Interesting article about scouting

[kernowboy]

Reading the thread about investment and development, this makes interesting reading and it only considers one unit

http://www.afceastreport.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=162&mode=flat&order=0&thold=-1

[kernowboy]

well I thought it was an interesting article

[PECKERWOOD]

By Ron Baskin

October 27th, 2006



The latest reshuffling of the Buffalo Bills’ offensive line is proof of something we said in past years. Buffalo needs a complete overhaul of its scouting department on both the college and pro levels. General managers in the National Football League certainly do their share of scouting and player evaluations, but the grunt work belongs to the scouts who search the nation’s campuses for players who can help the team. As we all know, the Bills haven’t gotten a lot of help in recent years.

As dismal as the college drafts have been under assistant general manager Tom Modrak, pro personnel director John Guy’s record is even worse. Tutan Reyes, a free agent pickup from Carolina during the off-season, began the season as the starting left guard. Now, he’ll be occupying space on the bench. What made the Bills think Reyes was the answer to their prayers? Mark Weiler and I didn’t think so, and we said it at the time the deal was made. Still, the Buffalo front office and coaching staff insisted he would upgrade and solidify their line.

Mike Gandy, a free agent pickup under former general manager Tom Donahoe, will replace Reyes. Gandy began the season as the starting left tackle, even though his performance last season was a clear indication to anyone who knows line play that Buffalo quarterbacks should take out insurance from Lloyd’s of London. Gandy is interesting because the Bears under coach Dick Jauron originally drafted him.

Here’s where the Gandy story gets interesting. Drafted as a guard, he began his pro career at that position, but was moved to tackle because of injuries to other players. Jauron says Gandy is a natural guard. If that’s the case, why were they playing him out of position? It would seem the move should have been made the moment Jauron hit the door.

The Bills’ new starting left tackle will be Jason Peters, who moves from the other side and is said to be Buffalo’s best offensive lineman. Peters was signed out of college as an undrafted tight end before being moved to tackle. If he truly is Buffalo’s best offensive lineman, what does that say about the scouting operation that produced the other four?

Taking over Peters’ vacated right tackle slot will be rookie seventh round draft choice Terrence Pennington, who was viewed as a project when he arrived in Orchard Park. From project to starter is a big leap. I suspect it’s too big a leap to be completed this season.

Only center Melvin Fowler and right guard Chris Villarial remain as holdovers on the starting line. Neither is expected to make the Pro Bowl this season.

The common thread here is the failure of the scouting department. It is extremely difficult to blame coaches for their performance when they are not given talent to work with. I never thought Jim McNally was as good a line coach as the Bills would have you believe. I also didn’t think he was as bad as the performance of the line indicates. There’s not a lot of talent there. Period.

Buffalo has believed for the past several seasons they could build a line with rejects from other clubs. It has taken far too long for them to realize—if they have really finally realized it—this is absolutely the wrong approach. Yes, Mike Williams burned Donahoe’s Bills in 2002, when they drafted him in the first round. Williams, however, was a legitimate pick at the time and it’s difficult to fault Buffalo for taking him. His problems was he thought the only thing he needed to do in order to justify his huge contract was sign on the dotted line and don his uniform.

That’s not to say the Bills didn’t make mistakes in selecting Williams. They certainly ignored indications it would be a rough ride.

Scouts noted at the time questions about Williams’ ability to protect the blind side of a right-handed quarterback. A left tackle at Texas, Williams’ quarterback was the left-handed Chris Simms. Many scouts thought he lacked the athleticism needed to play the left side as a pro. The Bills found out almost immediately the pundits were right and decided to keep him at right tackle. In essence, they paid left tackle money to a guy who couldn’t play the position.

You can look across the roster and see what this scouting department has wrought. General managers who should have known better drank the Kool Aid Modrak and Guy were serving, giving Buffalo fans a "Jonestown Punch." I blame the general managers—Donahoe and Marv Levy—for not watching film of their picks (you couldn’t watch film on these guys and assume they’d be anything other than what they’ve proven to be), but I also blame the scouts for bringing in film of these guys to begin with.

The latest line shuffle won’t work for one very good reason. The Bills’ offensive line doesn’t include one above average player and, perhaps only one or two average guys. That’s not how you build an offensive line. That’s how you build an increase in your medical insurance policies.

What the Bills have done to bilk the fans is to pay certain players more money than they deserve. The size of these contracts excites fans who have no in depth knowledge of the game, leaving those of us who do know scratching our heads. Yet, any of these people who Bobby "The Brain" Heenan would call "Ham ‘n Eggers" could do the same thing Buffalo linemen do—get the quarterback killed.

Overpaying certain players has become an art form in Orchard Park. What have Peerless Price, Josh Reed and Willis McGahee done to merit their big bucks deals? Do you really think J.P. Losman has done anything to justify his money? How about Larry Triplett? You can go on and on. It’s a collective process, as Levy has noted, but the common thread in the failures of this team are inextricably linked to poor scouting. That needs to change. It needs to change in a hurry.

If the Bills are ever to begin moving in the "right direction," there needs to be a complete housecleaning in the scouting department. Regular readers will recall I said exactly that when Donahoe was fired. I warned then—and continue to caution now—that nothing will change for the Bills until they get some scouts who know what an actual football player looks like.

The Buffalo Bills can shuffle their lineup to their heart’s content. The results will be the same as long as the scouts do.

[G. Host]

Oh Ron Baskin and Mark Weiler did not think he was a great pickup so that means the scouts don't know anything!

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Some internet writers take themselves too seriously!

[PECKERWOOD]

Oh Ron Baskin and Mark Weiler did not think hewas a great pickup so that means the scouts don't know anything!

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Some internet writers take themselves too seriously!
Yeah, I didnt quite understand his point there. Peters was a diamond in the rough, kudos to the scouts on that one. But he is right, the rest of our OL isnt too impressive at all.