Polian -Harrison Conducted The Single Greatest Workout Of Any Wide Receiver He's Ever Seen Prior To The 1996 Nfl Draft But Didnt Draft Him For Carolin

[bayone]

Marvin Harrison conducted the single greatest workout of any wide receiver he's ever seen prior to the 1996 NFL Draft. Bill said that he and personnel executive Dom Anile were blown away by the workout, that Harrison was a once-in-a-decade player, and that they wished they had had the opportunity to draft Harrison when both worked for the Panthers in 1996.

Bill failed to mention that he did have a chance to take Harrison, but instead took runningback Tim Biakabutuka with the 8th overall pick in the 1996 NFL Draft.

The Colts, and then-vice president Bill Tobin, took Harrison 19th overall. So, despite having 'the single best workout of a WR than any other WR he's ever seen,' Polian passed on Harrison and took a mediocre runningback. SI's Will Carroll was following along with our live tweet tonight, and posted

these zingers on Twitter:

So if "best ever" WR (per Polian) is Marvin Harrison and he went mid-1st in draft, what case can be made for drafting anyone higher?

And by passing on him, they filled the need in the next draft with … Rae Carruth!

#heckuvajobbrownie

Again, it's for moments like these that we follow and recap the show.

Here is the recap:

• Bob Lamey started out the show by discussing Marvin Harrison and how he will be inducted into the Colts 'Ring of Honor' this weekend. Bill Polian said that, back in 1996 when he was general manager of the Panthers, Harrison had single best workout of a WR than any other WR he's ever seen.
  

Polian said the Panthers worked Harrison out the year after Carolina went to the AFC Championship Game. Thus, they didn't have a chance to draft Harrison. Polian said he wished he'd had a chance to take Harrison.

(Reality: Not true. Harrison was drafted in 1996. Panthers had the No. 8 pick in the draft that year, and passed on Harrison. Colts took Harrison 19th overall in '96.)

http://www.stampedeb...-2011#storyjump

[21isSuperman]

I distinctly recall Mike Mayock saying that Jamarcus Russell had the greatest workout he has ever seen from any player ever, we all saw how that turned out. It's hard to judge these things. Mayock also said CJ2K would be a third round pick at best. You can't base a player solely off workouts and physical abilities. If that was all that mattered, the Raiders would win the Super Bowl every year. Every GM makes decisions he regrets, hindsight is always 20/20

[JoKeR]

Maybe the Panthers had a need for a RB?

I don't get it either, but glad he made a bad decision. What year did Polian come to Indy?

[bayone]

Maybe the Panthers had a need for a RB?

I don't get it either, but glad he made a bad decision. What year did Polian come to Indy?

Year we drafted Manning I believe, 98

[JCPatriot]

This is just Polian talking up one of his guys. He did the same with Ugoh. He once said that he traded a 1st round pick to get Ugoh because he felt Ugoh was a top-tier Left Tackle that could anchor the Colts' offensive line for the next decade, Left Tackles of that caliber don't come along very often, and when you have the opportunity to get one, you don't pass on that opportunity. Which would make perfect sense......except that Polian did pass on Ugoh with the Colts' 1st round pick that year. He was clearly just talking Ugoh up because if he actually felt that he was a once-in-a-decade Left Tackle, he would have taken him in the 1st round and not taken the gamble that he would be available to trade for in the 2nd round.

(Reality: Not true. Harrison was drafted in 1996. Panthers had the No. 8 pick in the draft that year, and passed on Harrison. Colts took Harrison 19th overall in '96.)

Here's the part that I have always found interesting. If Aaron Bailey gets his hands around the ball and pulls in Harbaugh's hail mary to beat the Steelers in the waning seconds of the AFC Championship game, Marvin Harrison probably would have never been a Colt. Instead of picking 19th in the draft the Colts would have picked 29th overall. Marvin probably would have been long gone by then. As heartbreaking as it was at the time, Aaron Bailey dropping that ball was probably one of the best things to happen to the Colts since moving to Indy.

