With just one day to the 2013 MLS SuperDraft there are still plenty of questions facing Toronto FC. Let’s look at the five biggest:
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5 - Should they draft for need or the draft best player?
The cliché answer here is that you always draft the best player available. As with all clichés there is some truth to it. However, there is also a reasonable argument to be made that TFC needs to address several key areas and their drafting history over the past few years has failed to do just that.
Namely, they have frustratingly passed over several defenders in favour of players that played in positions where the Reds were less dreadful.
Although Toronto has added some more defensive strength this off-season, it’s still a major question mark. You can never have enough centrebacks, really. Should TFC prioritize getting more defensive help tomorrow?
4 – Is TFC even prepared to utilize the assets it has?
The majority of the draft work was done by people that have either been fired from the organization, or who have been pushed to the side with the new hirings. Basically, TFC enters the 2013 draft in the same situation that it entered the 2011 draft – days after making a major front office shuffle.
In 2011, they were upfront that they weren’t going to be able to be fully prepared.
Head coach Ryan Nelsen is AWOL and the No 2, Fran O’Leary, was evaluating non-scholarship college athletes less than 6-weeks ago.
One person at the combine described the TFC evaluation team as “a disaster” to CSN in an e-mail this week. Others have simply suggested that Kevin Payne wll be running the draft for TFC “without a parachute.”
Does that mean it will be a disaster? No, but it’s disingenuous to ignore the possibility that the quick turn-over might not have an effect on TFC’s performance at the draft.
3 - Is Kyle Bekker really that good?
The Canadian midfielder has been the talk of the combine and has some people talking about the possibility of him being a top 3 pick in the draft.
That would be a remarkable rise. He was a borderline first-rounder at the end of the NCAA season.
There has been enough good things said about Bekker by American observers to not completely dismiss his rise up the draft order. However, one must also be careful to balance out the role excitement has played in Canadian observers overestimating his value.
If you believe the hype, TFC might want to grab a local kid that plays a role they need help with. However, if you believe he’s improved, but is still a mid first-round pick then…
4 - Should TFC trade down the draft?
There has been a lot of noise over the past couple days that TFC is prepared to move either the No 1 or No 3 pick to get more allocation money.
A more casual fan might question the move – Canadian sports fans have been trained to think of draft picks like gold, which is overstating their importance in MLS. However, there is some logic to it.
The biggest factor at play here is Chivas USA and their determination to only select Mexican-American players. Since they are on record with that desire (in fact, they’ve said directly that they are drafting Carlos Alvarez), teams can safely assume what they are going to do with the No 2 pick.
Since it’s generally believed that the best Mexican-American players in the draft aren’t worth the No 2 selection, TFC in essence holds the top two “true” selections. They can trade one of those picks and still get their preferred player.
A lot of speculation is centered around Colorado. The Rapids pick No 6, but the player they want won’t slip that far.
Unless…
1 - What should TFC do with the No 1 pick?
…TFC trades them No 1 or No 3. Again, No 3 might be as good as No 1 for the Rapids if the two clubs work together to make sure that they leave the choice of the other team alone.
The thinking is that Colorado wants Walker Zimmerman, a young defender that is seen as the best long-term prospect in the draft, but who might not be ready to step in in 2013. Toronto is after more immediate help and that is likely Andrew Farrell.
Toronto trades No 3 to Colorado for No 6 (and gets allocation, which is tougher to get in 2013 without extra expansion allocation floating around) and then selects Farrell at No 1 (TFC will want to promotional push of having the No 1 pick on the roster). Then Chivas overpays for Alvarez Colorado gets their man and TFC still has an opportunity to grab another top prospect at No 6 (maybe even Bekker!).
That’s the thinking, anyway. In less than 24-hours we will find out what the reality is.