Remember when I wrote the Bill Polian is terrible at making good picks in the third round?
Yeah, I was kinda right. From Colts.com:
Defensive back Kevin Thomas sustained a knee injury during last week’s rookie camp that could cause him to miss the 2010 season, the Indianapolis Colts announced Friday.
Thomas (6-0, 192, Southern California) was the club’s third-round pick in the April 22-24 NFL Draft, the 94th selection overall. Thomas was injured in the final practice of the April 30-May 2 camp that was held for draft picks and undrafted free agents. He is scheduled for surgery.
This is what I wrote just two weeks ago, when the Colts reached big time for Thomas in the third round of the 2010 NFL Draft:
Where do I begin? How can I accurately convey the total f&$k up Bill Polian made with this pick?
Forget about grabbing an o-lineman here for a second. Passing on Corey Wootton? On Akwasi Owusu-Ansah? For this guy? Come on! Are you kidding me? Look, I'm not questioning Bill Polian's competence on the NFL Draft, but his record with screwing up third round picks is pretty well known. There's a reason we call it the "Third Round Curse."
Regarding Thomas, he was so under-the-radar that we didn't even do a draft profile for him. Hell, Mocking the Draft doesn't even have a report on him. And this guy is a Third Rounder? Ahead of so many other defensive backs, to say nothing of the GLARING need at left tackle? Reach pick, utterly and completely.
Many of you absolutely crucified me in the comments for writing that. Don't worry, I don't take insults personally. And with this selection, I had a pretty good idea I was right. Considering that just about every scouting report I read (if I could find one) on this guy said he was injury prone, are we surprised that at his VERY FIRST PRACTICE he gets hurt!
Unbelievable.
Of course, all the insults and silly comments attacking me for having the stones to do what so many others didn't (criticize Bill Polian for making an obviously bad pick) are forgiven. When the Thomas pick was called in at Radio City two Fridays ago, I went off on a rant in front of Don Banks and another SI writer (whose name escapes me) (it was Tony Paulene of Draft Insider) about how Polian continues to bust third rounders.
Hey Don, I said, Bill Polian is terrible with third round picks. Write that in your next article.
Banks chuckled and seemed to acknowledge the observation. My colleagues, Jason Brewer at Bleeding Green Nation and Joel Thorman at Arrowhead Pride, also enjoyed listening to me lose my mind over the selection. Tony Paulene, who was sitting next to Banks, nodded with me and agreed it was a bad choice. Of course, not many people criticized the pick the next day because national writers seem to have some silly fear that Bill Polian will prove them wrong. I don't understand this mindset. If a pick looks bad, it probably is. And in the case of the Kevin Thomas pick, Polian obviously reached for this player from USC when other, more productive (and likely healthier) players where available.
With this injury, the curse of the third round pick continues. Since 2002, players like Joseph Jefferson, Donald Strickland, Ben Hartstock, Gilbert Gardner, Sweat Pea Burns, Freddy Keiaho, Dante Hughes, and Quinn Pitcock were drafted in the third round. All have been disappointments. Only Austin Collie, third rounder from BYU last year, shows promise Jerraud Powers, a corner from Auburn, shows promise.
For a team that is very top heavy, with mega-salaries locked up in stars like Peyton Manning and Dwight Freeney, busting third rounders like this hurts. Bill Polian is still a great talent evaluator, and I am not saying this latest third round screw-up taints his legacy or anything. However, he definitely messed up this draft selection, and should be held accountable for it.