NFL Draft Dodgers

The NFL draft normally contains dramatic storylines. Some are media-driven and others simply have an intrigue of their own.

The average fan has no idea what goes on in a team's war room. They aren't privy to the discussions and thought processes of the top executives who make draft day decisions.

This year, a number of teams made some very interesting choices. While we won't be able to truly evaluate how well teams chose their future stars, we can certainly try to form our own ideas about why the draft went down the way it did.

Who can truly say they saw Reggie Bush fall to number two in the draft? For months, Bush was portrayed as the next franchise-maker. He was a complete player with all the skills. As the Heisman trophy winner, he was proclaimed the best collegiate player. The end of the NFL regular season for the bottom teams was referred to as "The Reggie Bush Sweepstakes." Certainly, Bush would be the first pick.

But we know it didn't happen that way. The Houston Texans were considering Bush and even negotiating with his agent. But the deal didn't get done and the Texans went with DE Mario Williams.

Some things make the pick very interesting. First, defensive ends don't go first overall very often in the draft.

The second thing that makes the pick interesting is that the Texans let each player know that the one to negotiate a deal would be the first pick.

So, did the Texans put some downward pressure on the contract demands of each player with this tactic? The first overall pick gets the most guaranteed money. That's how NFL rookie contracts go. The higher you go in the first round, the more money in your pocket. And you make more than the guy who was picked first last year.

Mario Williams and his agent blinked first and the Texans took him. If the Texans were looking to pay the lowest amount possible for the first pick, they may have been successful. If they were truly looking to get the best player, their draft board was different from several other "experts."

Don't feel too badly for Reggie Bush. He will still make millions of dollars with the New Orleans Saints. However, he probably would have made more as a star running back who was the first overall pick.

The rest of the NFL should (and are) thanking the Texans as they have saved the league collectively millions of dollars in guaranteed money for signing this year's first round class.

The number three pick may not have been as surprising but has intrigue of its own.

Clearly, the Steve McNair era is over in Tennessee. The Titans had already banned McNair from working out at their facility in case he became injured leaving the Titans on the hook for all of his salary this season.

McNair wouldn't re-work his contract so the Titans were setting up to let him go. That would mean they would need a QB.

The Titans offensive coordinator, Norm Chow, held the same position at USC and had worked with Matt Leinart very successfully.

Surely, if the Titans needed a QB, Leinart would be a great fit since he already knew Chow's pro-style offense.

But the decision-makers of the Titans didn't think so and took Texas QB Vince Young. Were the Titans looking for a McNair-type player? Did they buy into the Vince Young hype that has been building since the Rose Bowl?

Many draft analysts saw Leinart as the most NFL-ready QB. Young may be a few years away from being ready to play and even then there is normally a learning curve for new starting QBs (Ben Roethlisberger aside).

Yet the Titans decided to take the long road with Young. Time will tell if it was the right choice, but you have to think that Norm Chow was lobbying for Leinart and it is clear how much his opinion is valued in Nashville.

As frustrated as Chow may have felt, Leinart wasn't feeling any better. He must have seen the past year of his life flash before him. Remember how he was praised by the football world as the Heisman trophy winner the previous year? He was a national champion and his stock couldn't have been higher.

Yet, he decided to stay at USC another year. He certainly would have been the first overall pick in the draft and was losing millions of dollars with every pick that came after number one this year.

With a top QB left on the board, some teams must have been re-evaluating their draft day plans. How often does a franchise QB with a Heisman trophy and national championship pedigree fall to you in the draft?

And yet it didn't seem like many teams did re-think their plans.

The New York Jets, even with their oft-injured QB Chad Pennington, did not decide to take Leinart.

The Green Bay Packers, having already drafted a first-round QB last year, understandably passed on Leinart.

The San Francisco 49ers made the first overall pick a QB last year and so were not in the position to take Leinart, either.

But what about the Oakland Raiders? Their QB position has not been the same since they lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Super Bowl.

Rich Gannon never fully recovered from his injury. Marques Tuiasosopo didn't impress. Kerry Collins was not able to do the job, either.

Can the Raiders really be content with ex-Saints QB Aaron Brooks? Brooks frustrated fans in New Orleans for years with his inconsistent play. The Raiders have to know what they are getting with Brooks. Leinart offers the chance at a big-play QB. But they passed on him, also.

Surely, the Buffalo Bills must have had visions of another QB from the south slinging the football around in the Buffalo wind when their pick came around? The Bills have been experimenting at QB since Jim Kelly retired. Alex Van Pelt, Todd Collins, Rob Johnson, Doug Flutie, JP Losman, and Kelly Holcombe have all started under center and none can be confused with Frank Reich, let alone Hall of Famer Kelly.

Yet the Bills didn't move from their plan and selected a safety with their pick.

The Detroit Lions followed the Bills pick. They have seen inconsistent play at QB since ... well always. Certainly, the Lions needed a franchise QB.

But they chose a linebacker. At least it wasn't a receiver, but was there even pause at the thought of Leinart throwing to their first-round receivers from the previous drafts?

As we know, Leinart ended up in Arizona and maybe that will be a good place for him.

The tandem of Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald are one of the best in the league at receiver.

The addition of Edgerrin James adds a real running game to the Desert Birds and while Kurt Warner must be tired of being the guy to mentor younger QBs, he can do that job once again for Leinart.

The draft of 2006 can't be evaluated properly until at least three years from now, but for those teams passing on Leinart, pray you don't have anything in common with the teams who passed on a QB from Pittsburgh in 1983.