee solid production every week. Will Steve's contention that WRs are a dime a dozen hold true? Well he did well last season taking a WR with his first pick, so that sort of contradicts that theory, and this year he has some bonafide headache-makers. Something tells me he'll be dumping quarterbacks with more zeal than Daniel Snyder after he's eaten a dozen hard boiled eggs and

some of Steve's fine homemade chili, and was just told a quarterback ran over his dog." - Rick (who cast an 8th place vote.)

"Too many QB's not enough RB's and WR's. I'm sure Steve will be in the mix though because every year he is." - Tom (who cast an 11th place vote.)

"After really looking at it Steve's draft wasn't as bad as it first seemed." - Dave (who cast a 7th place vote.)

"Now that we've all gotten over our laughter at his now-infamous 5 QB strategy, let's look at the team he assembled. Barber and and Henry are two good starting RBs, and Kevan Barlow and Buckhalter are decent backups (if they both wind up with the majority of carries this year, anyway). But his WRs are terrible. Keyshawn catches everything, but never scores. Galloway plays for a pathetic offense. Is Kevin Johnson even the No. 1 WR on his team? He'd better hope Santana Moss is a star-in-the-making, or he might have to part with one of his five QBs in a hurry." - Keith (who cast a 9th place vote.)

"I ranked Andy through Steve pretty even (6th through 9th). Steve obviously had to be ranked lowest of that grouping because he wasted his 5th, 9th and 10th round picks on mediocre QB's." - Eric (who cast a 9th place vote.)

"Have another beer!" - Todd (who cast an 8th place vote.)

Steve on Steve: No comment.

12. BRUCE - (22 total points. Highest ranking - 8th place (3). Lowest ranking - 11th place (5).)

"Bruce, you can't win without drafting a running back before the third round." - Todd (who cast a 9th place vote.)

"Is there some sort of a law that prohibits Bruce from drafting a good team? He picked up two good players with his top two picks, but so did just about everybody else. Then, apparently in response to peer pressure, he felt the need to pull the trigger on a RB with his third pick, and made a questionable one with Garrison Hearst. He nailed Shannon Sharpe, Isaac Bruce and Dorsey Levens past their prime, and by the 12th round apparently started looking toward 2004 with his pick of Willis McGahee. And Bruce never spends money, so it's unlikely he'll make the moves necessary to make this team a contender. On the plus side, Bruce enjoyed a gas-free draft... which of course means that we all did as well." - Rick (who cast an 11th place vote.)

"RB's kill this team. Probably the only reason I don't put him last is because I'm a homer with McNabb." - Tom (who cast an 8th place vote.)

"He has a stud QB that can carry the team. The RB outside of Hearst are not really proven. Bruce has an all-star cast of WR & TE, which will have to carry the team. He has an excellent K and middle-of-the-road DEF." - Troy (who cast an 11th place vote.)

"It pains me to make fun of Bruce, one of the nicest guys around. But other than McNabb and Harrison, his team is garbage. His RBs -- Zereoue and Hearst -- both are sharing carries this year. Musa Smith isn't even a starter, and Willis McGahee probably won't even play this year. Gardner could be a decent No. 2 WR, so could Stallworth. But both are questionable. And don't even get me started on taking Shannon Sharpe when he did -- especially with so many other good TEs on the board." - Keith (who cast an 11th place vote.)

 

"It's simple, he waited too long to draft a running back, then failed to put together a decent bench. Yeah, McNabb and Harrison are A-list players, but at what expense? Bruce now has to start two backs who will share carries with Jerome Bettis and Kevan Barlow respectively. Then we go to the bench - Kitna, McGahee, Levens, Musa Smith, Rod Gardner. Other than Donte Stallworth, I don't see much help here. Don't get me wrong, Bruce can go far with his starting team; but when you factor in the frequency of injuries in the NFL, I see The Pez in an unpredictable free agent/trade situation real soon.

 
Bruce on Bruce: No comment.
 
 
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