See Why Vinny Cerrato Hates the Draft

[skins4eva]

Our 14 year record: 95-128-1 (I'm just throwing that in there to get everyone's attention)

I've compiled various sources/articles/misc tidbits of info on our buddy Vinny Cerrato. Take a look at his draft history, for instance...perhaps I'll compare it with a real GM's draft history at a later date...

Vinny's Pro Bio:
http://www.redskins.com/news/mediaguide/MG04-Staff.pdf

Vinny Cerrato begins his fifth season with Washington, currently overseeing all aspects of player personnel. In his role as Vice President of Football
Operations, his responsibilities include managing the Redskins draft,identifying free agency needs and acquisitions, coordination of all pro and college player evaluations, and day-to-day football operations of the organization.
Cerrato began his first tour in Washington in the summer of 1999. His first
two years in Washington were busy, helping acquire future Hall of Famers Bruce Smith and Deion Sanders, as well as several free agents including Irving Fryar and Mark Carrier. He orchestrated trades with the Miami Dolphins (Matt Turk) and swapped first-round draft picks with the 49ers, leading to the additions of the second and third overall picks in the 2000 NFL Draft (LB LaVar Arrington and OT Chris Samuels). Cerrato left the Redskins for the 2001 season, spending the year as an analyst for ESPN and ESPN.com. He rejoined the team in 2002 as Director of Player Personnel and was named Vice President of Football Operations in 2003. Before coming to Washington, he spent nine seasons with the San Francisco 49ers including their Super
Vice President of Football Operations Vinny Cerrato 14th NFL Season 5th Redskins Bowl XXX year in 1994. He joined San Francisco in 1991 as Director of College Scouting, helping to draft players including Ted Washington, Ricky Watters, Dana Stubblefield and Bryant Young. In 1995, Cerrato was
promoted to Director of Player Personnel, overseeing all college scouting and draft activities as well as pro scouting of NFL players and opponents. Again, Cerrato made an impact as his drafts produced such standouts as Terrell Owens, Lee Woodall and Lance Schulters. Before breaking into the NFL, Cerrato served as the football recruiting coordinator under Lou Holtz at Notre
Dame (1986-90). During that time, the Irish played in four Bowl games, won the 1988 NCAA National Championship, and had 23 players selected in the first and second rounds of the NFL Draft. Cerrato started his career as a graduate assistant for the Minnesota Golden Gophers (1983-84) before he was promoted to recruiting coordinator in 1985, a position he served one year before moving on to Notre Dame. A 1982 graduate of Iowa State, Cerrato lettered at quarterback and wide receiver all four years. He born in Flushing, NY and grew up in Albert Lea, MN, where he was a star in football, track and hockey. Cerrato and his wife Rebecca, a doctor completing her residency in orthopedics, have a son, Vincent John.

Some Misc interviews/articles about Vinny and his various roles with the team:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...081002181.html

http://www.extremeskins.com/forums/a.../t-114278.html

http://archive.profootballweekly.com...key_122600.asp

http://www.realfootball365.com/nfl/a...ins190706.html

http://www.hogshaven.com/story/2007/1/2/132549/3907

http://www.hogshaven.com/story/2007/3/20/85338/1915

No eyes for Russell
Vice president of football operations Vinny Cerrato denied reports the Redskins want to trade up for the top pick in next month's draft to take LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell. He also said the Redskins do not want to deal their first-rounders in 2007 and 2008 for Chicago Pro Bowl linebacker Lance Briggs, who vowed never to play for the Bears again after his market value was reduced when they made him their franchise player.
"There's no merit whatsoever," Cerrato said of those rumors.
http://www.washtimes.com/sports/2007...983r_page2.htm

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/m...24/ai_61573734

http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstra...0Daniel%20M%2e

http://www.profootballweekly.com/PFW...m?channel=2003
Jan. 5, 2004

Lost amid the coaching search is the team’s front-office situation. It appears that the Redskins will not do much in the way of shaking up what has been, league-wide, a much-disdained personnel department, headed by Vinny Cerrato, the Skins’ vice president of football operations. Cerrato had been promoted to the position from his previous title of director of player personnel when owner Daniel Snyder pushed Joe Mendes out the door early this past season. There had been rumors that Snyder would hire a general manager to bolster the staff, but now it appears that Cerrato could earn that title according to a source close to the team. One league source said that despite the team hitting on free agents WR Laveranues Coles and OG Randy Thomas, the mismanagement of money and ignoring of pressing needs (especially on the defensive line) have left the bottom of the team’s roster painfully thin. [my the more things change...]

