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Stafford Travels South: Who Won the Lions-Rams Trade?

02 Tuesday Feb 2021

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Getting to Know New Broncos GM George Paton

14 Thursday Jan 2021

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When I heard the news that George Paton would be the next GM of the Denver Broncos, I thought two things: at last, as it seems Paton has become the designated interviewee for nearly every GM vacancy the last 5-6 years; and, who really is this guy? I’ve never had the pleasure of meeting Paton, so I wanted to learn a little about him.

Turns out I wasn’t the only one wondering. Try Googling his name and you pretty much get two things: he was a walk-on at UCLA, and he’s spent over a decade with the Vikings. Fat lot of good that did me. However, I had an advantage. I have a lot of people I know who know him well, so I asked them to give me a few thoughts on the Broncos’ new chief.

The following comments are what I got, mostly from friends and people who’ve known him longest. Are they glowing? Yes. Are they from his friends? Again, yes. Still, there were a few things I took away from the comments. But first, check them out.

  • “He’s awesome. He’s amazing. Doesn’t do interviews, not a self-promoter, media trying to do interviews but they can’t get anything because he’s not out there shoving himself in front of cameras. He’s everything you’d want out in front of your org. Strong evaluator, great with people, likeable, good chemistry guy, checks every box.”
  • “He’s really smart, organized and not only works hard, but works smart. He has earned everything he’s got. He will listen to all voices and then make a decision. Most of all he’s a great person. No ego. Big loss for us. He has zero ‘look at me’ to him.”
  • “I’m a big fan of George Paton. George has a great football mind, he’s a terrific communicator, and I think he’s been the unsung hero for the Vikings for many years. Runs the draft, runs free agency, communicates well with agents. College scouting, pro scouting, cap, he does contracts. I think the Broncos hired the best guy in the marketplace. I mean, Nick Saban likes George Paton. He’s really good.”
  • “George combines great player knowledge, experience and the ability to lead  and communicate in the building. He is both highly respected and liked by staffs he’s been around and his peers.”
  • “As good of an evaluator as we had in the building, smart, detailed, prepared. He’s been ready! Denver’s lucky to get him.”

So, like I said, very positive comments from several people in the game. What I took away from them, though, is that Paton seems to be the kind of communicator today’s game demands. As we see fewer dictatorial, Bill Polian-style general managers and more work-with-the-head-coach-who’s-the-true-face-of-the-franchise types, Paton is probably a perfect fit. That’s a good thing as he’s got a question mark under center, his best defensive player is 31 and coming off a season lost to injury, and he has to play the Chiefs twice each season.

He also seems to be a great evaluator, which as a fan of veteran scouts who pay their dues, I greatly admire. It’s interesting that the Vikes had to go “outside the building” to get their QB after mixed results on Teddy Bridgewater and Christian Ponder. Probably Paton’s first big test will be determining if Drew Lock gets the benefit of the doubt.

At any rate, it will be fun to watch. I’ll discuss the Broncos’ move as well as the seats of power that are yet to be filled in tomorrow’s The State of Football with former NFL scout David Turner and several other great guests. It kicks off at 9 a.m. ET here. I hope you can tune in.

 

Thoughts and Observations on 2021 GM Searches

07 Thursday Jan 2021

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This week, Outkick published a pretty good page tracking interviews with the relative teams. Here are a few thoughts based on each team’s interviewees.

