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The Grand Poobah
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Successful NFL front offices are only as good as their personnel decision makers. There are many ways to structure a front office, and Scouts Inc. has attempted to dissect the power structure of all 32 teams.
The following breakdown takes you inside each NFC team's personnel department, examining differing philosophies and the process by which final personnel decisions are made.
AFC decision-makers
NFC East
Dallas Cowboys
Chicago Bears
Atlanta Falcons
NFC West
Arizona Cardinals
San Francisco 49ers
The following breakdown takes you inside each NFC team's personnel department, examining differing philosophies and the process by which final personnel decisions are made.
AFC decision-makers
NFC East
Dallas Cowboys
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Jones[/FONT]
Owner, president and GM Jerry Jones is more involved in personnel matters than any other owner in the NFL. He attends all-star games and the combine, he watches film and he is directly involved in every player acquisition. In the past, he respected then coach Bill Parcells' opinion on the type of player Parcells wanted, and they seemed to have a good working relationship. It will be interesting to see whether new coach Wade Phillips has the same kind of influence on Jones. The scouts are information gatherers. Although they have a voice, they are not decision makers. CEO and executive vice president Stephen Jones handles the salary cap and player negotiations. New York Giants
Jones[/FONT]
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Reese[/FONT]
A new front-office era starts for the Giants, as longtime GM Ernie Accorsi has retired and former player personnel director Jerry Reese has taken over. However, the philosophy should stay the same. This is an organization that loves stability, and that is a big reason Tom Coughlin returned as head coach. The Giants have a veteran scouting staff with strong opinions, and the scouts have the freedom to voice those opinions. They play it close to the vest on player acquisitions, and they lean heavily on psychological testing. The coaches have input, and the Giants prefer coming to consensus decisions, but they do not solicit outside opinions. It is a conservative and secretive front office. Philadelphia Eagles
Reese[/FONT]
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Reid[/FONT]
The stability in the Eagles' front office has fostered excellent chemistry within the entire organization. Coach Andy Reid also holds the title of vice president of football operations, and every personnel decision is his to make. GM Tom Heckert is an organized and talented evaluator who has a great working relationship with Reid. Although this is an organization that encourages opinions and is great at gathering information, the scouts and coaches have moderate input. Reid knows what he wants, has an excellent feel for personnel and knows his own roster. At the end of the day, he will sit down with Heckert, watch film, gather information and come to a decision. Washington Commanders
Reid[/FONT]
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Snyder[/FONT]
Owner Daniel Snyder has the final say on every personnel matter, and even though many don't like his style, it's hard not to be impressed with his commitment to turning his franchise around. He doesn't have a great football background in terms of watching film and evaluating players, so he leans on Vinny Cerrato, the vice president of football operations, who often speaks for Snyder and the organization. However, Cerrato's relationship with coach Joe Gibbs and the coaching staff is in question. Don't be surprised if Gibbs tries to take a more active role in personnel decisions, and that could lead to some clashes. The Commanders have a solid scouting staff, but they are only information gatherers and have not had a lot to do on draft day because of numerous trades involving draft picks. NFC North
Snyder[/FONT]
Chicago Bears
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Angelo[/FONT]
General manager Jerry Angelo has the final say on all personnel matters, but he has created an open environment. Angelo values the input of his scouts and coaches but rarely makes a personnel decision on a player he has not seen. He is a scout at heart, spending a lot of time watching film and traveling to schools to evaluate college players. When he makes a decision, it is an informed decision. Angelo's relationship with head coach Lovie Smith is excellent, and he knows what Smith wants in his players. This is a quietly efficient organization that does not make many mistakes. President and CEO Ted Phillips doesn't get involved in personnel matters, but he handles the business side of the operation very well. Detroit Lions
Angelo[/FONT]
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Millen[/FONT]
President and CEO Matt Millen survived another tumultuous year and evidently has the support of the Ford family. That said, the Lions still lack a person with substantial personnel experience who can help Millen at the top of the organization, and it just doesn't make sense. The coaching staff has input on personnel decisions but is not involved in the final decision. Coach Rod Marinelli wants smart players who can learn and excel in his sophisticated offense. How they bring everything together with this organizational structure remains to be seen. Green Bay Packers
Millen[/FONT]
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Thompson[/FONT]
This is a steady front office that has maintained a low profile. Ted Thompson has all the titles (executive VP, GM, director of football operations) and all the power, but he doesn't have a big ego. He understands the game, still watches tape and evaluates a lot of players in person. Thompson's staff is very solid when it comes to evaluating talent and making personnel decisions. The personnel staff does a good job of relating well to coach Mike McCarthy and his coaching staff and identifying players who best fit their systems. McCarthy and his coaches have moderate input into personnel matters but are not decision makers. Minnesota Vikings
Thompson[/FONT]
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Childress[/FONT]
