With the scouting combine underway, the thing on every football mind is – who will be on the roster next season? Who has the most potential to make the team better? With the draft, trade-ups, and free agency on deck, sometimes the players we think have the most potential don’t live up to their expectations. With the heartbreaking AFC Championship loss still fresh on our minds, this year might be the most crucial offseason ever for the Ravens. Let’s hope these previous draft busts don’t repeat themselves…
5) Dan Cody. Defensive lineman Dan Cody was selected in the second round of the 2005 NFL draft (53rd overall). He tore his ACL on the first day of training camp as a rookie, foreshadowing his injury-filled stint with the Ravens. Before he was released in 2006, he had horrible injuries including a broken foot and torn cartilage, which allowed him to only play a total of two games.
4) Tavares Gooden. Gooden was selected in the third round in 2008 (71st overall). His career as a linebacker under the Ravens’ wings was complete with plenty of injuries, 52 tackles in ’08 and ’09 combined, and was demoted to a backup in 2010 before being released last year.
3) DeRon Jenkins. Cornerback DeRon Jenkins was drafted 55th overall in the second round in 1996. In the first four years of the Ravens’ existence, he had only 202 yards and 2 interceptions, before signing on to play arena football in 2004.
2) Travis Taylor. Taylor was drafted as a wide receiver in 2000, 10th overall and was envisioned as a number one player. However, his best season was in 2002 – 61 catches and 6 touchdowns.
1) You guessed it… Kyle Boller. First round pick, 19th overall in 2003. Everything you need for a franchise quarterback right? Not when you only throw 45 touchdowns in 5 seasons (Joe Flacco has had almost twice that in only 4 seasons with 80 TDs). Wait, it gets better. My favorite Kyle Boller stat is his 44 interceptions in 5 seasons. Read previous sentence, laugh, repeat.
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Mine are pretty close. But I compiled my list in 2010. I still think Mark Clayton should get some hate on this list. Another first rounder who didn’t do much in his 5 years with the team. I’m no Travis Taylor fan but at least he had more TD’s with BMore -15 than Clayton did-12 when he wore purple.
http://www.baltimoregridironreport.com/2010/04/21/ravens-top-ten-draft-busts/comment-page-1/
Where’s Kindle?
While not a first round pick, he was the Ravens “first pick” two years ago.
I agree with Clayton being in the discussion. They gave him every opportunity. I’ll never forget the drop in NE. “The first one.”
I’d say while things aren’t looking great for Kindle, he was a second rounder, had an unforeseeable (assuming it was not a drunken fall down the steps) and near catastrophic injury, and could still wind up redeeming himself if he pans out in this next season. This could come to fruition with some of the moves/losses the Ravens will likely make/endure at LB this offseason. If not, he’s in the discussion too.
You have to include Duane Starks in here because we could/should have drafted Randy Moss instead. How about Patrick Johnson, a second rounder that flamed out.
I’m not to sure about Duane Starks being a bust; he did have a pick-six in the Super Bowl and a ring to boot.
@Jay Matthews – That Mark Clayton drop still haunts me too. Every time I see or hear his name, that immediately comes to mind. Ugh, so glad he’s gone…
I never thought Tavares Gooden was that good to begin with, so he I never put any expectations on him.
Patrick Johnson would be my replacement for Gooden. PJ was fast, with stone hands and a wet brown-paper-bag frame.
If you use “who we could have drafted instead” as a factor, then Chris Redman moves to number one, hands down, since he was one of “the Brady Six.”
This is great , finally we are looking at one of the reason the Ravens have not been to the super bowl in ten years,,,,,,,,,Ozzie’s drafting has been suspect at best,,,,,,,,these high draft choices are to have an immediate impact on the team and along with free agent signings make the team competitive enough to get to the super bowl,,,,,,,,please don’t get me started on the recent free agent signings , finally many of them will be gone this year,,,,,,,,,,
Lindsey , very nice article from a very astute fan , more so than several of the contributors on this site , please keep up the good work you are an asset to BSR…………
Nice comments from what is turning out to be one of the better posters on this site.
Thank you very much,,,,,,,,,,,but she sure is cute………….