Miami Dolphins scouting department gets a big endorsement

[AL R]

The Miami Dolphins scouting department has spent the past two weeks grinding. College scouts who live all around this great country spent the past two weeks in South Florida in meetings with coaches and the personnel department heads discussing the players the team is considering in the upcoming NFL draft.

(They were also discussing players the team won't be picking).

And it goes without saying that if the scouts are not delivering, the system is broken from the foundation on up.
But based on discussions I've had with multiple NFL people this offseason, I keep hearing there is indeed a high level of respect for the Dolphins scouting department throughout the league.

"They've got good people over there," no less than Bill Parcells told me a couple of weeks ago. "It's not like they've got a bunch of guys who don't know what they're doing. They've got good people."

Parcells listed a list of guys he really respects. And for the guys in the scouting department that hang on every word ever published in this blog, please understand this is not a full list of names Parcells rattled off because I wasn't taking notes ... but I do remember him mentioning:

Ron Brockington, who is in his 10th season with the Dolphins, and is responsible for scouting the mid-states portion of the United States.
Adam Engroff, who is in his 17th season working for the Dolphins, and has been a national scout.

Anthony Hunt, who is in his 22nd season working for the Dolphins and is the director of pro personnel. Hunt started out in 1994 as a scouting assistant and climbed the ladder. Jimmy Johnson praised Hunt out of the blue one day in the mid 1990s and the guy was hired fulltime soon after. Parcells seems to always mention Hunt when we talk about scouting.

Chris Grier, who is in his 16th season with the Dolphins and 21st season in the NFL, is also a Parcells favorite. Parcells promoted Grier when he took over running the Dolphins in 2008.

"If the coaches tell him what they're looking for," Parcells said, "Chris will find players with those qualities."

Parcells mentioned Joe Schoen. I've heard multiple people talk highly of Schoen in recent months. Apparently Schoen, who started out as a scout, worked up to national scout, then assistant director of college scouting and then director of player personnel, is known in multiple circles as a tireless worker with a good eye for talent.

http://miamiherald.typepad.com/dolp...outing-department-gets-a-big-endorsement.html

I know it Parcells but I think the bigger point Armando touches on later in the article is it the scouts who are the problem or the ultimate decison makers.

 

[uk_dolfan]

"They've got good people over there"

He hired most of the clowns who got in this mess, of course he would say this

 

[AL R]

"They've got good people over there"

He hired most of the clowns who got in this mess, of course he would say this

Yes Agee but just saying they may not be all terrible we don't have enough information to really decide IMO. More from the article:


Well, I'm of the opinion the Dolphins scouting department sometimes gets dismissed by you (fans, readers) because the team's record for years and years has been disappointing and because the lack of talent is clearly one of the reasons. And fair is fair. If the team is bad, the NFL being a team oriented league, forces people to believe the scouts and personnel people are part of the problem.

But not knowing what was written in scouting reports by whom and what was done after that was done, I cannot say conclusively one scout is good or another is bad.

I can say that several of these men have lasted through multiple owners, coaches, general managers and executive vice presidents for football administration. They were deemed worthy of staying and, in some cases, getting promoted through the ranks under different leadership.

 

[Adam Strange]

I'm sure he was 100% behind Sparano and Ireland too.

 

[hoops]

we'll see

 

[AL R]

we'll see

I would like to hope that we hvae some decent people in the organization, maybe not, but its a hope and that some of the problems stem from being overidden at the end from people at the top, but maybe not.

I dont take much stock in what Parcells says cause he would support his guys but the last part of the article and what Armando points out is worthy of consideration in my mind.

 

[hoops]

I would like to hope that we hvae some decent people in the organization, maybe not, but its a hope and that some of the problems stem from being overidden at the end from people at the top, but maybe not.

I dont take much stock in what Parcells says cause he would support his guys but the last part of the article and what Armando points out is worthy of consideration in my mind.

there's only been one year that I have been happy with the first 2 day draft handling as far as how the board shook out and who we took as players or how we went about things and that was the 2014 draft with james, landry, and billy turner...and that was after on day 1 we overdrafted jawaun james by probably half a round...day 2 I was very happy with the return...2015 we started off with a bang with devantae parker after todd gurley went in front of us but we so screwed the pooch during the round 2 lb run I was pissed...although they did get themselves a 1st round type talent athlete in Jordan Phillips...the hoarding 5th round picks stuff utterly stupid

we'll see if these guys can finally get draft prospect value and and board foresight finally right for 2 days...I doubt they can...especially if they force needs taking a non need position at 13...if that happens I'd expect panic to take over on day 2

 

