Player evaluations can miss the boat

#1
ThreatLevelOrange

ThreatLevelOrange

Wish that I was on ol’ Rocky Top
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#1
For many of you watching the Sunday night NFL game, you may be wondering who the heck is Alfred Morris?

He was drafted in the 6th round out of Fla Atlantic, and performed rather poorly at the combine. He was awful on the bench press, and ran about a 4.67 40 yd. Washington picked him, but he was 4th string at that point. Nothing was given to him.

16 games later, he has the 3rd most rushing yds of any rookie in NFL history. That's because there is no way to measure coachability, heart, and working within the system.

That's the beauty of recruiting, that the measurables give certain guys the head start, but the intangibles cannot be overlooked. If CBJ can develop players, maybe we can get out of this mess.
 
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#2
#2
In football there will always be underdogs that rise up and become great. Part of of what makes it a great game.
 
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#9
#9
ThreatLevelOrange said:
For many of you watching the Sunday night NFL game, you may be wondering who the heck is Alfred Morris?

He was drafted in the 6th round out of Fla Atlantic, and performed rather poorly at the combine. He was awful on the bench press, and ran about a 4.67 40 yd. Washington picked him, but he was 4th string at that point. Nothing was given to him.

16 games later, he has the 3rd most rushing yds of any rookie in NFL history. That's because there is no way to measure coachability, heart, and working within the system.

That's the beauty of recruiting, that the measurables give certain guys the head start, but the intangibles cannot be overlooked. If CBJ can develop players, maybe we can get out of this mess.
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While I can appreciate all the "Rudys" that are out there defying the odds in college and the NFL, you simply cannot base your whole recruiting strategy around it. You have to play the percentages when it comes to recruiting and the percentages tell us that the biggest, fastest, strongest, and most talented players will be the most productive and dynamic on the field. Nothing wrong with taking a chance on a guy once in a while that shows you that special something but if you field a team with them you're going to get curb stomped more times than not.
 
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#10
#10
Brave Volunteer said:
While I can appreciate all the "Rudys" that are out there defying the odds in college and the NFL, you simply cannot base your whole recruiting strategy around it. You have to play the percentages when it comes to recruiting and the percentages tell us that the biggest, fastest, strongest, and most talented players will be the most productive and dynamic on the field. Nothing wrong with taking a chance on a guy once in a while that shows you that special something but if you field a team with them you're going to get curb stomped more times than not.
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Name one program in the NCAA that does this??? No one implied that... OP is simply bringing an exception to the table...
 
#11
#11
KnoxVegas said:
Name one program in the NCAA that does this??? No one implied that... OP is simply bringing an exception to the table...
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Correct me if I'm wrong, but the way I read the OP's post is that he is implying that you cannot always go by stars or rankings or whatever. While that's true in the sense that it's not a 100% fool proof system and there will always be exceptions, I was simply countering that while intangibles are great and all, you're going to "hit the lottery" on the bigger, faster, and stronger guys way more times than you are taking the chance on a small, slow, and weak guy who happens to have a great attitude.

Now, having said that. One thing I DO think that coaches should look at above everything else when they are scouting QB's is simply this. Is the guy a winner? When a game is on the line and a team needs their QB to step up and win a game for them, does he come through more often than not? Does he command the respect of his team enough to make everyone around him better? If I'm scouting 2 QB's and one is the taller, faster, bigger QB and the other is a little smaller, a little slower, etc but he's a winner? I go for the winner each and every time!
 
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#12
#12
ThreatLevelOrange said:
For many of you watching the Sunday night NFL game, you may be wondering who the heck is Alfred Morris?

He was drafted in the 6th round out of Fla Atlantic, and performed rather poorly at the combine. He was awful on the bench press, and ran about a 4.67 40 yd. Washington picked him, but he was 4th string at that point. Nothing was given to him.

16 games later, he has the 3rd most rushing yds of any rookie in NFL history. That's because there is no way to measure coachability, heart, and working within the system.

That's the beauty of recruiting, that the measurables give certain guys the head start, but the intangibles cannot be overlooked. If CBJ can develop players, maybe we can get out of this mess.
Click to expand...

This is true, but if I am a RB, Mike Shanahan is the coach I'd most want to play for. This guy could turn me into a good running back.

As previously stated, Morris (like Tom Brady) is the exception, not the rule. I can find you way more 6th round picks that are no longer in the NFL.
 
#15
#15
Ashevolle said:
if there are exceptions, then there is something wrong with the rule
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I see your point, but unfortunately, there are kids in remote locations, playing lesser talent, that do not get "evaluated" properly. 2* that probably should have been a 4*. It's rare, but it happens.
 
#20
#20
ThreatLevelOrange said:
For many of you watching the Sunday night NFL game, you may be wondering who the heck is Alfred Morris?

He was drafted in the 6th round out of Fla Atlantic, and performed rather poorly at the combine. He was awful on the bench press, and ran about a 4.67 40 yd. Washington picked him, but he was 4th string at that point. Nothing was given to him.

16 games later, he has the 3rd most rushing yds of any rookie in NFL history. That's because there is no way to measure coachability, heart, and working within the system.

That's the beauty of recruiting, that the measurables give certain guys the head start, but the intangibles cannot be overlooked. If CBJ can develop players, maybe we can get out of this mess.
Click to expand...
Your point is well taken, but i'll take a 5 star 4.4 guy over the 4.67 guy all day long
 
#22
#22
FEARinSEC said:
I see your point, but unfortunately, there are kids in remote locations, playing lesser talent, that do not get "evaluated" properly. 2* that probably should have been a 4*. It's rare, but it happens.
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I don't think this is all that rare. Exposure is the key to the stars. If a kid is in fl. tx. cal. they are ranked higher than a kid with the same talent in Miss. Not to mention kids that don't have the means to attend the camps are almost always under ranked. That being said the raw numbers are what they are and a slow guy is slow and a small guy is small. Big fast good players are better than small slow players even when they over acheive.
 
#23
#23
a good coach can get almost any player to reach their maximum potential. A great coach will demand they exceed their maximum potential
 
#24
#24
ThreatLevelOrange said:
For many of you watching the Sunday night NFL game, you may be wondering who the heck is Alfred Morris?

He was drafted in the 6th round out of Fla Atlantic, and performed rather poorly at the combine. He was awful on the bench press, and ran about a 4.67 40 yd. Washington picked him, but he was 4th string at that point. Nothing was given to him.

16 games later, he has the 3rd most rushing yds of any rookie in NFL history. That's because there is no way to measure coachability, heart, and working within the system.

That's the beauty of recruiting, that the measurables give certain guys the head start, but the intangibles cannot be overlooked. If CBJ can develop players, maybe we can get out of this mess.
Click to expand...

Shanahan always seems to find a late round RB that far exceeds expectations.
 
#25
#25
Does this mean that we really have many 4* and 5* players hidding in the roster? The least is the most and the most is the least? Then the Vols will be undefeated in 2013? This may indeed be our way out of the ashes....hey at this point I'll take it....let's turn the SEC up side down.....we really won 7 SEC games this year?
 
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