Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 5,761
D
Hall of Famer
OP Offline
Hall of Famer
D
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 5,761
Very good read:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/20232...up-to-the-draft

NFL clubs are now in the home stretch as they prepare for the 2014 NFL draft. Except for a few schools, pro days are now behind us. Some prospects will still go through private workouts, and of course, each club can bring up to 30 players in for visits. Some of these visits have already taken place, and the rest will occur over, roughly, the next two weeks.

The most important thing that happens next is clubs' draft boards are adjusted to include the activity that has taken place over the last 6-7 weeks. This started with the combine and includes pro-day results, private workout results and visits.

What I will attempt to do here is take you through each part of the process and show how it will affect each player's final grade.



Personal Visits

As I mentioned above, each club can bring in a total of 30 players for a visit. Much like a private workout, the visit gives coaches and personnel people a chance to spend some quality time with prospects they are interested in.

Clubs may or may not publicize who they bring in for visits, but I can assure you that the other clubs find out who visits, and teams do take notice. Each team wants to get an idea who their competition is for certain players. It's for that reason some visits really have no meaning and are more for show, so to speak, to "throw off" other clubs.

For example, let's say a club is interested in drafting an offensive tackle with its first pick. It isn't going to bring in just the player it is interested in. It may bring in three or four tackles and let the other clubs guess as to which one it prefers. Remember, this is a competitive process, and you never want to show your hand.

If a team is not sure of the position it wants to draft, it may bring in a few players who may be rated to be drafted where the team is making its selection. Again, this is done so no cards are shown.

No player can be at a club's facility more than two days and one night. Usually, a player will come in on a particular afternoon and then depart sometime the following day. During the course of his stay, he will meet with the head coach, the coordinator, the position coach, scouting director and general manager.

By league rule, he also has to go through, at minimum, a minor medical exam. This may be just to update all the medical information a team has on the player and make sure the information is accurate.

The coaching staff usually talks about football-related things when it has its meetings with the player. On the other hand, the general manager or scouting director may get more in depth about the player's family life and friends. If there are character concerns, these are discussed. This is all done to get a broad idea of what the player is all about.

Visits don't always go the way a club hoped. I have been involved with many where the visit ends up being the opposite of what you had hoped for. In the course of conversation, a coach may feel that the player just isn't a fit as a player or as a person, sometimes both. Reality is, when that happens, the visit was worthwhile, as the club could have selected a player who just won't fit in with his teammates.



Medical Rechecks

One event that goes on but rarely gets publicized is the medical rechecks at Indianapolis. This year, the rechecks are scheduled for April 26. The players who go to the rechecks are ones who were injured and didn't work out at the original combine in late February.

This could include players who were injured during the season and came to Indianapolis during their rehab period or players who were found to have a medical condition during their extensive medical exam at the combine.


This year at the combine, two highly rated players, tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins and defensive tackle Stephon Tuitt were found to have foot problems and were not allowed to work out.

At the rechecks, the only thing that is checked is the injury. New X-rays or MRIs are taken, and club doctors have a chance to see how well the player has healed in the past two months.

It also gives the club's medical people an idea of how much longer the player will be out. This can be very important information. Clubs can clear some players who previously had a red flag and, in other cases, outright reject a player, as they feel the condition is too risky for the club to want to deal with.



Draft Meetings

Most clubs will have had a preliminary draft meeting before the combine. During that meeting, the overall player list is usually cut to a workable size. Coaches are assigned players to grade, work out or both. During these final meetings in April, it is usually the first time the coach's evaluation is figured into the prospect's final grade.

The coach's evaluation is important, as he has to work with the player once he is drafted by the club. It's because of this that his evaluation carries a lot of weight in the final grade. Not only is the coach looking at the player's talent level, but he is also looking at the player's personality and intelligence. If the coach doesn't sign off on drafting a player, that player likely will not be drafted.

There is no way you can expect a coach to develop a player whom he doesn't want or like. It won't work, and the player will fail.

Not only is the coach's evaluation part of these final meetings, but also the results of all the physical testing from the combine, pro days and private workouts. Players who performed better than expected can see their grade go up. Conversely, players who worked out or ran poorly can see their grade drop.


For instance, let's say a receiver prospect plays like he has 4.55 speed on tape, but at the combine and again at his pro day, he runs 4.70. There is no way that player should keep his original grade. The slow time increases that prospect's probability to fail. While he may have looked good playing against college defensive backs, it will be another story when he has to play against NFL players.

