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Game day for Browns GM Tom Heckert
System for Browns opening pick Thursday in 2011 NFL Draft refined

By Nate Ulrich
Beacon Journal sports writer
Published on Sunday, Apr 24, 2011

Tom Heckert turned his computer monitor around, pointed at the screen and passionately explained the system he devised to conquer the NFL draft.

Heckert has used it for most of his adult life, ascending through the ranks of personnel departments since the early 1990s and ultimately earning a swank, second-floor office in the Browns' headquarters in Berea. The system has not steered him wrong — yet.

''Obviously, you have to work at it,'' Heckert said. ''You have to watch tape. It's endless. You're a general manager of a football team. It's the greatest thing in the world, but you also have to know there's a lot of sacrifices you have to make to do that.''

When Heckert was working for the Miami Dolphins, his confidence in the system prompted him to advise coach Jimmy Johnson to take cornerback Sam Madison in the second round because defensive end Jason Taylor, whom Johnson preferred, would still be available a round later. Johnson listened, and the Dolphins drafted Madison and Taylor, both of whom became perennial Pro Bowl selections.

Last year in his first draft as the Browns' general manager, the system guided Heckert to select four of the eight players he had targeted in the first three rounds: cornerback Joe Haden, safety T.J. Ward, running back Montario Hardesty and offensive lineman Shawn Lauvao. The Browns also drafted quarterback Colt McCoy in the third round because Heckert and President Mike Holmgren couldn't resist the urge to pounce when he unexpectedly fell to them.

As Heckert's career has progressed, the presentation of the system has evolved. It now takes form in sets of scenarios separated by columns on Microsoft Excel spreadsheets, which are printed and piled atop Heckert's desk.

The charts keep Heckert organized as he contemplates using a pick or trading it to move up or down the draft board. Before the draft, he'll settle on 20-30 prospects he wants. He'll then sprinkle their names throughout the spreadsheets, depending on where he believes they should be taken.

His wish list for the sixth overall pick will contain only two players. If neither one is available, he'll seek a trade. The same general rule pertains to the Browns' seven other selections in this year's draft, which will be held Thursday through Saturday at Radio City Music Hall in New York.

''I think this year, there's a chance we could hit on six guys that are at least playing,'' Heckert said. ''If you can get drafts like that, you're gonna be fine. They don't have to be all Pro Bowl players. They have to be good football players, and that's how you build your team. I think if you stick with that philosophy, more of the guys are gonna make the team 'cause they're not gonna be flakes, and you're not gonna want to get rid of them. Once you do that, you start building your team, and you're gonna be good for a long time if you keep drafting well.''

The system itself really is not too complex. However, mastering its application requires expertise in player evaluation and a strong commitment to one's beliefs. Heckert has been trying to perfect those qualities since he was a boy growing up in the football-crazed Midwest.

Gridiron roots

Not long after Heckert was born in 1967, his family moved from Youngstown to Michigan because his father, Tom Heckert Sr., was hired to coach football at Maumee High School near Toledo. A few years later, the elder Heckert received a job at Adrian College, where he eventually served as head coach from 1973 to 1981.

The coach's son, clad in football pants his grandmother cut so they would fit, became a fixture at the practice facility.

''My office was on the second floor at Adrian College,'' Tom Heckert Sr. said in a phone interview. ''The film room was on the first floor. He would come up and we would talk for a while, and then when I had to go back to work, he would go downstairs and go in the film room and put on films. I'd give him the names of the players we were looking at, and he would look at them from a young age. Then later on, he started writing reports. I think that's how he became confident.''

Tom Heckert Jr. went on to play quarterback at Adrian High School and safety at Hillsdale College. He then coached at Hillsdale for two years and eventually applied to become a graduate assistant at Michigan State and Arizona State.

While he was waiting to hear from the universities, his mother, Rose, presented an idea to his father, who was working in the Dolphins' personnel department at the time. She wanted her son to help the Dolphins prepare for the 1991 NFL Draft.

When asked, coach Don Shula approved. Tom Heckert Jr. worked for the Dolphins as an unpaid intern for about five months, and his big break occurred in a meeting before the draft.

''We were talking about corners in the draft,'' said Tom Heckert Sr., who spent 19 years with the Dolphins and retired after the 2007 season. ''Coach Shula looked out at the end of the table and he said, 'Tom, who do you think is the best corner in the draft?' Tommy told him and said, 'Here's why I think he is.' He just spoke up.''

