The question I’m getting non-stop right now is, ‘why has it been so slow?’

The “it” in this case is the normal transition that takes place on NFL scouting staffs this time of year. The young people trying to break into the league, as well as unemployed scouts trying to get back in, are constantly lamenting the lack of openings. Here’s why they say things are running behind.

  • It’s highly anecdotal, I know, but by this time last year, we had tweeted 42 times on scouting moves. This year, 30 tweets.
  • So far, there have been only five newly hired/promoted Area Scouts. Last year, there were 36, though that number reflects the entire offseason. There’s still time, but we’re way off pace.
  • On the pro side, we saw 13 scouts earn designation as an in-house evaluator. So far this season? Five.
  • Last year, there were 11 new National Scouts. This year? Two.

Rookie mini-camps (for the teams that still have them) are over across the league (one reason why I had expected this to be a busy week for scouting changes). Most staffs have been sent home. That means, for a team to even let an evaluator go, it will have to be over the phone (to say nothing of giving them a head start on job-seeking).

As someone who’s a big advocate for scouts and someone who hates to see people lose their jobs, I hope there aren’t any more job losses all summer. Still, it’s inevitable that there’s some level of transition. So why has there been so little change so far? I’m not sure, but here are my theories.

  • Many of the people who’d normally be seeking a job in the NFL are now making decent money on the college side, leaving fewer hotshot prospects ready to move up. For this reason, front offices are going status quo.
  • Teams are focused on getting their respective analytics staffs right first. There has been a decent amount of movement on the numbers side. Maybe teams are just being methodical.
  • The two teams that went to the Super Bowl have leadership off the Packers tree (John Schneider in Seattle, Eliot Wolf in New England). Green Bay is old-school, leaning much more on their Area and National Scouts than is popular in most front offices these days. Maybe teams want to emulate their success.
  • Dozens of Scouting Assistants are completing their second years, respectively, with NFL teams, as we’ve noted previously. Maybe changes are coming, but teams want to make sure they know which Scouting Assistants are deserving of promotions and, more importantly, they’re still devising a plan for replacing those Scouting Assistants.
  • It’s still early. We’ll see changes. They just haven’t hit yet.

It could all change at any moment, but so far, it’s looking like this offseason could be an anomaly. We discuss this and other facets of scouting and job-hunting in our weekly newsletter, the Friday Wrap. If you aren’t already registered for it, do that here.