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many people have asked me what Scott David has been up to and well, not even I usually know. But we've both been toying with the idea of our own "Cowboys News" site for awhile and we did it. we've created a site, CBZ are our official forums, and Hos is even a writer for us as well.
www.dallasdecoded.com - it's still under construction but we wanted to get something semi-respectible up before the draft due to the nature of the content and it being very draft specific. we'll upgrade / add more as we go but for now, you can comment away on our articles and repost them to various social networking sites. we don't care if people repost our articles, we just ask for a linkback to credit the sources.
The Interview, by Scott David.
DALLAS DECODED Exclusive Interview with Current Dallas Cowboys Scout Kevin Simon -
Kevin Charles Simon was a ferocious, hard-hitting linebacker with the Tennessee Volunteers, starting 29 games under head coach Phillip Fulmer, who dubbed Simon one of the most dominant players he’s ever coached. A locker room leader and workout warrior, Simon’s signature season was in 2003, when he led the Vols with 115 tackles and added 4.5 sacks, earning all-Conference and Associated Press honors.
Simon was projected as a hot NFL prospect until his body began to betray him: His long list of mangled body parts includes torn anterior and medial cruciate ligaments in his right knee, arthroscopic left knee surgery, a broken right ankle, and a torn ACL in his left knee.
Injury concerns caused him to slip to the seventh round of the ’06 draft, where Simon landed with the NFC East-rival Washington Commanders. A sports hernia then derailed his NFL career before it could ever truly begin.
Simon returned to the Volunteers as a member of the strength and conditioning coaching staff in 2007, where he stayed until the (brief) Lane Kiffin regime took over.
Next, Simon rejoined the NFL – this time as a professional scout with the Dallas Cowboys. The 2010 draft will be his second with the franchise.
DALLAS DECODED caught up with Kevin Simon as he was enjoying a lunch break at Panera Bread:
DD: Several years ago, you prepared for the draft as a player. Now that you’ve twice prepared for draft as an NFL scout – knowing what you do now with your “insider” team knowledge – is there anything you realistically could’ve done differently as a player to influence where you went in the draft?
KS: I don’t believe so. It’s totally different evaluating talent, as opposed to preparing for the draft as a player. Sometimes you watch a guy go high in the draft who you actually played against in college – and you think, “Man, when I played against him I never thought he was going to be a 3 or 4th rounder!” [LAUGHS] But it’s all about projection – not where a player is exactly now, but where he projects in the future. Is he a prototype for the position? How was the 40 time? How about his other measurables? There’s really not much a player can do to change all that after the fact.
The NFL is based on outcomes; it’s an outcome-based business. If you can’t achieve the desired outcome as a player, coach or scout, you just don’t last very long. Agents can’t really influence me, because it’s my job to produce positive outcomes while evaluating talent. And if I were to let outside influences impact my decisions, I wouldn’t be effective at doing my job.
DD: In your opinion, about what percent of the so-called “draft experts” actually know what they’re talking about?
KS: I can’t really offer a percentage, but the opinions of some guys in the media are definitely valid. A guy like Mel Kiper; he’s been studying the draft since he was 14, working at ESPN for, like, 28 years. He has strong relationships and team sources, and there’s some validity to his player evaluations.
But all those guys are on the outside looking in, studying draft needs and making educated guesses. And sometimes these guesses are accurate, demonstrating good insight. I give them all the credit in the world for that.
So teams do study mock drafts on ESPN or Sports Illustrated or elsewhere to gage market value for players. That happens. And particularly among the media, beat sportswriters for hometown teams often have tight relationships with the franchises they cover. Their insights can be very useful.
DD: Do these draft experts or instant-gratification media pundits – i.e. the guys who apply a letter-grade the literal moment the draft ends – ever influence where a player might be taken?
KS: Not at all. No matter what they say or write, we have jobs to do in an outcome-based business, and if we were to allow someone to influence our opinions in a way that leads to a negative outcome, then we’re gonna be the one in trouble. You can’t evaluate talent that way.
DD: What mistakes do fans make when following & analyzing the draft?
KS: I don’t want to classify them as “mistakes.” Everyone is entitled to their opinions. And the opinions of football fans are certainly passionate. They’re emotional. They’re opinionated. But at the end of the day, fans want their teams to win. That’s where they’re coming from – and I respect that. We all want our teams to win.