  • The time is now for Saints Assistant GM Jeff Ireland, who’s interviewed or will interview (via Zoom only) with the Lions and Panthers. Of the two, the Lions job makes a lot more sense for Ireland. Whoever goes to Charlotte will (a) need a strong analytics presence (Browns VP of Football Operations Kwesi Adofo-Mensah fits the bill, and the Panthers have asked permission to interview him) and (b) will have to answer to Panthers head coach Matt Rhule. Those are not the perfect conditions for Ireland. On the other hand, the Lions have a much bigger staff, more scouts (and more veteran scouts), and more responsibilities.
  • What’s more, given that former Lions great Chris Spielman has a major role in the team’s hire, he may be more likely to give Ireland the nod given that his brother, Rick, has been such a success after getting a second chance of his own.
  • Presumably, if the Lions had gotten blown away by Thomas Dimitroff, George Paton, Scott Pioli, Louis Riddick, Rick Smith or any of the three in-house candidates, they would have already made a hire. All of them are eligible for in-person interviews. On the other hand, Rams college director Brad Holmes, Saints Assistant GM Terry Fontenot, Seahawks GM John Schneider and Ireland are not. The question is, how long will Detroit be willing to wait?
  • It’s impossible to guess what kind of interest the Jaguars have in any of their five publicly known candidates. It all hinges on what Urban Meyer decides. Maybe that’s why the team has interviewed three former GMs; they have executive experience, but might be willing to defer to Meyer in order to get back in.
  • Similarly, until the Falcons decide if Raheem Morris returns, it’s hard to make a decision on a GM. If Atlanta waits for one of the hot coordinators, it might be one of the last teams to hire a GM. If so, the Falcons may have to take their second choice.
  • Washington has done little more than satisfy the Rooney Rule so far. Does that mean the team already has its pick made? Same is true of Denver. Bears assistant DPP Champ Kelly makes a lot of sense there.
  • Unless there are names missing – and that’s very possible – it’s surprising that Bills Assistant GM Joe Schoen and 49ers VP of Player Personnel Adam Peters (each with Panthers) haven’t gotten more interest. Based on our survey of scouts and executives last spring (here and here), they’re both highly regarded. Ditto for Seattle’s Alonzo Highsmith and Dallas’ Will McClay.
  • It’s mildly surprising that the Colts, one of the current “it” franchises under talented GM Chris Ballard, haven’t been targeted by teams with GM openings. So far, only scouting director Morocco Brown (Falcons) and Assistant GM Ed Dodds (Panthers) have gotten looks. 

We’ll be keeping an eye on the interviewees as they’re published and the teams as they make hires. Make sure to check out the mother ship as well as the Friday Wrap (register here) for more. 

 

 

Save the Date: ‘Inside the NFL Draft Process’ this Sunday at 8 p.m.

01 Friday Jan 2021

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If there’s ever been a more uncertain time to be an NFL draft hopeful, I can’t remember it. This Sunday, however, several experts in the football business (along with yours truly) will try to make the picture a little clearer, especially for players weighing returning to school.

Sunday at 8 p.m. EST, Ric Serritella’s program for pro football hopefuls, Inside the NFL Draft Process, goes from a conference room in New Jersey (where he’s held it the last two years) to the Zoom platform. I’m excited about that, because it obviously allows far more participation. Ric has made room for 100 participants, and we’re hopeful we’ll be at or near capacity when things get started Sunday.

As you know, the NCAA handed all fall athletes an optional extra year of eligibility. That means seniors, especially those who are on the draft bubble, have a decision to make. Do they cast off for the NFL, knowing that they might have no pro days and maybe no rookie mini-camps (again)? Or do they return to school, hoping they can distinguish themselves from the hundreds, maybe thousands, of others in their situation who are gambling that the 2021 draft will offer a more back-to-normal experience?

Our panel will include Kevin Dunn, owner of TEST Football Academy, a major combine prep facility in New Jersey; Rich Salgado, owner of Coastal Advisors LLC and one of the leading insurance specialists in the industry; former Jets and Florida State standout Marvin Jones, who’s also the father of a budding college student-athlete; David Turner, a former NFL scout who runs Maverick Sports Consulting; Mook Williams, a retired agent and co-founder of Vayner Sports; and Carlos Dias, founder of MVP Wealth, a wealth management firm for pro athletes.

Among other questions we’ll answer.

