Category Archives: Scouts

2021 ITL Seminar: Discussing the NFL Scouting Business

24 Wednesday Feb 2021

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The 12th annual Hound Talint Inside the League Seminar presented by Magnolia Capital Partners is just a few hours away, and I’m super-excited about this year’s event, for a number of reasons. One reason, of course, is that I’m glad we’re even having it given the challenges (no combine, etc.). Two, I’m really excited about our award-winners this year. But the third reason is, I’m excited about my address to wrap things up tonight. Here are a few thoughts on what you’ll see and hear tonight on the NFL Draft Bible on Sports Illustrated Twitch channel.

If you tune in (8 p.m. ET, https://www.twitch.tv/nfldraftbible), and you’re interested in the scouting industry, I think you’ll see and hear information that you won’t find anywhere else. People always ask me what NFL scouts make, and I used to wonder that myself. Well, tonight, after my closing remarks, you won’t wonder any longer. About a quarter of the active NFL scouting community (and growing) responds to our survey annually, and we’re starting to get a good idea of what pay looks like. It’s an honor to provide this service to the NFL evaluation family. We look at each segment of scouting, based on four tiers (0-5 years, 6-10 years, 11-15 and 16+). If you’re an NFL scout and you wonder if you’re making what your brethren make, you’ll wonder no more after tonight. What’s more, if you have questions about the information I’ll be presenting, ask me. One of the exciting aspects of Twitch is that you can send questions as we go, so it will be fully interactive, and I encourage you to let me know if you need more information while we’re under way.

We’ll also hand out awards. As you know, for the fourth year, we’ve commissioned active NFL scouts to vote on which team did best on draft day last spring, and we’ll hand the Best Draft Award for 2020 to the personnel director of that winning team. That will be fun, and it’s gratifying to offer that “job well done” to a team executive each year, because they rarely get any positive feedback when things go right. We’ve also got the Eugene E. Parker Award for lifetime achievement in the agent industry, and the C.O. Brocato Award for service to the scouting industry. Once again, these awards will go to the overshadowed stars of the game. Maybe the coolest aspect of things is that Eugene Parker’s son, an established NFL agent in his own right, will present the award, while Becky Brocato, C.O.’s daughter, will hand out the prize that has her father’s name on it. Quite an honor for me.

It’s disappointing that we won’t all be able to gather together in the Indiana Convention Center to do this, like we normally do. On the other hand, it’s exciting that we will be able to bring the seminar, the honors, and the information to a much wider audience, as it happens, courtesy of Ric Serritella and his team at NFL Draft Bible, as well as our two great sponsors, Hound Talint and Barry Ozer of Magnolia Capital Partners. 

Make sure to join us here. If you’re interested in the football industry, you won’t want to miss this. See you tonight.

 

What’s the Profile of This Offseason’s GM Hires?

29 Friday Jan 2021

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If there’s one question I always get from young people who love the game, it’s, “how do I become a scout?” Most often, they want to get into scouting because their ultimate goal is to be a GM. Shoot, I can relate. That was once my ambition, as well. 

With that in mind, I decided to look at the men hired this cycle. There’s no better gauge of what NFL teams are looking for than to look at who they hired. Five years ago, we took a detailed look at who was getting hired at the position, and found that teams sought people less than 50; with Patriots experience; and who had been around, but not necessarily a very long time.  

So what’s the profile of this season’s GM hires? Let’s take an alphabetical look at them.

Trent Baalke, Jaguars 

  • Age: 56
  • First NFL experience: 1998, Jets pro scout
  • Prior GM experience: 49ers, 2011-2016
  • Background: Baalke’s rise to the job in San Francisco, followed by his assumption of  the role in Jacksonville, has been pretty traditional. He’s got some pro experience with the Jets when he started out, but he’s mostly held a series of college scouting jobs since.

Nick Caserio, Texans

  • Age: 45
  • First NFL experience: 2001, Patriots personnel assistant
  • Prior GM experience: None
  • Background: Caserio is unique because he’s so well-rounded. Between being hired in New England in 2001 and taking over as Director of Player Personnel in 2008, he was an entry-level scout, an entry-level coach and an area scout for one year each. Then he was pro director for three seasons before jumping all the way to DPP, where he’d been for 13 seasons.

