The Truth about NFL Draft Rumors

This time of year is when all the rumors start flooding in. The Buccaneers are reportedly interested in South Florida's DE Pierre-Paul is one that's floating around right now. To all the myth mongers I say phooey. NFL teams have absolutely zero motivation in letting us know what their plans are and who they are interested in. If anything is being officially released it is probably mis-information anyway. You will see in the next (approximately) six weeks before the draft, the rumors will be flying all about, so believe them at your peril. Most of these rumors are just made up to get people like you and me to read them.

Team Draft for the Future:

The other mistake that the average Draftnik (NFL Draft Fan) makes is thinking that NFL teams always draft players for immediate help. Most teams think ahead 2-3 years for their draft picks. A couple years ago the Cowboys drafted OLB Anthony Spencer and they already had Greg Ellis in that spot, who by the way just made the pro bowl. The next year Ellis is with the Raiders and Spencer steps in and has a great year in Ellis' spot. Last year the Eagles draft RB LeSean McCoy and they already had a pro bowl running back in Brian Westbrook, now they release Westbrook and give McCoy the starting spot a year later.

So just because an NFL team looks strong at a certain position right now doesn't necessarily mean they won't draft for that same position. For example, in my 2010 NFL Mock Draft I have the Steelers drafting massive Alabama nose tackle Terrance Cody. The Steeler fans are shocked, "we already have Casey Hampton" they say. Yes they might Franchise Hampton, but where will he be in two-three years? Smart, successful NFL teams are proactive and not reactive and they draft with vision for the future.