Vernon Butler - Luxury pick gone wrong?

[Craig Pruitt]

28 minutes ago, CRA said:

Otah was an absolute beast when on the field.  Beast.  Definition of what you want at RT IMO.

Dude was just big and couldn't stay healthy....and wasn't going to be stupid with his body while hurt (fans hate that but in reality as a person you gotta respect the non-foolish IMO).

 

Otah's career way too brief. He came into the league the same year as J.Stewart. He hasn't played a down since 2011. He's been basically retired since 2012 but won't even turn 31 until June of this year. You can't help but wonder how good he would've been if he stayed healthy. He'd still be in his prime.

[CRA]

23 minutes ago, Craig Pruitt said:

Otah's career way too brief. He came into the league the same year as J.Stewart. He hasn't played a down since 2011. He's been basically retired since 2012 but won't even turn 31 until June of this year. You can't help but wonder how good he would've been if he stayed healthy. He'd still be in his prime.

Dude basically was Pro Bowl caliber RT in play his rookie season. 

I never jumped on the crap all over Otah bandwagon simply he also had a brain and wasn't willing to utterly destroy himself.  Shame though he couldn't of been healthy....had potential to be our best OT in our history. Gross was more consistent than ever really dominant in play 

[heel31ok]

@mjligon screenshot dat...

[beastson]

People sleeping on Butler. I see a good passing rushing DT/DE in the futre similar to Short. I just think we need one more pass rusher on the DE. As much as I want offense, I kind of wish we really get Garrett, Thomas or Barnett

[therealmjl]

The fact that Otah was a beast when healthy doesn't make it a good pick.

We traded up and paid heavily to get a guy who couldn't stay on the field.

It is well documented that this was one of the worst moves in Panthers draft history.

@heel31ok screenshot deez nutz

[Marguide]

5 hours ago, Craig Pruitt said:

Otah was a stud at RT during his first two years the league (2008-2009). Williams and Stewart combined for over 2,000 years rushing both of those years. Once he got hurt (2010) neither guy (or the team in general) was quite as dominant running the ball. I thought he was by far our best run blocker before he got hurt.

Our rushing offense yardage totals are skewed by Cam's carries. I hope we can find another T who can run block as well as Otah.  Oher isn't a dominant run blocker. He's average at best. I hope we can find an upgrade over Oher this offseason (either thru the draft or if D. Williams can step this year and win the job outright.)

Pie for using the correct word. I swear, at least half the posters here would have used dominate instead. 

Pet peeve of mine. Sue me.

[heel31ok]

3 hours ago, mjligon said:

The fact that Otah was a beast when healthy doesn't make it a good pick.

We traded up and paid heavily to get a guy who couldn't stay on the field.

It is well documented that this was one of the worst moves in Panthers draft history.

@heel31ok screenshot deez nutz

Of course it does...injuries happen...like when you fell on your head as a child ...lol..it was the right pick.  Come on gnat you can do better I know you can...well documented...lol

[The Huddler]

so many damn rivalries between members on the huddle

 

sshit..  i pick on everyone with a gif or meme when warrented. i dont even remember who five minutes after

[heel31ok]

50 minutes ago, The Huddler said:

so many damn rivalries between members on the huddle

 

sshit..  i pick on everyone with a gif or meme when warrented. i dont even remember who five minutes after

Like a rolling stone...

[therealmjl]

6 hours ago, heel31ok said:

Of course it does...injuries happen...like when you fell on your head as a child ...lol..it was the right pick.  Come on gnat you can do better I know you can...well documented...lol

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/scott-fowler/article18868398.html

WORST: Jeff Otah. In 2008, we traded with the Eagles into the late first round to pick up Otah as a blocker for Jonathan Stewart ... He disappeared into a fog of injuries. Typically, the Panthers hit on their first-rounders and get dicey in the later rounds. Trading up for another first-rounder and then ending up with a bust is a major hit and makes Otah my vote for worst.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1984989-12-biggest-draft-day-mistakes-in-carolina-panthers-history

Jeff Otah is perhaps the best example of a player who starts out strong and then declines before burning out altogether.  Much of the blame for his decline centers on his lack of discipline and failing to stay in shape.  This played a role in why he was unable to stay healthy as he battled knee problems on a constant basis after his second year in the league.

Otah would miss all of the 2010 season, and after the 2011 campaign, the Panthers attempted to trade him to the New York Jets.  The trade would have gone through had Otah passed his physical.  He returned to Carolina and was eventually released.

Why the Pick was Bad

The Panthers traded with Philadelphia to get back into the first round.  Marty Hurney, the general manager at the time, felt Otah would not be around when it was Carolina's turn to pick again.  Carolina traded the 43rd and 109th picks, plus their first-round pick in 2009 to the Eagles in order to move up. 

Carolina should have stood pat, retained their picks and then drafted Josh Sitton.  The offensive tackle from Central Florida was drafted by Green Bay and still continues a successful career.

Losing their first pick in the 2009 draft would prove detrimental and set off a chain reaction of events that would lead to Carolina's rebuilding campaign following the 2010 season. 

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/examining-the-worst-first-round-nfl-draft-pick-for-each-team-since-1990/

Jeff Otah, OL, 19th, 2008 
The Panthers once drafted Tim Biakabatuka, Rae Carruth and Jason Peter in consecutive first rounds. Yeesh. But I’m going to go with a dark horse here and say Jeff Otah is the biggest bust. He was good as a rookie, but he was drafted in the first round as a right tackle, he broke down physically and he started a series of ill-advised trades involving first-round picks that ended up with Carolina drafting Jimmy Clausen and Everette Brown before bottoming out in 2010 and landing Cam Newton.

----

And there are plenty more where those came from:

http://www.espn.com/blog/carolina-panthers/post/_/id/5958/carolinas-worst-of-the-first-no-4-otah

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/marty-hurney-doomed-by-bad-drafts-signings-panthers-staff-roster-on-notice/

http://www.nfl.com/photoessays/0ap2000000346036

BURGER FLIPPER: Jeff Otah, OT, Carolina Panthers (2008)
After a successful rookie season in which he started 12 games, Otah caught the injury bug and started just 17 more in his short career. He missed all of 2010 due to injury.

....

Not going back and forth with you today.

[uncfan888]

Who calls someone a gnat? This is what happens when 50 year old men with terrible opinions try to act tough on the Internet. 

[heel31ok]

5 minutes ago, uncfan888 said:

Who calls someone a gnat? This is what happens when 50 year old men with terrible opinions try to act tough on the Interne 

[heel31ok]

3 minutes ago, heel31ok said:

9 minutes ago, uncfan888 said:

Who calls someone a gnat? This is what happens when 50 year old men with terrible opinions try to act tough on the Interne 

It's how 50 yr old men talk while laughing at 30yr olds who have no clue what it means...lol...

[CRA]

11 hours ago, mjligon said:

The fact that Otah was a beast when healthy doesn't make it a good pick.

We traded up and paid heavily to get a guy who couldn't stay on the field.

It is well documented that this was one of the worst moves in Panthers draft history.

@heel31ok screenshot deez nutz

I can think of worse draft picks than Otah.   He was a dominant RT for the majority of 2 seasons.  yeah, that is all we got out of him.... there have been much worse picks who almost literally did nothing.   

as far as worst picks than Otah?

Peters, Terry, Brown, Shelton, Clausen.  So Otah makes a top 10 list but he doesn't make it for the same reason the other guys do.  He falls into the Rae Carruth * type.  His ability to play in the NFL isn't why he is on the list and I think that matters in a discussion.