  • How will the ’21 draft class look vs. ’22 and how does this affect players?
  • How will combine prep be different this year? What if I have to handle costs? What role will my trainer play in my pro day if my school doesn’t host one?
  • What factors should go into staying or leaving?
  • Is there a deadline for entering the draft?
  • What should I expect from an agent? Is there any reason I shouldn’t just take the best ‘package’ I can find?
  • What about a financial advisor? Is one really any different from another?

If you’re the parent of a senior college football player at any level, you owe it to yourself to join us and listen in. We’ll go about an hour, maybe a little longer, but we’re gonna keep it tight and concise. I sure hope you can join us. Just email sam@allaccessfootball.com. See you Sunday night.

An Outside-the-Box (and Country) GM Candidate

24 Thursday Dec 2020

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Chris McLaurin founded the American Football League of China (now known as the China National Football League) and Elevate Sports Consulting in Hong Kong. A former Michigan Wolverines tight end, McLaurin doesn’t make any of the usual “Top Ten GM Candidates” lists, but he’s young and energetic, and even better, has executive experience.

We checked in with him this month to get to know him a little better and, perhaps, allow decision-makers at any of the five teams with GM vacancies to become little more familiar with him, as well.

How did you come to start an overseas football venture? What were your biggest challenges along the way?

At 25, I moved to Chongqing, China, to work at a Chinese investment firm. Soon after finishing an internship at the White House, I decided to move overseas to work in the private sector to advance my business career. It was my first time in Asia and there was a lot I wanted to accomplish both at the company and in the community. However, there were few tools to do so without first gaining a firm grasp of the Chinese language and culture.     

Football became the language and common interest I used to connect with people in a city of over 30 million. A co-worker introduced me to a group of Chongqing athletes who were forming a local team (later known as the Chongqing Dockers). Realizing there were a few other grassroots teams in China at the time, I was invited to help train and coach many of them. My volunteer work with Chongqing, combined with my professional work as an analyst, led me to understand the market size and economic potential of football in China.  After a year of training and developing the team, I began organizing the first national league called the American Football League of China (AFLC). Due to my football experience, leadership and Chinese language skills, I was asked to serve as the league’s first commissioner. There were plenty of roadblocks in the skill development of players, language translation of common football terms, and gaining buy-in for football as a viable sports product in China. Challenges in government relations, intellectual property rights, and commercial laws unique to China also had to be overcome.

Football is still new to the Asian market. Do you see the NFL becoming truly integrated there? If so, how do you see it happening, and how long would that take?

The future is bright for football globally, but it will require further investment in order for it to truly develop its own global brand identity and make it more culturally relevant. Football, in most parts of the world, is still known as “American” football, and it’s important that the NFL help foster youth and cultural buy-in to the sport. 

Already, you can see examples of the NFL trying to do this in its NFL Academy in London and the NFL pathway program the league began developing in recent years. I think further collaboration between the NFL, grassroots sports communities and local institutions (academic, government, NGOs) is critical to global success. It’s going to take time, but we could see huge inroads in the next 10 years.

What football person – coach, administrator, teammate — has had the biggest impact on your life?

I’ve had the great fortune of being mentored and coached by truly remarkable human beings at all levels, but especially at the University of Michigan. Coaches such as Lloyd Carr, Jim Hermann and Mike Debord, as well as teammates like Jason Avant, Jake Long and Mike Hart to name a few, have molded me on the field, but they’ve also inspired me to be the person I am and hope to be in the business world. Nevertheless, more than any one person, it’s been the community of teammates, coaches and administrators of football that made an incredible impact on my life. 

You played at Michigan. How has your career with the Wolverines impacted what you do today?

The University of Michigan (Go Blue!) fueled both my intellectual and athletic pursuits in ways that few universities could. Unfortunately, I sustained career-ending shoulder injuries relatively early on in my athletic career at Michigan, but fortunately I still had supportive coaches and a community of professors and mentors who encouraged me to purse an honors degree, research consortiums and participate in fellowship opportunities that propelled me to work internationally in a number of different roles in the public and private sectors. In China, my experience and passion for football became a bridge for distinct cultures and created value that impacted diverse communities.

