FanHouse Freddie Mitchell

The Eagles have a long history of whiffing on wide receivers drafted in the first (or second or third) round. Quarterback Donovan McNabb arrived in Philly in 1999, and since then the front office has welcomed Todd Pinkston, Freddie Mitchell, Billy McMullen, Reggie Brown, DeSean Jackson, and last month, Jeremy Maclin.

If nothing else, the organization has gotten better at finding talent at the position, although it would take some effort to do worse than FredEx. Brown (a 2005 second-rounder) and Jackson (taken in Round 2 last year) have shown the most promise, but neither is a No. 1 wide receiver. And neither have to be; the flexibility of the West Coast Offense is accommodating like that.

Everyone makes mistakes. But when those mistakes are magnified by intense scrutiny of the NFL draft, well, they become much more embarrassing than, say, my typical Friday morning, mustard-stain-on-khakis incident.

Which is why the NFL FanHouse braintrust got together to determine who is the biggest bust for each NFL team. They're not listed in terms of stupidity -- they're all stupid relative to a team's total draft performance. Meaning, of course, some teams "bust" is much different than another organization's; we did it this way to avoid just linking you to DetroitLions.com.

Instead, we're putting it in current draft order, sans trades, and allowing this list to serve as a reminder of each's team's ability to properly execute a fail. The "bust factor" was based primarily on three things: statistical production (or lack thereof), position in the draft and other available options during that year's draft.

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The Eagles had to be pleased to find wide receiver DeSean Jackson still on the board midway through the second round of the NFL Draft. The team has been searching for a big-play wideout since Freddie Mitchell was unceremoniously released four years ago.

In the months leading up to the draft, Jackson was considered a late first-rounder, but was the sixth wideout selected. Two reasons his stock may have dropped: he's listed as 6-0, 178 (both measures sound generous), which immediately raised concerns about his durability. The other, perhaps bigger, worry: his lack of maturity.

Yahoo.com's Jason Cole, via The 700 Level, writes that maybe scouts were onto something:

The problem is that Jackson has this tendency to act like a kid who thinks it's cool to sit in the back of class and stare at the ceiling tiles with a disaffected attitude. During every individual drill, Jackson was the last in line to do the exercise. When wide receivers coach David Culley stopped to talk to the group, Jackson was the first (and often the only) one to take off his helmet. He looked off in every direction except directly at Culley.

About the only time Jackson seemed to pay full attention was when Reid was observing up close. In the NFL, you have to work harder than just when the big boss is looking.

Between waiting for Joe Flacco and giving Freddie Mitchell a look-see, the Ravens have allegedly been busy inquiring about "Dancing With the Stars" loser, Jason Taylor. First-year head coach John Harbaugh admits to knowing nothing of such plans, and the Sun-Sentinel adds some background:

A deal with the Ravens seems unlikely because of Taylor's age, salary and his tenuous relationship with Cam Cameron, the Ravens' offensive coordinator who coached the Dolphins last season.

Baltimore hasn't ever shied away from signing older players to big-money deals, and frankly, previous administrations didn't seem all that fazed by the player-coach dynamic, either. But Harbaugh isn't Brian Billick, and he doesn't seem interested in giving the slightest indication that the inmates could run the asylum.

That said, I don't think Taylor and Cam Cameron wouldn't be able to co-exist. It's not like he's T.O., circa 2005. Taylor is, by all accounts, a good guy, and before this whole weird, dancing thing, a team leader.

But the Ravens already have Ray Lewis for that (no way two guys can lead the pregame "Any Dogs in the House?!?"), and Terrell Suggs and Trevor Pryce to play defensive end. There's no real need for Taylor, particularly since he's expected to make $16.5 million over the next two years.

No matter who is playing quarterback for the Ravens this season, the team is leaving no stone unturned when it comes to finding him receivers. The team reached deep into the wayback machine and gave Freddie Mitchell a workout at their camp today.

Mitchell, who you may know better as FredEx, was last seen on a NFL field during Super Bowl XXXIX when his Eagles lost to the Patriots. He made a lot of noise before that game about the beating he was going to lay down on the Pats, specifically Rodney Harrison. He made one catch, Harrison had two picks and, after the game, Bill Belichick laid down one of the great quotes in the history of football.

"All he does is talk. He's terrible, and you can print that. I was happy when he was in the game."

It's hard to see how Mitchell could help the team on the field. He wasn't that good to begin with and always cared more about making Freddie Mitchell famous than he did about being a good football player. And that was before he switched career paths to that of substitute teacher in Indiana.

I'm guessing the workout, first reported by Pro Football Talk and confirmed by the Baltimore Sun, a favor based on a relationship with John Harbaugh from the Eagles rather than a serious attempt at finding a player who could help the team in 2008.

UCLA had its pro day last Thursday and in addition to myriad NFL scouts and personnel types in attendance, former Bruin, first-round pick, and eventual bust Freddie Mitchell was also there. Mitchell is probably best remembered for his Carrot Top-inspired coiffure choices and getting lambasted by Patriots head coach Bill Belichick than for any of his on-field accomplishments.

I was kinda surprised to read that FredEx didn't talk his way into doing some drills, but that's not to say he still doesn't think he can play.

Mitchell, 29, thinks he still has something to offer an NFL team and said he's confident he can make a comeback. To that end, he spent a lot of time Thursday chatting with scouts.

"Success is situational," he said. "The right coach can take an average receiver and put him in the Pro Bowl."

Obviously, Andy Reid wasn't that guy because Mitchell took care of the "average receiver" part. To be fair, Reid was more concerned with things like getting the Eagles to the playoffs every year Mitchell was with the team.

Even though Mitchell thinks he's still not completely horrible, he hasn't played since 2005. And plenty of teams are looking for depth at wide receiver; the Bears just signed Brandon Lloyd and the Buccaneers did the same with Antonio Bryant. Two average receivers who have a much better shot of making the Pro Bowl than Mitchell. Probably because they're currently employed by an NFL team, which is apparently a prerequisite to earning the end-of-year distinction.

Hat tip: MDS at PFT

Remember when Freddie Mitchell was a part of America's consciousness? Remember when he hairstyled his way into your heart while a member of the Philadelphia Eagles? Well let's take you back to a time long ago, before FredEx's hair was in full bloom, when Comcast Sports Net Philly sent him to interview a then unknown Scranton Wilkes Barre Red Baron who was Mitchell's baseball teammate at UCLA.

Mitchell, who as you could see made the wise choice in playing football over baseball (although some Eagles fans might disagree), is currently without a job. His unknown interview subject? You might have heard of Chase Utley.

Love the pop-up video aspect of the piece (complete with Freddie's baseball stats which include zero HR's while at UCLA), and look for cameos by Brett Myers and Marlon Byrd.