[bayone]

This is just Polian talking up one of his guys. He did the same with Ugoh. He once said that he traded a 1st round pick to get Ugoh because he felt Ugoh was a top-tier Left Tackle that could anchor the Colts' offensive line for the next decade, Left Tackles of that caliber don't come along very often, and when you have the opportunity to get one, you don't pass on that opportunity. Which would make perfect sense......except that Polian did pass on Ugoh with the Colts' 1st round pick that year. He was clearly just talking Ugoh up because if he actually felt that he was a once-in-a-decade Left Tackle, he would have taken him in the 1st round and not taken the gamble that he would be available to trade for in the 2nd round.

Here's the part that I have always found interesting. If Aaron Bailey gets his hands around the ball and pulls in Harbaugh's hail mary to beat the Steelers in the waning seconds of the AFC Championship game, Marvin Harrison probably would have never been a Colt. Instead of picking 19th in the draft the Colts would have picked 29th overall. Marvin probably would have been long gone by then. As heartbreaking as it was at the time, Aaron Bailey dropping that ball was probably one of the best things to happen to the Colts since moving to Indy.

Interesting Take on the ramifications of events

[Andy]

Not surprised, he was a hard working player. He's one of the good ones who worked out well and ended up well. Jamarcus Russell was one of the bad ones (like 21isSuperman said)...

[MAC]

This is just Polian talking up one of his guys. He did the same with Ugoh. He once said that he traded a 1st round pick to get Ugoh because he felt Ugoh was a top-tier Left Tackle that could anchor the Colts' offensive line for the next decade, Left Tackles of that caliber don't come along very often, and when you have the opportunity to get one, you don't pass on that opportunity. Which would make perfect sense......except that Polian did pass on Ugoh with the Colts' 1st round pick that year. He was clearly just talking Ugoh up because if he actually felt that he was a once-in-a-decade Left Tackle, he would have taken him in the 1st round and not taken the gamble that he would be available to trade for in the 2nd round.

I don't remember it that way at all.

The Colts were moving to get Glenns replacement in house (hopefully before the last minute - little did they know), and Polian didn't project anyone else becoming available within that time frame that the Colts would be in a position to grab (end of the the round). He was talking in terms of "he's a first round talent anyway, so we don't mind trading a first round pick to have the opportunity to draft him".

I don't remember him saying anything to indicate that they thought he was extraordinary, just that he was the best that they were going to be in a position to draft. There is a vast difference between saying that you expect someone to be able to start for ten years (yes, that would be a typically harmless thing to say to fluff up your draft pick) and saying that they are a "once in a decade" talent (which is the type of nonsense people are spewing about Luck, for example).

[braveheartcolt]

This is just Polian talking up one of his guys. He did the same with Ugoh. He once said that he traded a 1st round pick to get Ugoh because he felt Ugoh was a top-tier Left Tackle that could anchor the Colts' offensive line for the next decade, Left Tackles of that caliber don't come along very often, and when you have the opportunity to get one, you don't pass on that opportunity. Which would make perfect sense......except that Polian did pass on Ugoh with the Colts' 1st round pick that year. He was clearly just talking Ugoh up because if he actually felt that he was a once-in-a-decade Left Tackle, he would have taken him in the 1st round and not taken the gamble that he would be available to trade for in the 2nd round.

Here's the part that I have always found interesting. If Aaron Bailey gets his hands around the ball and pulls in Harbaugh's hail mary to beat the Steelers in the waning seconds of the AFC Championship game, Marvin Harrison probably would have never been a Colt. Instead of picking 19th in the draft the Colts would have picked 29th overall. Marvin probably would have been long gone by then. As heartbreaking as it was at the time, Aaron Bailey dropping that ball was probably one of the best things to happen to the Colts since moving to Indy.

And one of the worst things things was Bill Polian's mum dropping his boy on his head when he was a baby.....