On the other side of the equation, players who you thought were marginal athletes tested and timed well. Do you move those players up? In some cases, yes, but you have to be careful and make sure that the testing results are really indicative of their true athleticism.

The private workout results are important because with those workouts, the coaching staff will have a strong strong idea of whether the player has the physical and mental traits to play in that club's scheme.

Another thing that is gone over is final character analysis. By this time, all research should be done and the decision either to take a player or to reject him based on his character is made. During these final meetings, no stone is left unturned. All the pertinent information has to be put on the table so that a proper decision can be made.

At the end of the meetings, a final board is set. The players are stacked both by position and overall value. Players who have been eliminated get removed from the board.



The Draft Board

When I came into the league in 1981, most clubs' draft boards had over 300 names on them. With many clubs today, that is not the case. The final board may have 80-100 names on it. These aren't the top 100 players, so to speak, but the players at different levels the club will chose from each time it is the club's turn to draft.

I had a sign in my draft room that read "I want to know a lot about a few, not a little about a lot." In other words, we hopefully knew everything there was to know about the 80-100 players on our board. Not only did we know their talent, but we also knew both their personal and football character as well as a lot about their family structure. The more knowledge you have, the more successful a draft can be.


#gmstrong

"Players come along at different points in time" - Ray Farmer
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 55,499
V
Legend
Offline
Legend
V
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 55,499
Informative read.

This part in particular stood out for me:

Quote:

For instance, let's say a receiver prospect plays like he has 4.55 speed on tape, but at the combine and again at his pro day, he runs 4.70. There is no way that player should keep his original grade. The slow time increases that prospect's probability to fail. While he may have looked good playing against college defensive backs, it will be another story when he has to play against NFL players.

On the other side of the equation, players who you thought were marginal athletes tested and timed well. Do you move those players up? In some cases, yes,




I wonder if this is why there are so many misses in the pros. It's almost incredible that NFL teams who spend all of that time, money, and research are wrong so often.

Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 42,959
Legend
Offline
Legend
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 42,959
That was a good read,, thanks


#GMSTRONG

“Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts.”
Daniel Patrick Moynahan

"Alternative facts hurt us all. Think before you blindly believe."
Damanshot
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 39,674
B
Legend
Offline
Legend
B
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 39,674
Nice read.


I like the chopping of the draft board down to the 80 or so players you really want and think can play like a Brown.

If you get to the point none of them are left on your draft board, you revert to the positional or overall boards.


If everybody had like minds, we would never learn.

GM Strong




[Linked Image]
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 6,160
Hall of Famer
Offline
Hall of Famer
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 6,160
Keep these 3 names in your minds..even though this could be smoke,,
Roberson
Bortles
Mack

Mack is starting to grow on me..a lot.

Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 55,499
V
Legend
Offline
Legend
V
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 55,499
What position would Mack play?

Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 6,160
Hall of Famer
Offline
Hall of Famer
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 6,160
The Browns view Mack as a impact player.

This is the quote:

Head coach Mike Pettine envisions Mack being a defensive presence with the ability to play differing roles within the front-seven of the defensive structure and a very strong presence at ILB. For those which ask why the Browns would select another OLB type pass rusher, the Browns do not see Mack as simply that type of player, but rather Mack has been described as a 'missile' that will destroy everything in his path.

Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 1,447
P
Dawg Talker
Offline
Dawg Talker
P
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 1,447
I would have no problem taking Mack if Sheard was dealt.

Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 55,499
V
Legend
Offline
Legend
V
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 55,499
So, we will draft an ILBer at number 4?

Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 6,160
Hall of Famer
Offline
Hall of Famer
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 6,160
Uh I don't know, but I do know MP loves the kid and is very high on him..Farmer likes the OT's and both are high on his board.Add in the kid from Michigan..
So it may be one of things as how the draft goes up to 4.
If they do draft Mack, from what I've heard Petitine say in some sound bites they could move him anywhere on that front that they want..
But then it raises the question of what they do with Mingo/Sheard..I think Mack's strength is on the outside but I keep hearing them say he is equally good inside.

Odd or ironically,Dansby said he started outside and made the switch inside, so I wonder if that's not a influence to their thinking?

Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 55,499
V
Legend
Offline
Legend
V
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 55,499
I think Mack is a dynamic player. I just would not take him because we are loaded at OLBer and you simply do not draft ILBers that high.

The new guys are giving me a bad feeling. We're going to blow it again.