Once Vinny assumed full GM responsibilities in San Fran:

1995:
10 San Francisco J.J. Stokes WR UCLA
127 San Francisco Tim Hanshaw G Brigham Young
201 San Francisco Antonio Armstrong DE Texas A&M
238 San Francisco Herbert Coleman DE Trinity, Ill.

1996:
No 1st round pick
46 San Francisco Israel Ifeanyi DE Southern California
89 San Francisco Terrell Owens WR Tenn.-Chattanooga
128 San Francisco Daryl Price DE Colorado
160 San Francisco Iheanyi Uwaezuoke WR California
198 San Francisco Stephen Pitts RB Penn State
239 San Francisco Sean Manuel TE New Mexico State
254 San Francisco Sam Manuel LB New Mexico State (gotta have the manuel brothers, right?)

1997 (only 3 picks in 1997....hmmmmmm, this is beginning to look familiar):
26 San Francisco Jim Druckenmiller QB Virginia Tech
55 San Francisco Marc Edwards FB Notre Dame
77 San Francisco Greg Clark TE Stanford

1998
28 San Francisco R.W. McQuarters CB Oklahoma State
58 San Francisco Jeremy Newberry C California
89 San Francisco Chris Ruhman T Texas A&M
119 San Francisco Lance Schulters SS Hofstra
151 San Francisco Phil Ostrowski G Penn State
180 San Francisco Fred Beasley FB Auburn
215 San Francisco Ryan Thelwell WR Minnesota

1999
24 San Francisco Reggie McGrew DT Florida (Reggie McWho???)
89 San Francisco Chike Okeafor DE Purdue
99 San Francisco Anthony Parker CB Weber State
110 San Francisco Pierson Prioleau SS Virginia Tech (bingo!)
157 San Francisco Terry Jackson FB Florida
161 San Francisco Tyrone Hopson G Eastern Kentucky
171 San Francisco Tai Streets WR Michigan
234 San Francisco Kory Minor OLB Notre Dame

Drafts with the Redskins:
2000:
2000
Rd Sel# Player Pos. School
1 2 LaVar Arrington OLB Penn State
1 3 Chris Samuels T Alabama
3 64 Lloyd Harrison CB North Carolina State
4 129 Michael Moore G Troy
5 155 Quincy Sanders DB Nevada-Las Vegas
6 202 Todd Husak QB Stanford
7 216 Delbert Cowsette DT Maryland
7 250 Ethan Howell WR Oklahoma State

2001 (Vinny wasn't in charge of this one)
Rd Sel# Player Pos. School
1 15 Rod Gardner WR Clemson
2 45 Fred Smoot CB Mississippi State
4 109 Sage Rosenfels QB Iowa State
5 154 Darnerien McCants WR Delaware State
6 186 Mario Monds DT Cincinnati

2002 (Vinny wasn't really responsible here either, he was director of player personnel)
Rd Sel# Player Pos. School
1 32 Patrick Ramsey QB Tulane
2 56 Ladell Betts RB Iowa
3 79 Rashad Bauman CB Oregon
3 87 Cliff Russell WR Utah
5 159 Andre Lott FS Tennessee
5 160 Robert Royal TE Louisiana State
6 192 Reggie Coleman T Tennessee
7 230 Jeff Grau C UCLA
7 234 Greg Scott DE Hampton
7 257 Rock Cartwright RB Kansas State

2003 (Gotta love this draft--what great depth!)
Rd Sel# Player Pos. School
2 44 Taylor Jacobs WR Florida
3 81 Derrick Dockery G Texas
7 232 Gibran Hamdan QB Indiana

