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Oldtimer
04-24-2009, 11:02 AM
So, we've had some time to see and evaluate Mo's draft picks for the last 2 years.

I think he's done exceptionally well, especially this year.

From this year:

#2 Sam Cronin. A starter. Strong, cool-headed, intelligent, he really helps firm up our midfield. He's only going to get better as Robbo continues to mentor him.

#4 O'Brian White. Haven't seen him yet, but really looking forward to it.

#13 Stephan Frei. Quite a few GMs passed on Stephan, but he's turned out to be excellent. Calm, even in the most difficult circumstances, intelligent, pretty good distribution, in a few years he'll be one of the best GKs in MLS, if he doesn't go overseas.

From last year (which was the weakest draft in MLS history):

#9 Julius James. We got DeRo for him and cash. Enough said.

#10 Pat Phelan. Probably the only bust in the lot. Has played 12 games for New England when we traded him for an international slot.

#28 Brian Edwards. Not as good as Frei, but I'd still feel very comfortable with him in net. Good distribution, lots of upside.


I think that Mo has bolstered his already good reputation as a drafter (which came from Wynne and Jozy Altidore in New York).

spezz44
04-24-2009, 11:05 AM
blows me away that other teams let frei fall to 13th, now that ive seen him in action, great draft so far, cant wait to see OBW

Wagner
04-24-2009, 11:15 AM
look at some of his past picks...

Marvel Wynne
Maurice Edu

MoJo has an eye for talent.

TFC_Chris
04-24-2009, 11:35 AM
Players drafted by Mo not in the first two rounds:

2009:
# 34 - Mike Grella - Now playing for Leeds Reserves and has 8 appearances with the first team.
# 39 - Kyle Hall - Good question.

2008:
# 30 - Mike Zaher - Traded to DC United and played 3 games with them. Signed with San Jose in the off-season.
# 35 - Joseph Lapira - Never signed with the MLS. Currently plays for Norwegian Adeccoligaen (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adeccoligaen) side Nybergsund I.L. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nybergsund_I.L.). Has 23 appearances with 7 goals.

2007:
# 27 - Richard Asante - Played 2 reserve games with TFC, then released. Played with the Toronto Lynx in 2007. Is currently playing with the Italia Shooters of the CSL.
# 40 - Jeffrey Gonsalves - Fell off the face of the planet.

No real point to this. Just more of a "where are they now" post. I would like to point out that the most successful player playing in the MLS from the last 3 drafts to come in the 3rd round or later is.....Adam Cristman (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Cristman).

Nodoubtguy
04-24-2009, 11:38 AM
lets not forget the kid he took in the 2nd round (17th pick) of 2006.....Jozy Altidore.

LucaGol
04-24-2009, 11:47 AM
Stefan Frei is the best player out of this year's draft crop so far.

Athleticism, size, intelligence, instinct ... total package.

Too bad he'll be playing Champions League football with a Bundesliga side in 3 years or so, and not with TFC.

sulfur
04-24-2009, 11:47 AM
# 34 - Mike Grella - Now playing for Leeds Reserves
And their first team on occasion too. Eight or nine appearances if I'm not mistaken.


# 27 - Richard Asante - Never tendered a contract. Played with the Toronto Lynx in 2007. Is currently playing with the Italia Shooters of the CSL.
Nope. Signed with TFC. Played two games with the reserves. Released May 18 of that season.

bee dubya
04-24-2009, 11:48 AM
^ TFC Chris, I don't think you can count some of those lower round draft picks. A lot of those players were well known by all the teams and were good players but the reason they fell that low was because they'd made it known that they wanted to go to Europe. Mo took a chance that Europe wouldn't work out for them and they'd return to MLS. It's not a bad idea really because there usually isn't a lot of talent lower in the MLS draft.

LucaGol
04-24-2009, 11:50 AM
Speaking of Mike Grella, he's not doing so great at Leeds.

Maybe a return to Toronto could be in the cards.

I doubt it though. He'll most likely bounce around for a few years if Leeds doesn't work out.

TFC_Chris
04-24-2009, 11:52 AM
# 34 - Mike Grella - Now playing for Leeds Reserves and has 8 appearances with the first team.

