Vinny said:
The reality of the pick is simple. It started as a 4th round pick and we eventually traded it down to a 2nd. It was an 'extra' expansion pick on top of everything else so we didn't even lose a pick in the second round.
Vinny,
With all due respect, I've got to chime in on this issue this time around.
It doesn't matter in the least bit, what the pick started out as. Trading an extra 4th round pick up until it became a 2nd rounder was just good wheeling & dealing on CC's part. The fact is that, at the time we drafted Hollings, we used a 2nd round pick that we had in our possession. A 2nd round pick that ultimately turned out to be the 1st pick in the 2nd round.
Now, in all fairness, there was no way that we could've foreseen that pick being the 1st pick in the 2nd round. But, no matter where it was going to end up, Hollings still cost us a 2nd round pick.
I guess what I'm trying to say is, quit trying to devalue the price we paid for Hollings. Extra or not, we gave a 2nd round pick that we owned.
I really hope that Hollings turns out to be a stud & CC adds to his legend as a master at finding gems in the draft, but until Hollings proves the doubters wrong, there'll continue to be 2nd guessing. Especially, when you consider that we could've had our choice of Julius Jones, Karlos Dansby, Teddy Lehman, Igor Olshansky, Michael Boulware, & several others with that 2nd round pick.
I guess it really doesn't matter what we paid for him. The fact is, that he's a Texan & we've all got to be patient & keep our fingers, eyes, toes, & whatever else we have to cross, crossed & hope he turns out to be a 2nd round steal.