2004
Rd Sel# Player Pos. School
1 5 Sean Taylor FS Miami
3 81 Chris Cooley TE Utah State
5 151 Mark Wilson T California
6 180 Jim Molinaro T Notre Dame

2005 (Hmmm. First 2, ok, I dig...last 4 not even in the NFL)
Rd Sel# Player Pos. School
1 9 Carlos Rogers CB Auburn
1 25 Jason Campbell QB Auburn
4 120 Manuel White FB UCLA
5 154 Robert McCune LB Louisville
6 183 Jared Newberry LB Stanford
7 222 Nehemiah Broughton FB Citadel

2006
Rd Sel# Player Pos. School
2 35 Rocky McIntosh LB Miami
5 153 Anthony Montgomery DT Minnesota
6 173 Reed Doughty FS Northern Colorado
6 196 Kedric Golston DT Georgia
7 230 Kili Lefotu G Arizona
7 250 Kevin Simon LB Tennessee



No wonder Vinny doesn't like the draft

[Hooper]

Wow. Just wow. How can we justify having this guy involved in the front office at all?

[bubba9497]

just curious


what is the percentage of gm's drafted players stick with their teams

[skins4eva]

Originally Posted by bubba9497

just curious


what is the percentage of gm's drafted players stick with their teams

That's a lot of math...good question. I was wondering that myself...if I have time this weekend, I'll see what I can find.

[nightbird]

This is remarkable.

What's even more amazing is, the guy's got a darn solid resume, including super bowls and college championships. And he played four years at division one. So the guy has got to know football, right?

But those drafts are just loaded with absolute busts. Druckenmiller, McQuarters, Jacobs, JJ Stokes.

Then there's T.O. but a remarkable lack of gems in later rounds.

I don't get it. This shouldnt be that hard.

[skins4eva]

Originally Posted by nightbird

This is remarkable.

What's even more amazing is, the guy's got a darn solid resume, including super bowls and college championships. And he played four years at division one. So the guy has got to know football, right?

But those drafts are just loaded with absolute busts. Druckenmiller, McQuarters, Jacobs, JJ Stokes.

Then there's T.O. but a remarkable lack of gems in later rounds.

I don't get it. This shouldnt be that hard.

Well, his bio on the media guide is a little misleading--he did find TO (is that good or bad?) but they claim he was responsible for drafting Lee Woodall (i didn't realize that was such a remarkable pick) Woodall was taken in 1994, a year before Vinny ran the draft in san fran.

[skins4eva]

As a comparison, check out Ossie Newsome's picks in Baltimore during his tenure: you might see a few potential hall of famers in there:

1996
Rd Sel# Player Pos. School
1 4 Jonathan Ogden T UCLA
1 26 Ray Lewis MLB Miami
2 55 DeRon Jenkins CB Tennessee
5 153 Jermaine Lewis WR Maryland
6 172 Dexter Daniels LB Florida
6 186 James Roe WR Norfolk State
7 238 Jon Stark QB Trinity, Ill.

1997
Rd Sel# Player Pos. School
1 4 Peter Boulware OLB Florida State
2 34 Jamie Sharper OLB Virginia
2 58 Kim Herring S Penn State
3 64 Jay Graham RB Tennessee
4 118 Tyrus McCloud LB Louisville
5 134 Jeff Mitchell C Florida
6 167 Steve Lee FB Indiana
6 194 Cornell Brown OLB Virginia Tech
7 205 Chris Ward DE Kentucky
7 234 Wally Richardson QB Penn State
7 236 Ralph Staten DB Alabama
7 238 Leland Taylor DT Louisville

1998
Rd Sel# Player Pos. School
1 10 Duane Starks CB Miami
2 42 Pat Johnson WR Oregon
5 124 Martin Chase DT Oklahoma
5 133 Ryan Sutter S Colorado
6 154 Ron Rogers LB Georgia Tech
6 164 Sammy Williams T Oklahoma
7 241 Cam Quayle TE Weber State

