Thread: Offseason adjustments throughout organization key to improvement

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/michael_lombardi/05/02/offseason/index.html?eref=T1

[size=12pt]Offseason adjustments throughout organization key to improvement [/size]
Michael Lombardi
Posted: Friday May 2, 2008 3:22PM;
Updated: Tuesday May 6, 2008 12:27AM

It was a play that coach Bill Walsh talked about all week before a 1986 playoff game. Catch a quick slant, make New York Giants defensive back Herbie Welch miss the tackle and the end zone is wide open.

I watched in amazement from the press box as the graceful Jerry Rice was heading toward the end zone. As he crossed the Giants 20 with no one in his path, something strange happened. While attempting to move the ball from his right hand to his left, Rice's knee rose up and hit the ball, causing it to fall forward and out of the end zone. The 49ers went from a potentially quick 7-0 lead to a moment of shock and despair, and before halftime our Super Bowl aspirations were gone. The offseason started that night on the long flight back to San Francisco.

This year's offseason is very different from those in the '80s -- for both the players and the front office executives. Back in '86 there was one minicamp, no extensive offseason weight program and, of course, no free agency. The college draft in late April was the only way of improving a team.

Today there is unrestricted free agency, 14 offseason practices, up to three minicamps and the weight program starts in late March and runs until the end of June.

There said, there are three areas that can cause a team to fail to achieve its intended goal of improving from one season to the next. The first is a breakdown in coaching, the second involves the schemes on offense, defense and the kicking game, and the last and most important area is talent level.

GREAT article - should be required reading for every fan who wants to understand front offices and how personnel decisions are made.

=Z=

"Zeus" wrote:

....GREAT article - should be required reading for every fan who wants to understand front offices and how personnel decisions are made.

=Z=

You're making the assumption that the people that pull stuff out of their ass will magically quit grasping for dung balls near the hairy taint.


It is the duty of the seekers of truth to take those turd balls and stuff them back into their pie holes so they can be recycled in another thread.


That is the circle of life on pp.o.

The personnel staff independently will write comprehensive reports on every player on the roster. Once these reports are finalized from coaches and personnel, a staff meeting will follow to go over each player on the roster.

Before heading to the combine, the personnel staff must grade every player on every NFL team. Focusing on just the restricted and unrestricted players will leave too many gaps in your knowledge of the players in the league.

I believe Singer gave us a article that said the Coaches did that around January and presented it to the Front Office (Player Personnel guys) to facilitate this process.

Cleveland did a wonderful job this year of using its knowledge of the college draft and free agency to rebuild its defensive line.

Studwell gets alot of credit but Patton earned his dough this year as well and deserves more recognition for his efforts.

It was like Walsh conducted a draft day clinic moving around the draft, but the real success came in the players we finally selected.

Funny how so many of his disciples tried to be the HC and the Man pulling the strings and have failed.
IMHO it is why he is truely a one of a kind.

Overall a good read Z but not unlike anything you haven't heard already.

;D

http://www.purplepride.org/forums/in...?topic=39112.0
http://www.purplepride.org/forums/in...9223#msg729223
http://www.purplepride.org/forums/in...1631#msg771631
http://www.purplepride.org/forums/in...7879#msg767879
http://www.purplepride.org/forums/in...7613#msg747613

"Prophet" wrote:

"Zeus" wrote:

....GREAT article - should be required reading for every fan who wants to understand front offices and how personnel decisions are made.

=Z=

You're making the assumption that the people that pull stuff out of their jiggly butt will magically quit grasping for dung balls near the hairy taint.


It is the duty of the seekers of truth to take those turd balls and stuff them back into their pie holes so they can be recycled in another thread.


That is the circle of life on pp.o.

Why did I go through all that effort when I could have just told you "Excellent post my friend"?
;D