Scott Fitterer, Panthers

  • Age: 47
  • First NFL experience: 1998, Giants part-time scout
  • Prior GM experience: None
  • Background: Like Baalke, Fitterer followed an exclusively college scouting path as he climbed the ladder. Obviously, he’s had pro experience in his more recent senior roles in Seattle, but the lion’s share of his career has been on the college side. 

Terry Fontenot, Falcons

  • Age: 40
  • First NFL experience: 2003, Saints marketing intern
  • Prior GM experience: None
  • Background: Fontenot is unusual because he’s been exclusively on the pro side during his climb. Naturally, no scout does only college or pro, but he’s been decidedly more pointed toward pro scouting. He’s not unprecedented, though, as Bears GM Ryan Pace and former Lions GM Bob Quinn are two similar examples of pro-oriented hires.

Brad Holmes, Lions

  • Age: 41
  • First NFL experience: 2003, Rams public relations intern
  • Prior GM experience: None
  • Background: This is a hire I’m excited about, because Holmes is a scout’s scout. He’s done plenty of ‘road warrior’ work, all on the college side, moving from scouting assistant to combine scout to area, then national, scout. That’s the route most people perceive as the road to the GM chair, though it’s less and less likely to be true.

Martin Mayhew, Washington

  • Age: 55
  • First NFL experience: 1999, Redskins personnel intern
  • Prior GM experience: Lions, 2008-2015
  • Background: Mayhew has seen all sides of the game, having played in the NFL, served with the XFL in its first iteration, served as a cap guy, and worked for three organizations, gathering plenty of personnel experience with a team (49ers) that went to the Super Bowl last year. 

George Paton, Broncos 

  • Age: 50
  • First NFL experience: 1997, Bears scouting intern
  • Prior GM experience: None
  • Background: Paton, like Fontenot, has spent the majority of his career on the pro side. On the other hand, he’s spent more than a decade in a DPP role, so he’s gotten plenty of time on the college side, as well. That’s one reason he was seen as one of the most prepared candidates on the market. 

Conclusion: I like it when people who’ve paid their dues are rewarded, and we’ve seen that during this hiring cycle. We’ve also seen a refreshing respect for age; though Holmes and Fontenot are barely out of their 30s, the idea that no one past 45 gets hired is dead, at least for now. Here’s hoping all seven enjoy successful runs.

Ask the NFL Scout: Tips on Getting the Job from Minnesota’s Mike Sholiton

22 Friday Jan 2021

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I was at the College Gridiron Showcase in Fort Worth this week, and one thing I always try to do while I’m there is hold a professional development event for aspiring scouts. We have so many young evaluators who come here to network that I always want to make sure I do all I can to help them. 

In the past, we’ve had former scouts like Danton Barto (Rams) and Bob Morris (49ers, Browns) as well as scouts who are in the league now like Shawn Heinlen (Eagles) and Chris Hall (Cowboys). The point is not to talk about prospects, or even how to evaluate, but how to build a network that can launch your career. Many evaluators that I greatly respect have been willing to give back.

Tuesday evening, Vikings National Scout Mike Sholiton was kind enough to give about an hour of his time to 8-10 scouting hopefuls in one of the smaller ballrooms at the Fort Worth Sheraton. 

Here are a few highlights from Mike’s talk with the guys.

  • Like everyone else, Mike is a human being who likes to hear positive things. He encouraged scouting wannabes to get to know people in the industry, learn their backgrounds and preferences (perhaps by using our Know Your Scouts feature?), and use that knowledge to send encouragement. Know a scout’s birthday? Send him best wishes. His alma mater secure a great recruiting class? Great time to send him congratulations. Mike gave one specific example of when he loves to hear from his friends and family, but I’ll leave that to those who listened in on Tuesday evening.
  • Mike also cautioned members of his audience not to expect instant gratification. Just because an aspiring scout makes the effort to initiate a conversation or make a new contact, it’s not reasonable to expect it to lead directly to a job opportunity. The goal should be to make a new friend, and to develop and cultivate a meaningful relationship over time. Through those relationships, and the skills honed while developing said relationships, you will be more front-of-mind when job opportunities arise.
  • Sometimes effort isn’t enough. Mike told the story of his early days as a Vikings intern when combine interviews were taking place, and Minnesota’s scouts and executives were eager to spend some time with Florida DE Jevon Kearse. At the time, interviews had no time limits, and Mike waited more than an hour as Denver chopped it up with Kearse. Finally, Kearse emerged from the room, and just as Mike stepped forward to seize his opportunity, an older, much bigger scout (a former offensive lineman) stepped forward, grabbed Kearse’s arm, and commanded, “come with me.”

