Jerry improving as a GM?

[Hostile]

Originally Posted by cowboysooner

In all honesty, there are 32 different power structures around the league and how drafts and free agent signings are accomplished.

There are different levels of credibility among coaches and scouts when it comes to evaluations of different positions or different areas of the country.

Most of the Jerry gripes are in regards to the draft and honestly I think our "process" is pretty good there. I think Jones views Ciskowski as the smartest guy in the room. That is markedly different that an Atlanta draft room where their GM is a former scout, which is different from a Baltimore draft room where a former player is in charge, versus a New England draft room where Lord Vader is in charge.

So Jerry gets to be the guy that calls Mo Claiborne. Big deal. He spent his money and wants to ride the ride.

Good post. I will say this, all of these power brokers have sources they trust. owners, GMs, Head Scouts, etc. Even the Hoodie does, and I learned this week his name is Ernie, and that even most of the Patriots players don't know his last name.

All of them. There is no such thing as a one man show in the NFL.

[Hostile]

Originally Posted by DOUBLE WING

But when you say Jerry isn't as involved as other GM's, you have to also acknowledge he's more involved than any other owner. It's a shaky middle ground that he juggles. That's the problem with him trying to wear both hats and play both roles. It leads to a lot of the issues this organization has had over the years.

http://cowboyszone.com/forums/showpo...&postcount=123

[DOUBLE WING]

Originally Posted by Hostile

http://cowboyszone.com/forums/showpo...&postcount=123

And do you believe that's a problem?

[cowboysooner]

Originally Posted by Hostile

Good post. I will say this, all of these power brokers have sources they trust. owners, GMs, Head Scouts, etc. Even the Hoodie does, and I learned this week his name is Ernie, and that even most of the Patriots players don't know his last name.

All of them. There is no such thing as a one man show in the NFL.

I will say that I like a power structure like ours that bends more to the scouting staff's pure evaluation like ours than a structure that relies heavily on the head coach big footing decisions. I think that happens in Washington quite a bit and will happen in St. Louis though they did a great job last year largely because Fisher was not coaching during the season.

[Plankton]

Originally Posted by Hostile

Good post. I will say this, all of these power brokers have sources they trust. owners, GMs, Head Scouts, etc. Even the Hoodie does, and I learned this week his name is Ernie, and that even most of the Patriots players don't know his last name.

All of them. There is no such thing as a one man show in the NFL.

You mean Ernie Adams?

Adams is an employee of the Patriots. He was a childhood friend of Belichick, and long rumored to be the person behind Spygate.

[Hostile]

Originally Posted by DOUBLE WING

And do you believe that's a problem?

With Ireland, Ciskowsi, or Ackles, no. With Jimmy, Bill, Wade, or Jason as HC, no.

With Lacewell, yes. With Barry, Chan or Dave, yes.

Is that fair?

I really have nothing against Lacewell. I've talked to him before. Nice guy. Good football guy, brought here by Jimmy. But he and Jerry and Barry were drinking buddies going all the way back to Arkansas days, and I think that got in the way. Barry stole Larry's wife, and I for years have wondered if he tanked the 1994 to 1997 Drafts as retaliation. Other than Larry Allen, not much was good.

[Hostile]

Originally Posted by Plankton

You mean Ernie Adams?

Adams is an employee of the Patriots. He was a childhood friend of Belichick, and long rumored to be the person behind Spygate.

Yeah. I read an article about him recently. Pretty good stuff.

[DOUBLE WING]

Originally Posted by Hostile

With Ireland, Ciskowsi, or Ackles, no. With Jimmy, Bill, Wade, or Jason as HC, no.

With Lacewell, yes. With Barry, Chan or Dave, yes.

Is that fair?

I really have nothing against Lacewell. I've talked to him before. Nice guy. Good football guy, brought here by Jimmy. But he and Jerry and Barry were drinking buddies going all the way back to Arkansas days, and I think that got in the way. Barry stole Larry's wife, and I for years have wondered if he tanked the 1994 to 1997 Drafts as retaliation. Other than Larry Allen, not much was good.

