Rookie who fell in the NFL draft had shouting match with team - report
The old saying goes that there are three sides to every story: your side, my side and the truth.
That saying can be applied to why Derrius Guice fell all the way to the bottom of the second round of the draft, and people are still searching for the truth regarding a reported confrontation involving Guice and the Philadelphia Eagles.
Guice was seen as the second-best running back in the draft after Saquon Barkley and was projected by some as a first-round pick.
But the first round and most of the second came and went before Guice heard his name called by the Washington Redskins with the 59th overall pick.
The second-best running back prospect ended up being the seventh running back selected, and many are pointing to a reported confrontation with the Eagles as the reason Guice slipped.
The NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that during a meeting with team officials at the NFL combine, Guice got into a shouting match with members of the organization.
There was speculation that the altercation involved former Eagles running back Duce Staley, but Guice said he has a great relationship with Staley. He also denied reports that the confrontation took place during his visit to Philadelphia.
“My trip to the Eagles was great,” Guice said in a post-draft conference call. “There wasn’t an altercation when I went. It was great. They were also like family. Me and Duce have a great relationship.”
It is important to note that Guice said his “trip to the Eagles” went great without mentioning the combine. It was there that Guice’s representatives asked for a second meeting with the Eagles, which occurred in Philadelphia and went well by all accounts.
Eagles GM Howie Roseman denied there were issues with Guice in Philly or anywhere else.
Howie Roseman: There was no “altercation” between the #Eagles and RB Derrius Guice. In Philadelphia or anywhere. Doug Pederson and Joe Douglas shook their heads, as well.
— Jeff McLane (@Jeff_McLane) April 28, 2018
“There was no altercation here in this building that any of us are aware of,” Roseman said Saturday. “I don’t know where that report came from. I can speak for everyone in here that nothing like that happened here in Philadelphia.”
When asked whether something happened anywhere else, he responded, “There was no altercation. When you hear the word altercations, it’s like fisticuffs or something or yelling and screaming. I don’t know that I’ve ever been in a room where a player has yelled at anyone.”
So Guice and the Eagles brass appear to be on the same page regarding the reported altercation, which makes his draft fall even more confusing.
There are lots of rumors and reports regarding Guice, but what can be attributed to him are untruthful comments he made in a post-combine interview.
While talking to Sirius XM after the combine, Guice described his experience and the ways in which teams try to evoke a reaction, claiming one team asked him if he’s gay and another asked if his mother is a prostitute.
“Some people are really trying to get in your head and test your reaction. … I go in one room, and a team will ask me do I like men, just to see my reaction. I go in another room, they’ll try to bring up one of my family members or something and tell me, ‘Hey, I heard your mom sells herself. How do you feel about that?'”
The morning of Day 1 of the draft, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the NFL concluded its investigation regarding Guice’s comments and came to the conclusion that no team asked him those questions. Guice also admitted to one team that he made up those claims, according to ESPN.
Whether he was trying to make a joke or just outright lied, that NFL investigation likely played a big part in Guice’s slide in the draft.
ESPN’s Darren Rovell put into context just how much Guice’s free fall will hurt him financially.
Derrius Guice was at one point talked about as the No. 1 running back in the draft. The No. 1 RB Saquon Barkley, at No. 2, will get $31M guaranteed. Guice, at No. 59, will get about $4.5 million.
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) April 28, 2018
At the end of the day, the Redskins got their guy and Guice will fill a huge hole in their backfield. Washington finished 27th in rushing yards last year and coach Jay Gruden feels comfortable with the selection.
“We looked at the reports and talked to Derrius’ agent and got a pretty good indication that we felt good about taking Derrius at that position,” Gruden said.
“We felt like he fit in just fine. Love his talent. At the end of the day, it’s all about the skill set he has.”
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