[GoGoColts]

Polian might have had reason to believe that he would fall. I dunno. Polian is grasping at straws right now.

[ace_6900]

Polian lived off jim kelly, Thurman Thomas, and Bruce Smith. They were 4 great players that carried the franchise to 4 super bowl losses like we all know. The only thing Polian did was keep the core {those 4} together, which does not take a rocket scientist to figure out that was the best plan. Here he has lived off Peyton, James,Mathis, and Freeney. So basically what i am saying is he found a few no brainer picks kept them together for the long term and had success. I COULD HAVE DONE THAT. I n my opinion if you look at the whole body of work he is lousy on draft day look at all our recent failures,Ugoh, Gonzalez, Brown, Hughes, it is time to let him go and get someone else in there period.

] Can someone tell me how to make new topics please, this only lets me respond to 5 quotes per day thank you.

[JCPatriot]

So basically what i am saying is he found a few no brainer picks kept them together for the long term and had success. I COULD HAVE DONE THAT.

So basically he drafted good players and then let them go out and win games? What a worthless GM. If it was so simple, you would think the bottom-tier teams in the league would have caught on at some point.

[bayone]

Polian lived off jim kelly, Thurman Thomas, and Bruce Smith. They were 4 great players that carried the franchise to 4 super bowl losses like we all know. The only thing Polian did was keep the core {those 4} together, which does not take a rocket scientist to figure out that was the best plan. Here he has lived off Peyton, James,Mathis, and Freeney. So basically what i am saying is he found a few no brainer picks kept them together for the long term and had success. I COULD HAVE DONE THAT. I n my opinion if you look at the whole body of work he is lousy on draft day look at all our recent failures,Ugoh, Gonzalez, Brown, Hughes, it is time to let him go and get someone else in there period.

] Can someone tell me how to make new topics please, this only lets me respond to 5 quotes per day thank you.

to make a new post go to http://forums.colts.com/ & pick forum u want to post to , good luck

or go to top of this forum & click on Colts Football to post a new topic to this forum or to

• Indianapolis Colts Fan Forum
  to pick any forum
  

[bayone]

I don't remember it that way at all.

The Colts were moving to get Glenns replacement in house (hopefully before the last minute - little did they know), and Polian didn't project anyone else becoming available within that time frame that the Colts would be in a position to grab (end of the the round). He was talking in terms of "he's a first round talent anyway, so we don't mind trading a first round pick to have the opportunity to draft him".

I don't remember him saying anything to indicate that they thought he was extraordinary, just that he was the best that they were going to be in a position to draft. There is a vast difference between saying that you expect someone to be able to start for ten years (yes, that would be a typically harmless thing to say to fluff up your draft pick) and saying that they are a "once in a decade" talent (which is the type of nonsense people are spewing about Luck, for example).

The Highlighted portion is what I remember, no question about it

[JCPatriot]

to make a new post go to http://forums.colts.com/ & pick forum u want to post to , good luck

I believe there are some restrictions on new members when it comes to creating new threads. I've never made a new thread, so I don't know.

[JCPatriot]

The Highlighted portion is what I remember, no question about it

I don't think Polian ever actually used the words "once in a decade," and I am probably embellishing his intent by stating it in that way. What I do remember (maybe not accurately) is that he said the reason he traded a future 1st rounder to pick him in the 2nd was because he thought Ugoh would be the type of player at Left Tackle that you can't get every year, so when you have the opportunity you can't pass it up. I don't remember exactly how he worded it, but I remember thinking, "Hmmmm.....that's odd considering that you did pass on him with your own 1st round pick this year." I wasn't questioning the pick at the time.....just that the rationale seemed odd to me.

[objectivecoltsfan]

You don't draft a guy based on what you see in one workout. With that being said, Tim Biakabutuka has an interesting name but wasn't a good NFL player.

[WoolMagnet]

Not surprised, he was a hard working player. He's one of the good ones who worked out well and ended up well. Jamarcus Russell was one of the bad ones (like 21isSuperman said)...

