Michael Munoz will not play in the NFL

[The_Next_Big_Thing]

Michael Munoz Quits Football

Michael Munoz decided not to accept any free agent offers and will not play professional football. Turns out, he really didn't want to be defined by football or as just following in his father's footsteps professionally.

[Kirkendall]

http://forums.bengalszone.com/index.php?showtopic=5171

[HoosierCat]

Pardon me for re-opening the topic, kirk. As you've pointed out, there's a perfectly good thread dedicated specifically to Munoz' decision to give up football, and any posts on that subject I direct there.

The question I wanted to ask -- and I thought it more appropriate for the draft forum -- was whether anyone thought his decision, along with some related developments, might impact teams' future draft strategy.

Back before the 2003 draft, there were a lot of questions about Willis McGahee and whether his injury would prevent him from being drafted...and then the Bills went and spent a first-round pick on him. At the time, they took a pretty good drubbing over the choice, tho events have since vindicated them.

In contrast, this year we saw teams deliberately steer away from guys with injuries, even ones who were highly thought-of. Munoz was one, generally seen as a day 1 pick. Wilkerson was another, a borderline late 1/early 2 selection. The safety we brough in, Body, had a broken bone that prevented him from going to the combine. So despite being faster than The Flash he goes undrafted.

So, question 1: was there more attention paid to, and wariness of, players with a history of injury in this draft? It would seem so to me, but I'm not the world's biggest draftnik.

It also seems to me that at least some teams had it in their strategy to get these "fallen" players ASAP. According to the bengals.com story on Wilkerson -- a freaking bang-up job by Hobson, BTW -- teams were calling him by the fifth round to try to get him to agree to a deal so they didn't have to use a pick on him. At least one team was willing to give him a signing bonus -- just 20k, not much by NFL standards, but unheard-of for a street FA -- to come in. Instead, he came to Cincy.

So question 2: does this change some teams' strategies? Do we see the same thing next year, or do we see teams use a 6th or 7th rounder on a player with injury question marks? I have to think that what's happened this year might make some less confident that the street FA they think will be there for the plucking will really be around.

Just my $0.02.