Drug Confessions before the Draft
It was announced on Tuesday that Kansas cornerback Agib Talib and Michigan wide receiver Mario Manningham had told NFL teams that they had tested positive for marijuana several times while still enrolled in school and while playing for their respective schools.
I’m not here to judge right or wrong on anyones personal lives but I do debate choices all the time. Talib is the higher draft choice after having an amazing season. Manningham has always been a playmaker and was certain to be a first day draft choice. Does this make teams shy away or move toward them?
Several years ago Warren Sapp did the same thing and admitted that he had a marijuana problem in college. He slid in the draft considering his talent. These two players are not Warren Sapp but the times have changed in the past 15 years or have they? Randy Moss had some supposed character issues and he slid in the first round a long way and teams wish they could do that again. Is either player worth the risk really at this point or are they a risk at all?
Most players, especially these two, would try to lump as many athletes as they could into the same pot saying that they are all using marijuana and that they should be separated because of their honesty. They are also faced with admitting something rather than have the team find out on their own that their were issues.
For Talib this could be very costly because he may slide out of the first round altogether. Manningham will not be effected in my opinion. I still expect him to go in the 3rd-4th round to some team and wash out like most Michigan receivers do.
I can think of one solution for the problem and that’s to not smoke pot at all, but that ship has sailed. They made the best of the situation by admitting the problems and now they must face the consequence and convince teams that they aren’t character risks. Isn’t it all a big crapshoot anyway?
