Andy Richardson

We all make mistakes; no shame there. Unless of course you make them repeatedly, and make them even after claim you’ve learned from them and vow not to make them again. That’s not going to happen to me this year. Er, not anymore, anyway. Because I’m going to put them all down in print so I can refer back to them from this point forward….

1. Drafting a quarterback too early. I have a lot of respect for quarterbacks, and although I almost never draft Peyton Manning, I’d like to get some other top-5 guy: Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Carson Palmer, Marc Bulger. But there’s simply no point in taking one early, because nobody else respects them and nobody else drafts them. You can grab one in the third round, passing on that top wideout or No. 2 running back, and be glad you have one – then watch crestfallen as the next dozen picks before your turn comes up again are running backs and wideouts. It’s nuts, but that’s the way things are in most leagues. I won’t be the first to take the second quarterback again.

2. Ignoring potential holdouts or other contract-related issues. Last year I was worried about Shaun Alexander, who had just signed a huge contract, but drafted him in one league anyway. My bad. This year, we’ve got Larry Johnson, a malcontent workhorse running back who (understandably) wants a lot of money, and whose team (also understandably) doesn’t want to pay him. It’s nice to say that these things happen every year and it will all be worked out by the start of the season, but I’m not so sure. Both sides are stubborn. I’m not sure I want to draft an unhappy Johnson, and I’ve got my doubts about a satisfied Johnson who Kansas City made one of the richest players in the league. I can find another feature back at the top of my draft who might not have Johnson’s resume – but won’t have his baggage, either. Put it this way: I’d rather be burned passing on a player I have serious concerns about, than be burned ignoring those concerns and selecting a player every fiber of my being tells me to stay away from. The first mistake is one I’m willing to live with; the second, I’m not so sure. Deion Branch (2006) or Javon Walker (2005), anyone?

3. Being too confident in my starters. What do Antonio Gates, Peyton Manning, and LaDainian Tomlinson all have in common? They’re all the consensus top players at their positions, and they’ve all been injury-free throughout their careers. Does that mean they won’t get hurt this year? It does not, and it doesn’t mean you should ignore the position (primarily talking about Gates and Manning here) once you’ve secured the No. 1 guy there. Sure, I’m going to back up Vince Young a bit sooner than I’ll back up Manning, but even with Manning I’m going to make sure I’ve got a quarterback I can win with if some lineman rolls over Peyton’s knee this year. I’m going to have another tight end I’m comfortable with in case Gates gets horse-collared by some desperate safety. I’ve been guilty of assuming I’m all set at wide receiver once I’ve nailed down my big-name starters, but the truth is, those guys get hurt and/or disappoint too. In the league where I had Torry Holt and Larry Fitzgerald starting for me a year ago, I could have weathered Fitzgerald’s injury quite nicely had I not ignored a rookie named Marques Colston on waivers. It’s not a mistake I’ll make again.

4. Waiting too long to take a running back handcuff. Just because somebody like Brian Leonard should have the most value to Steven Jackson owners, and shouldn’t go until the final few rounds of the average draft, doesn’t mean somebody won’t consider taking him earlier. If I’ve got Jackson, I have no call to get angry if someone else grabs him – I should have grabbed him early enough that it wouldn’t have been an issue. I don’t need EVERY handcuff; especially in cases where it’s not clear who the backup will even be. But if I really want a certain player, even if it’s just for peace of mind, I should treat him like any other precious commodity and take him early enough to be certain I’ve got him. If I own Frank Gore and let Michael Robinson fall to the last round, and somebody else takes him, tough for me – which is why I probably won’t take that chance.

5. Waiting too long on a defense. I usually grab one of these in the later rounds, but in your typical 18-20 round draft, it’s not that unreasonable to grab a quality defense a little more than halfway through. Face it, the running backs, wide receivers, and backup tight ends you’re grabbing at that point are probably waiver-wire fodder anyway. If you check the numbers behind our defensive rankings you’ll see a clear statistical dropoff after the top 5 or so defenses are gone. I’m going to make a point to get one of those groups, even if I have to skimp on another position.

6. Treating kickers as a necessary evil. Granted, I still won’t be the first owner to take one, but I’m probably not going to wait until the last round anymore, either. You can get an edge with a top kicker – a guy like Nate Kaeding a year ago springs to mind. Believe me, I think it’s as cool as anyone else to take a late-round flier on a wideout like Robert Meachem, but let’s be honest: The odds of Adam Vinatieri or Shayne Graham being the top fantasy kicker are a lot better than that of Meachem being a legitimate fantasy starter as a rookie. Maybe waiting until the last-round and getting your 12th-ranked kicker will work out, but why not go a few rounds earlier and get your No. 3 or 4 guy? They might be more likely to win some games for your team than that 6th running back or 7th wide receiver.

Those are the six mistakes that spring to mind right now, partly because I’ve made some of them already this season. But not again. Go ahead: Make your own list. Mistakes you’ve made in the past, mistakes you don’t plan to make this season. Write them all down, and keep them handy during your various drafts.

If that list doesn’t get any longer over the next two months, odds are it will be a pretty good year.

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