Weslye Saunders' dismissal weakens dismal tight end class

by Dan Kadar on Sep 15, 2010 3:28 PM EDT in 2011 NFL Draft

The University of South Carolina has dismissed senior tight Weslye Saunders amid an NCAA investigation.

The school is towing the line about Saunders violating team rules. He was suspended by the team for such a reason on Aug. 23. Conveniently, he is part of an investigation on USC players getting reduced rates at a hotel and allegedly receiving benefits given to players at a Miami party this summer.

"Weslye Saunders is no longer part of our football program," South Carolina athletic director Eric Hyman said in a release. "Beyond that I will have no further comment."

WIth the dismissal, Saunders' NFL Draft stock could take a precipitous drop. His ceiling likely was the second round of the 2011 draft. Now, Saunders will have to stay in shape and test extremely well during offseason workouts.

Obviously it's far too early to know if South Carolina will let Saunders participate in the school's spring pro day showcase.

The fall of Saunders' draft stock highlights an extremely weak tight end class for 2011. Unless Notre Dame's Kyle Rudolph enters the draft a year early, don't expect a tight end to be selected in the first two rounds.

Tennesse's Luke Stocker, Wisconsin's Lance Kendricks, North Caolina's Zach Pianalto and Arkansas mult-position threat D.J. Williams are the best of the senior class.

For his career, the 6-foot-5 Saunders had 60 receptions for 718 yards and six touchdowns. He was an attractive NFL Draft prospect due to his size, playmaking ability and above-average blocking skills.

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WOW

I liked him better than any other TE this year. This is further proof that this will be a defining moment in college football. With todays internet, I-phones and mobile networking, It’s so much easier to monitor the amateur status of the players that either those standards will be lowered, or protections will be increased, or college football will be replaced with a lower and less exciting version of a developmental semi-pro league, for those whom fall through the cracks.
I hate being this doom and gloomy but it’s affecting who I get to watch on TV, and for me that’s all that matters.

by dbcouver on Sep 15, 2010 5:15 PM EDT reply actions

this is getting serious

Saban is right something needs to done about these agents. The agent know what happens to a player if the two are connected. And yet they continue to do it. Something needs to be done to hurt the agents as well

I'm getting tired of saying this: Dick LeBeau’s system is so complex very few rookies can make an impact.

by Steel in FL on Sep 15, 2010 5:45 PM EDT via mobile reply actions

Jeez

He’s gonna be a steal if he stays in shape

And think about how great of combine number’s he’ll have if he starts training for it now!

by DBroncs1414 on Sep 16, 2010 1:24 PM EDT reply actions

Sports illustrateds George Dohrman and Stewart Mandels articles today

nail the problem down pretty well. As I’ve always thought the problem can be summarized in a couple of simple concepts.
#1: Not enough resources to attack the problem being afforded by the NCAA, whom, by the way, has no genuine interest in the futures of the student athletes. The lack of an efficient system of prosecution illustrates this concept pretty bluntly. How long will this be the case? Will the NCAA ever address this issue seriously? I don’t think so
#2: Too many resources available to those whom they are trying to contain. Namely the agents and their use of 3rd parties and endless supply of financial, legal, and logistical resources to keep up the practice. This will always be a factor in the NCAAs decision whether or not to truly commit to a resolution.

by dbcouver on Sep 16, 2010 3:59 PM EDT reply actions