1999
Rd Sel# Player Pos. School
1 10 Chris McAlister CB Arizona
4 105 Brandon Stokley WR Louisiana-Lafayette
4 129 Edwin Mulitalo G Arizona
7 216 Anthony Poindexter SS Virginia

2000
Rd Sel# Player Pos. School
1 5 Jamal Lewis RB Tennessee
1 10 Travis Taylor WR Florida
3 75 Chris Redman QB Louisville
5 148 Richard Mercier G Miami
6 186 Adalius Thomas OLB Southern Mississippi
6 191 Cedric Woodard DT Texas

2001
Rd Sel# Player Pos. School
1 31 Todd Heap TE Arizona State
2 62 Gary Baxter CB Baylor
3 92 Casey Rabach C Wisconsin
4 126 Edgerton Hartwell MLB Western Illinois
5 161 Chris Barnes RB New Mexico State
6 194 Joe Maese LS New Mexico
7 231 Dwayne Missouri DE Northwestern

2002
Rd Sel# Player Pos. School
1 24 Ed Reed FS Miami
2 52 Anthony Weaver DE Notre Dame
4 112 Dave Zastudil P Ohio
4 123 Ron Johnson WR Minnesota
5 155 Terry Jones TE Alabama
6 195 Lamont Brightful CB Eastern Washington
6 206 Javin Hunter WR Notre Dame
6 207 Chester Taylor RB Toledo
6 209 Chad Williams SS Southern Mississippi
7 236 Wes Pate QB Stephen F. Austin

2003
Rd Sel# Player Pos. School
1 10 Terrell Suggs DE Arizona State
1 19 Kyle Boller QB California
3 77 Musa Smith RB Georgia
4 109 Jarret Johnson DE Alabama
4 134 Ovie Mughelli FB Wake Forest
5 146 Aubrayo Franklin NT Tennessee
5 173 Tony Pashos T Illinois
6 182 Gerome Sapp FS Notre Dame
7 223 Trent Smith TE Oklahoma
7 250 Mike Mabry C Central Florida
7 258 Antwoine Sanders DB Utah

2004
Rd Sel# Player Pos. School
2 51 Dwan Edwards DE Oregon State
3 82 Devard Darling WR Washington State
5 153 Roderick Green OLB Central Missouri
6 187 Josh Harris QB Bowling Green
6 199 Clarence Moore WR Northern Arizona
7 244 Derek Abney WR Kentucky
7 246 Brian Rimpf G East Carolina

2005
Rd Sel# Player Pos. School
1 22 Mark Clayton WR Oklahoma
2 53 Dan Cody OLB Oklahoma
2 64 Adam Terry T Syracuse
4 124 Jason Brown G North Carolina
5 158 Justin Green FB Montana
6 213 Derek Anderson QB Oregon State
7 234 Mike Smith MLB Texas Tech

2006
Rd Sel# Player Pos. School
1 12 Haloti Ngata DT Oregon
2 56 Chris Chester G Oklahoma
3 87 David Pittman CB Northwestern State, La.
4 111 Demetrius Williams WR Oregon
4 132 P.J. Daniels RB Georgia Tech
5 146 Dawan Landry SS Georgia Tech
5 166 Quinn Sypniewski TE Colorado
6 203 Sam Koch P Nebraska
6 208 Derrick Martin CB Wyoming
7 219 Ryan LaCasse DE Syracuse


Here's the Pats draft history 2000 and beyond: Must be an awesome feeling to find some excellent players past the 4th round:

2000
Rd Sel# Player Pos. School
2 46 Adrian Klemm T Hawaii
3 76 J.R. Redmond FB Arizona State
4 127 Greg Randall T Michigan State
5 141 Dave Stachelski TE Boise State
5 161 Jeff Marriott G Missouri
6 187 Antwan Harris DB Virginia
6 199 Tom Brady QB Michigan
6 201 David Nugent DE Purdue
7 226 Casey Tisdale DE New Mexico
7 239 Patrick Pass FB Georgia

