Despite some concerns about his makeup, the New England Patriots drafted tight end Aaron Hernandez in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft.
During his three years on the field, Hernandez was a productive player (175 receptions, 1,956 catches, 18 touchdowns), but we all know how that one eventually worked out.
In that instance, the Patriots decided to go with talent over character concerns — and during this offseason, a number of NFL teams are making the same calculation, albeit with far less dire consequences than the Hernandez case.
In Denver, the Broncos traded for wildcard safety Su’a Cravens and signed flashy punter Marquette King after he was cut the Raiders. Both of them bring baggage.
Those are bold moves, but they pale in comparison to what has happened in Los Angeles where the Rams have already brought in Brandin Cooks, Ndamukong Suh, Aqib Talib and Marcus Peters, all of whom are players that have had problems with coaches, the league, the law or all three. Their talent, however, is undeniable.
“Personality. Fit,” SI writes. “No matter the terminology – bold guy, obstreperous personality, different cat – some teams seem wary of those players, while a handful of franchises respond, Bring ’em on.”
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