Of course, if it is all a smokescreen and they draft either Teddy or Manziel, than I will shower them w/praise for the great smoke screen they put up.

Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 13,358
Legend
Offline
Legend
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 13,358
Yeah... That would be weird.

I caught three or four Buffalo games this year, and while I like him as a prospect I think he is being way overhyped as a top 10 pick. A team that needs a QB passing on them for an ILB is... An interesting strategy.

Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 6,160
Hall of Famer
Offline
Hall of Famer
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 6,160
Since this isn't just a Mack thread , , I do believe Farmer knows what QB he wants..and he's had positive things to say abou Bridgewater..he's been very good at masking what the Browns will do but one thing I've learned over the years ...usually when a player is highly spoken of early then U don't hear nothing..he's a target..I think TB is a target..and I think Mack is too.

Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 7,234
B
Hall of Famer
Offline
Hall of Famer
B
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 7,234
Quote:

What Happens in the Final Month Leading Up to the Draft?




I start hallucinating and pulling my fingernails out with my teeth.

Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 55,499
V
Legend
Offline
Legend
V
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 55,499
I hope to God you are right.

Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 17,475
E
Legend
Offline
Legend
E
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 17,475
NFL Access - LT and the round guy...did their top 10 mock draft.
Clowney
Robinson
Manziel
then us taking Mack - of course saying Pettine is a D guy and will take the best D player ???
Raiders taking Watkins


Defense wins championships. Watson play your butt off!
Go Browns!
CHRIST HAS RISEN!

GM Strong! & Stay safe everyone!
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 11,085
Legend
Offline
Legend
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 11,085
How about Mack and trading up for Watkins with Raiders? I like Watkins a great deal.


"Every responsibility implies opportunity, and every opportunity implies responsibility." Otis Allen Glazebrook, 1880
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 6,160
Hall of Famer
Offline
Hall of Famer
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 6,160
Since the Browns are being linked to just about every QB , this is apparently what Farmer wants , to throw people off the scent and he's actually done a good job.
Think about it..when Banbardi was here, everyone knew they liked Manziel.
Farmer has kicked dust all over that..even if he really likes him that much , no one is going to know.

But it's still early and I got a feeling that name will appear right before the draft even if it's one of the three.
If it's a QB I hope it's TB..the HC knows how important a quality QB is. It's time the Browns got one.

I haven't had a chance to speak a lot in here, so I don't know how posters feel about these QB's but to me, they all have flaws but there isn't a huge gap this year like in some draft classes.
I thin k some of the guys taken late will actually succeed if in the right situation.
But I have my favorite and I hope the Browns get him. I keep thinking how positive Farmer was about Teddy yet nothing has been heard or said about him since..right? But we keep hearing Carr..Garropalo and now Bortles.

Eo, Farmer does like Mack a lot..BUT he also knows the value of a attacking offense so the media doesn't really know the direction he's going.

Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 1,805
K
Dawg Talker
Offline
Dawg Talker
K
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 1,805
Quote:

I think Mack is a dynamic player. I just would not take him because we are loaded at OLBer and you simply do not draft ILBers that high.

The new guys are giving me a bad feeling. We're going to blow it again.

Of course, if it is all a smokescreen and they draft either Teddy or Manziel, than I will shower them w/praise for the great smoke screen they put up.




Don't be surprised if it's Mack at 4 and we move up for Bridgewater in the Top 10.

Mack scares the hell out of me being from a chump school like Buffalo. Buffalo? Really?

I'd rather go Mathews myself. A Watkins, Bridgewater duo would be stellar. But I then lose my favorite target at CB in Fuller. No possible way he drops to 35.

Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 17,475
E
Legend
Offline
Legend
E
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 17,475
I seriously doubt we take Mack at 4 possibly at 26 but we know he won't be there.
1. I know not this regime's pick (although I think Farmer was here?) We took Mingo last year and they sincerely love the guy. So it sort of is like they took him last year...I really doubt they take Mack, only if they view Mingo as a mistake which is not the case. I will be shocked if we took him.

2. I still think its QB at #4.

jmho - possibly Robinson to get a kick butt OL


Defense wins championships. Watson play your butt off!
Go Browns!
CHRIST HAS RISEN!

GM Strong! & Stay safe everyone!
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 2,175
B
Dawg Talker
Offline
Dawg Talker
B
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 2,175
Quote:

I seriously doubt we take Mack at 4 possibly at 26 but we know he won't be there.
1. I know not this regime's pick (although I think Farmer was here?) We took Mingo last year and they sincerely love the guy. So it sort of is like they took him last year...I really doubt they take Mack, only if they view Mingo as a mistake which is not the case. I will be shocked if we took him.

