"Being a successful NFL player is more than having the talent to play. ... The money, the groupies, how are they going to handle the big stage?" are what Morris also considers.Cutting through 'fog of confusion'Morris will spend hours talking to anyone who can help answer those questions. He has worked 15 games since the start of the college season, including Prairie View A&M-Texas Southern and Houston-Rice on Sept. 2 and Tulsa-Houston and Oklahoma-Texas A&M on Nov. 4."At certain schools, you are going to get the same information about everybody. You will not hear anything bad," he says. "At some schools, you are going to get it straight. Part of being an area scout is trying to tell truth from fiction."He uses his laptop to file reports on as many as 300 prospects. The Browns evaluate on a scale that ranges from seven (elite athlete) to four (below average).He prefers the press box to a seat in the stands because he values his privacy and "you can spread out a bit more." He'll use a larger notebook when he is upstairs, allowing him to keep defensive notes on the left side and offense on the right.Of an offensive lineman, Morris wrote: "Soft, no butt, no leg definition, fat around midsection, V-shaped body." That is not promising. Teams look for big-butted linemen. Greater mass equals greater force.Morris filed this information from the strength and conditioning staff: "He has a nasty streak. He listens to heavy metal before games. He is into training and nutrition. Takes care of his body." There was this insight from coaches: "He does whine a bit to players about minor things. But when he has to work, he works."On a cornerback of interest, Morris wrote: "Well-built. Small frame. Legs and butt are muscled up, but thin." He made this entry under practice/game notes: "Good footwork in practice, good hips, good ball skills. Moving better as a free safety, tackling better as season progresses. Shows good toughness, good range."Tape study will reinforce or alter the opinion Morris forms in person. Bowl games, all-star games such as the Senior Bowl, the scouting combine in February, private workouts, interviews and criminal background checks provide more material.Savage constantly reminds his staff to see through the "fog of confusion," the term he uses for information overload. "A scout has to really trust his own eyes and instincts and tune all the other stuff out," he says, "to get through the fog of confusion." http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/2006-11-29-scouts-cover_x.htm pretty interesting read actually, little dated though
I was angry when we drafted Freeman. I did some research and got luke-warm on the pick. After the 2011 season, I was high on him and looking forward to his further development. I really thought we had found our franchise guy.I wanted Claiborne or Richardson in 2012. I was okay with the Barron pick, but I wasn't super excited or anything. I hated the Doug Martin pick and feared he was going to bust (he's now my favorite offensive player).I was disappointed in the GMAC pick. I thought he would be serviceable, but that Suh was far and away a better player. Guess who my favorite Defensive player is?I'm apparently pretty terrible at talent evaluation, but I call it like I see it and I can admit when I was wrong.
So who do you hate this year? We should get that guy
JFF actually.
I was angry when we drafted Freeman. I did some research and got luke-warm on the pick. After the 2011 season, I was high on him and looking forward to his further development. I really thought we had found our franchise guy.I wanted Claiborne or Richardson in 2012. I was okay with the Barron pick, but I wasn't super excited or anything. I hated the Doug Martin pick and feared he was going to bust (he's now my favorite offensive player).I was disappointed in the GMAC pick. I thought he would be serviceable, but that Suh was far and away a better player. Guess who my favorite Defensive player is?I'm apparently pretty terrible at talent evaluation, but I call it like I see it and I can admit when I was wrong.
So who do you hate this year? We should get that guy
JFF actually.
Nooooooooooooooo.Hate Mack or Watkins... Hate Clowney or Teddy B falling to us.
I was angry when we drafted Freeman. I did some research and got luke-warm on the pick. After the 2011 season, I was high on him and looking forward to his further development. I really thought we had found our franchise guy.I wanted Claiborne or Richardson in 2012. I was okay with the Barron pick, but I wasn't super excited or anything. I hated the Doug Martin pick and feared he was going to bust (he's now my favorite offensive player).I was disappointed in the GMAC pick. I thought he would be serviceable, but that Suh was far and away a better player. Guess who my favorite Defensive player is?I'm apparently pretty terrible at talent evaluation, but I call it like I see it and I can admit when I was wrong.
So who do you hate this year? We should get that guy
JFF actually.
Nooooooooooooooo.Hate Mack or Watkins... Hate Clowney or Teddy B falling to us.
Oh I definitely think Clowney will be a bust, yes. Maybe that's our guy!
If you're talking about a specific team, sure.If you're talking about picking every round for every team...uhh, doesn't even sound appealing. No WAY would I attempt to do that.THAT's what the professionals do - the NFL GM's and college scouting departments build a board for every team, then game plan various scenarios based on need and availability - or possibly BPA (though I think average teams that follow that theory have been slaughtered over a period of time). Then the coordinators and their coaching staff's take a cut - on every player according to the positions of need, every round, and then they do every team - paying particular attention to their competition and to teams that could impact thier board.A few rounds - I could probably hang - mostly I'm lucky if I get the 1st round. I have begun to get the position of need narrowed each year - and because we don't have access to the same information (my copy of the draft guide costs $9.99 - as well as one or two online draft analysis services), this is probably the thing most teams blow it out on (regarding dedication of resources)...and they know the metrics that they're looking for.No, you'd have to show me the layman, and his results for the past 5 years. No way the majority of us could get anywhere close to the kind of performances of the pro's - those that get paid to do it for a living.