After the draft, Shula pulled Tom Heckert Sr. aside and told him that he wanted to hire his son as a full-time scout. Tom Heckert Jr. also received offers from Michigan State and Arizona State to coach their wide receivers as a graduate assistant. He chose to stick with the Dolphins, who gave him a starting annual salary of $12,000.

For 10 years, the Heckerts worked side by side. Tom Heckert Jr. was a pro and college scout during his first nine seasons with the Dolphins. He encountered some setbacks, but they provided valuable lessons in his journey toward being named assistant director of pro personnel in 1999 and director of pro personnel a year later.

''When I was young, I guess I was scared,'' said Heckert, 43, who's divorced and has two teenage children, son Griffin and daughter Madison. ''I was scared of Coach Shula. If you said something, you'd better be right. I remember vividly one day at practice, he asked me about a receiver that was cut. I said, 'Well, I really didn't think he was a good enough player for us.'

''The guy ended up being not a great player, but a pretty good player. We probably should have claimed him, and [Shula] let me know about it. He really did. He said, 'It's your job to make sure those guys [don't get away],' and he was right. But if you've watched enough tape and have done your work, you should feel confident about who you think can play and can't.''

Next step

Heckert's convictions in his judgment helped him earn his next job. He thought there was a chance it would be with the Browns when Butch Davis took control as coach, but another door opened with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Heckert met with Eagles President Joe Banner, coach Andy Reid and owner Jeffrey Lurie during what he called a six- or seven-hour ''grind interview.'' The Eagles' bigwigs knew Heckert had done his homework by watching tape, so they drilled him about every player on their roster.

''I had heard he was a relentless worker, so I asked him those questions only because I knew those players like the back of my hand,'' Reid said in a phone interview. ''I just wanted to see if he did, and that's the best way of finding out. I thought his evaluations were phenomenal.''

The Eagles hired Heckert as their director of player personnel in 2001, named him vice president of player personnel in 2003 and promoted him to general manager in 2006. Reid, not Heckert, was the ultimate authority on personnel matters, but the duo collaborated to obtain several stellar players who helped the Eagles reach five NFC Championship Games and one Super Bowl. In Heckert's nine-year stint with the Eagles, they drafted or acquired 10 players who earned Pro Bowl bids.

''He would tell me the truth about how he felt about players,'' Reid said. ''So even if I liked a player and he didn't, he would tell me he didn't like him. He wouldn't be influenced by what other people thought.''

Although Heckert and Reid became close friends and experienced success together, Heckert sought more power. He said he left the Eagles in part because he wanted to have the final say on personnel decisions. Reid's mentor, Holmgren, satisfied Heckert's desire.

Back to Ohio

Growing up, Heckert was a Browns fan. His allegiance to the organization strengthened when his father served as the Browns' Midwest scout in 1982-86, during which time the younger Heckert became a frequent guest at the Akron home of his aunt and uncle, Goldie and Bob George. When he was named the Browns' general manager on Jan. 11, 2010, his family viewed the opportunity as a homecoming.

Heckert said he sensed instant chemistry with Holmgren when he interviewed for the job. He has since received rave reviews from his boss.

''I've been able to work with some really good guys,'' Holmgren said. ''But Tom, first of all, he had a proven track record before he got here, and then I think last year's draft, for his first draft, kind of speaks for itself. I think it was a good draft, a solid draft for us. Then I just notice how he works and how he communicates with other people, which is a huge thing. The personnel department's ability to communicate with the coaching staff and be on the same page and get everyone feeling like they're a part of it, he's very good at that.''

Heckert believes that the franchise's cohesiveness will only improve with the arrival of coach Pat Shurmur. The two worked together with the Eagles for eight years while Shurmur was an assistant coach. They understand each other's philosophies and are motivated to turn the Browns, who have finished with a record of 5-11 in each of the past two seasons, into a contender.

The draft is always important. Perhaps, this year, it's even more vital than usual for the Browns because they're converting to a West Coast offense and a 4-3 defense. The league's labor dispute, of course, has created another obstacle by stalling free agency. Shurmur, though, is not panicking, partially because of Heckert's presence.

''Tom has an excellent feel for players,'' Shurmur said. ''I think he's done the research on so many, he's got so many ways he can compare a guy. He's been around the league so long, so he knows what a player is. He knows how to set up the draft. He knows how to pick the players. He knows how to trade around and do what you have to do — the game of the draft.''

Shurmur obviously believes those spreadsheets on Heckert's desk are invaluable. He has faith in the system.