# 27 - Richard Asante - Played 2 reserve games with TFC, then released. Played with the Toronto Lynx in 2007. Is currently playing with the Italia.

Fixed.

sulfur
04-24-2009, 11:53 AM
Speaking of Mike Grella, he's not doing so great at Leeds.

Maybe a return to Toronto could be in the cards.

I doubt it though. He'll most likely bounce around for a few years if Leeds doesn't work out.
He's doing well with the reserves, but not quite good enough for their first team.

TFC_Chris
04-24-2009, 12:00 PM
^ TFC Chris, I don't think you can count some of those lower round draft picks. A lot of those players were well known by all the teams and were good players but the reason they fell that low was because they'd made it known that they wanted to go to Europe. Mo took a chance that Europe wouldn't work out for them and they'd return to MLS. It's not a bad idea really because there usually isn't a lot of talent lower in the MLS draft.

My point is not to point out that Mo "failed" on these picks, it was to highlight where they are now, since the 3rd and 4th rounds are usually filled with picks of players headed off to Europe. I'm not saying they were bad picks, I did more of a where are they now list.

As I stated, the fact that Adam Cristman is the best player drafted in the last two round from the last 3 drafts is more an indication as to either the drop-off in talent in the later rounds or the philosophy taken by GMs in the later rounds.

Pachuco
04-24-2009, 12:07 PM
My point is not to point out that Mo "failed" on these picks, it was to highlight where they are now, since the 3rd and 4th rounds are usually filled with picks of players headed off to Europe. I'm not saying they were bad picks, I did more of a where are they now list.

As I stated, the fact that Adam Cristman is the best player drafted in the last two round from the last 3 drafts is more an indication as to either the drop-off in talent in the later rounds or the philosophy taken by GMs in the later rounds.

Yeap, very good points.

Kooper
04-24-2009, 12:38 PM
Players drafted by Mo not in the first two rounds:

2009:
# 34 - Mike Grella - Now playing for Leeds Reserves and has 8 appearances with the first team.
# 39 - Kyle Hall - Good question.

2008:
# 30 - Mike Zaher - Traded to DC United and played 3 games with them. Signed with San Jose in the off-season.
# 35 - Joseph Lapira - Never signed with the MLS. Currently plays for Norwegian Adeccoligaen (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adeccoligaen) side Nybergsund I.L. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nybergsund_I.L.). Has 23 appearances with 7 goals.

2007:
# 27 - Richard Asante - Played 2 reserve games with TFC, then released. Played with the Toronto Lynx in 2007. Is currently playing with the Italia Shooters of the CSL.
# 40 - Jeffrey Gonsalves - Fell off the face of the planet.

No real point to this. Just more of a "where are they now" post. I would like to point out that the most successful player playing in the MLS from the last 3 drafts to come in the 3rd round or later is.....Adam Cristman (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Cristman).

Picks that low in a draft that is never very deep are filler at best. Unless you manage to find a Altadore consider a 20K/year player for the youth team a good pick up.

Cashcleaner
04-24-2009, 12:52 PM
Stefan Frei is the best player out of this year's draft crop so far.

Athleticism, size, intelligence, instinct ... total package.

Too bad he'll be playing Champions League football with a Bundesliga side in 3 years or so, and not with TFC.

Well hold on a second. We've got the next round of collective bargaining coming up between the league and player's association. The word on the street is that the cap will undoubtedly be raised and maybe some current roster restrictions will be lifted. I would imagine that in three years time we might be able to keep Frei if the league follows through with the rumours to allow more spending.

T_Mizz
04-25-2009, 12:08 PM
Well hold on a second. We've got the next round of collective bargaining coming up between the league and player's association. The word on the street is that the cap will undoubtedly be raised and maybe some current roster restrictions will be lifted. I would imagine that in three years time we might be able to keep Frei if the league follows through with the rumours to allow more spending.
This is my hope as well but mostly with the other young players we have not so much with Frei because next year or the year after he will assert himself as the best keeper in the league and will still be fairly young. Unfortunately he'll probably go the way of Brad Guzan.