2001
Rd Sel# Player Pos. School
1 6 Richard Seymour DE Georgia
2 48 Matt Light T Purdue
3 86 Brock Williams CB Notre Dame
4 96 Kenyatta Jones T South Florida
4 119 Jabari Holloway TE Notre Dame
5 163 Hakim Akbar OLB Washington
6 180 Arther Love TE South Carolina State
6 200 Leonard Myers CB Miami
7 216 Owen Pochman K Brigham Young
7 239 T.J. Turner OLB Michigan State

2002
Rd Sel# Player Pos. School
1 21 Daniel Graham TE Colorado
2 65 Deion Branch WR Louisville
4 117 Rohan Davey QB Louisiana State
4 126 Jarvis Green DE Louisiana State
7 237 Antwoine Womack RB Virginia
7 253 David Givens WR Notre Dame

2003
Rd Sel# Player Pos. School
1 13 Ty Warren DE Texas A&M
2 36 Eugene Wilson FS Illinois
2 45 Bethel Johnson WR Texas A&M
4 117 Dan Klecko DT Temple
4 120 Asante Samuel CB Central Florida
5 164 Dan Koppen C Boston College
6 201 Kliff Kingsbury QB Texas Tech
7 234 Spencer Nead FB Brigham Young
7 239 Tully Banta-Cain OLB California
7 243 Ethan Kelley NT Baylor

2004
Rd Sel# Player Pos. School
1 21 Vince Wilfork NT Miami
1 32 Benjamin Watson TE Georgia
2 63 Marquise Hill DE Louisiana State
3 95 Guss Scott SS Florida
4 113 Dexter Reid SS North Carolina
4 128 Cedric Cobbs RB Arkansas
5 164 P.K. Sam WR Florida State
7 233 Christian Morton CB Illinois

2005
Rd Sel# Player Pos. School
1 32 Logan Mankins G Fresno State
3 84 Ellis Hobbs CB Iowa State
3 100 Nick Kaczur T Toledo
4 133 James Sanders FS Fresno State
5 170 Ryan Claridge OLB Nevada-Las Vegas
7 230 Matt Cassel QB Southern California
7 255 Andy Stokes TE William Penn

2006
Rd Sel# Player Pos. School
1 21 Laurence Maroney RB Minnesota
2 36 Chad Jackson WR Florida
3 86 David Thomas TE Texas
4 106 Garrett Mills TE Tulsa
4 118 Stephen Gostkowski K Memphis
5 136 Ryan O'Callaghan T California
6 191 Jeremy Mincey LB Florida
6 205 Dan Stevenson G Notre Dame
6 206 Le Kevin Smith NT Nebraska
7 229 Willie Andrews FS Baylor


Lastly, another team that drafts well and always has depth (the eagles--as much as I hate to admit it)

2000
Rd Sel# Player Pos. School
1 6 Corey Simon DT Florida State
2 36 Todd Pinkston WR Southern Mississippi
2 61 Bobbie Williams G Arkansas
4 99 Gari Scott WR Michigan State
6 171 Thomas Hamner RB Minnesota
6 178 John Frank DE Utah
6 192 John Romero C California

2001
Rd Sel# Player Pos. School
1 25 Freddie Mitchell WR UCLA
2 55 Quinton Caver OLB Arkansas
3 63 Derrick Burgess DE Mississippi
4 121 Correll Buckhalter RB Nebraska
5 147 Tony Stewart TE Penn State
5 155 A.J. Feeley QB Oregon

2002
Rd Sel# Player Pos. School
1 26 Lito Sheppard CB Florida
2 58 Michael Lewis SS Colorado
2 59 Sheldon Brown CB South Carolina
3 91 Brian Westbrook RB Villanova
4 124 Scott Peters C Arizona State
5 162 Freddie Milons WR Alabama
6 198 Tyreo Harrison MLB Notre Dame
7 238 Raheem Brock DT Temple

2003
Rd Sel# Player Pos. School
1 15 Jerome McDougle DE Miami
2 61 L.J. Smith TE Rutgers
3 95 Billy McMullen WR Virginia
4 131 Jamaal Green DE Miami
6 185 Jeremy Bridges G Southern Mississippi
7 244 Norman LeJeune DB Louisiana State

