Darren McFadden could be a problem
NFL Football at its best. NFL Football at its craziest.
No one questions the skills of Darren McFadden.
He has it all.
The speed, the burst, the size, it is all there.
There are some questions, however, on the other side of the ledger and those questions will be asked at the NFL scouting combine.
Just what sort of character does he have?
Now before you dismiss that and say “So what?”, consider that Darren may get a 20 million dollar plus contract.
Last year, JaMarcus Russell received a 29 million dollar contract. If you screw up on a draft pick for those kinds of guaranteed money, you will be hearing about it for a very long time.
So, just what did Darren do?
That includes at least two reported altercations – the first occurring at a nightclub in Little Rock in July 2006 believed to have resulted in surgery on his left big toe; the second allegedly following an argument at a piano bar in Little Rock early last month. source
Ok, could have happened to any athlete you say, but it gets worse.
There were also reports by The Morning News in Springdale, Ark., and KARK-TV in Little Rock in late December regarding allegations that an agent helped McFadden buy a Cadillac Escalade. KARK retracted its report the following day and apologized to the agent, Mike Conley Sr. The university investigated the allegations and ultimately determined there was no wrongdoing, allowing McFadden to play in The Cotton Bowl against Missouri.
Where there is smoke there is fire? Maybe, maybe not, but this is the type of scrutiny that Darren McFadden will undergo and if the questions elicit the wrong answers, then his wait on draft day may grow a lot longer than he thought.
It will be tough for teams to pass on Darren McFadden after the success of Adrian Peterson and the Vikings.
Just check out some of these stats.
McFadden was a Heisman Trophy finalist in each of the past two years and joined former University of Texas running back Ricky Williams as the only two-time winners of the Doak Walker Award as college football’s top back. He rushed for a school-record 1,829 yards and 16 touchdowns last season. He broke the mark of 1,647 yards rushing he set in 2006.
Yes, there will be lots of questions, but the temptation to take Darren McFadden high in the draft will still be there.
NFL Football Fan Question Would you weigh character issues if you had a shot at picking up Darren McFadden?
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POSTED IN: Adrian Peterson, Darren McFadden, Minnesota Vikings, NFL Football
3 opinions for Darren McFadden could be a problem
Hazean
Feb 22, 2008 at 9:42 am
I would take McFadden’s character issues into consideration, but would not hesitate to draft him. He has far better character than many of the athletes already playing in the NFL.
James
Feb 23, 2008 at 12:12 am
It would be hard to resist at any price. especially after the season Adrian Peterson had.
Darren McFadden - speed forgives all
Feb 25, 2008 at 11:28 am
Your gallivanting author has discussed McFadden’s troubles before. Darren McFadden could be a problem …
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