A good read.. I can't help wondering what would have happened if Heckert had come to Cleveland when Davis was here. Would he have saved the Winslow draft ? Could he have advised that a trade down was not necessary ? Would Davis have listened ? Did Heckert have the background, at that time, to handle the Browns and Davis ? Perhaps things have worked out for the best, but I can not help but wonder what might have been.

Excellent Post!




No Emoticons were hurt in this post!

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His wish list for the sixth overall pick will contain only two players. If neither one is available, he'll seek a trade. The same general rule pertains to the Browns' seven other selections in this year's draft, which will be held Thursday through Saturday at Radio City Music Hall in New York.

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This tells me more about this year's draft than the rest of the article did and Heckert's whole press conference did.

What two names do you think are on that wish list?

If I may, Green/Jones (pick it) and Peterson. I apologize for repitition here, but I would take Peterson hands down, "needs" aside and all that other "have-to-get-a-playmaking-WR" talk. If all of them are gone (HIGHLY unlikely), I -- personally -- am not interested in a trade down. This draft is very good at the top --we will get a winner. It is not so deep, comparatively, so,....in my humble opinion, it would be a waste to trade down out of six. There WILL be a great hole filled and we need to keep doing that. We ain't going to no Super Bowl this year. KEEP building,....

I think this draft is very deep and if the two players that Heckert wants are not there then we should trade down.

I think Aldon Smith is just as talented a player as Robert Quinn and we could probably get him in the middle of the 1st round.

I've been thinking about that since I read the article and I can't come up with only 2 names.

Maybe I'm reading too much into this, but I'm going to say Green and Quinn. I say that because I truly believe that if Peterson is there we'll have multiple trade offers and he'd take the extra picks over Peterson. My hunch is that both Peterson and Quinn are there when we pick at 6 and we trade down to Dallas or Houston where we end up picking one of Quinn, Fairley, Julio, or Cam Jordan.

See, I don't follow it close enough to know outside of the first round, so thanks for your opinion.

All I know is, these top ten (fifteen) (twenty) picks all look pretty dang good...,...I mean household name good.

1. Peterson
2. Green

simple.

But Peterson might not be on that list because he think he should go much higher. Meaning he should trade the pick because he can get a lot of value in return.

I respect that approach, but it would depend on how MUCH value,...and whose scale you use to measure the such,....

I would want to rape whoever wants the slot that badly,....

As of right now, subject to change, once again

1. Peterson
2. Fairley

Just a hunch

But what is the truth that this isn't a smoke screen? We might only have 1 sure thing that we want ... or we might have 5 guys that we would be equally happy with due to our needs, and right as I was about to post who I thought the 2 were ... this could have been a smoke screen...?

Anyone?

I dont know if it is smoke but I imagine it isnt the complete truth lol. Heckert seems to set his board up more of the way one of us would. He has his likes and dislikes and if a dislike is rated way higher than his like he will pass on him.

Its like for Tackle my favorite RT prospect is Marcus Cannon. I would take him over any of the other tackles. Constanza, Carimi all those guys will be rated on most everyones board but Cannon I think is the stud of that group of tackles. I would take him in the 2nd. That is how Heckert viewed Ward last year.

As for his 2, I would guess Peterson and Fairley just because I am still not convinced he would consider taking a receiver this high with so many areas of need.

I dont think it is Quinn because you can get good DE's later. That is a real hit and miss position so might as well take your chance a tad later.

Did you notice how long I have been on the board ? Since the beginning of this board. I got so tired of reading about Charlie Frye being compared to "other Hall of Fame QBs" and how Anderson's canon could put a ball across the Lake.

I was a History Major before I went into broadcasting, and I do wonder what if. What may have happened if Heckert had come to the Browns when Davis did. What kind of power he may have had, and what influence he would have had if he were involved in our earlier drafts. If Heckert would have been in favor of some of the draft mistakes from the Davis era. As I said.. I guess it is for the best he went to Philly because he gained more experience as a GM and learned from Andy Reid. He is a Brown now and it is time to see what he can do for the Browns.

Mourg, which DEs do you see as good later? I see top 35 DEs, but I don't see a whole lot past that.

That being said, I don't see a whole lot of DTs past Dareus/Fairley... Powe and Ellis should both be good and would make for an impenetrable wall with Rubin, but most see them projecting better to a 3-4 NT.

I hope you realize I wasn't disagreeing nor was I calling you out ... I just liked your quote and then read your sig and found humor!

Could it also be that he feels we should be getting more interest about teams wanting to trade up for the #6?