DD: I don’t know if you remember, but when we spoke during the ’09 offseason, I told you that in my (ahem) “expert” football opinion, we might’ve overpaid for Roy Williams and he might’ve struggled in the ’09 season – but Roy was still a top-20 WR in the NFL, and Garrett would SURELY be motivated to find a way to make him successful in 2010. And right after I told you this, you LAUGHED the kind of laugh that experts make when they hear rank amateurs like ME offer an unsolicited, ignorant, ridiculous opinion. I remember thinking at the time, “Jeez, is Kevin laughing at me ‘cause Roy is significantly BETTER than just a top-20 WR – or because he’s WORSE?!”
So after classifying myself as an ignorant doofus, how difficult is it for a REAL draft expert to bite his tongue when idiots like me offer you their stupid opinions? ‘Cause this time of year, I’m sure EVERYONE is offering you their stupid opinions.
KS: I just got a job to do, man! [Laughs] We keep that stuff in-house. You have your opinions, other fans have their opinions, and I respect that. It’s not stupid or wrong – just the perspective of a fan. [Laughs] Even now, you’re not gonna get me to do an evaluation on Roy Williams one way or the other, Scott! It’s all in-house. Always.
DD: About how many hours of research goes into every player who’s selected?
KS: Man, this job is so involved, it’s hard to pinpoint it on an hourly timeline. The draft is a huge mountain of objectives. It’s a lot of work, a lot of hours, and you operate on a case-by-case basis with each player. The work never stops. We get maybe three months off annually, and then we’re back at work. I’m already working on reports for the 2011 draft. This 2011 report is actually due soon.
DD: This is the time when fans & self-declared “draft experts” speak in absolutes: “If a player can’t dominate on the college level, he’ll never dominate in the pros!” “You never draft a player in the first round unless his 40 time is X!” “Don’t draft for need; always pick the best player available!”
But really, how much of talent evaluation is based on absolutist rules per se, and how much is based on evaluating players strictly as individuals?
KS: Rule one of the NFL Draft is that the entire process is based on 32 different opinions from 32 different teams. Some franchises greatly value film evaluations. Others go by stats. Every team has something slightly different that tilts the scales – either for a player or away from a player. And of course, you need to examine that team’s needs, schemes and positional requirements. Some teams want a 330+ nose tackle. Others look for a 290 DT. You have 3-4 and 4-3 teams who evaluate linebackers entirely different.
It all depends. There really isn’t just one rule for player evaluations.
DD: Bill Parcells popularized the phrase “Pet Cat” to describe a draft prospect that coaches or scouts fall in love with. What kind of traits does a Kevin Simon “Pet Cat” have?
KS: I don’t know… I probably don’t want to answer that one, man! [LAUGHS]
DD: OK, I hear ya. Well, let me ask you this: If the Cowboys had the top overall pick in the 2010 draft, which player would you be most tempted to select?
KS: I gotta be careful here too. [LAUGHS] Generally speaking, this draft is deep on the defensive side, but top-to-bottom it’s an unusually strong draft. In the second round, teams will be able to grab players who would’ve gone in the first round in a weaker draft. And of course, generally speaking, supply and demand plays a powerful role: There are 32 teams, but not, say, 32 great left tackles. Or 32 great quarterbacks. Other positions on the field will be addressed later, but don’t discount the role of supply and demand when seeing which positions are addressed first.
I see four guys this year who definitely could’ve gone top overall in a different draft class: [Eric] Berry, [Sam] Bradford, [Ndamukong] Suh and [Gerald] McCoy.
DD: I shoulda known that you would lead with Berry! You Vols stick together!
KS: [LAUGHS] He’s a great prospect. So are the other three guys. You can make a case for any of these guys going first overall, but team needs – and supply and demand – will absolutely play a role.
DD: Are there any player evaluations from last year that you’re particularly proud of?
