Preparing for the Cowboys Draft, Part Five: What is Parcells? Type?

[dargonking999]

Preparing for the Cowboys Draft, Part Five: What is Parcells? Type?
by Rafael Vela

In previous entries, we’ve discussed the profiles that Jimmy Johnson used to build the mini -dynasty of the early ’90s. It was based primarily on speed, at least on the defensive side of the ball. With defense being a top priority for Bill Parcells and the Cowboys this offseason, can we tease out any consistent player profiles from his past drafts? The answer is yes. Parcells has certain physical and psychological qualities he looks for in a player. Some overlap with Johnson. Many do not.

1. Parcells is not as speed obsessed: When you examine the defensive players he drafted in the ’90s, you will not find the hard devotion to players at the faster players at every position. Willie McGinest is listed at 4.7 in his ‘94 profile, which makes him fast for a defensive end, but he is the anomaly, not the rule. ILBs Ted Johnson and Tedy Bruschi were both timed at 4.8. FS Willie Clay, who was not drafted by Parcells, but who started for him in Super Bowl 31, timed at 4.72 in the ‘92 combine. CB Ty Law, Parcells’ first pick in ‘95, only ran a 4.63 at the combine, though he improved it to 4.53 at his Michigan college day. If speed is not the primary criterion for screening players, as it was for Jimmy Johnson, what factors are?

2. Parcells values football players: Look at all the key players who helped Parcells make the Super Bowl in New England, and those who have been successful picks for the Jets and Cowboys and you will find the same terms over and over again. They include: intelligence, durability, competitiveness and the ability to make plays. Take a look at these profiles, and you will swear they’ve simply been copied from the same template:

Willie Clay, FS, 1992 — “Smart, heads-up athlete. A playmaker. Good ball athlete who picks off a lot of passes….Overachiever who plays beyond his athletic ability.”
Ted Johnson, ILB, 1995 — “Top competitor….will play through pain. Special-teams personality. Is a football player in the John Madden sense of the word….a big, tough overachiever who makes a lot of plays and gets better every year.”
Dave Wohlabaugh, C, 1995 — “Fine work ethic. Plays hard and competes….overachiever…”
Al Johnson, C, 2003 — “Aggressive, quick and agile…is a leader who is smart, explosive and intense…”
You’ve probably noticed the word overachiever comes up a lot. As with Jimmy Johnson, many of Parcells’ successes have come from identifying and selecting guys who understand the game and play it full tilt. That does not mean Parcells is perfect. Far from it. But most of his mistakes have come when he has taken gambles on athletes rather than players. He is prone to do this more in his early seasons with a team. As I pointed out in part three of this series, Parcells tends to take fewer risks as time goes on, at least with his higher picks.

If you have a draft book in front of you, or are reading one online, don’t obsess over sizes, though Parcells does favor bigger linemen, linebackers and safeties. Don’t obsess over 40 times and vertical leaps. Focus on the personality profiles. Look for signs of football skills — good instincts and quick reaction times. Look for a strong work ethic and dependability; look for an ability to play hurt. Look for guys who are physical, since Parcells wants his teams to outmuscle their opponents on both sides of the ball. And lastly, look for the ability to make plays. The guys who fit these profiles, and have qualities mentioned in earlier posts (players from big programs, for example) are the people who are most likely at the top of the Valley Ranch draft board.

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You’ve also probably noticed that I’ve omitted the profiles of some of Parcells’ best picks, guys like Curtis Martin, Ty Law and Tedy Bruschi. Take a look at their draft-book profiles and you will understand:

Curtis Martin — “Natural runner with fine skills. Sees the cutback lanes and makes good reads at the line… average size and speed. Lacks top end speed and durability. Runs a little upright… Summary: has run skills and durability, but may not have size, speed and durability.”
Ty Law — “Durable three-year starter. Good athlete. Strong build… Hard to evaluate true man-on-man coverage skills because he played so much soft zone. Is not a speed burner. May not be fast enough to cover man-to-man in the NFL.”
Tedy Bruschi — “Terrific player who may be better suited as a pass-rushing end in the Canadian Football League than the NFL because of his size, but he might be a situational rusher and might even be an inside linebacker in some schemes.”
If you were relying on just a draft book or two for your information, you would have no clue that Curtis Martin would become a sure Hall of Famer, that Law (whom Pro Football Weekly rated as a fourth rounder) would be an outstanding first round selection who has been rated the top man-to-man corner the past few seasons, or that “CFL prospect” Bruschi would turn out to be the heart of the Patriots three championship defenses.

