Any concerns with our talent evaluators ie: our scouting dept.?

[PHINSfan]

It's too late to change stream this draft, but Hickey will likely change some of the staff this offseason.

I've long maintained that this is an area where a rich owner can considerably improve the team. Buying the best scouts helps, and their salaries are very low comparatively, so a wealthy owner should be able to pluck the best from the NFL and CFL if he prioritized it.

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Agree! Some people believe that now a days we don't need a great scout dept. I don't agree with that. Of course is up to the GM to decide who he brings in, but a great scouting dept. lets him choose from a better talent pool, that better fits what the team is trying to do schematically.

 

[PHINSfan]

Hickey's best skill is reportedly player evaluation. With 18 years experience in the NFL, that is what he did and why he is here. He has inherited Ireland's team (sans Brian Gaine) and so is pretty dependent on their information. However, he was looking over the same player prospects in his former role with Tampa Bay. I would expect that he has very definite ideas on how and what he is seeking in the scouting reports and will progressively put his stamp on this side of the process.
Other GM candidates were more articulate and skilled at using the media, eg Lake Dawson and Ray Farmer, but Stephen Ross picked the very experienced player evaluation guy. I'm optimistic that he can significantly improve our player evaluation process and results.

from your mouth...to God's ears, I hope you're right!

 

[PHINSfan]

I've said this many times. Scouting NFL prospects isn't THAT hard to do... especially when sites like Draft Breakdown are available. The issue is understanding what players were asked to do in college, what your system would ask of them, and whether or not their skills translate to that system. That's not even including getting to know players.

I'll use this example; Kevin Coyle wants to run a 4-3 defense with DTs that penetrate the gaps and can provide an interior pass rush. in round 2 or 3 if we decided we needed insurance at DT for our system would you draft a guy like Will Sutton who plays best at around 290 and is asked to penetrate the line, or would you draft a being 350 pound NT in Daniel McCuellers?

Very good example! That's where I think a great scouting dept. tries to narrow down the list of available players who fit our schemes better. Another good example was be the drafting of Jordan. Most people saw him as a much better fit as an OLB in a 34D, but we drafted him to play DE in a 43D. I remember reading at the time it happened that everyone in the war room was on the same page that he was the player they wanted. Didn't any scout bring up the point that regarding better positional fit??? who knows......

 

[PHINSfan]

That's the million dollar question isn't it? According to sources around the league guys like Anthony Hunt and Chris Grier have great futures in the NFL and we all heard how highly thought of Brian Gaine was around the league. Have our failures been the scouts not doing their job that well or was it Jeff Ireland not really listening to those around him? Or is it coaching that failed in developing.

I personally think it's a combo of all 3.

very good points... I agree!

 

[roy_miami]

Very good example! That's where I think a great scouting dept. tries to narrow down the list of available players who fit our schemes better. Another good example was be the drafting of Jordan. Most people saw him as a much better fit as an OLB in a 34D, but we drafted him to play DE in a 43D. I remember reading at the time it happened that everyone in the war room was on the same page that he was the player they wanted. Didn't any scout bring up the point that regarding better positional fit??? who knows......

I wasn't excited by the Jordan pick at all but if we ran a 3-4 I would have been extremely excited. Most defenses are flexible though and I'm pretty sure all defenses have elements of both base defenses so its not like Jordan will be useless for us, he's just not that exciting as a tweener.