Coach Brad Childress had almost total power in 2006, but he seemed overwhelmed with all the decisions he had to make, and it might have affected his coaching. With that in mind, vice president of player personnel Rick Spielman, hired after the draft last year, will take on a more significant role than his predecessor and will look to develop the kind of strong working relationship enjoyed by other successful coach-GM tandems around the league. They will strive for consensus on most decisions, even looping in owner Zygi Wilf at times to keep everyone on the same page. In the past, the Vikings have been stronger in college scouting than on the pro side, but they are getting better in both areas. NFC South
Childress[/FONT]
Atlanta Falcons
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McKay[/FONT]
President/GM Rich McKay has the full support of owner Arthur Blank as the final decision maker in the organization. However, he will need to get on the same page as new coach Bobby Petrino when it comes to identifying the players who best fit his systems. McKay doesn't pound the tape as much as other decision makers around the league, but he does a nice job of gathering information from his scouting staff while relying heavily on senior personnel executive Billy Devaney. McKay usually works in small groups and will include Blank, Petrino and Devaney in the final decisions that relate best to overall team concepts. Carolina Panthers
McKay[/FONT]
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Hurney[/FONT]
GM Marty Hurney does a great job of organizing his personnel department and allowing its members to have input throughout the draft process. Hurney took over the draft meetings last season and had a lot of success with their first two selections (DeAngelo Williams, Richard Marshall). Coach John Fox is well-prepared, works hard at evaluating talent and has a great deal of say-so, as well. Both Don Gregory (director of college scouting) and Mark Koncz (director of pro scouting) are organized and do a good job of evaluating talent and providing Hurney with the right information. This is a solid front office that is clearly among the top in the NFL. New Orleans Saints
Hurney[/FONT]
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Loomis[/FONT]
Executive VP/GM Mickey Loomis is the main decision maker, but he is more of a business and salary-cap guy than a true talent evaluator. He has a good relationship with coach Sean Payton, and they are on the same page when it comes to identifying players who best fit Payton's system. Loomis also relies heavily on player personnel director Rick Mueller to run the college and pro departments. Mueller is a tireless worker who has done a great job of identifying and acquiring talent the past few years. The college scouts are tireless workers who do a good job of providing information for Loomis and Mueller. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Loomis[/FONT]
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Allen[/FONT]
GM Bruce Allen has the final say but works extremely closely with head coach Jon Gruden. The two have a history together and have developed an excellent working relationship, both in Oakland and in Tampa. Allen has a great understanding of the salary cap and the business side of the NFL, and Gruden is a grinder who watches a lot of tape and attacks personnel matters the way he coaches, with fire and emotion. Allen has a great feel for the pulse of the league and is not afraid to make a draft-day deal, moving up or down depending on the value the Buccaneers scouting staff has placed on specific players.
Allen[/FONT]
NFC West
Arizona Cardinals
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Graves[/FONT]
Despite not having the GM title, former coach Dennis Green had final say in personnel decisions. Although Green's teams struggled on the field, he left the Cardinals' roster with a lot of solid young football players. New coach Ken Whisenhunt would be wise to follow Green's lead and not leave it to VP Rod Graves to acquire his talent for him. Graves watches very little tape and does not have a good feel for free agency or the draft, as evidenced by his track record in acquiring players before Green's arrival. Green's departure and a new three-year extension for Graves likely will shift authority back to the front office.
Graves[/FONT]
San Francisco 49ers
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Nolan[/FONT]
What had become one of the most dysfunctional front offices in the league a few years ago is back on track. Coach Mike Nolan has the final say on personnel decisions but uses that authority wisely. Nolan is very bright and knows talent, but he also relies heavily on VP of player personnel Scott McCloughan and Lal Heneghan, the new team president. This trio works very well together, as shown by the solid draft class brought in last season. Director of football operations Paraag Marathe isn't a football guy but is close to owner John York and might have more power than he deserves. Seattle Seahawks
Nolan[/FONT]
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Ruskell[/FONT]
President of football operations Tim Ruskell has done a great job since taking over in Seattle. He works well with coach Mike Holmgren, is tough-minded and very organized. The coaching and scouting staffs are loyal to Holmgren, to Ruskell and to the philosophy of the organization. They offer some input, and their opinions are welcomed, but Ruskell makes the final decision with input from Holmgren and VP of player personnel Ruston Webster. Ruskell and Webster have longtime ties and see eye to eye on the majority of their player evaluations. This makes for a great working relationship. St. Louis Rams
Ruskell[/FONT]
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Zygmunt[/FONT]
GM Charley Armey was expected to retire after the 2006 draft but ended up returning for one more season to show new VP of player personnel Tony Softli the ropes. President/football operations Jay Zygmunt is an excellent salary-cap guy and makes the final decisions, but he will rely heavily on Softli and Lawrence McCutcheon, director of player personnel. Zygmunt has a good feel for the league and sees the big picture. As a first-time head coach last season, Scott Linehan was not nearly as involved in the process as he was in putting together his coaching staff and playbook, but he will look to play a more significant role this offseason. Scouts Inc. watches games, breaks down film and studies football from all angles for ESPN Insider.
Zygmunt[/FONT]