We’ll talk more about the week in Fort Worth in today’s Friday Wrap. You can register for it here.

Also, if you aspire to work in an NFL front office someday, I hope you join us in Fort Worth next year. Get started here.

 

A Look at the Four Scouting Staffs Without GMs

04 Friday Dec 2020

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After dismissals in Jacksonville and Detroit last weekend, there are four GM chairs open as we head down the season’s stretch run. And while today’s GMs are more likely to be beholden to the head coach than in previous eras, they’ll still have plenty of weight when it comes to building out the scouting staff. 

Today, I took a look at each of the teams who’ll hire GMs this offseason and tried to answer the question, what, if any, changes will be made to the team’s staff? Obviously, a new GM will bring in his confidantes, but will each team see a house-cleaning, Bills-style? Here’s a look at what I see (I’ve included ITL’s most recent Know Your Scouts breakdown of each team; sorry, each one is a pay link, but you can subscribe here).

Detroit: When we broke down each NFL scouting department by years of experience in August, the Lions came out on top with an aggregate of 268 years in the business. What’s more, the team has 18 scouts who’ve been with the team since at least 2016. Many teams don’t even have 18 scouts. In addition, the team is a little top-heavy with a V.P. of Player Personnel, a Director of Player Personnel and a Senior Personnel Executive. That’s a lot of salary to carry given the results. What does it all mean?: Whoever comes in as the next GM will likely heavily retool things. 

Atlanta: With two ex-GMs as national scouts, the Falcons are another team that has made a big commitment to its scouting staff financially. On the other hand, the team has done a good job of integrating its staff with younger blood with three area scouts having less than three years in the league (this also balances the ledger a bit financially). As much as almost any other team, the staff is well-versed in “the Falcon way;” of 16 scouts and evaluators on staff below the GM level, nine have never scouted for any other teams. What does it all mean?: Whoever comes in will probably have to adapt, at least in the short term, rather than turning over the whole staff.

Jacksonville: Depending on how successful a team has been, stability could be good or bad. Jags owner Shahid Khan is known as one of the most patient owners in the league, and it shows up on the staff with 11 of 13 staff members having been there five years or more. They don’t get much credit for it, but the staff in place built a team that just three years ago went to the AFC Championship Game with former draftees including Ramsey, Ngakoue and Jack (while the pro side fortified things with Bouye, Campbell and Posluszny). What does it all mean?: This staff probably needs tweaking rather than overhauling.

Houston: We won’t waste space describing the draft capital Bill O’Brien spent desperately trying to get to a Super Bowl the last few years except to say that the team doesn’t have a lot of picks in 2021. But that’s OK, because the team in place (fashioned by former GM Brian Gaine) is a good one. It’s not too heavy at the top and has several highly regarded future GMs already on staff, with a good mix of old and new. It also contains scouts from diverse backgrounds; it’s heavily flavored with evaluators from playoff-bound teams this year (Steelers, Cardinals, Bucs, Seahawks, Colts, Saints). What does it all mean?: It would be a surprise to see wholesale changes.

We’ll discuss all of this in greater depth in today’s Friday Wrap, which comes out at 7:30 p.m. EDT. I hope you can join us. 

Ask the Scout: Five ’21 Sleepers Courtesy of Blake Beddingfield

27 Friday Nov 2020

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These days, it’s not hard to find a mock draft from your favorite writer, and more and more, we’re seeing two- and three-round mocks, even in November and December. What’s less common is a look at the players at the fringes of the draft who might wind up earlier in Day 3, or who may get snubbed in all seven rounds but wind up as a solid pro.

My friend, former Titans college scouting director Blake Beddingfield, did just that this week when he presented 50 sleepers in the ’21 draft class in a 90-minute Zoom session. Participants were treated to a quick summation of each player listed, as well as stories, comps and insights on the ’21 draft class and how the game is changing. It was a blast, and I got lots of positive feedback from members of the audience.