KS: I don’t want to name specific names, but it’s been a very good year for me overall. Every day, I’m working hard, trying to get better. I’m one of those guys who’s completely focused on self-improvement – on improving my craft and becoming the best possible talent evaluator that I can be. Just over the past year, I’ve learned so much. And in order to improve, I know I need to continue to work hard. That’s my approach.
www.dallasdecoded.com - it's still under construction but we wanted to get something semi-respectible up before the draft due to the nature of the content and it being very draft specific. we'll upgrade / add more as we go but for now, you can comment away on our articles and repost them to various social networking sites. we don't care if people repost our articles, we just ask for a linkback to credit the sources.
The Interview, by Scott David.
DALLAS DECODED Exclusive Interview with Current Dallas Cowboys Scout Kevin Simon -
Kevin Charles Simon was a ferocious, hard-hitting linebacker with the Tennessee Volunteers, starting 29 games under head coach Phillip Fulmer, who dubbed Simon one of the most dominant players he’s ever coached. A locker room leader and workout warrior, Simon’s signature season was in 2003, when he led the Vols with 115 tackles and added 4.5 sacks, earning all-Conference and Associated Press honors.
Simon was projected as a hot NFL prospect until his body began to betray him: His long list of mangled body parts includes torn anterior and medial cruciate ligaments in his right knee, arthroscopic left knee surgery, a broken right ankle, and a torn ACL in his left knee.
Injury concerns caused him to slip to the seventh round of the ’06 draft, where Simon landed with the NFC East-rival Washington Commanders. A sports hernia then derailed his NFL career before it could ever truly begin.
Simon returned to the Volunteers as a member of the strength and conditioning coaching staff in 2007, where he stayed until the (brief) Lane Kiffin regime took over.
Next, Simon rejoined the NFL – this time as a professional scout with the Dallas Cowboys. The 2010 draft will be his second with the franchise.
DALLAS DECODED caught up with Kevin Simon as he was enjoying a lunch break at Panera Bread:
DD: Several years ago, you prepared for the draft as a player. Now that you’ve twice prepared for draft as an NFL scout – knowing what you do now with your “insider” team knowledge – is there anything you realistically could’ve done differently as a player to influence where you went in the draft?
KS: I don’t believe so. It’s totally different evaluating talent, as opposed to preparing for the draft as a player. Sometimes you watch a guy go high in the draft who you actually played against in college – and you think, “Man, when I played against him I never thought he was going to be a 3 or 4th rounder!” [LAUGHS] But it’s all about projection – not where a player is exactly now, but where he projects in the future. Is he a prototype for the position? How was the 40 time? How about his other measurables? There’s really not much a player can do to change all that after the fact.
The NFL is based on outcomes; it’s an outcome-based business. If you can’t achieve the desired outcome as a player, coach or scout, you just don’t last very long. Agents can’t really influence me, because it’s my job to produce positive outcomes while evaluating talent. And if I were to let outside influences impact my decisions, I wouldn’t be effective at doing my job.
DD: In your opinion, about what percent of the so-called “draft experts” actually know what they’re talking about?
KS: I can’t really offer a percentage, but the opinions of some guys in the media are definitely valid. A guy like Mel Kiper; he’s been studying the draft since he was 14, working at ESPN for, like, 28 years. He has strong relationships and team sources, and there’s some validity to his player evaluations.
But all those guys are on the outside looking in, studying draft needs and making educated guesses. And sometimes these guesses are accurate, demonstrating good insight. I give them all the credit in the world for that.
So teams do study mock drafts on ESPN or Sports Illustrated or elsewhere to gage market value for players. That happens. And particularly among the media, beat sportswriters for hometown teams often have tight relationships with the franchises they cover. Their insights can be very useful.
DD: Do these draft experts or instant-gratification media pundits – i.e. the guys who apply a letter-grade the literal moment the draft ends – ever influence where a player might be taken?
KS: Not at all. No matter what they say or write, we have jobs to do in an outcome-based business, and if we were to allow someone to influence our opinions in a way that leads to a negative outcome, then we’re gonna be the one in trouble. You can’t evaluate talent that way.
DD: What mistakes do fans make when following & analyzing the draft?
KS: I don’t want to classify them as “mistakes.” Everyone is entitled to their opinions. And the opinions of football fans are certainly passionate. They’re emotional. They’re opinionated. But at the end of the day, fans want their teams to win. That’s where they’re coming from – and I respect that. We all want our teams to win.
