Philadelphia Eagles Legendary Coach, Dick Vermeil Interview

Apr 25, 2013; New York, NY, USA; Lane Johnson (Oklahoma) is introduced as the number four overall pick to the Philadelphia Eagles during the 2013 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

BG: Hey Mr. Dick Vermeil, this is Blaine Grisak. I’m writing a story on the NFL draft and finding that diamond in the rough player, and I was just looking for a coach’s perspective. 

DV: “When I started coaching, there were 16 rounds in the draft, and the player that I drafted in the last round that year made the team. So, I think in the old days a lot of players made football teams that would today be college free agents and considered finding the diamond in the rough, but in the old days, they were drafted.

With the collective bargaining agreement and all that kind of stuff, those, you know, 8th, 9th, 10th on up draft choices just disappeared because they only have seven rounds now. So there are more people today that fall into the category of a diamond in the rough.

When I was an Eagle, Id bring 120 guys to training camp. Unbearably, we’d find somebody that no one had any information on, that’d end up making or football team, but today, you’re restricted on the number of players that you can bring into camp. That in itself, cuts back on the number of so-called diamonds in the rough, the undrafted player that makes a team.”

Next: Importance of Later Round Draft Picks