Here’s a look at five of the 50 players and why he likes them.

  • Jaelon Darden, WO, North Texas: Undersized receiver with very good speed and agility. Slot-type on the next level with ability to return punts. Solid run vision. Good stop-and-go quickness with ability to get up to top speed in a flash. Solid hands; catches the deep ball well, tracks and secures. Not a starting slot in the NFL, but can be a solid backup and return punts. I like his ability to stick and make a team with upside to produce in a number of ways.  Versatility is a plus. Fifth or sixth round.
  • Devin Hafford, DC, Tarleton State: Solid size and frame. Good on-the-ball skills. Productive. Has some hip and back stiffness when turning and running, but has the frame to move to safety and play in sub packages. Straight-line speed is solid but lateral movement is adequate. Has good instincts.  Only played one game in 2019 due to injury, but has upside. How he comes back from injury is key. PFA for now, but could be a late-rounder with production and good pro day. 
  • Deon Jackson, OH, Duke: Good size and frame. Powerful runner. Experienced with marginal production as a runner, but he has been an all-around back with production as a receiver. Has good hands. Also a kick returner. Has enough quickness and speed to be effective. Not a frontline-type player, but versatile with good size. 7th/PFA. 
  • Tyarise Stevenson, DT, Tulsa: Massive guy who’s a classic two-gap nose tackle. However, he’s a run-down player only, and not a pass rusher. Limited-range player who takes up space and blockers. Dirty work-type, not a playmaker. Not a fit for every team. PFA.
  • Joe Schulthorpe, OG, NC State: Best at right guard, but has also played center, and that versatility is valuable. Solid size for both positions, and has shown effectiveness at both spots. Has backup traits on the interior offensive line and a. role as a three-position backup in the NFL. Fifth or sixth round.

If you’d like to hear the rest of Blake’s 50 sleepers as well as a breakdown of each of them, plus a list with notes on each of them, click here. You’ll be charged $35 and we’ll  ship out the link and the list immediately. For what it’s worth, several active NFL scouts have already purchased it.

We’ll talk more about Blake’s Zoom session this week in our Friday Wrap, which comes out every Friday at 7:30 p.m. EDT. If you haven’t already, register for it here.

Eleven College Personnel Professionals to Watch

20 Friday Nov 2020

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As I’ve expanded my work with members of the college evaluation and recruiting community, I’ve begun to work with dozens of young people who are incredibly talented. Here’s the funny thing: until I really started looking, I had no idea who these people were. In fact, until CAA’s Ed Marynowitz started bringing this community together at his Personnel Symposium a couple years ago, I barely knew this community existed, so hats off to Ed.

At any rate, there are lots of rising young evaluators who have well-developed eyes for talent, superhero-level administrative talents, a special way with recruiting and communicating with young players, or all of the above. It’s time to recognize some of them.

Here are 11 young men working in college personnel and recruiting who are ready for a promotion to running a P5 school’s recruiting department, to serve as an NFL scouting assistant, to jump straight to college scouting coordinator for a pro team, or to serve as a chief of staff for a college or pro head coach. I’ve presented them alphabetically.