Maybe at this time he wants people to be calling him about trades (relative to other years), so if he says it's only 2 guys that we want, some teams are calling him up going "what two are they ... in case we want to trade up" ... just to generate some interest?

2nd Adrian Clayborn and Jabaal Sheard could be there. Allen Bailey in the 3rd wouldnt be a bad find either.

Later round guys, I really like Ugo Chinasa from Okla st., mad skills just needs to be coached. I am really high on this kid.

Jonathon Freeney from Rutgers that is a Rhodes/ Jauron type with good edge rushing ability.

Me neither ... but the fact that it *might* get them calling is good. It presents us with options. Otherwise, teams might think that the browns don't WANT to trade down if they think we will simply go BPA, or that we have so many needs that we aren't worth talking to for a trade down?

I really don't know... But I remember hearing from a few places, that you can't trust anything you hear about a week or two before the actual draft ... so while it could be the simple truth, I just wonder why he would say we are only after 2 players?

It could also be an effort to force some other team to jump in front of us and take a player to have a QB fall to us and then let us trade it down...? I have no idea... I just don't know if I believe *anything* I hear right now.

Of the two guys on the list, I think Peterson is a lock. But I really don't think the other guy is a wr. I just don't think that you spend a top-ten pick on a wide-out. Have Holmgren or Heckert ever taken a wide-out that high?

This of course, leaves me at a bit of a loss with regard to the second option. I can't say that I know enough about all the top end DL to figure out which one an NFL gm would have ranked the highest. Between the injury issues, the "one-year wonders," and the suspensions, I don't have the information to guess who Heckert would be targeting.

I think Von Miller might be a surprise pick if we trade down. He seems like a solid player----from what I have read anyway. And we don't have any young play-making LB's to speak of....

Or even maybe a Mark Ingram---but that would really be a surprise and would probably mean that Hardesty was worse off than any of us thought. This however, is highly, highly unlikely.

Yea, so.

1. Peterson

2. DL that Heckert has valued @ #6/trade down.

Any talk of wide-receivers is smoke and mirrors.

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Of the two guys on the list, I think Peterson is a lock. But I really don't think the other guy is a wr. I just don't think that you spend a top-ten pick on a wide-out. Have Holmgren or Heckert ever taken a wide-out that high?

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A WR in the Top 10 is tough to figure out...

Holmgren as GM in Seattle did hit on Robinson at 9...

In GB he passed on Moss at 19 for a DT...Moss went 21...He wasn't the GM either...

Heckert took Macklin at 19 as a GM in Philly...And 2 of his 4 years as GM Philly didn't even have a 1st round pick...

So what's that tell us???...Nothing...We're talking the 6 pick here...

Mour...I agree...It's gotta be Peterson and Fairley...Excluding Dareus cause he's gone...Or PP and Green...

Holmgren knows Offense...And we need DL help...A Corner like Peterson locks down the perimeter...

So...I'd take one of those 3...In this order...

Peterson
Green
Fairley

Hell...Heck might have Fairley #1 on our board...Who knows!!!!!!!!!

Ha,, to answer your question, my opinion is, had Heckert come to the Browns when Davis was here, his career would have taken a serious hit.

It's been reported over and over again (not sure if it's confirmed) that Davis had plenty of folks around him that he had differences with on who to pick and still, he went with those he wanted.

So, heckert may have said, take this guy or that guy, But davis would have picked who he wanted anyway.

The result would have been the same on the field.

JMO however...

I'm assuming that in this fantasy scenario we're dreaming of Heckert having all the say in the drafts and Butch only being the coach.

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You all don't want to see the Browns improve on offense?
Especially in a passing league?

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That's not what he said.

I believe his basic point was that if the worst thing that happens this weekend is that we take Peterson then it's gonna be a pretty damn good weekend.

WR's take longer to get acclimated to the NFL and you can usually get some good ones later in the draft.

I will be very surprised if we take an Offensive player at #6. We'll see in roughly 3.5 days. I can't wait.

So...I'd take one of those 3...In this order... Peterson Green Fairley

My list is the same, I may put Green at the top just because of what he would mean to Colt's development but any of those 3 and its a win for the Browns.

Mour...I agree...It's gotta be Peterson and Fairley...Excluding Dareus cause he's gone...Or PP and Green...


I would tend to agree but if there's a WR in the mix..I just get this feeling it's Jones.
Why? A big hunch I have...and I know I've commented on his drops but somethign tells me in a WCO Jones might be the guy Heckert would take.
I do not believe Quinn is in the mix.