Union have a lot riding on 2016 SuperDraft picks
It was appropriate that when Earnie Stewart was introduced as the the Union's sporting director, he took a picture wearing a construction helmet with a work site in the background.
IT WAS appropriate that when Earnie Stewart was introduced as the the Union's sporting director, he took a picture wearing a construction helmet with a work site in the background.
Going into its sixth season, the Union should not be a franchise starting a major restructuring job.
Had things gone by the design, the Union would have entered Thursday's MLS SuperDraft looking for enhancements to a contending franchise seeking to improve its championship drive chances.
Instead, it was one of the early instances of Stewart putting his mark on a new direction for the Union.
After only one playoff appearance in five seasons, it became clear that the vision of former Union CEO Nick Sakiewicz failed, which is why he got sacked in October.
Stewart, a former U.S. World Cup team member, was hired to set things right. With only 13 out of 28 roster spots currently filled, Stewart, along with head coach Jim Curtin, have more than tweaking to do to a team coming off 10-17-7 campaign.
Because of soccer's structure, the SuperDraft is not a primary way to build a franchise, the way the NFL or NBA drafts are.
In reality, a draft of NCAA players is mostly a choice of second-tier talent, as the elite, young players now go to professional youth academies instead of college.
Only five players from the 2015 draft played at least 20 MLS games.
In all honesty, the SuperDraft is what Union manager Jim Curtin called, "a way to get inexpensive labor."
Still, Stewart said he hoped to get at least one starter out of the draft, and the team's action in the moments before the action started showed that ambition.
The Union traded valuable "general" allocation money and a player to be named later to the Colorado Rapids for the second overall pick.
They used that pick to select Georgetown defender Joshua Yaro. With their own pick, third overall, the Union selected Yaro's teammate on the Hoyas' back line, Keegan Rosenberry.
The Union failed in their attempt to pick up Rosenberry, of Lancaster Mennonite, as a home-grown player, which would have meant they would not have had to draft him.
The sixth overall pick, acquired from the Houston Dynamo in the Christian Maidana trade in December, was used on Creighton midfielder Fabian Herbers.
"It means a lot to me," Yaro said. "It takes a lot to trust someone; there are a lot of good players out there. Giving me this opportunity, shows (the Union) trust me."
Ultimately, however, this draft is about Stewart.
When the Union started in 2010, the SuperDraft had more value, because academies were not so engrained.
Still, it remains a tool, and unfortunately for the Union, they have not utilized it well.
From the Union's previous five SuperDrafts, only defender Ray Gaddis (35th overall in 2012), goalkeeper Andre Blake (No. 1 in 2014) and defender Richie Marquez (44th in 2014) were on the 2015 roster.
That's three out of 24 picks, including seven first-rounders and two No. 1 overall picks.
Coming into the draft, Stewart displayed a positive attitude about getting talent out of the SuperDraft.
"When I came to the Philadelphia Union, everyone was telling me pretty much you're going to go to this college draft and you're not going to find many players," Stewart said after watching the draft combine. "I was pleasantly surprised at what I've seen.
"There is a lot of potential in the (SuperDraft). Not saying that they are going to be direct starters or anything like that, but definitely enough potential that we can fill some slots in our roster with good, potential players for the future."
The Union can't brush off the way they generally whiffed in the SuperDraft. This is a diamond-in-the-rough proposition, and that is something a team such as the Union, which doesn't have the deepest pockets for international signings, must be able to take advantage of.
Philadelphia is not the type of franchise that can afford to have gotten little long-term talent out of any talent-gathering mechanism.
Stewart, who grew up in the Netherlands and played most of his professional career Eredivise (the top Dutch League), was brought in from AZ Alkmaar, of the Eredivise, in part because of his eye for spotting talent that might not be as obvious to others.
This will be a test of that ability.
When asked who made the final call on the Union's picks, Stewart said that, while it was a collaborative effort, the final decision was his.
In reality, the SuperDraft is the least useful way for the Union to make immediate improvement, but it is an early step in Stewart's establishing his vision for the franchise.
"We're very happy with what we achieved today; otherwise, we would not have made the moves that we did," Stewart said. "In the end, we got what we wanted. We are trying to build a foundation with the Philadelphia Union."
If these picks are right, they will help a rightfully skeptical fan base gain confidence and trust in Stewart as he moves forward.
On Twitter: @SmallTerp