To anyone who believes there is anything legitimate about this pseudo-pro rassling league, please explain why a team would waste a high draft pick on someone like Brian Leonard (or Jacob Hester, or in past years on guys like Rob Konrad), and then never give them a chance to be a starter. They don't draft long snappers, for instance, in the early rounds. Normally, a second round draft pick is used on a player that will either have a chance to start right away, or at least will be given a chance by the next season.
In the past few years, we have seen the "wrong" NFL teams draft the handful of highly rated white skill position players every time. Jacksonville, the least white friendly team in a white-hating league, drafts the unprecedented size-speed combination Matt Jones. The Rams, who have Steven Jackson entrenched as the starting RB, draft Leonard. The Packers, with a great young WR (Jennings), a "respected" veteran (Driver) and a young WR that they used a high draft pick on just one season before (Jones), draft Jordy Nelson. The Chargers, with the best RB in football (Tomlinson), draft Hester.
Just imagine if these players had gone to the "right" teams. For instance, a Leonard or Hester on the Texans, or the Titans, or the Cardinals, or the Seahawks, for instance, would have been hard to dismiss. Chosen by a team that had a logical need at RB, either of them would have been in the position Steve Slayton, or Chris Johnson, or Tim Hightower is. The same thing for Nelson; this guy could have been in Eddie Royal's position, or starting for a pass-happy team like the 49ers. Instead, he will undoubtedly languish for years behind a solid group of wide receivers.
If the NFL were legitimate, why would any team waste such valuable picks on players that they plan on turning into blocking fullbacks or, at best, 3rd (or slot) receivers? We're told all the time how much teams "value" those draft picks. Well, the Rams certainly placed little value on last year's second round pick, because they've apparently (against all reason) decided he's no better than a 3rd string RB or 2nd string FB. I think there is a "gentleman's agreement" among these teams to do this sort of illogical drafting. That way, if anyone ever were to question why, for instance, Hester doesn't get any playing time, the answer would be, "are you saying he should play ahead of Ladanian?"
I don't think either the Rams or the Chargers ever had any plans to let Leonard or Hester carry the ball much. Leonard had a few games last season, because of injuries, but as soon as tney found a black retread, his role was summarily reduced. The Rams were saying the exact same things about Leonard that the Chargers said about Hester after drafting him. It looks like Hester isn't even going to get the brief opportunity that Leonard did. Again, why did the Chargers waste a 2nd round pick on someone they will never give a chance to win a starting job?
For those of you who feel optimistic about the chances of Sam McGuffie in a few years, I would urge you to lower your expectations drastically. My guess is that he will be somehow blamed (along with others) for Michigan's horrendous start, and they will bring some black freshman in next season to take away carries from him. At best, if they cannot hide his ability and he eventually becomes a high draft pick in the NFL, he will go to the "wrong" team, as well.
Even if a white RB goes to the "right" team, there is still an uphill battle. Remember Tommy Vardell? He was drafted 9th overall, which is the highest any white RB had been drafted in a long, long time, in 1992 by the Browns. Then Browns coach Bill Bellicheck kept rotating him in and out of the lineup with aging Kevin Mack and mediocre Leroy Hoard. He never got the chance to be "the" running back, despite flashing great potential. Eventually, he was shipped to Detroit, and then the 49ers, where he carved out a servicable career as a bulked-up fullback who was sometimes given goal line carries.
At this point, I have no optimism about this situation at all. I really think that, without a revolution to completely topple the Caste System, we have seen the last full-time white running backs in the NFL. Edited by: bigunreal