You’ve walked a non-traditional path. What do you think you’d bring to an NFL team?

I bring a core competency of football operations experience, team development skills, and agile leadership capacity to any NFL team. As a former athlete, I can quickly build trust with players and football personnel while adapting quickly to an organization’s vision for success. My understanding of recruiting, scouting talent, and building successful teams are beneficial in the NFL, but also on every level of the game.

My experience founding a start-up football league and navigating unique challenges in a developing country give me a competitive edge in making an immediate impact on an established NFL team. 

A Few Thoughts on Current GM Searches

18 Friday Dec 2020

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So far, we’ve seen news regarding the Texans, Falcons and Lions as they take their first steps to fill GM vacancies. To date, we’ve heard:

  • The Lions will interview ESPN’s Louis Riddick and former Texans GM Rick Smith; Saints VP/Assistant GM for Player Personnel Terry Fontenot is also a candidate, as is former Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff. The team has also eschewed hiring a search firm, instead establishing a blue-ribbon panel (Barry Sanders, anyone? Chris Spielman?) to assist in its search.
  • The Falcons have also interviewed Fontenot, and a report on the team’s website lists former Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie (now with the Dolphins) and Bears Assistant Director of Player Personnel Champ Kelly as candidates, though they haven’t been interviewed yet. Both make a lot of sense, McKenzie off his record in Oakland and Kelly as a fresh new candidate who narrowly missed out on the Jets GM job last year.
  • The Texans, who are using Korn Ferry to head their search (along with their own blue-ribbon panel), have interviewed Riddick, as well as former Chiefs GM John Dorsey, according to reports. 
  • So far, there hasn’t been a lot of coverage of the Jags’ GM search. That may be an indication that owner Shahid Khan will let the head coach determine who the GM is.

A few thoughts.

  • When I talk to my friends in the business who are scouts, it drives them crazy when people in broadcast booths get interviews before people working in the league. Riddick has an extensive executive background in the league, so I detect less rancor toward him. Others, however, are very controversial.
  • The modern model — as we’ve seen in San Francisco, Kansas City, Las Vegas and New York — dictates that the head coach determines who the GM is, not the other way around. It’s possible that the Falcons, Lions and/or Texans will go back to a more traditional model, but it seems unlikely, due to today’s coaching salaries. If that’s true, these interviews are just window dressing anyway.
  • Fontenot, Riddick and Smith are all on the controversial pipeline memo released by NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations Troy Vincent two weeks ago. Obviously, the memo got the attention of search firms and owners. 
  • It’s not a popular position to hold, but Dorsey deserves another shot. He may be a little brusk, but he built the Chiefs and the Browns, two of the hotter teams in the AFC with the playoffs around the corner. Don’t like Dorsey? Hire his right-hand man, Seahawks executive Alonzo Highsmith, who truly deserves a shot. He’s paid his dues, he’s passionate about football, and he’s got an incredibly good eye for players and talent.
  • One more thing. The modern scouting department model requires less of college and area scouts; more and more these days, going on the road is more about gathering information than developing an opinion on players. That means, more than ever, it’s important to have an evaluator at the top of the pyramid. Teams that consider GMs without significant college experience are making a mistake, in my opinion.

As always, we’ll talk about the game behind the game — including the latest on scouts and executives as they get hired and fired — in our Friday Wrap. Register for it here.

Five More Minority GM Candidates To Know

11 Friday Dec 2020

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To date, there are four GM openings in the league. If you’re interested in finding out who the hot candidates are to fill these positions, there are many places to find them. Dan Hatman of The Scouting Academy does a great job of providing a full inventory of top candidates here. However, there are more.

