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Draft the Person first, not the player!

CEN-CAL17

By CEN-CAL17
in The Stadium Wall Archives

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LI_Bills Rookie

LI_Bills

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Character over talent is a luxury that good teams can afford and we're not there yet.

 

A big part is having a coach able to manage the player and vets who can back up the coach. Hopefully McD can do the job with help from the likes of Kyle and Richie.

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Bronxbomber21 Veteran

Bronxbomber21

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I much rather draft the kid the produces on the field at the highest level then the guy that produces at the combine with ok production on the field.

 

Plus do you guys know how many kids were labeled with character problems that turned out to be model citizens when they got to the league. These guys are still just kids.

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nucci Hall of Famer

nucci

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I want a team full of high motor, lunch pail guys!

 

But seriously, there is something to be said for drafting guys with high football IQs. That is obvious for a QB, but at every position the ability to understand what is happening and react to it instinctively is important. I guy can have all the metrics of size, speed and strength, but if there isn't anything between the ears then that guy isn't going to reach his potential in the NFL. EJ had all the metrics, but the game never "slowed down" for him. I also believe The Hoodie is an expert at recognizing the mental ability of his players and he places a high value on their ability to learn and play within the system.

Don't forget blue collar.....whatever that means

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simpleman RFA

simpleman

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Football is a game. Football is a business. Players are resources you use to win a game.

I don't worship players, I don't look for them to be be role models. I look for them to help the team win the games.

I care what they do on the field to help the team win games and to not make the team less successful on the field.

I don't care what a person is like off the field. I want positive results on the field. I don't care about "character" off the field.

They are not priests, saints or mentors. They are football players.

Edited by simpleman
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thebandit27 Hall of Famer

thebandit27

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We always tend to look at numbers, size, speed vertical jump, etc...

 

But I'm a true believer in drafting the person first. Yes numbers are important but in the NFL they mean nothing if you're not the whole package.

 

Not saying this is my pick @ 10, because I'm leaning towards Haason Reddick with a trade down or even this guy as well. I feel Haason is a high Character player as well.

 

 

 

Um, dude...

 

http://www.foxsports.com/college-football/story/temple-suspends-dion-dawkins-haason-reddick-following-arrests-aggravated-assault-charges-031715

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mjt328 Veteran

mjt328

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It's a balance.

 

For some guys, being cocky or arrogant is just a part of their personality. It doesn't create a problem for the team and never becomes an issue. Other guys become a massive distraction for their teammates.

 

Some guys get in trouble off the field, and it becomes a wake up call in their life. Others can't stop getting in trouble, and spend the majority of their careers getting suspended for various incidents.

 

Lots of players work their tails off, but still stink. Others are lazy, but manage to be good/great players based almost entirely on their talent.

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Buffaloed in Pa Veteran

Buffaloed in Pa

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We always tend to look at numbers, size, speed vertical jump, etc...

 

But I'm a true believer in drafting the person first. Yes numbers are important but in the NFL they mean nothing if you're not the whole package.

 

Not saying this is my pick @ 10, because I'm leaning towards Haason Reddick with a trade down or even this guy as well. I feel Haason is a high Character player as well.

 

These are the type of guys I want.

 

Video:

 

https://youtu.be/JyKRe5jtjwA

I`m with you on this, we need olbs more than anything. The other lbs I have been looking at have shoulder problems or are too stiff in their movements . One has horrible tackling form ,high grab tackles and not much coverage skills. Reddick seems the most to offer.If you been looking at lbs ,you know who I`m talking about.

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Elite Poster Veteran

Elite Poster

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Talent trumps character almost every time.

 

Basically.

Character over talent is a luxury that good teams can afford and we're not there yet.

 

A big part is having a coach able to manage the player and vets who can back up the coach. Hopefully McD can do the job with help from the likes of Kyle and Richie.

 

You mean that guy who got booted off a team primarily for a character reason?

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hondo in seattle All Pro

hondo in seattle

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I like what you're saying in theory, but it's not always so simple.

 

The greatest quarterback in Bills history was Jim Kelly. At the time he was drafted, he was an arrogant prick who thought he was too good for Buffalo.

 

Conversely, EJ Manuel was said to have all the off-field things you could want in a quarterback. Great leader, great studier, hard worker, "presence", commands a room, etc, etc..He led the Bills to exactly zero playoff appearances.

 

Setting aside the Bills, you have cases like Brett Favre (addicted to painkillers, partier, didn't take game seriously) or Chris Carter (drug addiction, bad attitude, self destructive behavior) who went on to be Hall of Famers and guys who were totally clean off the field (Christian Ponder, Aaron Maybin) who wound up being total busts.

 

Character is important. So is talent. So are measurables. It's not so simple.

 

 

 

And this is why even professional scouts are wrong so often. Because it's not simple. NFL personnel guys have to blend all this stuff together and then make a prediction as to NFL success. Elements of that prediction include (1) raw talent, (2) work ethic, (3) staying out of trouble, etc. Even talent is a funny thing. Guys might be great at the college level but still fail to develop NFL level skills despite having the measurables.

 

It's like the weather. Despite all science knows about weather systems, professional climatologists are still often wrong in their predictions.

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Dr. Who Veteran

Dr. Who

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And this is why even professional scouts are wrong so often. Because it's not simple. NFL personnel guys have to blend all this stuff together and then make a prediction as to NFL success. Elements of that prediction include (1) raw talent, (2) work ethic, (3) staying out of trouble, etc. Even talent is a funny thing. Guys might be great at the college level but still fail to develop NFL level skills despite having the measurables.

 

It's like the weather. Despite all science knows about weather systems, professional climatologists are still often wrong in their predictions.

I agree with the complex judgment paradigm. If it were easy, there wouldn't be so many mistakes.

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