there are many reasons for a player to fall in a draft. “red flags” can cause a player to become a good value pick. some teams refuse to draft players with the red flag label. teams like the bengals, take advantage of the value this can offer and sometimes they pay a price for it in the media. an injury can also cause a player to fall in a draft. willis mcgahee is a good example of this, he went from being considered a top 5 pick to getting drafted 23rd overall. at the 23rd spot, buffalo considered his value to be higher than the risk that comes with an injured player. 22 other teams passed on him because of his knee injury, as a result buffalo got a nice value pick. another reason a player may fall in a draft is that he’s at a position that is very deep in that draft. the rb position in the 2008 draft was deep, it’s arguably the most talented rb draft class ever. because of depth like this, an owner or gm can pass on a player knowing that there are several players still available with just as much talent. these are a few things to look for in the nfl draft and in a fantasy draft. players with high ceilings that have been passed over can be very profitable. players may have 1st or 2nd round talent, but for some reason they fall in price. players like this make for a very cheap investment and are solid penny stocks to look into.
javon ringer suddenly has fantasy relevance because of an injury to lendale white. ironically, it’s an injury that caused ringer to fall in the nfl draft. prior to the 2009 draft, ringer had knee surgery. as a result, his times suffered at the combine and he fell in the draft. knowing that it might hurt their draft status, many players may not have participated in the combine following such a surgery. the fact that he participated, showed his unselfish character and willingness to do whatever a team asks of him. it also showed that he can and will play through injury, something that’s important in the nfl.
as a result of his poor showing at the combine, ringer went from a first day pick to a second day pick and he fell to 173rd overall, where the titans took a chance on him. his combine performance, 5 weeks after surgery, caused teams to drop him in their rankings andthe titans ended up with a great value pick in the 5th round. at the combine, ringer ran a 4.6 time in the 40. his time improved to 4.42 at msu’s pro day, showing that he was well on his way to recovery. in 2008 mel kiper had ringer ranked as the best rb heading into the 2009 draft. by draft day he had fallen well past his intrinsic value. according to most nfl analysts andscouts, prior to the combine, ringer was a first day pick, doing no worse than round 3. as a net result of ringers high carry totals in college, his injury history, and his size, teams became afraid to take a chance on him. teams seemed to think that as a small back, with a lot of carries, he was already breaking down. he’s only 22 years old, the injuries and carry totals are not a big concern at his age. there’s a good chance he will produce like the high draft pick he was once considered, when he gets the opportunity.
at 5′ 9″ tall and 205 pounds, ringer is built like a tank. his build can be compared to mjd and ray rice, 2 other rb’s that were considered “too small” but have builds that are actually ideal for a rb. ringer’s low center of gravity and compact build are a plus at his postion, not a negative. anyone passing on him because of his size is making a mistake. he’s the complete package. he’s a 3 down back, which will help his chances of getting on the field and making plays. he’s a total team player, at a few msu press conferences, he brought his offensive line with him to make sure they got their due credit. he doesn’t have character issues, or any red flags other than previous injuries. his time as a backup this season will help him fully heal and be ready to explode when he gets the opportunity. lendale white’s injury may have given him just that, if not, white’s departure next season will.
2009 sage auto rc #/400
on october 22, 2009 i purchased this card on ebay for $5 plus $2.50 s & h. it’s hard to lose money at that price. ringer will have to accomplish very little in his career for the price to increase enough for a solid profit. at just 22 years old there’s no telling what ringer’s future holds. the only thing i can be certain of is that his intrinsic value is higher than the price i paid for this card. when it comes to finding value, leave no stone unturned.