My goal today is to provide some outside the outside-the-box candidates, impressive people who were not only not on Dan’s list, but also not on the controversial list of top minority candidates distributed by the NFL to the media last week (which had several glaring omissions). These are five top minority candidates that were not listed by Dan or in the league document, presented alphabetically.

  • Mike Martin, College Scout, Panthers: Martin is just an area scout right now, but he was the assistant college director with the Texans before the team cleaned house after a GM change. Vanderbilt-educated, his most impressive trait is his even temperament. He’s got an extensive network in the Southeast, too, which doesn’t hurt. 
  • Sam Seale, National Scout, Packers: Seale’s problem is that he’s on the wrong side of 50, which makes him decidedly non-sexy. However, he’s got decades with one of the best organizations, and if I’m hiring someone to run my organization, he has to know talent. One scout I talk to always raves about Seale’s ability to evaluate.
  • Jamaal Stephenson, Director of College Scouting, Vikings: It boggles my mind that Stephenson doesn’t get more exposure. He’s got director-level experience, he’s Brown-educated, and has spent more than a decade with one of the NFL’s best GMs, Rick Spielman. 
  • Sam Summerville, Area Scout, Bears: Everyone loves to trash the Bears for the quarterback they drafted and the two they didn’t draft, but don’t pin that on Summerville. He’s got experience with multiple organizations, he’s got pro and college experience, and he’s always looking to challenge himself and grow. 
  • Richmond Williams, Director of Pro Personnel, Packers: Whenever I talk to scouts and evaluators about who impresses them, they always mention Williams. He’s another evaluator with extensive pro and college experience, and his steady climb through a top organization speaks for itself.

Keep in mind that I don’t write this to simply canvas the league and name everyone who wasn’t on either list. These are people of respect that have the pedigree and the body of work that warrants their consideration for a top post, and I’m confident they’ll get that eventually. Their problem right now is they aren’t “hot,” i.e., don’t come from the right organizations, or maybe they’re still a little underdeveloped and their time(s) have not come. But they will.

Make sure to check out this week’s Friday Wrap as we discuss several big questions on the lips of scouts, directors, agents and college personnel that must be answered soon. Register for it here.

Ask the NFL Scout: Six Things From Ahmad Russell (ex-Colts)

30 Friday Oct 2020

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Thursday night, we had the third in our four-part Zoom series with former NFL scouts and executives. Our guest was former Colts area scout Ahmad Russell, who also spent several years with the Eagles.

Here are a few things I learned from his nearly 90-minute session.

  • Scouts come from all kinds of places, but Ahmad’s story is unique. After he didn’t get any satisfactory job offers out of college and didn’t get any camp offers (he played at Colgate), he opted to to go Japan and teach. That was in August of 2001, but his 9/11 experience is another story. While in Japan, he began playing fantasy basketball, which piqued his interest in scouting and evaluation. So he went online and scanned every scout and executive bio in the NFL, noticing that several got their master’s from the UMass sport management program, so he applied (from Japan). Once he got accepted, he heavily mined the UMass network until, upon completion of his master’s, he got three NFL offers. He chose the Eagles, partially because of their success and partially because of their proximity.
  • Ahmad has several insights about the GMs and future GMs he worked with (including Howie Roseman, Chris Ballard, Jason Licht and Ryan Grigson). His insights were too many to detail here, but one thing stuck out in my mind. Ahmad said he befriended the Eagles GM during Roseman’s days as the team counsel, so when Roseman began to have a larger profile on the evaluation side, Ahmad already had a relationship with him. That was beneficial for a number of reasons. I respect Ahmad for having time for Roseman before he was part of his chain of command. Never forget: it’s a relationship business.
  • We’ve been discussing the 2016 draft each week, and it’s been really illuminating. For example, say what you will about how teams value triangle numbers vs. film, but Ahmad was the latest scout to cite speed in explaining why Ohio State WO Michael Thomas fell to the second round. He likewise pointed to speed in why Baylor WO Corey Coleman was the first receiver off the board. As you know, Coleman is no longer in the league. Speed is sexy, and scouts are human. That’s all there is to it.
  • Cowboys QB Dak Prescott is known as a high-character player and a leader of men, but Ahmad may deserve some of the credit. He told the story of when he interviewed Prescott at the Senior Bowl and confronted him about several off-field issues that surfaced during the evaluation phase. Ahmad even said he called Prescott a “thug” in the interview session. To Prescott’s credit, he took the hard conversation to heart, and the results have been clear.
  • Ahmad is the first scout to cop to his team trying to move up to take Ole Miss OT Laremy Tunsil during his famous slide. He said he recalls trying to strike a deal with the Saints, who picked 12. When the teams couldn’t strike a deal, the Dolphins moved up to 13 by trading with the Eagles.
  • Due to his domestic assault charges, the Colts had taken West Alabama WO Tyreek Hill completely off their board. He was a no-draft for Indy.

