PFGMRx: How To Build An NFL Team If I Were A Pro Football GM

By Roy Pickett

A fan's perspective of how an NFL team should be run by a General Manager. Roy Pickett proposes his "armchair General Managing" for other fans to consider. He demonstrates how Analytics can be combined with good old-fashioned leadership to create a winning Franchise. Breaks down the 2019 draft as it unfolds and shares his reactions and projections for how draft strategies change during the draft. Provides a Salary Cap % budget for each position group on the 53-man roster. Illustrates what measurable standards scouts and GMs are looking for at the different positions when observing prospects at the COMBINE. Provides a hypothetical roster (The Royals) with real NFL players to demonstrate what his ideal team would look like if he were a GM.
If you enjoy playing Fantasy Football, the Madden Video game, or just like talking about football at your local pub; this information is taylor-made for you. If you are overwhelmed with the reported contracts of your favorite player, this book will explain why your GM made a wise decision or overpaid for a Free Agent.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Aug 23, 2019
• ISBN: 9781543983524

Book preview

Introduction

Why would I write this book? To present my ideas in a logical manner for all to see that while I’m not qualified in terms of having been in a scouting department or an assistant in a Front Office somewhere in the NFL, I still know what I am talking about.  There have been many newly hired GMs who do not perform very well, even though they have the resume. There are 32 NFL Owners who might never have the desire to open my book, much less buy it and then interview me for a position.  Therefore, I am attempting to better educate fans of the NFL who only really watch their teams play on Sunday.

There are many details required to field a team.  I hear uneducated or undereducated fans call into Talk Radio Shows demanding their GM pay Player ‘X’ whatever it takes to get him on the team and figure out the rest later.  If their favorite team has a losing season, they want to immediately fire the GM or the Head Coach or both, without understanding that it takes times to build through the draft and to develop a winning culture.  So, in that light, I am giving the fans my Blue Print if I were their GM. Hopefully this will help them see a bigger picture.

If their GM is going through the same processes I am detailing - then, they should be patient.  Conversely, if their team’s GM is making irrational decisions and paying too much for players that will eventually catch up to him, or hiring the wrong kind of coaches, then the fan can point to my book and say, Roy showed that you should not spend $12 Million for a Running Back if you want the rest of the roster to be good.  Lastly, I am hoping readers of my book will consider me a competent voice and want my opinions on issues as they come up throughout the season and offseason. So, catch me on YouTube @PFGMRX and let’s talk.

I will discuss in detail my philosophies as a potential general manager and my duties in Chapter 3: The General Manager. As you go through the book, I will be pointing out how certain decisions are made utilizing this list of ten things to keep in mind:

10 Duties/Philosophies of the GM

1. Define your Vision. Know where you want to go and determine how to get there.

2. Hire quality people of the highest character who share your vision and philosophy. Allow your coaches and players to do what they do best. Put them in position to succeed and create your vision.

3. Create a team that dominates the line of scrimmage on the football field. Invest assets in the OL and DL.

4. Pay for what you value. Once you have established worth, do not overpay because that is what the market demands. Character + Talent + Scheme Fit + Positional Value = WORTH.

5. Determine and exploit weaknesses of your opponents.

6. Build in redundancy. Know that injuries, retirements, expiring contracts, and draft mistakes will happen. Be prepared to adapt.

7. Make your own mistakes. The GM will be held responsible for the failures of the players and coaches. Keep an open mind and accept input and advice, but trust your Vision and instincts. Do not be afraid to do something that has not been done before.

8. Create a team that can be unpredictable. Make it difficult for opponents to game plan against your team. Balance and versatility is an advantage to use as a weapon.