DD: I don’t know if you remember, but when we spoke during the ’09 offseason, I told you that in my (ahem) “expert” football opinion, we might’ve overpaid for Roy Williams and he might’ve struggled in the ’09 season – but Roy was still a top-20 WR in the NFL, and Garrett would SURELY be motivated to find a way to make him successful in 2010. And right after I told you this, you LAUGHED the kind of laugh that experts make when they hear rank amateurs like ME offer an unsolicited, ignorant, ridiculous opinion. I remember thinking at the time, “Jeez, is Kevin laughing at me ‘cause Roy is significantly BETTER than just a top-20 WR – or because he’s WORSE?!”
So after classifying myself as an ignorant doofus, how difficult is it for a REAL draft expert to bite his tongue when idiots like me offer you their stupid opinions? ‘Cause this time of year, I’m sure EVERYONE is offering you their stupid opinions.
KS: I just got a job to do, man! [Laughs] We keep that stuff in-house. You have your opinions, other fans have their opinions, and I respect that. It’s not stupid or wrong – just the perspective of a fan. [Laughs] Even now, you’re not gonna get me to do an evaluation on Roy Williams one way or the other, Scott! It’s all in-house. Always.
DD: About how many hours of research goes into every player who’s selected?
KS: Man, this job is so involved, it’s hard to pinpoint it on an hourly timeline. The draft is a huge mountain of objectives. It’s a lot of work, a lot of hours, and you operate on a case-by-case basis with each player. The work never stops. We get maybe three months off annually, and then we’re back at work. I’m already working on reports for the 2011 draft. This 2011 report is actually due soon.
DD: This is the time when fans & self-declared “draft experts” speak in absolutes: “If a player can’t dominate on the college level, he’ll never dominate in the pros!” “You never draft a player in the first round unless his 40 time is X!” “Don’t draft for need; always pick the best player available!”
But really, how much of talent evaluation is based on absolutist rules per se, and how much is based on evaluating players strictly as individuals?
KS: Rule one of the NFL Draft is that the entire process is based on 32 different opinions from 32 different teams. Some franchises greatly value film evaluations. Others go by stats. Every team has something slightly different that tilts the scales – either for a player or away from a player. And of course, you need to examine that team’s needs, schemes and positional requirements. Some teams want a 330+ nose tackle. Others look for a 290 DT. You have 3-4 and 4-3 teams who evaluate linebackers entirely different.
It all depends. There really isn’t just one rule for player evaluations.
DD: Bill Parcells popularized the phrase “Pet Cat” to describe a draft prospect that coaches or scouts fall in love with. What kind of traits does a Kevin Simon “Pet Cat” have?
KS: I don’t know… I probably don’t want to answer that one, man! [LAUGHS]
DD: OK, I hear ya. Well, let me ask you this: If the Cowboys had the top overall pick in the 2010 draft, which player would you be most tempted to select?
KS: I gotta be careful here too. [LAUGHS] Generally speaking, this draft is deep on the defensive side, but top-to-bottom it’s an unusually strong draft. In the second round, teams will be able to grab players who would’ve gone in the first round in a weaker draft. And of course, generally speaking, supply and demand plays a powerful role: There are 32 teams, but not, say, 32 great left tackles. Or 32 great quarterbacks. Other positions on the field will be addressed later, but don’t discount the role of supply and demand when seeing which positions are addressed first.
I see four guys this year who definitely could’ve gone top overall in a different draft class: [Eric] Berry, [Sam] Bradford, [Ndamukong] Suh and [Gerald] McCoy.
DD: I shoulda known that you would lead with Berry! You Vols stick together!
KS: [LAUGHS] He’s a great prospect. So are the other three guys. You can make a case for any of these guys going first overall, but team needs – and supply and demand – will absolutely play a role.
DD: Are there any player evaluations from last year that you’re particularly proud of?
KS: I don’t want to name specific names, but it’s been a very good year for me overall. Every day, I’m working hard, trying to get better. I’m one of those guys who’s completely focused on self-improvement – on improving my craft and becoming the best possible talent evaluator that I can be. Just over the past year, I’ve learned so much. And in order to improve, I know I need to continue to work hard. That’s my approach.