Jamarcus Russel didn't fail because of physical skills.

He failed because he's lazy and had poor work ethics.

When i was in high school i never took books home and was near the top of my class.

Then I went to college, and found things to be different. I had to work.

The transition from college to NFL is somewhat like this. the NFL will expose poor work habits, regarless of physical talents.

[number28]

he was the toughest WR ever. bulletproof.

[colts_mp]

Maybe the Panthers had a need for a RB?

I don't get it either, but glad he made a bad decision. What year did Polian come to Indy?

If he needed a RB, Eddie George was available!

[bayone]

If he needed a RB, Eddie George was available!

Wow thats a mistake if needed a RB,

for sure I would of thought George would be first RB picked

[IndyTrav]

he was the toughest WR ever. bulletproof.

Heck, Hines has him beat in the AFC in his own decade, so I'm not sure about toughest ever.

[jwilli69]

Not surprised, he was a hard working player. He's one of the good ones who worked out well and ended up well. Jamarcus Russell was one of the bad ones (like 21isSuperman said)...

I thought Russell was a god awful player in college, but played well in a system from college and had a very nice team around him. The thing that woooed teams into thinking his was so good was his arm strength. He could flick the ball 80 yards. Couldn't find a targert but could sure throw it long. I thought from the limited time I saw JR that he would be a bust, not as bad as he was but man his delivery alone should have turned them off enough as a first pick. I honestly believe JR is the exact reason for the new rookie wage scale.

As for the take on Bailey not getting that ball and the colts taking MH, that is an interesting perspective. The fact that Poian passed on the greatest WR in the draft is also interesting. Without Manning, would Polian still have his job 5 years into his tenure? I still kinda wish we had held onto Tobin as he had some very nice picks and did ok enough in the FA pickups. What was his undoing in Indy?

[jwilli69]

Polian lived off jim kelly, Thurman Thomas, and Bruce Smith. They were 4 great players that carried the franchise to 4 super bowl losses like we all know. The only thing Polian did was keep the core {those 4} together, which does not take a rocket scientist to figure out that was the best plan. Here he has lived off Peyton, James,Mathis, and Freeney. So basically what i am saying is he found a few no brainer picks kept them together for the long term and had success. I COULD HAVE DONE THAT. I n my opinion if you look at the whole body of work he is lousy on draft day look at all our recent failures,Ugoh, Gonzalez, Brown, Hughes, it is time to let him go and get someone else in there period.

] Can someone tell me how to make new topics please, this only lets me respond to 5 quotes per day thank you.

I don't think that James, Mathis and even Freeney were no brainers. Many GM's were in love with Ricky Williams (because jerk traded Faulk for a 2nd and 5th so a RB was force needed) and soooo many were touting Albert Haynesworth (we were in the market bigtime for a DT, oh yeah, we still are) over Freeney and Mathis was a 6th round pick who just produced at his level, those are the players you gamble with late round, producers at their level. I will certainly give Polian full credit on those 4 picks (Manning included) because we could have had another Timmy B and Rae Caruth on the team.

Polian has had his share of solid pick ups, the problem is, this team has underachieved in the post seasons with a Manning led team and Polian is the architect of this team that has been a labeled one and done playoff team too many times. He has also been known to turn off the fans and you add into the fact the team looks this bad without Manning and Polian has just worn out his welcome here, it is time for him to be retired. Irsay can keep Little Polian if he feels he can check his ego at the door, cause he hasn't achieved anything at this level yet so he doesn't get the same respect as his dad once enjoyed IMO. If he can't yield some of his authoratarian style leadership, you have to cut bait there as well. This fan base is going to be tested if Manning can't make it back and the last thing you need is a front office who disrespects the fanbase.

[BOTT]

he was the toughest WR ever. bulletproof.

seriously?

[number28]

tougher than Hines.

Ward missed games due to injuries.