9. Learn as much as possible. Seek advice from experts. Do research.

10. Be accountable. Take blame for failure and give credit to others for success.

Sincerely,

Roy

Chapter 1. The Draft: Conceptually

If you have ever played the video game ‘Madden’ on GM mode or submitted lineups for your weekly Fantasy Football team, then you have entertained the notion that you might know what it takes to run an NFL Franchise. In my case, I was a high school teacher in Conroe, Texas when the newly formed Houston Texans came into existence and decided to draft one David Carr. My students asked me who I thought the new team should select, and without hesitation I declared that Julius Peppers was the best player available, and within this context of a team starting from scratch, that was exactly the philosophy General Manager Charley Casserly should have taken. It was apparent to me as a casual observer, that Julius Peppers would be successful sacking opposing Quarterbacks almost immediately, and without the need to have talented teammates surrounding him.

The Texans were disappointed with their 1st Expansion Draft pick, left tackle Tony Boselli, who was injured and never played a snap protecting David Carr’s blindside. Charley Casserly wagered David Carr’s health and career because he believed Boselli would become the anchor of the offensive line. Boselli had been an All-Pro while playing for the Jaguars. With rookie left tackle, Chester Pitts, the newly formed Texans won their opening game against the Dallas Cowboys under the leadership of Head Coach, Dom Capers, who had been hired due to his experience as the coach for the Carolina Panthers when they were an expansion team in 1995. However, the Texans only won 3 more games that season.

Years later, when I tell people what I would have done, I have been scoffed at for second guessing the selection of Carr since Peppers has gone on to become a nine-time Pro Bowl selection and three-time All Pro. As a rookie in 2002, Peppers went on to force 5 fumbles, collect 12 sacks, and pull in an interception. It was then that I started collecting my own information and creating my own draft board of My Guys. I wanted to have some sort of proof that my I told you so’s were legitimate, and not the benefit of hindsight being 20/20. Over the course of 16 years, I have learned that picking all the hits is not nearly as easy as I had first envisioned. In my defense, I did not get paid to make picks and have a team of scouts touring the countryside, interviewing prospective players, and watching all-22 film from their high school games, either. Over the course of time, I have watched countless hours of NFL Network, ESPN NFL Live, and read as many books on the subject as possible. During this time, I have created my own opinions on the subject that I wish to share with you.

The Texans, like many teams before and after them, made a fatal flaw when drafting David Carr, the idea of starting with the franchise QB and building the team around him. The Cleveland Browns were another franchise that destroyed the career of a very talented prospect, Tim Couch from the University of Kentucky, when he was drafted in 1999. The Browns won two games that season after selecting their franchise QB for new head coach Chris Palmer and the reborn Browns. It is sad how history has a way of repeating itself, and young, talented QBs get thrown into the deep end, only to fail. The NFL Draft is situated in a way to help the worst teams get better by giving them a prized asset; selecting high the following season. In the case of the Browns and Texans, these expansion teams were given the #1 overall draft pick to start their Franchises. Where bad teams go wrong, and what the general managers fail to realize, is that the team they are in charge of is not just ONE player away. They draft the best player available out of self-preservation, and they often believe the best player is a quarterback. They would be better served building up the foundation of the team in the trenches with the offensive and defensive lines.

Sitting at the top of the draft, a team gets the pick of the litter. If their scouting department has given them good information they will not be as likely to draft a bust player as the first pick of the entire draft. Teams want to make a good impression with fans, so they make a sexy pick like QB and say, This guy will turn us around. Unfortunately, very seldom does the team have enough playmakers, offensive line play, or a stout enough defense as a whole, to make that top pick shine. Most tragically, that top pick who was supposed to be the Savior of the franchise becomes a martyr and dies a slow painful death. The ‘Savior" becomes the martyr as the GM and head coach are asked to leave the building one to three years later because the Owner decides to start from scratch, all over again, due to continued losing seasons.

What many general managers of previously underperforming teams sometimes fail to realize is that their high draft pick is a commodity. High draft picks should be utilized to diversify and get a bigger quantity of picks. This would help fill out the roster with better talent across the board. Teams in the top half of the NFL draft should be looking to trade down in order to garner more bites at the apple. They should get the offensive line situated before they throw a rookie behind it and kill all his confidence. They should establish a couple of players who have the ability to catch the ball when thrown in their direction, preferably a wide receiver