By Michael Stets
ALLEN PARK–The preparation for the selection of players in each year’s NFL Draft is a very long, thorough and well-thought-out process for every NFL team. And it begins well in advance of the NFL Scouting Combine or the individual pro day workouts at different colleges all around the country, where players showcase their various skill sets.
In addition to the what certain players bring in terms of their level of play on the field, scouts, coaches and general managers are also looking at several different intangibles: leadership capabilities, intelligence, and, of course, off-the-field issues.
“You can’t always judge a player by his stats,” said Lions general manager Bob Quinn at the annual pre-draft press conference on Thursday afternoon. Teams also have to look at the quality of a player’s character among the the other obvious criteria. In his first draft with the Lions last season, Quinn took several high-character players, who were captains on their college teams, which he said is “really important.”
“That is something that we look at,” he said. “We ask our scouts to go out and find guys that are leaders on their team, the guys that are high character, the guys that love football.”
Of course, there are always players that are great on the field, but have been plagued by legal troubles off of it. Like former New England Patriots tight end, Aaron Hernandez, who after three very productive seasons, was arrested in 2013 for the murder of Odin Lloyd. Hernandez, who was convicted in 2015 and given a life sentence, committed suicide and was found dead in his jail cell earlier this week. Quinn, who was the Patriots assistant director of player personnel and later director of pro scouting while Hernandez was on the team, was asked about the deceased tight end.
“I think it’s an extremely unfortunate set of circumstances on many, many levels that affected many, many people,” he said. “I read something that Coach [Bill] Belichick said a couple weeks ago and he used the word ‘tragedy,’ and I think that’s the perfect word to describe it.”
What did Quinn learn from the tragic story of Hernandez and how does he weigh risk and reward in regards to drafting a player with character risks?
“I think it’s a case-by case-thing,” he explained. “You can’t clump all character or all physical risks the same. You’ve got to take each individual player and prospect and do your due diligence in terms of how you think that player is going to fit on the field and you’ve got to kind of really evaluate how the fit is going to be off the field. It’s a really hard situation. The off-the-field things that a number of prospects have every year, you have to evaluate it and make the best decision you think for your football team. It’s something we spend a lot of time on.”
Selecting a player with past issues can also have an impact on the locker room, especially if there are several high-character guys on the team. Quinn explained how that factors into the vetting process for potential draft picks.
“That’s a question that I always ask to our personnel staff, ” he said. And at the right time to take a character risk it has to be at the right price and it has to be a player that you’ve done your due diligence and you’ve done your work on and you feel good about him being able to come into a situation with a support staff and the team ready to embrace a player like that.”
When Quinn took over the reigns as GM last season, he said that he’d have zero-tolerance for “domestic violence and dangerous weapons.” However, during the 2016 training camp the Lions signed Orson Charles and Andrew Quarless. Both had incidents involving guns on their record. They were released before the season started. Later in the year, the team claimed defensive end Armonty Bryant off waivers, knowing the former Cleveland Brown would have to serve a three-game suspension for a prior arrest on felony drug charges. “Since joining our team, Armonty has met our expectations on and off the field,” the Lions said in a statement last season. Bryant registered three sacks in five games before suffering an injury that ended his season.
NFL teams are often willing to overlook any past legal troubles of a player if they can help their respective team win games. It’s happened time and time again over the course of the league’s history. And it’s going to happen once more in 2017 with one of the most talented players in this year’s draft class: Oklahoma running back, Joe Mixon.
One of the biggest questions surrounding this year’s NFL Draft, is who will be the team to take a chance on Mixon. The Oklahoma running back was not invited to this year’s NFL Scouting Combine due to a past misdemeanor assault charge, which stemmed from punching Amelia Molitor in the head, breaking bones in her face that required her to have surgery. Mixon was suspended for the entire 2014 NCAA football season for that assault charge. The Oklahoma State Supreme Court released the video of the incident in December of last year, which led to a huge amount of backlash for Mixon, the University of Oklahoma and Coach Bob Stoops. There have already been reports that both Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots will not consider drafting Mixon. And although he may not get picked in the first round, he’s going to get drafted. It’s not a matter of if he does, but when.
Mixon is unequivocally one of the most talented running backs in this year’s draft, but his stock has dropped considerably since the video of his assault on Molitor came to light. With the Lions picking No. 21 in the first round, there is more than a good chance that Mixon will be there if they want to take him. Several draft analysts have already predicted the Lions will take Mixon in the first round. Team president Rod Wood said to reporters during this year’s owner’s meetings that the Lions policy on domestic violence has not changed, but would not comment on Mixon.
So far this off season, Quinn only commented that he was disappointed in Mixon not being allowed at the combine because having him there would allow teams to speak with the running back and continue their evaluation of him.
On Thursday, Quinn was asked if Mixon is currently on the Lions draft board.
“I’m not going to comment on who may or may not be on or off our board right now,” he stated. “It’s too close to the draft to be giving away.”
Quinn was then asked in a follow up if he would feel comfortable drafting Mixon?
“[I’m] Not going to comment on any specific player one way or the other,” he said.
Mixon would certainly help the Lions on the field. That goes without saying. But is he worth the headache and public derision that will assuredly come with drafting a player linked to assaulting a woman? We will find out in less than a week if Quinn and the Lions think he is.