  • Marcus Berry, Director of Recruiting, Maryland: Marcus lives to evaluate and is passionate about getting better at it, though he’s already really good. I always learn something when I talk to him. He will be a great NFL scout someday. 
  • Albert Boone, Director of Football Operations, South Florida: I don’t get to link up with Albert as much anymore because he’s always busy. Albert is on a steady climb in the industry and has earned the acclaim of some powerful people.
  • Alex Brown, Director of Football Recruiting, Rice: I met Alex years ago before he was part of an FBS football administration, and it’s incredibly how far he’s come in a short time. If you check out his podcast about college personnel, you won’t be sorry.
  • Cody Cejda, Director of Football Operations and Strategy, Northwestern: The consummate professional and the gold standard as far major college administrators, which is why he’s the only person on this list whom I’ve asked to speak at one of my seminars.
  • Will Christopherson, Director of Player Personnel Operations, Maryland: Will is relentless. He finds opportunities, excels, then builds his network with the people he’s worked with without being a self-promoter. 
  • Ryan Fischler, offensive assistant, Texas A&M: Everywhere I go on the all-star/combine trail in January and February, I see Ryan either working or just networking. That’s what you have to do if you want to climb in this industry.
  • Zach Gold, Assistant Director of Player Personnel, Temple: Not only is Zach engaging, but he will move heaven and earth to learn and find resources to help him get better. You have to admire that.
  • Matt Lindsey, General Manager, Ole Miss: Matt is at the forefront of a new position in college football, general manager. He’s incredibly impressive, is a ‘Bama grad, and has already worked in the NFL (Eagles). 
  • C.J. Owens, Director of Player Personnel, Old Dominion: I haven’t known C.J. for very long, but I’ve been really impressed so far, and I look forward to tracking his career as it continues.
  • Steve Schrum, Director of Player Personnel, Kent State: It’s been fun to watch Steve rise through the industry, as no job has been too small or too large for him. The Golden Flashes are 3-0 and Steve has a lot to do with it.
  • Tim Silvernail, Director of Recruiting, Rutgers: Tim has an extensive MAC background but he’s on the move and making things happen in the Big Ten now. He’s got a lot of momentum and there’s a good reason for that. Highly organized.

There are several others who are worthy of recognition; they’re just a few steps away from being ready. They include Nathan Applebaum, a recruiting assistant at Florida; Cody Bellaire, a player personnel assistant at Baylor; Taylor Buie, recruiting assistant at Stanford; Price Burton, a quality control assistant in recruiting at Toledo; Aaron Clem and Nathan Ellis, recruiting assistants at Maryland; Camden Dietz, a recruiting assistant at Kansas; Tom Fratcher, a recruiting specialist at NCSA; Allen Gaudet, player personnel assistant at Texas A&M; Chris Haase, a football scouting assistant at Northwestern; Justin Markus, recruiting assistant at Rice; Kyle Morgan, southwest area scout for XOS Technology; Jalun Morris, Assistant Director of Recruiting at UAB; Connor Roche, grad assistant in recruiting at Arizona State; John Todd and Nathan Cooper at Sports Info Solutions, a top sports analytics firm; and Jeremy Wright, a community relations coordinator at North Carolina A&T. These guys are among several who hold a lot of promise.

I’m certain I’ve left some out. This is far from an exhaustive list, and it’s important to note that if someone’s not listed here, it’s not that I don’t see them as a riser in the business. It’s probably just that I haven’t met that person yet (or, more likely, I’ve just forgotten to include them in this rather hastily assembled post).

There are so many people in this industry who are talented, and I just haven’t made my way around the business yet. But I will, and I will continue to point to these peoples’ successes when I see them.

Analyzing What’s Ahead in NFL Scouting Hires This Offseason

13 Friday Nov 2020

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This month, we wrapped up our Fourth Quarter series with four former scouts and executives. If you’ve been reading our blog, or even took part in the Zoom sessions, you’ve heard and read their “origin stories.”

Our goal, as always, is to help aspiring scouts become actual ones. However, in a season and offseason unlike any we’ve seen before, how likely is that to happen in the coming weeks and months?

We spent the last month-and-a-half reviewing scouting departments across the league for our Know Your Scouts series. It’s something we’ve done for nine years, and it gives us a good sense of how NFL teams are building their evaluation staffs.

Based on what we saw, we’ve made a few observations. There’s good news and bad news.

  • Good news: Only six scouting assistants were hired this offseason. That’s down slightly from 2019 (nine) and considerably from 2018 (12). Maybe that means more hires after this season.
  • More good news: Only two GMs were hired this offseason, but there are already two vacancies and there are expected to be several more this offseason. That means plenty of turnover.
  • On the other hand, seven scouts and executives took jobs with the XFL in the 2019 offseason, with 12 taking Alliance of American Football jobs in the 2018 offseason. Obviously, those jobs won’t be available after this season.
  • Also, a greater piece of teams’ scouting budgets are going toward analytics and fewer to pure scouting positions. We counted 14 of the 119 hires and promotions in NFL scouting departments as analytics-, data- or software-related.
  • Worst news: Scouts aren’t on the road this season, which means fewer chances to make an impression. For an NFL liaison, hosting a Zoom call is far less personal than conducting a meeting with multiple scouts in an office setting, or even a brief conversation with a scout in the hallway.
  • There’s also a great chance there will be more competition for jobs this year than ever before. With FBS and FCS schools having to rectify budgets battered by the loss of gate revenue, there could be more good college personnel specialists finding themselves out of jobs next spring. 