It's fair, but even with the personnel guys you like, Jerry is still a problem.

I guess my scenario is this: We go into the draft and Jerry makes the decision that we're focusing on the secondary and going cheap on the offensive line with a couple of small free agent signings.

Once that decision is made, it's irrelevant to me who is doing the legwork or how amazingly talented they might be. Ciskowski could be the best personnel guy in the league, but he can only do what Jerry directs him to do.

[Plankton]

Originally Posted by Hostile

Yeah. I read an article about him recently. Pretty good stuff.

You should read David Halberstam's book on Belichick, The Education of a Coach. It's a fascinating read about Belichick's relationship with his father, and it goes into great detail about Belichick and Ernie Adams.

[DOUBLE WING]

Originally Posted by Hostile

I really have nothing against Lacewell. I've talked to him before. Nice guy. Good football guy, brought here by Jimmy. But he and Jerry and Barry were drinking buddies going all the way back to Arkansas days, and I think that got in the way. Barry stole Larry's wife, and I for years have wondered if he tanked the 1994 to 1997 Drafts as retaliation. Other than Larry Allen, not much was good.

Looking at some of our picks from 1995-2002, you have to wonder if Jerry and Larry were actually drinking on the job.

[Hostile]

Originally Posted by Plankton

You should read David Halberstam's book on Belichick, The Education of a Coach. It's a fascinating read about Belichick's relationship with his father, and it goes into great detail about Belichick and Ernie Adams.

It has recently been recommended to me. Does it talk about Staubach? He and Hodie's dad have a tie to Navy football together. I have always wondered. I want more back story there. Halberstam is one of the best sports writers alive today.

Hoodie has a tremendous respect for what Landry did in winning so many opening games and he travels to fish with Jimmy every off season. I consider him the best HC in the NFL right now.

[Hostile]

Originally Posted by DOUBLE WING

It's fair, but even with the personnel guys you like, Jerry is still a problem.

I guess my scenario is this: We go into the draft and Jerry makes the decision that we're focusing on the secondary and going cheap on the offensive line with a couple of small free agent signings.

Once that decision is made, it's irrelevant to me who is doing the legwork or how amazingly talented they might be. Ciskowski could be the best personnel guy in the league, but he can only do what Jerry directs him to do.

Brad Sham, Mike Fisher, and I think Bill Jones recently discussed the cap sanctions we faced this year and how it meant we had to do some personnel things as a compromise. They wanted to fix the DBs in the worst way after the deep balls last year. I am convinced OL and DL get huge attention this year. We still are up against the sanction and the cap.

That's the reality of the NFL. The injuries killed us this year. Otherwise we might not be swilling at all.

[ScipioCowboy]

He's undoubtedly a better GM than he was during the Campo years, but in my opinion, the question of "improvement" is secondary to this question: Has Jerry shown the ability to build a consistent playoff contender in the modern NFL?

The answer, thus far, is no. These 8-8 seasons aren't merely a down period. They're indicative of where the franchise has been for a decade or so.

In my estimation, no matter how the organization is structured, Jerry is ultimately the one who hires the decision-makers and determines the structure. He bears the responsibility for its ultimate success or failure. He would tell you as much.

[DOUBLE WING]

Originally Posted by Plankton

You should read David Halberstam's book on Belichick, The Education of a Coach. It's a fascinating read about Belichick's relationship with his father, and it goes into great detail about Belichick and Ernie Adams.

My one gripe about that book is read too much like a timeline bio of Belichick's life "first he did this..then this..then this, etc.". I wish it had gone a little more into general insight/philosophies Belichick has on coaching.

[Hostile]

Originally Posted by DOUBLE WING

My one gripe about that book is read too much like a timeline bio of Belichick's life "first he did this..then this..then this, etc.". I wish it had gone a little more into general insight/philosophies Belichick has on coaching.

I know one thing about him and his coaching philosophies that is unique. He still insists on steno pads and pencils for drawing up plays and game plans.