The Wizards have never had the #1 overall pick. A look back at our top draft picks of all time include Garcia (#2), Klein (#3), Harrington (#3), Burciaga (#11), Yura (#4) and Matt Taylor (#4). The only #1 overall that we've had was Tahj Jenkins, and if you have never heard of that guy there is a reason why. This year we have the #1 and #11 pick and history shows that if we play our cards right we could get two immediate impact starters with these selections. So, a question for those that follow the college players and know what to expect on Friday. Who do we take? I have never put much importance in the draft because I feel that while it is a way to fill in the depth of your roster it won't make you a great team. The Wizards have certainly agreed over the Hunt years by trading away picks to gain proven veterans (Conrad, Hartman). I mainly have this feeling because the top players in the draft usually use MLS as a stepping stone toward Europe and MLS never sees their best days, or they simply flop. Hopefully the Wizards can use these two picks to replace the proven starters that they lost in the last 24 hours.
Re: "The Kansas City Wizards are on the clock..." I've got no clue. There are a whole bunch of players that I'd feel comfortable with, but no one that I've seen enough to be sold on like the last few years.
Re: "The Kansas City Wizards are on the clock..." Be carefull do not pick another Besagno.....socjunkie
Re: "The Kansas City Wizards are on the clock..." That's not entirely true Ben, in the 96 college draft I believe we took McKeon with the number 1. As for Jankins, we didn't draft him.
Re: "The Kansas City Wizards are on the clock..." 1. Nyarko 5. (from colorado potentially) Avila or Lowry assuming Iro and James are gone 11. Leathers 23. Best available keeper
Re: "The Kansas City Wizards are on the clock..." There's no way we're getting a first round pick for Jose. Team's saw that he was in the dog house late in the season.
Re: "The Kansas City Wizards are on the clock..." Maybe it was a different draft, (in 1996 there were two drafts - college and supplemental), but Brian McBride was the first player taken in one of them. Checking.... http://www.mlsnet.com/load.jsp?section=history&content=superdraft You are correct. 1996 College Draft - Matt McKeon - Kansas City 1996 Inaugural Draft - Brian McBride - Columbus 1996 Supplemental Draft - Nicola Caricola - MetroStars #1 Picks 2007 Maurice Edu - Toronto 2006 Marvell Wynne - New York (now in Toronto) 2005 Nikolas Besagno - Salt Lake 2004 Freddy Adu - DC United (now in Portugal) 2003 Alecko Eskandarian - DC United (now in Salt Lake) 2002 Chris Gbandi - Dallas 2001 Chris Carrieri - San Jose (now in USL) 2000 Steve Shak - MetroStars 1999 College: Jason Moore - DC United 1999 Supplemental: Gabe Eastman - Los Angeles 1998 College: Leo Cullen - Miami 1998 Supplemental: C.J. Brown - Chicago 1997 College: Tahj Jakins - Colorado 1997 Supplemental: Danny Pena - Los Angeles There have been 17 "first level" drafts in league history (excluding the 2002 Dispersal Draft): 3 - DC United, New York 2 - Los Angeles 1 - Chicago, Colorado, Columbus, Dallas, Kansas City, Miami, Salt Lake, San Jose/Houston, Toronto 0 - Chivas, New England, San Jose (2), Tampa Bay
Re: "The Kansas City Wizards are on the clock..." OK, thanks stat boy...the point remains that we haven't had a #1 draft of significance for quite some time. And the potential here is much greater. The talent in 96 doesn't match todays and this draft has the potential to give us some talent for 2-4 years.
Re: "The Kansas City Wizards are on the clock..." I'm glad Carl Peterson is not making our pick! I don't follow college soccer, but I would think the best forward/attacking player should be our number 1 pick.
Re: "The Kansas City Wizards are on the clock..." With all these draft picks and some extra money would we consider a 2nd round pick (if the Revs go for it) for someone like Pat Noonan to add some power up front. I know he's been injured but is he a risk worth taking? Since he has been given the chance to look elsewhere and hasn't gotten any offers to leave the MLS he could be trade bait now that the Revs want him out. http://www.boston.com/sports/articles/2008/01/15/noonan_free_to_shop_around/
Re: "The Kansas City Wizards are on the clock..." I'd actually thought about that as well, not sure if we could pull it off though.
Re: "The Kansas City Wizards are on the clock..." The article says NE didn't pick up the option on him, so would we have to send anything to the Revs if we considered signing him?
Re: "The Kansas City Wizards are on the clock..." It would all depend on how POd the parties in New England are since from reading their blogs there are some hurt feelings involved. Of course it all comes back to Noonan not finding a team in Europe and if he were to come to KC and have a breakout year he'd be gone in one season. Without Twellman's shadow over him and with no EJ and a young team in KC it might be something Noonan might consider.
Re: "The Kansas City Wizards are on the clock..." Yes we'd have to send them something, because the Revs keep his MLS rights for like a year.
Re: "The Kansas City Wizards are on the clock..." It can't be anything more than a 2nd rounder because of his injury problems. He'd be a hit or miss for us but with that many picks he could be a great addition.
Re: "The Kansas City Wizards are on the clock..." He doesn't really seem like an Onalfo prototype player, but who knows if the right deal is there? I've always kind of liked Noonan's game when he was healthy. The Boston Globe said he made about 225K last year. How about laying out some cash and going after Benny "I ride the pine at Derby" Feilhaber? On loan maybe? http://www.dcfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10270~1216964,00.html
Re: "The Kansas City Wizards are on the clock..." I'd not mind Noonan here. Would love to get Benny, but from stories online, etc, he's going to a team in Isreal. And can you imagine the Benny Backlash if he came to KC? This is a guy who's on the rise for USMNT midfield ... I don't know that it'd be a good move for him.
Re: "The Kansas City Wizards are on the clock..." The article that Jeff linked though says that Derby rejected the bid from Isreal.
Re: "The Kansas City Wizards are on the clock..." http://www.soccerbyives.net/soccer_by_ives/2008/01/post-6.html#more Ives' mock draft....he thinks we will draft two defenders in the first round. Hmmmm....if we draft a right back, what does that do to Jewsbury? Thoughts?
Re: "The Kansas City Wizards are on the clock..." interesting. But all the mock drafts have been different. His reasoning for us not taking Nyarko is faulty in my opinion we'd be good to have him come off the bench as well.
Re: "The Kansas City Wizards are on the clock..." Could happen I guess. Leathers has also gotten pretty universal praise from the limited combine media at RB for his work over those few days, and Furman has produced some interesting players. Ives is real hit and miss on these things. He forgot about the Cannon trade when saying SJ would draft Cervi (they still could, IDK). He sounds like he's just reading the same reports we are. What about going and getting a promising young MLS player from somebody. Robbie Rogers from Columbus? Dane Richards? Stuart Holden?
Re: "The Kansas City Wizards are on the clock..." I would. He's done, damaged goods. I don't ever see him being the player he was. That's some Fool's Gold I wouldn't go after. If Onalfo and Vermes saw the Nyarko I've been watching in ACC action, I understand why they traded up. He's exactly the sort of forward that would combine well with Marinelli and Sealy. Nyarko has Eddie's wheels, but with better positional sense, and a better feel for space. I don't know that he has Eddie's first step - but then, who does? Having a foward that can make the slashing run into space where Marinelli has put the ball, would be a great weapon. Especially if he can combine with Sealy and Arnaud and whoever we bring in from overseas to create gaps in the defense.
Re: "The Kansas City Wizards are on the clock..." I thought that was a different dcfc page in the quote. My bad. Even the greatest make mistakes.