2004
Rd Sel# Player Pos. School
1 16 Shawn Andrews G Arkansas
3 89 Matt Ware CB UCLA
4 129 J.R. Reed SS South Florida
4 131 Trey Darilek C Texas-El Paso
5 162 Thomas Tapeh FB Minnesota
6 185 Andy Hall QB Delaware
6 192 Dexter Wynn CB Colorado State
7 227 Adrien Clarke G Ohio State
7 242 Bruce Perry RB Maryland
7 243 Dominic Furio C Nevada-Las Vegas

2005
Rd Sel# Player Pos. School
1 31 Mike Patterson DT Southern California
2 35 Reggie Brown WR Georgia
2 63 Matt McCoy OLB San Diego State
3 77 Ryan Moats RB Louisiana Tech
4 102 Sean Considine SS Iowa
4 126 Todd Herremans G Saginaw Valley
5 146 Trent Cole DE Cincinnati
5 172 Scott Young G Brigham Young
6 211 Calvin Armstrong T Washington State
7 247 Keyonta Marshall DT Grand Valley State
7 252 David Bergeron LB Stanford

2006
Rd Sel# Player Pos. School
1 14 Brodrick Bunkley DT Florida State
2 39 Winston Justice T Southern California
3 71 Chris Gocong LB Cal Poly-SLO
4 99 Max Jean-Gilles G Georgia
4 109 Jason Avant WR Michigan
5 147 Jeremy Bloom WR Colorado
5 168 Omar Gaither MLB Tennessee
6 204 LaJuan Ramsey DT Southern California

[skinsn24]

Good research here. It looks like Vinney used to be better than what he is today. It also appears that the defensive line doesnt not exsist in vinneys mind

[skins4eva]

Originally Posted by skinsn24

Good research here. It looks like Vinney used to be better than what he is today. It also appears that the defensive line doesnt not exsist in vinneys mind

Incredible right?

The guy hasn't once (not once since 1995) drafted a d-lineman who played for any significant amount of time on ANY team in the NFL. That's incredible to me.

[skinsn24]

So incredible, especially considering almost every coach would tell you, a good front four can makeup for other weak positions on the defense. I mean if you can pressure the QB with the front 4 and drop 7 into coverage, you are golden...see the 2000 ravens

[JoeGibbsThickandthin]

Vinny said on redskins lunch he does not belive in drafting DEFENSIVE LINEMEN,

He thinks they are just big guys that worth taking. He will get a lot of undrafted ones and let the coaches coach them up.

[skinsn24]

Originally Posted by JoeGibbsThickandthin

Vinny said on redskins lunch he does not belive in drafting DEFENSIVE LINEMEN,

He thinks they are just big guys that worth taking. He will get a lot of undrafted ones and let the coaches coach them up.

Oh Vinny, he is comical. Can someone dig up the cerratosourus again?

[Gfunk]

It's so hard to blame Vinny though because he doesn't make the picks, he just leads the research, which is where the problem really is. Supposidly not all our scouts are garbage. It'll be interesting to see how this supposid cleaning of the house goes after the draft.

[skins4eva]

Originally Posted by Gfunk

It's so hard to blame Vinny though because he doesn't make the picks, he just leads the research, which is where the problem really is. Supposidly not all our scouts are garbage. It'll be interesting to see how this supposid cleaning of the house goes after the draft.

Makes you wonder if certain scouts (Donny Warren) for instance, have gone to Gibbs and complained about Cerrato.

[Hooper]

Originally Posted by JoeGibbsThickandthin

Vinny said on redskins lunch he does not belive in drafting DEFENSIVE LINEMEN,

He thinks they are just big guys that worth taking. He will get a lot of undrafted ones and let the coaches coach them up.

He actually said that? Sweet Jesus.

I really don't know how anyone defends this guy or the fact that he is still a major part of our front office. Just look at his picks compared to Newsome's; Vinny is somehow actually worse than his reputation.