Draft books can be just as flawed as Jerry Jones’ or Bill Parcells’ worst drafts. What’s more, if you look at the same book year after year, you’ll notice that certain draft experts make the same mistakes over and over again. If you recognize them, and the common mistakes all media draft experts make, you can get closer to an accurate view of what the NFL war rooms, the ones that really count, are thinking. In part six, I’ll examine the holes in Pro Football Weekly’s draft analyses of the ’90s, and ask for similar assessments from readers who use other guides.

Copyright, 2005 by Rafael Vela

[followthestar]

great, insightful observations. makes david pollock look more tempting - overachieiver, high motor, a player. is he going to be our #20 pick?

[Hoov]

I don't really watch alot of college ball, so i'm relying on the insights of a lot of members on this forum. From everything i'v read here though, i could see pollock being a "parcells guy", seems to fit the mold to me.

[WoodysGirl]

Awesome read by this Vela guy. Love his assessment. Just overall quality writing.

[Dale]

Agreed Woody's Girl, outstanding article. Fascinating to read.

Out of curiousity, what was the book on John Abraham when he came out? Anyone have a profile of his handy? I'm curious only because he was the last defensive end/OLB-type Parcells took high in the draft. Did he fit the profile of overachievers, or was he more of an "athlete"-type coming out?

[tyke1doe]

Ditto other statements about Pollack.

[zagnut]

Originally Posted by Dale

Agreed Woody's Girl, outstanding article. Fascinating to read.

Out of curiousity, what was the book on John Abraham when he came out? Anyone have a profile of his handy? I'm curious only because he was the last defensive end/OLB-type Parcells took high in the draft. Did he fit the profile of overachievers, or was he more of an "athlete"-type coming out?

I don't have his profile coming out, but he was more of a projection/athlete type. He did not have a great deal of production at South Carolina. That said, I don't remember a bunch of people chirping "he's a Mamula type," and "he's a workout warrior," over and over again.

I definitely remember there being concerns that he was a long-legged guy who might not have the lateral quickness for LB and not be able to gain enough weight to be a DE. The other three first rounders Parcells picked that year were very much in the model the writer outlined - Shaun Ellis, Chad Pennington, and Anthony Becht. Parcells may have felt with those three safe picks he could take a small chance on a guy who could be special.

[zagnut]

So who are the Parcells types this year? Pollack seems obvious. Mike Williams seems obvious too.

Marcus Spears might be one. Very professional approach to the game. Does the dirty work that allows others to be successful. Just quietly goes about doing his job. Natural big, strong, mobile guy. High leadership qualities. 3 year starter at a major university in a major conference. Productive playmaker despite playing with other talented defenders. Versatile. Fits in with the 3-4 and the 4-3.

Matt Roth, DE from Iowa, sounds like a larger David Pollack. Lines up and hits everything in front of him. Smart, hard-nosed player who makes the most of his abilities. I imagine if someone tore his helmet off he'd keep going 100%. Intense. Very consistent. Durable.

David Baas, OL from Michigan - a favorite school of Parcells. Winning program. Versatile. Isn't the most athletic, but pretty much mauls his man and then mauls him some more. Mature 5th year senior. Works hard. Mean streak. Very durable, starting since his mid-freshman yr.

Shawne Merriman, OLB/DE from Maryland - Very physical, attacking player. Plays with pain. More likely to hurt others than get hurt. Very durable. Consistent effort. Gives 100% every play. Versatile. Top athlete, but in a football body. Flys to the ball but isn't overagressive. Stays within the scheme. Well coached. Enjoys taking on linemen despite size difference. Just loves to hit and tackle.

Khalif Barnes, OT from Washington. No nonsense tacle who can play 4 line positions. High-level work ethic. Former DT. Experienced 4-year starter at a major school. Leader. Under the radar guy. Started 42 straight games. 5th-year senior.

