The story is told about a white collar worker who one day began to notice a tiny fissure on the surface of a wall in his office high above the busy streets of a large downtown city. Little by little, the small crack, which ostensibly appeared out of nowhere, began to widen and lengthen with each passing day. Concerned, the office worker finally told a superior, who then scheduled an appointment for the building's architect to come look at the damage.
One look at the aperture and the expert designer immediately knew exactly where the issue originated, which was a complete surprise to the office workers, who had already determined the damage had come from somewhere nearby. Clearly, the supposition of these pencil pushers couldn't have been further from the truth. As it turns out, the problem originated far beneath the floor on which they now stood. After descending all the way to the basement, he began to thoroughly investigate the situation and what he found was shocking.
Bricks. That is, missing ones. Yes, the same bricks used to build the massive foundation many stories below ground level were nowhere to be found. Not all of them were gone, of course, but a substantial amount nonetheless. Upon probing deeper into why they had disappeared, a team of investigators uncovered a clandestine operation.
You see, one of the graveyard shift workers had been taking a single brick every night. But it wasn't just a week or a few month's worth of bricks. This underhanded scheme had been going on for years. In fact, the worker had stolen enough bricks to completely build a structure on the premises of his own property. The mystery was finally solved. It all made sense now. The fissure had been the result of a compromised foundation.
The NFL Draft is a great deal like the foundation of that skyscraper. It must be laid in such a way that supports the full weight of the building under all conditions at all times. Each time a team misses on a pick, it's like taking a brick away from the organization's foundation and unfortunately, we've seen the devastating consequences of this far too often. As has been well documented, the Carolina Panthers have historically taken some rather egregious missteps when it comes to the draft, but one year stands out above all others in recent memory: 2011.
You know those times in your life that are so low that you just have to laugh to keep your sanity. Well, reflecting on this particular draft would be one of those times. There's no need to go into any great detail. But the bottom line is that the Panthers are just three years removed from that depressing draft and the only player which remains is Cam Newton. That's it. Without hitting on that number one pick, it could have rivaled any of the worst drafts in the history of NFL drafts. Seven picks wasted. Conversely, the Denver Broncos, who selected right after the Panthers, managed to mine five prospects who are all starters to this day.
Here's the deal. If the Panthers are to take the next step, it's as simple as making better decisions in the draft. Indeed, it is the most vital component to solving the puzzle of achieving prolonged prosperity. The good news is that we're just two drafts into the Dave Gettleman tenure and the results have mostly been positive. A new foundation is being laid even as I type. Scouts are busy flying all around their assigned regions, assessing and scrutinizing the college prospects that will ultimately make or break this team.
It is my desire that you will join this CSR correspondent as I scout the nation's best and brightest stars for the second season of Tuesday Afternoon Prospect. As always, there will be differing opinions along the way and that's great. We all have unique perspectives that can enhance the discussion and those viewpoints will continue to be welcomed with open arms.
The journey begins this afternoon as I take a look at one of the finest college prospects at his position. Hint: It's a position of need and is a foundational piece to every franchise's roster puzzle.