Team Building in the 2020s (courtesy Howie Roseman)

[davos]

Quote

“[Y]ou have to make a decision on what your priorities are on building the team, whether you’re going to kind of go with the flow or you’re going to kind of figure out what is the most important thing for your team and if there’s some value in being different and figuring out what now is kind of the next area,” Roseman told reporters. “I think we spent a lot of time, Coach [Nick Sirianni] and I talk about this all the time, if we’re going to be the same as everyone else, we’re probably going to finish in the middle of the pack. Sometimes you have to take risks and you have to stand out there and do something different than everyone else. So that doesn’t mean that there aren’t right decisions to make at that position. But at the same time, if you’re doing the same thing that everyone else is doing, you’re probably a step late.”

I'm not looking to the Iggles as some pure & perfect model by any means.  But I respect the way in which that franchise operates and has been able to rebuild multiple times after Super Bowl runs in rather quick fashion from Reid to Pederson to Siriani. 

The things I'd like to note:

• Howie & Nick's dynamic is a strong and well defined one.  They know each other's roles & compliment one another.  
• You have to take a risk.  Which, I'll admit we've tried in some ways, but not necessarily with sure-fire talent.  We've rather taken gambles on questionable or mis-developed talents  
• And being a trend setter and not following the flock.  Identifying NFL trends and responding to them in a calculated fashion

So, having the dynamic between GM & HC established, being forward thinking and taking calculated risks are basically the crux here.  These type of things are becoming way more important again because there has frankly been a few dud QB drafts and now the league is starting to thin out in that department. 

As the Manning brothers, Ben, Rivers, Ryan, Cam, Brady, Rogers, etc. have all wrapped/wrapping their careers, busts or average joes are boiling up like Fields, Wilson, D Jones, M Jones, Tannehill, Carr, Baker, Sam, Lance, etc.  The QB market is looking more and more sparse and these instant-play rookies aren't there anymore.   

Mahomes, *Trevor, Burrow, Herbert, *Hurts, Allen & Lamar are basically the legit QBs produced in the league in the last 5 years.  If we're lucky, there's 1-2 franchise QBs coming out of a draft, maybe 3 in a good year.  0 in some as well. 

Now in knowing this, in a league that's moved away from the RB workhorse approach, successful teams seem to be finding their superstar (or two) at wideout and building a strong OL. WR wise...

Cooper Kupp

Jamar Chase (+Higgins)  

Jaylen Waddle (+Hill)

AJ Brown (+Devonte Smith)

Jefferson

Evans (+Godwin)

I can go on here, you get the picture.  All part of the better clubs.

And in response, teams have had a big focus on their secondary instead of their DL.  And on the DL, there's a targeted approach at a stud multi-tech guy who can play inside and out, along with dynamic LBs either on the big side of S tweeners.  It's kind of what we've attempted to do on defense which I give credit to, it has been a bit forward thinking, but we just don't have the right linemen pieces.  LAC, PHI, Bills, & Niners are at the forefront right meow.  

--

Okay then--this year so far, there has been a tremendous downtick in the QB-WR air play for many teams because of this response and also rule adjustments.  Refs are simply letting more holds happen/staying a bit loose with the yellow flags.    

Really curious to how teams respond league wide.  And throwing the question out--How would you rebuild a team right now? 

I'm really teasing this out because I really want to become one of those teams who seems to be a trend setter.  We just seem way too reactive to things going on in the league and getting the litter from other teams.  No real risks or coherent strategies, mainly on offense.  And we're fluttering into oblivion.  Really hoping we can find that with this next regime. 

You guys got any good ideas on where that next GM/HC combo might be?  I saw the Ben Johnson thread by scot and it just got me thinking...

cheers.

source article: https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/04/21/howie-roseman-shares-an-intriguing-philosophy-about-following-trends-in-team-building/

[Panthera onca]

Rhule/Fitt will be here 4 more years, better come to terms with that now.

[davos]

46 minutes ago, Panthera onca said:

Rhule/Fitt will be here 4 more years, better come to terms with that now.

I highly doubt that haha  

[Waldo]

Not a big Roseman fan. It's such a mixed bag with him. Always a fan of take what works and ignore the rest if you can.

I think we are stuck with Fritterer, who will hire a hasbeen HC who will be on the hotseat by the 2nd half of year 2. Lets talk after that because I do not think Tepper is ready on any level for that conversation.

Edited September 30, 2022 by Waldo

[kungfoodude]

I think if you want to get that innovative guy, you have to get people to interview him that understand what that looks like. Tepper doesn't. He can't ask in depth football questions and have any idea what is BS and what isn't. That is quite literally how we ended up with Matt Rhule.

So he has to get some trusted and more importantly KNOWLEDGEABLE football people around him to find that next head coach. He can't be the guy making that choice because he quite simply just doesn't know enough to discern that. 

Until he has the right kind of support system around him in the organization, we don't have a lot of hope. Tepper isn't going to be able to bridge that knowledge gap my himself.

[X-Clown]

The rest of the league figured out 15 years ago that you don't try to build your roster around the highest paid running back(s) and pray that he (they) would stay healthy, but we still haven't figured that out yet. Maybe someday we will also figure out that having good coaches and not trying to do reclamation projects on every QB who was thrown away by his old team isn't a good formula either.

[Mr. Scot]

1 hour ago, kungfoodude said:

I think if you want to get that innovative guy, you have to get people to interview him that understand what that looks like. Tepper doesn't. He can't ask in depth football questions and have any idea what is BS and what isn't. That is quite literally how we ended up with Matt Rhule.

 

He might be able to now if he actually lets Scott Fitterer and Dan Morgan handle it.

They might disagree with his ideas though (can't have that)

[kungfoodude]

9 minutes ago, Mr. Scot said:

He might be able to now if he actually lets Scott Fitterer and Dan Morgan handle it.

They might disagree with his ideas though (can't have that)

I don't really know that I consider Fitterer that kind of guy either. He might be or he might not be. 

Regardless, someone there has to understand football at the level necessary to see the same vision as the prospective coach and understand how likely their methods are to be successful.

The funny thing in hindsight is how we almost all got excited about some of the ridiculous BS that Rhule was selling. Not many of us as laymen saw through what now seems to obvious was just obvious snake oil.

[Mr. Scot]

13 minutes ago, kungfoodude said:

I don't really know that I consider Fitterer that kind of guy either. He might be or he might not be. 

Regardless, someone there has to understand football at the level necessary to see the same vision as the prospective coach and understand how likely their methods are to be successful.

Well if your benchmark for football knowledge is Marty Hurney, that's not exactly a high bar to clear.

I mention them though primarily because they're who he has available right now.

Granted, he could look elsewhere but I don't think he will.

[Carl Spackler]

I have no qualms about saying Marty Hurney was a better GM than Scott Fitterer. Fitterer has all of Hurney's worst qualities, and none of his good ones.