📡 Saban’s take on players’ decisions- Tidesports

[Bama News]

Saban’s take on players’ decisions - The Tuscaloosa News

The University of Alabama began its two weeks of Citrus Bowl practice on Monday and, in the classic example used to distinguish the optimistic from the pessimistic, the Crimson Tide’s glass was roughly 80 percent full.

That’s probably the best way to measure the decision of two defensive players, Terrell Lewis and Trevon Diggs, to sit out the game and began preparing for the NFL combine and a potential selection in the 2020 NFL Draft. Both players have had to deal with major injuries during their Crimson Tide career, a fact that probably entered into their decision not to participate in the Jan. 1 game against Michigan. Nick Saban didn’t rant and rave about their respective decisions. He wished them well, which was certainly the best way to handle it.

If one wanted to write a gloom-and-doom headline on the story, as some do, it could be framed as “Alabama missing two defensive starters against Michigan,” which is factual. The Alabama defense has been in a constant upheaval since August and while it might be fair to say that both Diggs and Lewis played their best 2019 football in the early part of the year, there is no absolutely definite way to calculate the impact of two departures (and a possible third absence, since freshman defensive tackle DJ Dale has been slow to respond to treatment for a knee injury and may be shut down until the spring.) On the other hand, a more positive view of the Alabama football universe might look at things in another way. All the components of the functional Death Star that is the offense — the laserfast receivers, the maturing offensive line, running back Najee Harris and maybe even tight end Miller Forristal, who missed the Auburn game, were practicing on Monday and should play against Michigan. Even without Darth Vader Tagovailoa on the bridge, that is formidable firepower under Mac Jones’ command.

Saban said he thought all those offensive players made “good decisions (that) could enhance their value” by choosing to play. He did get a bit of steam in his delivery when talking about the possible draft destination of See HURT, C3

some players, but that’s not unusual. Asking a question about “draft projections” is even higher on the Saban Irritation Scale than asking for a depth chart in August. Saban has perennial input in such decisions and, occasionally, sees players leave prematurely, at least in terms of longterm earnings. Many who have committed to the bowl game will have another decision to make between Jan. 1 and Jan. 20.

Saban knows this.

“I got draft grades from 20 different teams,” Saban said. “If you guys picked guys — do you guys actually pick guys in the draft?

Does the media pick guys? Do the guys that put the mock drafts up, do you guys actually have a draft choice? Do you pick? (After feedback from) people that do pick, I’m not sure we do have anybody in that position, I know it’s out there. It’s out there every year, We’ve had guys that they put were going to get drafted in the first round and got drafted in the fifth round. So, I don’t think all that information is exactly accurate. I actually think that the NFL teams try to stir the media away from who they’re going to pick and there’s a lot of misinformation out there as to who the guys are.”

Two quick press conference asides from that:

• Always remember that Saban is not just talking to the media when he talks to the media but is usually framing a message for his team.

• Since I’m the one who asked, full disclosure is that I don’t pick or even do mock drafts. Prior to the 2011 draft, I noted that Julio was “pretty good” and I have rested on my laurels ever since.

Following that lecture, Saban was quick and gracious in noting that he is “excited about the guys that are playing in the game, the guys that have decided to play in the game. I think all the guys that are playing in the game have made really good choices to play in the game. I think they can enhance their value by playing in the game very, very well.

“Every guy’s got to make that decision, and we support them, whatever that decision is.”

There is no better way to approach that, no need to vilify anyone. Credit to Saban for saying so.