If you’re interested in learning more about trends in hiring and firing in the NFL scouting community, make sure you check out today’s Friday Wrap. We’ll take a longer look at where the scouting community is headed over the next six months. You can register for it here.

 

 

 

Ask the Scout: Six Things with Raleigh McKenzie (ex-Raiders)

06 Friday Nov 2020

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Last night, we completed our Fourth Quarter series by spending an hour-plus with Raleigh McKenzie. Not only is Raleigh a good friend, he was a key part of the pro days we set up last spring for members of the ’20 draft class. Oh, by the way, he played 16 NFL seasons and won two Super Bowls in addition to spending six seasons as an area scout with the Raiders.

Here are six things I learned during Raleigh’s session last night.

  • Raleigh was pretty forthright that if his brother hadn’t become a GM with the Raiders, there’s a good chance he never would have been an NFL scout. I thought that was admirable and transparent of him. Also of interest — he said if he’d had his choice, he probably would have preferred to be a coach. I think a lot of scouts might say that, especially in view of the disparity in salaries between the jobs. 
  • As a former offensive linemen, I had lots of questions about the position. Here’s one thing that struck me: When discussing Texans OT Laremy Tunsil, he said Tunsil was aggressive but not always physical. That was a distinction I’ve never heard before. When I asked him about it, Raleigh said Tunsil always came off the ball and got after his opponent while at Ole Miss, but he was more of a finesse player than a mauler. Raleigh liked his athleticism, especially as a pass blocker, but felt he’d have to improve his strength in the running game. I thought that was an interesting insight.
  • When asked what advice he could give aspiring scouts, it was that they must trust their eyes. That’s something that’s come up often during our four-week series. It’s clear that scouts wrestle with groupthink, and don’t always win. As in other professions, it’s often safer to go with the crowd, but it’s not always right.
  • When asked why players bust, Raleigh gave two reasons: an inability to measure a player’s ability vs. NFL competition — i.e., he couldn’t make the necessary adjustments to play vs. the pros — and the inability for his drafting team to use him right. 
  • Though he couldn’t remember exactly who the Raiders’ top 10 prospects were in 2016, Raleigh distinctly remembers how much the team liked Florida State’s Jalen Ramsey. That’s been a real theme as we’ve reviewed 2016 with multiple scouts. Ramsey was a supreme prospect who’s turned out to be a great pro. The team also felt North Dakota State’s Carson Wentz had more tools and upside, Cal’s Jared Goff was a more complete, more ready game for the NFL, and had they chose between the two, they would have taken Goff.
  • He said the Raiders took Michigan State’s Connor Cook as the No. 100 pick in the draft — 35 picks before Mississippi State’s Dak Prescott — because coaches felt Cook was a better fit in Oakland’s offense. The Raiders also felt Prescott was lacking in accuracy. 

It was a fabulous four weeks, as you already know if you were among those who joined us. If you didn’t, it’s not too late to study up and learn from some great former scouts and executives. Click here for the four videos plus the transcripts from our first three sessions with Danton Barto (former Rams area scout), Doug Whaley (former Bills GM) and Ahmad Russell (former Colts scout). Just $35. And don’t forget to register for our Friday Wrap here.

 

Ask the NFL Scout: Seven Things with Danton Barto

16 Friday Oct 2020

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Last night, my longtime friend Danton Barto joined more than 50 people on a Zoom call to talk football. We spent more than an hour talking about his experiences in scouting while with the Rams; what makes a good evaluator; what to do (and not do) to get a job in the NFL; the times he was right and wrong on players; and plenty more. We also discussed his recollections of the 2016 NFL Draft, a most unique one, to be sure.

Here are seven things I learned in just the first 20 minutes.