Adam Terry, OT from Syracuse. Very much in the Jason Fabini/Jumbo Elliot/Ryan Young/Max Lane mold. Very large guy. Very experienced starter since mid-sophmore year at left tackle. Very durable. Kind of lumbering. Not quite grown into his body yet.

O.J. Atogwe, FS from Stanford - Very consistent performer. Not super athletic but solid athlete and always in the right place. Extremely productive.Studies hard and makes decisions quickly. 9 interceptions, 19 pass breakups, 7 fumble recoveries and 11 forced fumbles since starting his sophmore year. Tougher than his size would indicate. Top leader. Intelligent. Durable. Technician.

[Dough Boy]

Originally Posted by Dale

Agreed Woody's Girl, outstanding article. Fascinating to read.

Out of curiousity, what was the book on John Abraham when he came out? Anyone have a profile of his handy? I'm curious only because he was the last defensive end/OLB-type Parcells took high in the draft. Did he fit the profile of overachievers, or was he more of an "athlete"-type coming out?

John Abraham
6'3½" 250 4.46

Combination defensive end/linebacker. Well-built but trim. Has long arms. Fluid athlete with excellent quickness off the ball. Can turn the corner with speed. Loose in his movements. Has good agility and a strong closing burst. Makes plays in pursuit. Quick footed. Better laterally than stepping up and filling. Needs to use his hands better to take on and defeat blocks. Has good coverage potential. Plays a little upright but is smooth getting to the flat. Has very good hip turn. Works well against the tight end in man coverage. Needs more strength but has excellent tools.


Shaun Ellis
6'4½" 280 4.85

A left end with a sturdy build and good strength. Plays the run well. Takes on blocks with good knee bend. Has good balance, quickness and speed. Disciplined. Works hard to the ball down the line. Physical. Solid tackler. Needs to get off the ball quicker, but has above average pass rush skills -- not really a turn the corner type with flashy moves -- gets ridden wide too much on outside charges but works well to the inside. Aggressive with his hands. Has good body control and leaping ability. Shows a strong closing burst. Has had some injuries.

Laveranues Coles
5'11½" 192 4.44

Backup most of his career. Expected to emerge as a senior but missed most of the year because of off-field issues. Solidly built. Short strider with excellent speed. Does a good job of stopping and coming back for the ball. Willing over the middle target. Tough. A little stiff in his movements. Shows positive hands -- can reach and snatch. Aggressive runner after the catch -- has the power to drive for extra yards. Explosive kick returner. Physical blocker. Raw -- has not been a big-time producer and has some "baggage," but has exceptional tools.

[Alexander]

Originally Posted by zagnut

Mike Williams seems obvious too.

How is Mike Williams a Parcells-type other than wishful thinking?

I can count the number of times Parcells has taken a WR high in the draft on one hand.

Matt Roth, DE from Iowa, sounds like a larger David Pollack. Lines up and hits everything in front of him. Smart, hard-nosed player who makes the most of his abilities. I imagine if someone tore his helmet off he'd keep going 100%. Intense. Very consistent. Durable.

I am not sure about Roth either. From what I have read he is a bit of a hothead and has had some dumb penalties in games.

[big dog cowboy]

Originally Posted by dargonking999

If you were relying on just a draft book or two for your information, you would have no clue that Curtis Martin would become a sure Hall of Famer, that Law (whom Pro Football Weekly rated as a fourth rounder) would be an outstanding first round selection who has been rated the top man-to-man corner the past few seasons, or that “CFL prospect” Bruschi would turn out to be the heart of the Patriots three championship defenses.

I'm sure glad no one in here is guilty of that.

[speedkilz88]

Originally Posted by followthestar

great, insightful observations. makes david pollock look more tempting - overachieiver, high motor, a player. is he going to be our #20 pick?

The big difference was that Bruschi was a position change gamble that only cost a mid/late 3rd round pick, while Pollack would be a mid/late 1st round pick. Parcells wants big DEs and big LBs. Bruschi's size didn't fit at DE, but it did at LB. To fit in Parcells scheme, Pollack would have to move to LB.