2. I still think its QB at #4.

jmho - possibly Robinson to get a kick butt OL





I disagree. First, you don't pass on best talent. If Clowney or Khalil fall to the Browns at #4, you take him and upgrade anywhere you can. There is no rule saying you keep a current player. Khalil can beat out Kruger or Mingo. This FO is not married to last years FO draft picks. Where is it also written you can't roll out two levels of pass rushers? We can make a trade in the future too.

I agree. I can see Browns taking either Robinson or Matthews at #4.

In my opinion, the four best players in this draft is Clowney, Robinson, Mathews, and Khalil. Don't forget Anthony Barr who I rank fifth. Teams who normally pick in the top five need a QB, LT, and dominate pass rusher. I simply don't see a QB in this draft who can make a better impact day one than these five guys.

At #4 and if none of the QB's are off the board, I see Farmer trading down a spot or two getting a #one next year with another later pick this year. Then I take either Bridgewater or Bortles. If Farmer can't make a trade, I see Farmer drafting Barr or Khalil.

To solve the QB issue, If Farmer does not get a QB at #4-#10, I see the Browns drafting two QB's out of these four: Murray, McCarron, Mettenberger, and Carr. If they draft a QB early, I see Farmer drafting additional QB out of those four. You have Hoyer as the stop gap if he is not the guy. I don't see these four as world beaters or starters year one, but I can see an upside grabbing two increasing my odds. For that matter, I don't see a starter right out the gate on any QB in this draft. I do see a lot of potential.

In the end, I see several directions Farmer can take. There is a lot of potential at the top of the draft. It'll be interesting how this years drat plays out.

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 15,979
T
Legend
Offline
Legend
T
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 15,979
After that note; sometimes you have to draft the player who is not perfect. It is the right move, often, to take the player who doesn't fit what you want. Teams can miss out on a lot of future good players if they give up on drafting a guy, because he has a lot of problems with his game on the field. I'm talking about the on the field play of a player.

Sometimes you have to take the guy with bad footwork, or bad hands, or doesn't use the right technique, or drops the ball often, or doesn't look right for the part.
What I'm trying to say is, If all you're looking for is "Superman", "Justice League" Superhero's and you keep not finding guys who are perfect enough, then sometimes ya gotta shut up and take a guy! And then find a way to use him for his positives and work with overcoming his negatives.


Can Deshaun Watson play better for the Browns, than Baker Mayfield would have? ... Now the Games count.
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 8,556
Hall of Famer
Offline
Hall of Famer
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 8,556
draft day rules for the first round at least this is how I would avoid a lot of mistakes.
1. No interior linemen You can find starting caliber OL to fit your scheme anywhere in the draft.
2. No receivers with any questions regarding hands. #1 bust position and you damn sure dont want to start by taking someone who cant catch.
3. Running back with any type of surgery umm no The bust factor just gets magnified.

4. QB with accuracy issues short to mid (deep can be improved as they get more physically stronger)
5. No Offensive tackles with short arms *they are called guards*
6. No defensive tackles that do not hustle to the ball that is one quality that just doesnt improve

7. No one that gets arrested before the draft or fails the drug test at the combines.
8. Never draft a non rush backer in the top half of the draft. If you cant rush the passer in this age, get to the back of the bus.

9. do not draft a corner with any issues regarding his back pedal. If he cant play with nose over toes coming out he is a 3rd rounder or tampa 2 db which is imho a 3rd rounder.
10. Last but certainly not least, do not draft a safety that plays with his eyes down. you see a safety lowering his head and eyes at the snap, you see a safety that probably lacks instincts or smarts and lack of either isnt good.

Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 5,761
D
Hall of Famer
OP Offline
Hall of Famer
D
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 5,761
Drafting the best vs. drafting for need

A strategy session for draft day as well as my top-five players in this year’s roo

Two other articles well worth the read from former Bears GM Angelo:

As we continue to get closer to the 2014 NFL draft, I’d like to share a few thoughts. If I were giving advice to someone about drafting, I would start with this concept: Draft as if you’re an expansion team, not a sinking ship. History has shown that you can find starters, pro bowlers and, in some cases, Hall of Famers in the later rounds and as college free agents. But the focus has to be on acquiring the best players.

