I selected portions of Tom Cable’s 2009 Draft Talk with Media and compared what Cable said, to what happened. How much can we trust what he says this time of year?
See below for details.
Q: Being at 7, there will be guys projected to go high like Crabtree, Raji, who had things that, their stock has dropped or there are some red flags, does that help that top three talent could be available to you?
Cable: You know, it might. A lot of that, though, is really speculation, none of those things are really real other than maybe the injury to Crabtree, so some of those other things, you know, they are what they are, but when you really dig down and look at it, they’re probably OK. They’re probably OK in the way that they’re evaluated and the way everybody sees them.
Actual: “Probably OK” = We aren’t drafting them. -1
Q: Has what you done in free agency altered your thinking?
Cable: It has altered it, because we did some things on purpose. We did the trade for Satele, the signing of Pears and Khalif Barnes. I think those three guys probably helped do some things. But as I mentioned before, the last time I spoke with you, the strength of this draft may be at the tackle position.
Actual: “We did trade for” = not drafting that position, “strength of this draft” = not drafting that position -2
Q: See a guy who fits what you do at the tackle spot?
Cable: There’s four of them. There’s four of them that are outstanding at that position. Outstanding.
Actual: Yet he drafted DHB. Either he was overruled or he was lying. -2
Q: How does your line shape up at this point heading in to the draft?
Cable: I think it’s in the right spot. Maybe needs another guy. That potentially could be at that tackle spot. We’ll just wait and see.
Actual: Truth. He said maybe another tackle. He was right, even though the Raiders didn’t draft one. +1
Q: Would it in any way mean drafting a bigger lineman, or at all adjusting what you do?
Cable: Oh, no. No. For one guy, you’re changing 10 others. You would never do that.
Actual: Truth. The Raiders will not a draft a bad scheme fit. +2
Q: Is there enough Crabtree on film to ignore the lack of 40 time?
Cable: Yeah, he’s on film, he’s all over the place. He’s a great player, he is, he’s a great player so I think just looking at your normal evaluation of tape, of what he’s done throughout his career, there’s plenty to see. You know who that guy is.
Q: Even healthy, Crabtree might not have posted an elite time?
Cable: Probably not.
Q: Any room for a guy like that in this offense?
Cable: At the end of the day, it’s about touchdowns and production and if you look at that, there’s probably nobody better, you know? Nobody better.
Actual: Nobody, but DHB in the Raiders opinion. Lie. Lie. Lie. -3
Q: Upgrade in run defense at year’s end, but really soft overall, do you look real hard at the draft to address that or already have the players in place who need better schemes?
Cable: Well I think it’s all three things. I think you got to look at your scheme, you got to look at how you’re coaching it and you got to look at your players and does the draft help any or all of those? Maybe. Do you have enough to do it with here? Yeah, I think so. We gotta clean some things up how we teach it within the scheme. But certainly you want to add and make your team better every chance you can.
Actual: Truth. They didn’t draft a defensive tackle or a middle linebacker high enough to help the run defense. +2
Q: How concerned with lack of depth at safety?
Cable: Well it’s a concern. Maybe that’s one of those priorities I mentioned earlier. As we get going into that, we kind of know what our team is and you’ve got to know what the draft is and how’s the draft fit your team, or how your team fits into the draft, and that’s what I think next week’s gotta be about.
Actual: Maybe, “maybe” is Cable’s keyword for “yes.” +2
Q: Schilens and Higgins play change your draft plan?
Cable: It could. You’ve got two young guys who made some plays there at the end that kind of has you excited and do you add to that, do you have enough with those two plus who you have on your team? It’s exciting to think about what those two did and what they’re capable of as they get better and mature so it’s just a matter of do you need more and how do you need it.
Actual: “It could” = No. DHB and Murphy prove that. -2
Q: Does Crabtree playing with the stress fracture show take away concern about the injury?
Cable: Sure it does. He’s a good player. Flat out, that guy’s good. A good player.
Actual: He is a good player, but we aren’t going to draft him. -2
Q: how do you weigh talent vs. a compelling personal story, like Michael Oher, for example?
Cable: No, I know the background very well. Some of those things, at the end of the day, it’s still about can this guy help you be a championship team. Sometimes all that other stuff is good, sometimes it’s bad. But I don’t think that’s any part of it until you know who the player is talent wise and what he brings to the table as a football player. Then you start to find out who brings those extra things. those things the kind of salt to the earth things if you will. Or who maybe strikes themselves out based on their past.
Actual: Players strike themselves out with their past, and the salt really tastes good. -2
Q: Can you single in on one guy at No. 7 like you did in past two years or is it too difficult?
Cable: I think it is. Because of what can happen in front of you. You’re kind of sitting right there where if you start moving around or whatever it may really help you or it may not help you to do that either. There’s enough that could happen in front of you that could change that mind-set. I don’t know that this team could say, ‘You have to have this right now.’ I think it’s a matter of what’s the best thing for us at No. 7 if that’s where we stay.
Q: Have you narrowed down to few players?
Cable: Four spots. I’m not going share them with you either. But I know we need one of four guys.
Actual: Maybe, but three of the four guys were drafted in the top six picks, or maybe all four. +0
Q: Are you looking forward to getting your hands on a high-profile offensive lineman?
Cable: If that’s the best thing for us, absolutely. Absolutely. I’ve never had one like that, so, yeah. There’s a part of me that would say, ‘Yeah.’ At the same time, is that what this team has to have right now? I don’t know. I’ll know next week.
Actual: Absolutely = No, I don’t know = I know, but I am not telling. -2
Q: Do you get more excited breaking down film of offensive linemen?
Cable: Oh, yeah, especially, like I said, there’s four legitimate guys that can play for anybody, regardless of what your scheme is and probably all four can play left tackle. It’s a luxury if ever there’s been one, and I don’t know if there has ever been that many good ones in the first round like that. But there is this year. There has always been a number of first-round picks, don’t get me wrong, but some were right, some were left. These four guys probably can play left.
Q: Doesn’t this system allow you to find someone in the later rounds who can fit?
Cable: “Yeah, but remember your question was to get one of those Cadillacs.
Q: Is Andre Smith one of the four O-linemen you’re talking about?
Cable: “Absolutely. He’s a dynamite player. Dynamite.
Actual: He obviously didn’t like them all enough, or again Al overrides his suggestions. -2
Final Score:
69% Lies or Deceptive
4% Neutral
27% Truth
Buzz words:
Maybe, Absolutely, Probably, Nobody, Outstanding, Good player.
Conclusion:
If Cable isn’t talking about his team, you can trust what he says. If he is talking about a prospect, you can’t believe anything he says.
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