[AL R]

there's only been one year that I have been happy with the first 2 day draft handling as far as how the board shook out and who we took as players or how we went about things and that was the 2014 draft with james, landry, and billy turner...and that was after on day 1 we overdrafted jawaun james by probably half a round...day 2 I was very happy with the return...2015 we started off with a bang with devantae parker after todd gurley went in front of us but we so screwed the pooch during the round 2 lb run I was pissed...although they did get themselves a 1st round type talent athlete in Jordan Phillips...the hoarding 5th round picks stuff utterly stupid

we'll see if these guys can finally get draft prospect value and and board foresight finally right for 2 days...I doubt they can...especially if they force needs taking a non need position at 13...if that happens I'd expect panic to take over on day 2

Maybe Hickey wanted to take Kendricks like we did or another scout felt strong about him but from what we here Mike T overruled them. I dont remember if it was ever reported who Hcikeys target was or not.

I felt the same as you last year if you recall wanted Gurley we just missed out but was good with Parker. Its almost a year later and still cant forget about the Kendricks situation.

 

[hoops]

Maybe Hickey wanted to take Kendricks like we did or another scout felt strong about him but from what we here Mike T overruled them. I dont remember if it was ever reported who Hcikeys target was or not.

I felt the same as you last year if you recall wanted Gurley we just missed out but was good with Parker. Its almost a year later and still cant forget about the Kendricks situation.

supposedly the target was duke Johnson for hickey and tbaum overruled him for Jordan phillips

 

[Travis34]

supposedly the target was duke Johnson for hickey and tbaum overruled him for Jordan phillips

If that's true I'm okay with that. But the sad truth is we may never fully know who has total control of the drafts. I mean now it'll definitely be mostly Tannenbaum. Hopefully Gase gets some input on the matter though... I personally have no way to know if our scouting department is all that great or not because crap decisions are made in the draft.

Wish we could just have a bunch of guys from finheaven be the scouts I mean damn it seems like you guys put in more time and dedication than they do.

Losing out on Kendricks hurts bad and will continue to hurt. Pray to god Kiko stays healthy

 

[Daytona Fin]

Parcells doesn't speak with Ireland anymore because Ireland wanted Harbaugh over Sparano.

Interestingly, Ireland fell out of favor with his mentor when he made a back-channel play to hire Jim Harbaugh as Dolphins head coach in 2011. Parcells saw the move as a betrayal of Tony Sparano, who was the Miami head coach at the time. Consequently, Ireland and Parcells reportedly are no longer on speaking terms.

http://www.nola.com/saints/index.ssf/2015/01/saints_new_personnel_man_jeff.html

 

[Kdawg954]

Betrayal is laughable . . . Team clearly quit on Tony at the end of 2010.

But how that whole Harbaugh/Sparano situation was handled is arguably the biggest indication of incompetence in this organization since the 1-15 season. Ireland and Ross acted like amateurs.

---------- Post added at 11:15 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:14 AM ----------

Meh at Hickey also, god is his 2014 overrated on here.

 

[MD]

We have had a string of bad personnel decisions going back to JJ. Poor scheme fits, talented guys outside the metrics chart passed on, poor development by the coaching staff. At least now everyone appears to be on the same page which has been an issue. I thought Tannenbaum botched the lack of LB and selection of Phillips last year. He needs to trust in the scouting dept, Gase and staff before flexing his muscle with more miscues like that.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[hoops]

If that's true I'm okay with that. But the sad truth is we may never fully know who has total control of the drafts. I mean now it'll definitely be mostly Tannenbaum. Hopefully Gase gets some input on the matter though... I personally have no way to know if our scouting department is all that great or not because crap decisions are made in the draft.

Wish we could just have a bunch of guys from finheaven be the scouts I mean damn it seems like you guys put in more time and dedication than they do.

Losing out on Kendricks hurts bad and will continue to hurt. Pray to god Kiko stays healthy

yep...you and me both...I would have rather taken the chance on Jordan Phillips level talent than draft duke Johnson there...of course someone should have overruled both hickey and tannenbaum once that horrid stephone Anthony to new Orleans pick was made and then the warning shots at ilb started firing all over the place to go get damn eric kendricks (who we will have to watch play damn well in minnesota and regret not going and getting for quite some time and highly likely more than anything else)

 

[where's th'fish]

I've been of the opinion for some time that our problem is not scouting, but a disconnect between the decision makers, the coaches and the scouting. Pretty sure it's a very common problem around the league. That's why the year Hickey was in charge we "magically" had a strong draft. The magic he worked was simply getting everyone on the same page and putting politics and self-interest aside.