Next week, we conclude our series with former Raiders scout Raleigh McKenzie. It’s gonna be a blast. Want in? Click here. We’ve recorded all four of our sessions (ex-Rams scout Danton Barto in Week 1 and former Bills GM Doug Whaley in Week 2). If you’d like the first three videos and a chance to sit in next week, click here.

For more on the business of football, make sure to register for the Friday Wrap.

Ask the NFL GM: Eight Things I Learned from Doug Whaley’s Zoom Session

23 Friday Oct 2020

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Last week in this space, we discussed ITL’s Fourth Quarter series in which we bring in a former scout or NFL executive as our Zoom guest. Last week, it was former Rams area scout Danton Barto, who was excellent. Tonight, it was former Bills GM Doug Whaley, who was also outstanding.

Here are eight things I found interesting in Doug’s session.

  • Doug graduated from Pitt and immediately took a job in the investment business as a trader in New York, but after getting an offer to intern for the Steelers, he passed it up immediately and returned to Pittsburgh. That’s the kind of passion you have to have to succeed in football — the willingness to pass up a job that could be incredibly lucrative to chase an opportunity that could be lucrative, but that comes with no guarantees.
  • When Doug interviews a scout for a job, he doesn’t want to know about the scout’s successes. He wants to hear about the prospects the scout missed on, because everybody misses. It’s learning and figuring out why you missed that shows that you have a passion for the business and an interest in getting better.
  • When I asked Doug what he would do differently in his next GM job, he said, and I’m paraphrasing, that he’ll sacrifice talent for fit. He said that in Buffalo, he only wanted the very best player he could find, but he said that it’s better to take the best player that makes sense in your system and locker room.
  • Doug is a strong believer in mentors, and he has two: legendary Steelers scout Bill Nunn and former NFL executive Charles Bailey, who’s been with the Steelers, Saints and Jaguars as well as the XFL. Doug, in turn, has three mentees.
  • We’ve been asking scouts about their experiences and insights into the 2016 NFL Draft, and Doug was asked if allegations that Ole Miss OT Laremy Tunsil had received improper payments hurt the team’s evaluation of him. Doug said that, due partially to the NCAA’s antiquated rules, he wouldn’t necessarily fault Tunsil for such payments. What would hurt him, instead, is if, years later, Tunsil divulged it to the media. That would be a red flag.
  • Why isn’t Derrick Henry a Bill? Doug said they knew he would be a power back who’s not given to making people miss. They observed that while he’s a big guy from the waist up, Buffalo’s braintrust didn’t think he was thick enough through the legs to be effective on the NFL level, or at least, to have lasting success.
  • What about Tyreek Hill? The Bills had extensive communication with people around the West Alabama program, and had taken him completely off the board due to the domestic abuse charges that have since come to light. Doug said it was a particularly sensitive area for the team given that the team’s co-owner, Kim Pegula, is a woman.
  • Given the chance, would the Bills have taken North Dakota State’s Carson Wentz or Cal’s Jared Goff? Doug said that Wentz was one of their top 10 players rated in the draft, but Goff was not. Why? They didn’t think his arm and relative lack of size and frame would play well in Buffalo winds and weather.

