Top Intangibles

[JPS]

With all the talk of Reiff's arms and Martin's bench press, I got bored and started looking for stuff in interviews and write ups that indicated a guy was a football nut, film junkie, team leader, coach's dream, etc.. Not a comprehensive list (didn't include Luck, etc.) but guys who stood out were:

 

Round 1

 

DeCastro, Kuechly, Ingram, Cox, Kirkpatrick, Martin and Gilmore.

 

Round 2

 

Hightower, Lavonte David, Curry, Z. Sanders, B. Wagner, Cousins, Sanu

 

Round 3

 

Schwartz, Ben Jones, Bradham, Mike Martin

 

 

I remember reading about guys like Levitre and Sheppard thinking that I really wanted these guys on the Bills because they were football players. Again, I'm not here to debate the list as I am sure there are guys who belong. But I'd rather see the Bills take guys who care more about Tuesday practices than Monday's press clippings. My favorite guys based on this are Ingram, Gilmore, David, Curry and Mike Martin (Mich).

 

Who DID I miss?

Edited April 2, 2012 by JPS

[Captain Hindsight]

This is a good thread. I'd like to hear what Astro has to say on the subject

[JPicc2114]

I would add Marvin McNutt Iowa WR. Smart kid.. was a QB in high school. Hard worker, goes across the middle and sacrifices his body.

[eball]

Very interesting thread. Add "consistent performers for more than one season" to that list of intangibles in the first post and I think you've nailed Nix's drafting strategy.

[JPS]

Very interesting thread. Add "consistent performers for more than one season" to that list of intangibles in the first post and I think you've nailed Nix's drafting strategy.

Often, they go hand in hand. But I hear you. I honestly think it is Nix's draft strategy and if we follow his clues close enough, he will tell us who he is picking. But I wouldn't be surprised if the 1st 3 come from the above list. I like McNutt as well.

[stony]

I would add Marvin McNutt Iowa WR. Smart kid.. was a QB in high school. Hard worker, goes across the middle and sacrifices his body.

 

I like Mcnutt a lot. Reminds me a bit of Amani Toomer. Doesn't have that blazing speed but he just makes plays all over the field.

[peterpan]

Vontaze Burfect

 

 

 

 

 

But in all honesty the way that Tank Carder is always around the ball, he must be a smart film junkie type, like Shep

Edited April 3, 2012 by peterpan

[benderbender]

Intangibles meaning "can't really prove why I really like this guy over others"

[JOE IN HAMPTON ROADS]

Intangibles meaning "can't really prove why I really like this guy over others"

As long as it doesn't tranlsate to "high motor"

[JPS]

Intangibles meaning "can't really prove why I really like this guy over others"

Right. You can't tell the difference between them at the combine. But 1 guy eats, breathes and lives football and the other likes to make it rain in strip clubs. Motor IS part of it. But football awareness is another. Think Zach Thomas. Hines Ward. Howie Long.

 

Carder is a great add.

[CodeMonkey]

Right. You can't tell the difference between them at the combine. But 1 guy eats, breathes and lives football and the other likes to make it rain in strip clubs. Motor IS part of it. But football awareness is another. Think Zach Thomas. Hines Ward. Howie Long.

 

Carder is a great add.

Ahhh my favorite topic, intangibles Not only am I not a big believer in intangibles, I'm not even a small believer in them.

For example, I don't care what a player does in his off time. Be it watching old superbowl reruns, going to strip clubs, or watching old superbowl reruns in a strip club. I also don't care if he rants and raves and goes nuts in a locker room, or quietly goes about his business. The one, and ONLY, thing I care about is how he performs on the field every game.

 

There are no absolutes when it comes to predicting how players will perform in the NFL (otherwise we would all be GMs ), but I believe comparisons between players like they do at the combine is considerably more meaningful than comparing their off field hobbies and habits. But YMMV.

Edited April 3, 2012 by CodeMonkey

[JPS]

Ahhh my favorite topic, intangibles Not only am I not a big believer in intangibles, I'm not even a small believer in them.

For example, I don't care what a player does in his off time. Be it watching old superbowl reruns, going to strip clubs, or watching old superbowl reruns in a strip club. I also don't care if he rants and raves and goes nuts in a locker room, or quietly goes about his business. The one, and ONLY, thing I care about is how he performs on the field every game.

 

There are no absolutes when it comes to predicting how players will perform in the NFL (otherwise we would all be GMs ), but I believe comparisons between players like they do at the combine is considerably more meaningful than comparing their off field hobbies and habits. But YMMV.

Maybe I phrased is wrong. What do you call it when a guy is a hard worker, film junkie, coach on the field, etc.? I don't care what he does off the field either. In fact, the quality I'm talking about is when a guy doesn't have a life off the field. Look at the bios for Tank Carder, DeCastro and Curry. They sound like locker room leaders to me. Like Wood. Like Shep.

[eball]

Ahhh my favorite topic, intangibles Not only am I not a big believer in intangibles, I'm not even a small believer in them.

For example, I don't care what a player does in his off time. Be it watching old superbowl reruns, going to strip clubs, or watching old superbowl reruns in a strip club. I also don't care if he rants and raves and goes nuts in a locker room, or quietly goes about his business. The one, and ONLY, thing I care about is how he performs on the field every game.

