The deeper into a C2C draft one gets, the more likely we are to select familiar names. There’s nothing wrong with that — in fact, and I’d argue you should take players you know over those you do not. But I believe there should be basic research completed before selecting players, and there are some cases this year in which this research has not been done.
To be clear, this is not an opinion piece. There are plenty of players that I do not believe are worth rostering for a variety of reasons. But the players that are listed here are not placed based on my personal rankings. Instead, all of these players have situational issues, which should keep them off your rosters, or at the very least, should not be selected earlier than the final rounds of drafts.
LOVASEA CARROLL
Carroll was a favorite of many analysts following the signing period. He had pedigree as a high 4-star player from the IMG Academy and Georgia’s success with running back development. It did not take long for us to be disappointed. The Bulldogs quickly dashed those hopes. When the spring roster was released, Carroll was listed as a DB. Apparently, Carroll played well in his new position, and there is no indication that he will move back to the offensive side of the ball.
Most drafters have caught on, as Carroll saw a precipitous drop in our ADP in April from 129 to 243. I’d argue that 243 is still a bit early for a guy that probably won’t ever play offense again, thereby eliminating any potential value. Georgia also has absurd depth at the running back position. It would take a rash of injuries worse than any recent memory to necessitate a return.
TREJAN BRIDGES/SETH MCGOWAN
Doubling up on this one because Bridges and McGowan are both in trouble from an incident in April. According to local reports, Bridges and McGowan have been identified as suspects in a robbery in which three men broke into a drug dealer’s apartment, robbed him, and then pistol-whipped the victim. McGowan is rumored to be the person identified as the assailant with the gun, which is a felony in Oklahoma.
Since the incident, both players have been suspended and McGowan has entered the transfer portal. Bleacher Report has reported that warrants have been issued for the two of them. At best, McGowan is done at Oklahoma and will retreat to the depths of JUCO for several years to rehab his image. At worst, McGowan’s football career is over because he will spend time in prison. Either way, I still see people drafting McGowan in the top 100 picks. If you listen to one piece of advice I give in this article, do NOT take him any earlier than the 35th round in drafts. The upside he offers is probably not worth the risk that he never plays another down of football.
Bridges should not be drafted in leagues regardless of the incident. He was surpassed by Mario Williams on the depth chart and Oklahoma has now removed him from the roster altogether. This should be the final nail in the coffin for a low upside target.
GRANT CALCATERRA
This is the most painful name for me to place on this list. Calcaterra broke out in 2018 while at Oklahoma with a 26/396/6 statline and looked to be the next big Sooner tight end prospect. But like many players before him, injuries took their toll. For Calcaterra, though, the injuries were mostly concussions, so following the 2019 season, he retired from football.
This offseason, Calcaterra announced that he was returning to football and that he would be leaving Oklahoma to do so. Calcaterra first announced he would be transferring to Auburn but quickly backtracked and decided on SMU. He may produce in the Mustang offense, but his history of head injuries should be very concerning for fantasy managers. We don’t want another Austin Collie or Wes Welker situation on our hands, but it seems like Calcaterra could go down that path. A guy who is one head injury away from the end of his career is not a smart bet in the early rounds.
BILLY BOWMAN
Bowman possessed some upside early this offseason with rumors that he would play on the offensive side of the ball at Oklahoma. Like Carroll, spring rolled around, and Bowman was listed as a defensive back.
Bowman’s biggest problem will be the depth chart at Oklahoma. Even if he does move back to the offensive side of the ball, he is likely to be stuck behind Marvin Mims, Mario Williams, Theo Wease, and Jadon Haselwood. That’s a tough group to break into. Bowman’s ADP has dropped off considerably since February, but at this point he probably isn’t worth drafting until your final few rounds.
DAVIS BEVILLE
I’ll keep this one short. I am a Pitt fan. Beville is the third-string quarterback on the roster. He likely will never start a meaningful game at Pitt without something catastrophic happening in front of him. He’s been selected in two of our drafts now. Please, do not do this. It is the equivalent of flushing a pick down the toilet.