Next week, we’ll host former Colts scout Ahmad Russell, and I can hardly wait. We’ve got room for a few more people to listen in, so if you’re interested, hit me up here. Just $9. DMs are open. Hope you can make it.

Want more details? Check out the Friday Wrap which comes out tomorrow evening. You can register for it here.

2016 NFL Draft: Breaking It Down with Blake Next Tuesday

15 Tuesday Sep 2020

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If this isn’t your first time reading my blog, you already know I recently wrote a book about the NFL scouting business called Scout Speak. However, you may not know what we’ve got going on a week from today for everyone who’s bought a copy and tweeted about it (more on that later).

Tuesday night at 8 p.m. EST, my friend Blake Beddingfield, former Director of College Scouting for the Titans, will join me and everyone who tweets a picture of their copy of Scout Speak and includes the hashtag #ScoutSpeak before Monday on a Zoom call. It takes five years to properly judge a draft class, right? Well, on Tuesday, we’ll talk about the 2016 draft, one in which Blake (and the Titans) figured prominently.

Let’s set the scene. The team was coming off a 3-13 record in QB Marcus Mariota’s first season as a starter and had elevated Mike Mularkey from interim to full-time head coach. The team was lacking in playmakers on offense and wanted to go to more of a power offense. Meanwhile, on defense, the pass rush was solid with Brian Orakpo and Jurrell Casey but looking for talent in the secondary.

Here’s a rundown of the questions Blake will address.

  • The draft had franchise QBs at the top two picks and an impact defensive end at No. 3, plus several big stars sprinkled throughout Round 1. Who were the top five players on the Titans’ board, regardless of position?
  • The 2016 draft was a big one for passers. Given that you were in Year 2 with Marcus Mariota, how did you size up the quarterbacks that year?
  • No one who watched the draft will forget 12 teams passing on Ole Miss OT Laremy Tunsil after an embarrassing video of him surfaced immediately before the draft. How could one quick video have resulted in so many teams passing up the best left tackle in the draft? Did the Titans really have Michigan State’s Jack Conklin, whom they drafted at 8, higher than Tunsil? How could the fear of facing an uncomfortable press conference have scared so many teams off the No. 1 blindside protector in the draft? Is there something teams knew that fans and the media didn’t.
  • The Titans selected Clemson OB Kevin Dodd with the first pick of the second round. He had one sack in his two NFL seasons. What went wrong?
  • Tennessee drafted Alabama OH Derrick Henry midway through the second round when the popular narrative was that running backs were mostly interchangeable. What prompted you to ignore the narrative and take him? How close did you come to taking him higher? Lower?
  • There were several great safeties in the 2016 draft (Florida’s Keanu Neal, Maryland’s Sean Davis and Ohio State’s Vonn Bell among them), but you might have gotten the best one in Middle Tennessee’s Kevin Byard at 64. Was he your No. 1 safety?
  • One of the most exciting players in the game, Saints QB Taysom Hill, went undrafted. What was “the book” on Hill that resulted in Kevin Hogan, Brandon Doughty and Jeff Driskel getting drafted but not Hill?
  • What was “the book” on Ohio State’s Michael Thomas that prompted five wide receivers — most of whom are now out of the league — to be drafted before the Saints selected him in the second round?
  • Who is the player you nearly took, but didn’t, and regret the most?
  • Did you have any “now it can be told” interviews or experiences during pro days or Top 30 visits that spring?

I can’t wait till Tuesday. It’s gonna be a blast! If you haven’t already, make sure you pick up your copy of Scout Speak and tweet a picture of it with the #ScoutSpeak hashtag (like this one) by Sunday night. I want you on this Zoom call. Hope to see you soon!