 

There are no absolutes when it comes to predicting how players will perform in the NFL (otherwise we would all be GMs ), but I believe comparisons between players like they do at the combine is considerably more meaningful than comparing their off field hobbies and habits. But YMMV.

Wow. Just wow. That's about as narrow minded a post as I've ever read.

[CodeMonkey]

Maybe I phrased is wrong. What do you call it when a guy is a hard worker, film junkie, coach on the field, etc.? I don't care what he does off the field either. In fact, the quality I'm talking about is when a guy doesn't have a life off the field. Look at the bios for Tank Carder, DeCastro and Curry. They sound like locker room leaders to me. Like Wood. Like Shep.

No you phrased it right and my example was poor.

Hard worker, film junkie, coach on the field, locker room leader, I could not possibly care less about.

How effective he is at his job on the field is the one and only thing that matters to me.

How he gets himself to the point where he is the best at his job on the field is his business. He can watch film and work out endlessly, or he can sit in a strip club pounding beers. It matters not. The only thing that matters is what he does on the field game day.

Edited April 3, 2012 by CodeMonkey

[Deep2Moulds46]

I agree. Give me a slow, uncoordinated try-hard over a freakishly fast athlete with questionable work habits.

 

This is where someone should predictably point out how well Heyward Bey ran at the combine and how little it has helped him out during his NFL career, completely ignoring the fact that the majority of the NFL's top playmakers are all run fast/jump high/ freakish athletes.

[eball]

I agree. Give me a slow, uncoordinated try-hard over a freakishly fast athlete with questionable work habits.

 

This is where someone should predictably point out how well Heyward Bey ran at the combine and how little it has helped him out during his NFL career, completely ignoring the fact that the majority of the NFL's top playmakers are all run fast/jump high/ freakish athletes.

Yes, and the run fast/jump high/freakish athletes are EASY to spot. I don't believe that's the point of this post. The key to successfully building a team through the draft is in differentiating between athletes with similar measurables.

 

If you don't believe intangibles play into that, your and idiot.

[BillsCelticsAngelsBama]

Ahhh my favorite topic, intangibles Not only am I not a big believer in intangibles, I'm not even a small believer in them.

For example, I don't care what a player does in his off time. Be it watching old superbowl reruns, going to strip clubs, or watching old superbowl reruns in a strip club. I also don't care if he rants and raves and goes nuts in a locker room, or quietly goes about his business. The one, and ONLY, thing I care about is how he performs on the field every game.

 

There are no absolutes when it comes to predicting how players will perform in the NFL (otherwise we would all be GMs ), but I believe comparisons between players like they do at the combine is considerably more meaningful than comparing their off field hobbies and habits. But YMMV.

It's obvious you never played or coached. The other stuff done outside the lines can and will effect you and possibly your teammates within the lines. Cancers are called that beacause of how can spread throughout the organization. 100 % disagree.

[JPS]

No you phrased it right and my example was poor.

Hard worker, film junkie, coach on the field, locker room leader, I could not possibly care less about.

How effective he is at his job on the field is the one and only thing that matters to me.

How he gets himself to the point where he is the best at his job on the field is his business. He can watch film and work out endlessly, or he can sit in a strip club pounding beers. It matters not. The only thing that matters is what he does on the field game day.

In today's NFL, it is rare that one can be effective at his job unless he is a hard worker, film junkie, etc. That mythical beer pounding player in the strip club does not exist. Even if it did, my point of this is to say that player would not be high on Buddy's list. Your list is irrelevant. So is mine.

Edited April 3, 2012 by JPS

[deep2evans]

i think if a player is said "hard worker, film junkie, on-field leader", there's a better chance he'll reach his full potential. and that is a huge factor when drafting a player with a key 1st or 2nd round selection. take some risks later on, not in the top 10.

[CodeMonkey]

In today's NFL, it is rare that one can be effective at his job unless he is a hard worker, film junkie, etc. That mythical beer pounding player in the strip club does not exist. Even if it did, my point of this is to say that player would not be high on Buddy's list. Your list is irrelevant. So is mine.

I agree that in the current NFL it is unlikely in the extreme that a player would be one of the top players and sit in bars all night. My point is that I do not care how a player gets himself ready for game day, as long as he is ready. All of the other stuff that writers like to write about and forum dwellers like to post about during the off season like good locker room guy, good leader, hard worker, student of the game and so on doesn't amount to, in my opinion, squat. That's all.

 

 

It's obvious you never played or coached. The other stuff done outside the lines can and will effect you and possibly your teammates within the lines. Cancers are called that beacause of how can spread throughout the organization. 100 % disagree.

I have never coached, and I have never played football at anything above a high school level (and only did that for 2 years). But I have played hockey at a reasonably high level, albeit many moons ago. My experience is you count on your teammates on the ice above all else. It simply didn't matter how they got themselves ready to play, as long as they did and could play at a high level. "Cancer" meaning someone who constantly blames others publicly and negative things like that, yes a team is far better off without them obviously. But I just never found any of the "intangible rah-rah" stuff to matter much except to sports writers trying to fill a column. Again, just my opinion and as eball says I "and idiot"