Arizona Cardinals: Players with baggage not worth risk
By Scott Allen
The Arizona Cardinals may have a difficult decision to make at number 13 on Thursday night
Forget the fact the Arizona Cardinals need a future quarterback. Odds are they are waiting until later in the draft to get one this weekend. What about the talent that may drop because of off the field issues?
It was bad enough the Cardinals had to deal with the reinstatement of linebacker Daryl Washington on Tuesday. They will deal with him later. They must consider if some of these possible draft picks are worth the headache they are creating.
The latest victim of the combine drug testing is Michigan defensive back Jabrill Peppers. He was reported to have a diluted urine sample. In the NFL, that’s as good as a failed test.
The same thing happened to linebacker Reuben Foster out of Alabama last week. He will not be attending the draft. He’s been asked to stay home.
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Both of the players indicated they had to drink more water than usual due to being sick. Is it a legitimate excuse? Both are supposed to know what drinking excess water will do to them. Both knew they’d be tested. You connect the dots.
Then there is the tale of cornerback Gareon Conley out of Ohio State. This week he was accused of rape. He has witnesses that said it didn’t happen. Either way, he is not going to be at the draft, he left earlier this week.
The perception is out there. Perception is everything. How does one even put himself in that position in the first place? Not saying he’s at fault here, but Conley should know even the slightest misstep or perceived misstep could cost him millions.
Do the Cardinals take chances on any of these guys? It would be a public relations hit no doubt. How long does that last though? Certainly there could be a bigger gamble with Conley.
Let’s just hope the Cardinals do their homework. Their are a lot of good players available in the draft. Sure, it will be hard to pass some of these guys up. In the end, though, the risk is just too high.