  • Danton grew up with Taylor Morton, Senior Personnel Advisor with the Rams. Morton was instrumental in getting Danton a scouting job with the Rams.
  • Danton was hired because the Rams needed a linebacker and, as a former college linebacker (at Memphis), Morton and Rams GM Les Snead trusted his ability to evaluate them. 
  • Danton estimated he used to write reports on 400 players per year in his five-state mid-South region, and “you better know ’em” if one the team’s officials asked his opinion of them.
  • He admits that he’s seen people get a chance in scouting based on reports they’ve written, sometimes with limited formal football experience. “I’ve seen guys get opportunities because they sent in reports, and they were very good,” he said.
  • Persistence is important in getting a job, but don’t be irritating. Danton said he remembers a scouting hopeful who became a thorn in the side of members of the Rams staff. His lack of judgement wound up costing him a chance with the team.
  • The Rams actually had an analytics system that judged scouts on their reports; I’m not aware if they still do this, but if they do, it’s definitely unique. By the way, Danton came out pretty well on their grading system. 
  • I guess it’s no surprise, but the failure of first-round pick Greg Robinson, a tackle out of Auburn who was the second pick in the 2014 draft, led to a lot of soul-searching among the Rams evaluators. I got the sense that Robinson’s struggles made the Rams insecure about moving up to take Ole Miss’ Laremy Tunsil when he slid in the ’16 draft. Of course, they didn’t have a lot of ammo left after trading up to get the No. 1 pick from the Titans.

Danton talked for about an hour and 20 minutes. Want to hear the next hour? Let me know here. DMs open. 

We’ll talk more about Danton’s Zoom session in the Friday Wrap, which comes out this evening (7:30 p.m. EDT). Don’t get it? Register here.

NFL Scouts: Looking at Evaluators’ Varied Backgrounds

09 Friday Oct 2020

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Each year for most of the last decade, we’ve spent the fall months looking at each of the 32 scouting departments at Inside the League. We call it our Know Your Scouts series. Given that not all teams publicize their hiring and firing, our review always turns up changes we didn’t know about.

What’s more, however, we take a snapshot of every team’s scouts and executives, looking at their length of service with the team, how long they’ve been in scouting, etc. We also include a note about each one’s entry into scouting, relationship to others in the department, or anything else of interest. For people seeking to break into the industry, I think this is invaluable information because it provides context for how others have made it to the NFL.

So far, we’ve profiled 10 teams. Already, we’ve passed along some interesting tidbits on the scouts who evaluate talent and how they got their jobs.

  • I’d say only a third of the scouts and executives we’ve featured so far have NFL playing experience, and that’s down quite a bit from 10 years ago, when we started. The idea that today’s evaluator needs to be an ex-NFL players — or even played the game at all — is definitely changing.
  • Three current or former members of the Chiefs scouting staff (Assistant Director of Player Personnel Ryan Poles, Area Scout Trey Koziol and former NFS scout Rob Francois) played together at Boston College.
  • Current Chiefs NFS scout Cassidy Kaminski really took the road less traveled to Kansas City, serving as a personnel assistant with the Shrine Bowl while simultaneously writing for Ourlad’s, a draft service, from 2015-18. He even worked for an Australian team in 2016.
  • I’d estimate that 20-30 percent of each scouting staff has members who are directly related to someone in the organization. There’s no denying that family is a major consideration when staffing departments.
  • Maybe it’s because of analytics’ rise, but there are a handful of scouts who either played baseball at some level or worked for a Major League Baseball team before crossing over. For example, Bears National Scout Chris Prescott got started working in minor league baseball, while Broncos pro personnel director A.J. Durso played in college and Browns V.P. of Player Personnel Glenn Cook was even drafted by the Cubs. 
  • It’s interesting how many scouts worked for MLB or NBA teams in some role, while others worked for NFL agencies or were agents themselves. It’s just a reminder that relationships are key to breaking in, and you can find those relationships anywhere.
  • There are numerous examples of scouts who started out publishing their own scouting insights. They include Brian Fisher (Bills) as well as Kaminski.
  • Scouts with two teams worked in different capacities for Inside the League before being hired by NFL teams.

If you aspire to be an NFL scout someday, I encourage you to see for yourself where scouts came from by checking out our Know Your Scouts series. I guarantee you’ll gain valuable insights.

Also, make sure you check out today’s Friday Wrap, in which we discuss the backgrounds of today’s general managers. It’s valuable information if you’re interested in climbing the NFL evaluation mountain. You can register for it here.