:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/photo_images/773512/GYI0060670883.jpg)
In 2007 Brady Quinn was expected to be a top 10 pick in the NFL draft, he was selected 22nd overall by the Cleveland Browns. In 2005 Aaron Rodgers was expected to go as early as number one in the NFL draft, he was selected 24th overall by the Green Bay Packers. Those two quarterbacks have had two entirely different starts to their professional careers.
Brady Quinn, 27, is now with his third team, the Kansas City Chiefs, after playing in only 14 games in three years with the Browns. Last year with the Denver Broncos he didn't appear in a game for the team and was actually passed up by Tim Tebow when Denver decided to replace Kyle Orton as starter. Quinn is currently fighting for the backup quarterback position with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Aaron Rodgers, 28, on the other hand has won awards, a ring and set records for statistics like passer rating (122.5). He'll be entering his fifth seasons as the Packers starting quarterback.
Mark Appel only fell to the eighth selection in the draft, and while that's not anywhere near the 20's it's seemed to have ruffled some feathers with both he and his agent. Scott Boras has already come out and said the new CBA has "created a mockery" of the draft. As for Appel has decided to focus on his school work and the college baseball postseason.
Now June 1-7 is the end of the quarter period for Stanford so it is highly likely that Appel was studying for any finals he would be taking. And he's not obligated to talk to anyone but the Pirates after he was drafted, but he's got to be disappointed that a team he has ties with didn't want him at the number one spot. Not only that but six teams after that decided they didn't want him either. That's got to hurt the ego and put a little rage in the heart.
Was there an official offer made to Appel with the Astros first pick of the draft? No, it's illegal for teams to offer a draftee an offer before he's been selected. That doesn't mean there weren't conversations, a few reports have said on twitter that their were a lot of "conversations" going on during the draft more so than in previous drafts.
Appel sliding to the eighth selection is curious though. Was it because of Boras, who usually gets the best deal for his clients, or because teams honestly thought he wasn't the best player available. Reports had his fastball flat and his stuff as good as it is never matched his results.
The media speculated he would be selected based on what they read from other media members and what they heard from other teams baseball executives, but he was never considered the sure pick like in previous drafts. The Astros really did a wonderful job of staying tight lipped on who the wanted or maybe they were being honest when they said their decision wouldn't be made until the day of the draft.
It appears they selected who they wanted not because of money -- although the money did play a big part in their overall draft strategy -- but because he's got talent, a good head on his shoulders and he's an up the middle position player. If you look at Bobby Heck's drafting history that's been his MO from day one:
Jason Castro over Justin Smoak
Jiovanni Mier over Kyle Gibson
Delino DeShiels over Chris Sale
George Springer over Tyler Jungman, Jed Bradley or Sonny Gray
It's not that Appel doesn't have talent either, he does, it just wasn't what the Astros were looking for. Whether or not that decision comes back to bite them remains to be seen. Either way the Astros got the player they wanted and it's a good thing we're getting out of the NL Central because the Pirates are putting together a pretty good rotation, Jameson Taillon, Gerrit Cole and now Mark Appel.