Having said that, you need to approach the draft with an open mind and without the pressure of filling needs. The “filling needs approach” is not only unsound, but you also find yourself embellishing lesser players who then end up filling those holes you have on your roster in lieu of better players.

Filling needs should have been addressed during the free agent period, regardless of the quality of the veterans you had sign to do it. They should be able to be plugged in at least for a year to take care of those voids. We called those players “stop gap guys.” Players that can “hold the fort,” as Bill Parcells would say, until the infantry arrives.

Jadeveon ClowneyWill pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney hear his name called!¨–ÒÓ the first overml pick?
In this year’s draft, I want to give you my first five picks in order of how I’d take them. Their positions are irrelevant, as these are the best of the best and guys I would trade up to acquire. You can’t minimize “special” and theÈe are the players who have the capabilities to be special at the next level.

On Sundays during the fall, games are won by special players. Look at it this way: Most teams have approximately the same amount of special players (8-10), regardless of both their positions and which side of the ball they play on. There are a few instances of teams with a couple more “special” players and, of course, some with less. But, by in large, the majority of teams possess 8-10. That was essentially the purpose Ôf free agency, to create parity. Parity is the distribution of those special players. These players also consume a significant portion of a team’s salary cap dollars.

Getting back to this year’s draft, here’s an interesting note: Four of my top-five players are underclassmen. Another intriguing note: Both Clemson wide receiver Sammy Watkins and Buffalo linebacker Khalil MmÕd ar° from the state oSŽýCˆidˆÙC d€DåDŸy RË2±Ct of the sHbte?

I’m going tj e`e°encÞ ºw qords:E“0eclin¥”‡aÕd™“Fl~os.ô ˜e e.d«fÎnÒ o¥h:

Floor: The worst a!pÇajeÌ ¸an Àe/iÉ the evnÚ °e dÕe²n>tQrea¡h•hs'pytznÁi¨l”<Ùrø/Q
Let’s uÖ/SouÌh Carolina pass r¥×µw JaȤ«w=@ CÀ®ª|7W a£„¼|rKxample. Clëney has everything you look o s a\p~sÏ ¾usherþ ÿe=s aKgyeftath`eeôwkoõh½sŸdÉmÉn½tªd•throughout hiËqareØr. Simply put, ClN~õ’ï;is} »ä~at}ú›óut V`ohe product´Þn to match and is virtuaol ¥nxlckaÏlf h®n he’Ì hoØng ÉlÙ-ÍuÝ. SÏ ÓiÇ fel nß |sšovÚo¹sly very high·ZNn f±ct, in my opinion·*,‰µ³ tóoe•N§heè~e’Aàanâ*5‘F¹er on the ”taft board.

The Øo¥n iÖe, ¸oÖe¯eÕ, is hÚtÿClovn£yóh¤d aŽpÖoe O0í37sÐaqoo.4HÓ as been label0Fas lnconsistent and a™}2霞imë¡jàŒfií§&ðÙšlaÀk/¤… coach. ThÉ can easily affect his abi¯iÑy0t¦ re cj Ãi ceilnf nd if.sª,…theæqÁetoØ eÜoeÌ th°t•s the worst hì“Öan e? Given that Clo¦ûQ×ì†s ýwSÛ¾Š pý$P޾šsh´çÏ¢‹ just medi­Ôre as a run stopper, if heIfniÙs(to leÏe®oÄ agaiØsÈ he £uf,ìwat’Ä ·iu ÅlÁoÉ?,M s Îipe¸y, it would bS%Êhe ¾oÏeåt"of my top-fm–ÔoÅmayŒÂa‰cr QÀ-Ç!/>@‰×)Ðsent‘critic]tms abound regarding Texas @&pm²;ô qu`r·eËbck Jojn®yòManzi§l> Ehat;sŠwhyâIãhvÞ Cl~we Ûnd Manziel ra`¸ed f¾urth and fifth, r\.§dtiv\`'î'simI`'âeecaL;ânt’s Åough t÷determine what their floorÉ ·rl{ ar¥.üb± W>
OoÈt paÒessHwhoòendHu² °u tªnÝ u fIthe league haàåólowòf;oär. It’s very hard for players to dominate in the NFL. Most players are role players and are solid, but not special starters. The league is›predominately made up of those types. For a player to be special at the NFL level is a rare feat. At the college level, a great athlete can be flawed but still play to 70-80 percent of his abilities and dominate because there is such a disparity in talent between the top athletes and the next level down. This isn’t the case in the NFL.

