Rolling The Dice...

When everyone turns on their TVs tonight and tunes into the NFL Draft, you will be watching team presidents and owners taking multi-million dollar gambles when they make their picks.

Sam Bradford will likely go number one to the Rams (unless they trade with the Browns) and even though it doesn't look like it, Bradford could easily turn into the next Ryan Leaf. You remember Leaf, right? The can't-miss-pick that teams and analysts were wondering if he or Peyton Manning would go first. The Colts picked right and the Chargers are still scratching their heads over what happened when Leaf floundered on the field and, worse, off it.

But Leaf is only one of many draft picks that have flopped in the NFL, and the same can be said for college recruits. It's a big guessing game.

Everyone has seen some prep football star dominating opponents, not for one game but for several and recruited to play for KU, K-State or Nebraska. He was a can't miss, had all the measurables and the grades were right on, too. You thought to yourself, "I can't wait to see him on Saturdays!" And then when he is still sitting at third on the depth chart behind someone else, you wonder aloud, "What happened?"

It's a big guessing game. I had a teammate in high school who was all state two years in a row and had multiple full ride scholarship offers. He went to the University of Colorado and wound up being the Big 12 freshman of the year at safety. We all got excited to see him on Saturdays and then, maybe Sundays. Never saw him again. Got into trouble off the field, slipped on the field and never saw his black jersey at Folsom Field again.

Terrible when it happens but it happens all the time. It would be great to look into the future and know whats going to happen but for my knowledge no such device exists.

So for now, the college coaches will keep guessing and hoping they get it right.