While there still is a disparity between the top athletes at the professional ranks, the disparity isn’t nearly as great as it is in college football. These playeÉs get hit with the labels like “underachiever,” “can’t play with pain” and “soft.” All of these terms define the flaw the player had in college, but you really didn’t notice it until he got to the next level.

MY TOP FIVE

1. Greg Robinson, OT, Auburn: Robinson is the safest, most talented player in this year’s draft. Gifted tackles like him have a good history of playing well and for a long time in the NFL. Somebody recently compared Robinson to San Francisco’s Anthony Davis, but that’È talking õ¦¬ßs and oranges. ¤Õbinson is §he next Walter Jones, with a rare combination of power and athleticism.

Sammy WatkinsClemson's Sammy Watkins is the best receiver available in this year's draft class.

2. Sammy Watkins, WR, Clemson: No receiver has been this electrifying since Calvin Johnson came out of Georgia Tech. He is big, fast and explosive. Watkins’ after-the-catch yards are unreal. He is competitive and explosive. He has a rare ability and rare skill set in that he canóbe lethal as both a vertical receiver and in the short game. He’s Sterling Sharp with top-end speed. Watkins saved his best game for last in Clemson’s bowl game win over Ohio State. However, he’s young and will have to be handled the right way. Watkins is sensitive and naive, but he wants to be great and with the right coach and quarterback, he will be.

3. Khalil Mack, LB, Buffalo: Not an elite athlete, though his workout numbers would differ, but has an elite package. A combination of size, spe¶d, strength and toughness with top production, as well as durability. People talk about Mack’s marginal coverage skills, but who cares? Linebackers don’t go into the Hall of Fame because of their coverage ability. Remember, Lawrence Taylor didn’t know when to drop or where to drop. The old saying comes to mind when I think about Mack: “Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.” He can rush the passer in a variety of ways, has a big motor and is stout versus the run.

4. Jadeveon Clowney, DE, South Ca¡olina: Has it all. When his motor is running, he can’t be blocked by one player. He can win the one-on-one battles with his speed and his moves. He’s scary, in that you don’t know how to play him, so offensives will wind up assigning two players to defend him. That means Clowney is a player that offensive coordinators are going to have to account for and that, in turn, messes with their game plans. But the big question is can you trust him? He won’t play hard 100 percent of the time for 16 games because itAs simply not in his DNA. He’s never had to work for anything and he’s going to be rewarded by being the first or second overall pick, so why should he change his behavior now? You’ve rewarded it! That’s his biggest knock in my book. The key to Clowney is figuring out if he has a pride factor. If so, he’ll set new standards at the position.

5. Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&M: You got to love him, but I wouldn’t touch him unless I knew there was a rock solid plan in place that tailors to his sty¿e. It’s not how he measures, it’s how are you are going to play him. Right now, the only coach I would trust to handle Manziel correctly would be Sean Payton and maybe offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak and 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh. All three played the quarterback position and know how to both develop signal-callers and develop schemes with the non-conventional types. Manziel is not Drew Brees. Brees made his living in the pocket as a colligate player, Manziel didn’t. Durability will be an issue. He’sónot a natural leader, but his teammates respond to him and that’s what counts. Manziel will do more to elevate the overall play of a team right now than any other player on the board.

THE NEXT FIVE

This next level I look at a bit differently. This level features the players who have the highest floors and are the best bet to play to their ceilings. This is not to say the following five guys won’t be outstanding players, because they very well can be. The likes of Cris Carter, Michael šrvin, Emmitt Smith and Mike Singletary are some players who probably would have fallen into this category, but not solely because of athletic prowess.

6. Mike Evans, ´èF Tea$ Ê&mp;€ÊØr /„7û!'ͯ)Èõ|1Õ­fõU Ý .Ó²QzÖ±f•>W. Blak[KBortle­, QB, Cknr¨l‘FvoÀilaäbx >6.’AkrÞnùD`nl,RDä,/PrtÄs»u»g3b« ç>ø0L “aeùMÓt|hwª,CO•,üTrxÏs4A & MUbr />http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/Drafti½g-the-best-vs-drafting-for-need.html


#gmstrong

"Players come along at different points in time" - Ray Farmer
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 5,761
D
Hall of Famer
OP Offline
Hall of Famer
D
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 5,761
Managing draft day

The draft is the most exciting time of the year for all organizations. It is literally and figuratively “D” day—the one day when everyone who works on the football side of the building will feel vindicated based on all their hard work. The time and manpower spent on the draft can’t be calculated. It’s a marathon coming to its conclusion with nobody in sight between the organizations and the finish line. Optimism is high based on everybody’s tremendous efforts.

The draft is the one time of year where the coaches and scouts come together without any real bias. They worked together hand in hand and are now going to see the fruits of their labor. In a business where your livelihood is based on wins and losses, there is nothing more satisfying than drafting a player everybody agrees can help the team win. Regardless of the team or where they are drafting, everyone will feel like they won and that enthusiasm will carry over into training camp and up to the first kickoff on opening day.

In reality, this euphoria will only have long-lasting benefits for a handful of teams. Most of the franchises will get a poor grade three years from now due to this draft class. For those that will pass, certain tenets must both take and be in place. I want to touch on some of those tenets today.

First of all, it’s critical to go into the draft free of “needs.” This gives you the freedom to jockey up or down on draft day with the potential to land more draft picks for the present and future drafts, as well as acquiring the best players on the board.

Most teams set three draft boards:

1. Best to worst, regardless of position, for 7 rounds
2. Best to worst by offense positions
3. Best to worst by defensive positions

There will also be a board with each team’s logo or name along with the number of draft picks that team possesses, as well as those slots listed underneath them. Once a player is drafted, his card comes off the board and is placed under the team logo that drafted him.

What the best-to-worst position boards tells you is how many players at certain positions are being taken and who is still available at the position. This is important because if you want to draft a player at that position, you’ll know how many players are still available. If there aren’t many left who garnered a favorable grade from your team, you may have to take a player at that position with your next selection.

Radio City Music HallFinding success at Radio City Music Hall often times means staying true to your board.

The best-to-worst regardless of position board shows you how and when the better players are coming off the board. It lets you know what players are going to be there for your pick when the time comes. It is also the board you rely upon when teams call to ask about a trade. This board gives you the ability to see who could still be available to you at their slot, should you choose to make a deal.

There isn’t much time between rounds and when you’re fielding multiple calls, you have to think quickly. Some teams don’t wish to be disturbed and just want to select from the players that are available when it comes time to pick. George Young was a big believer in this method. Some don’t like the confusion that comes with fielding calls and guessing who you may or may not be able to select at the new slot if you choose to trade. George was never one to get cute or beat himself. That’s why he’ll go down as one of the best at what he did.

On the flip side of the equation are the teams that try to collect as many picks as they can, risking certain players in order to do so. New England is a model for collecting picks. Patriots head coach Bill Belichick is probably the only HC who drafts as if he’s the owner of the franchise.

The different mentalities are what make the draft fascinating for the NFL’s 32 teams. You never know what to expect, but you better be prepared for everything. There will always be a club or two that will be in a fortunate position where a team will call and give them just about anything to get their pick. We can all remember the year New Orleans gave up their entire draft to get Texas running back Ricky Williams. Usually when teams give up the mother-load for any position but quarterback it winds up backfiring. But you can’t blame teams for trying. Instead, you blame them for losing.

As a team, you need to be prepared for all the top players. I have witnessed too many situations where a quality player everybody thought was going higher fell to a team that was unprepared for that specific scenario. Because the team didn’t spend the necessary time talking about the player, they decided to pass. Their excuse: “Something must be wrong with him.”

As big of a mistake as this is, you’d be surprised at how many times a quality player has continued to slide because teams never thought he’d be there when it came time for them to pick.

The prime example of this scenario is the 2005 draft day slide of Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers was projected to go high for no other reason than the fact that he was a quarterback and it was a very weak year for signal-callers. Alex Smith was the first selection to San Francisco that spring, while Rodgers was the next quarterback taken, although that didn’t take place until pick No. 24 by Green Bay.

A gift, some might say, that continues to keep giving.

To summarize, the first thing any team must do is make sure they are prepared for any top player falling to their draft slot.

The first three rounds are looked at as the premium rounds. These are the rounds where teams feel they can get legitimate starters with talent, good measureables and production.

If there is an art in drafting, it comes in the form of projecting where the players you want will go. This is critical to planning. You must have a very good idea of not only the round in which the player is going, but also what part of the round. The teams that do this well on draft day act instead of react. You don’t have the time in between rounds to sit as a staff and talk it over.

If a trade is proposed, you have to know how far down you can move based on the way you set your board. Say you have three players you are willing to draft if they are still available when you’re on the clock. A team calls wanting to trade up to your spot and they are currently four picks behind you, but are willing to offer a third round selection to make it happen. The chances are highly probable that one of your three players will still be there, so you make the deal.

Drafting is not an extension of someone’s ego. It’s about finding players that fit your coach’s schemes and possess the mentality and persona you want your fans and organization to identify with. That’s it. Anything else is losing football.

If this isn’t the case for an organization, these are the comments you are likely to hear from within the walls of a club on draft day:

“That’s my guy.”
“If we don’t take him, we’re crazy.”
“I never liked him, I don’t know why he’s on the board.”
“If we draft him, you coach him.”
”Stinks, can’t play.”
”Too dumb, why did we take him?”
”I got to have him, he’s the only guy who can help us win.”
”Nobody ever listens to me.”

This all is said within earshot for anybody to hear and these are things I’ve listened to over the years in the draft room after we made our pick because somebody didn’t get their way. Obviously, it was about someone’s ego. And the friction it created was sometimes worse than anything your opponents can do to you.

Drafting requires a team mentality with a goal of selecting the best players that fit what you want to do, regardless of what draftniks and the media have been saying for the last five months. I would rather do what I believe to be right than try and look wise to the ignorant.

I remember in 2007 when quarterback Brady Quinn came out of Notre Dame. I didn’t like him. I had seen him play several times and just didn’t feel like he was accurate enough, particularly when it came to getting the ball down the field. I’ve found that with quarterbacks you either love them or you don’t. There is no gray area when it comes to evaluating signal-callers.

Back to Quinn, he was the guy who had the big buzz going on around him that year.

There was a plethora of media types, including Quinn’s head coach at the time, Charlie Weiss, who thought he was going to be the next Tom Brady. Cleveland was targeted to take him because of their need for a quarterback. I know Phil Savage, who was the Cleveland general manager at the time. Phil is a great evaluator. And while I never talked to him about Quinn, I would have found it hard to believe that he loved the Notre Dame quarterback the way a lot of the media portrayed him.

As it happened, Cleveland took another player, offensive tackle Joe Thomas, with their first round pick instead of Quinn. However, the Browns then moved back into the first round at pick No. 22 and took Quinn. That’s where I feel teams make mistakes. I understand the importance of the position and if you don’t have a quarterback, you may have no other choice. But to take one, he’s got to be a guy you love. And if Cleveland loved Quinn, they should have taken him with their original first round pick or traded down and picked up a few other selections before pulling the trigger on their new signal-caller. Again, that’s just my theory.

In the end, Thomas was the right pick and Quinn wasn’t.

Osi UmenyioraOsi Umenyiora has notched 82.5 sacks during his 10-year NFL career.

I was in Chicago in 2003 and we were hell-bent on taking a defensive lineman in the first round. We were a 4-3 scheme at the time and relied more upon big-bodied defensive linemen than slender ones. Michael Haynes, a defensive end from Penn State, was the player we drafted in the first round. To my recollection, no one loved him, including me. But he was the best available lineman in the eyes of many. Haynes had the credentials, led the Big Ten in sacks that year, played well at the Senior Bowl and was a bright kid. There was another player out of Troy State I really liked who was much more exciting to watch than Haynes in college. He was more of a conventional 4-3 defensive end.

It was ultimately my decision and I opted to select "the people’s choice” and passed on Osi Umenyiora, who the New York Giants selected in the second round. The point I’m trying to make is that it’s easy to get caught up in perception and need, but in the end, if you did your work and you have a strong conviction, do what you believe is the right thing for the club.

Drafting isn’t a science and it’s not an art. It’s watching a lot of tape, practices and workouts. It’s talking to a number of people who can give you the needed insight on a player’s heart, his love for the game and his character. There is nothing mystical about it. It’s hard and everyone has an opinion. In the end, it’s not about who is right, it’s about being right.

What separates the people who draft well from the ones who don’t is the belief in their work and the willingness to stand on a table and to sell it.

A toast to those scouts and coaches who are willing to stand for what they believe, rather than fall for the cries of the masses. They are the ones who make a difference and the ones who have the rings to show for it.

http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/Managing-draft-day.html


#gmstrong

"Players come along at different points in time" - Ray Farmer
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 1,069
O
Dawg Talker
Offline
Dawg Talker
O
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 1,069
All of this thread is a pretty good read.

DawgTalkers.net Forums The Archives 2014 NFL Season NFL Draft 2014 What Happens in the Final Month Leading Up to the Draft?

Link Copied to Clipboard
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5