The Analysts...what they don't see?

[hiwaygal]

I was gonna ask this question in another thread but didn't want to derail the conversation there...

So here goes:

All those analysts get paid to generate mock drafts of who needs what and who's gonna draft who and all that crap.

These guys are smart and they are kinda like "experts".

A team picks someone they didn't pick or when someone is picked in a spot they didn't project and they are surprised. Not sure why since the team guys (who are the REAL experts) don't necessarily pay any attention to the media analysts. However, after the initial shock, why do they continue to question the pick or deride the team management essentially for not agreeing with them?

Seems to me that they would serve the fans better if they actually ANALYZE the pick - obviously the team made the pick for a reason. How about expounding on where this pick might indicate where the team is going or something?

Instead they seem to just whine about how stupid someone was because they didn't pick the same as they did (particularly thinking last year about the two guys who were fighting over the pickle and where he got drafted).

I don't know...the draft is important. And I know it makes them look good if they get stuff right (kinda like winning the lottery)...but THEY AREN'T ON THE TEAMS!!! They should understand the history/philosophy of the coaching staffs, etc. and be able to project some value and use of the player the team just drafted.

Just doesn't make sense to me...it's more about ego than the players or the teams.

In the end, I don't care that people don't like the picks we made. Because I'm relatively clueless, I look at what position we've drafted (i.e. NT in the 1st) and who we drafted for that position. In the case of Phil Taylor, I've read that he was projected to be the best nose tackle available. For that, I'm glad we got him. With the loss of Shaun Rogers, this pick makes perfect sense to me. Same for the rest of the picks.

I dunno, maybe this is why I don't get the draft stuff!!! lololol

[Vegasdogg]

Originally Posted by hiwaygal

Just doesn't make sense to me...it's more about ego than the players or the teams.

Yep. Some can give great analysis as to who is deficient or lack this or that. But when they go higher than expected they can really lay it on thick. Unless talent is elite - and that is 10 guys out of 300 - they all have work to do.

[Riffer X]

I use mocks and such as a tool. I will no way in hell try to pretend I am at an Alo level of understanding all these guys in the draft. What I do is watch guys projected highly and formulate my opinion. Some, I go by watching them play in the past then watch vids for further review, while others I just have to watch a few vids.

The guys who formulate these lists do a pretty good job and get the list of possible draftees to a manageable level. At that point, it is up to the person to decide who they like but ulitmately it is the guys running these teams that really know. They do the interviews, have way more film to extensively watch and know the scheme fit the best.

My biggest pet peeve is when guys get locked into one particular scheme by the niks and others run around quoting it as fact. I form my own opinions on who I want, and I am not afraid to say i like someone that goes against popular opinion on where they should go in the draft order.

[nickers]

I agree like Riffer said,I think most of them do a commendable job. But correct Me if Im wrong...Has anyone of them Managed NFL personel or procured any...? I doubt it. But like McDonalds or any other big time organization...They use marketing as a selling tool (the NFL). And Analysts are a part of Marketing. MNF,Pre-season, etc. are all tools used to promote NFL Football. Sadly, I dont think the talking heads are going anywhere soon.

[hiwaygal]

Just to be clear, I'm not talking about anyone here - it's really the guys on tv who yell and scream and just get so damn dramatic. They HAVE knowledge that many of us do not (they do get some inside information).

My complaint is that they do not use that knowledge to REALLY analyze the picks that were just made.

Originally Posted by Riffer X

My biggest pet peeve is when guys get locked into one particular scheme by the niks and others run around quoting it as fact. I form my own opinions on who I want, and I am not afraid to say i like someone that goes against popular opinion on where they should go in the draft order.

Just to make sure I understand...and using Mayock as an example. You get irritated with folks who seem to profess Mayock as THE draft god and anyone who disagrees with his mocks is just an idiot?

Yeah, I agree with that too. IMO if Mayock was THAT damn good, he'd be making more money working for someone in the NFL. Wouldn't he?

Originally Posted by nickers

I agree like Riffer said,I think most of them do a commendable job. But correct Me if Im wrong...Has anyone of them Managed NFL personel or procured any...? I doubt it. But like McDonalds or any other big time organization...They use marketing as a selling tool (the NFL). And Analysts are a part of Marketing. MNF,Pre-season, etc. are all tools used to promote NFL Football. Sadly, I dont think the talking heads are going anywhere soon.

I have no doubt the talking heads know their shit and I don't want them to go away.

I guess what I'm saying is that instead of panning a pick, why not further analyze it. To be fair sometimes they do.

But, as an example (and realize that I'm talking mostly out of my ass here):

Vikes drafted Christian Ponder higher than anyone expected. Everyone was shocked and called the pick a dumb move.

Why not say something like:

"With the loss of Brett Favre, the Vikings had to look to the future. Ponder displays some of the qualities that will enhance the skills of the wide receivers. The QB coach at MN is especially talented at working with QB's that have the skills and limitations that Ponder does. This could be a good fit for the Vikings organization..."

And they could go into so much more detail on how the relationships between the other members of the team could be better or how the coaches are really good at developing a certain type of player.

But they don't.

I just wish they would.

Hope that makes sense...

[Brown Warrior]

For me, it's just fun. I love the draft a little more every year. I think I'm just mentally ill over pro football and it feeds my addiction in the offseason. I'd say there are too many draftnicks or experts or whatever, but I'd be lying 'cuz that's more shit for me to read.

I LOVED "Path to the Draft." That's like crack. I love the different philosophies and principles and all that shit. It's just good, clean fun. People who get whacked out and yell at each other over draft stuff? If there was no draft they'd find something else.

I virtually never get what I want (Browns wise) and honestly don't much give a shit once the smoke clears.

[hiwaygal]

meh - shep...you're choices and wants are based on your own personal philosophy and love/passion for the Browns. And that's not a bad thing.

The difference is the media types are supposed to be "non-partisan." They should be able to spin some positives from ANY pick and help us non-draft flunkies to understand how the pick is really going to make us better, you know?

Maybe that's asking too much.

[Enigmatic Evil]

The thing about the 'analysts' and 'experts' is that these people are paid to have an opinion. As such, you see the experts who pander their opinions to their readers. They will form their judgement based on what their 'fans' will want to read. It's the main reason I can't stand to read a lot of those so called analysts opinions to begin with, half the time you're reading an opinion of someone and the other half you're reading something that someone is saying because they are fishing for a particular reader. Therein lies the danger of leaning on the opinion of these people. I like to read 'expert' opinions to see opinions that might differ from mine just like I enjoy reading any of your opinions but I rarely lean on any given expert for my own opinions for the reasons above.

[plumcrazy73]

One of the main ones I listen to more closely is Gil Brant. Being that he was at one time actually in management of a few different organizations.

[Brown Warrior]

Lombardi and Casserly were pretty damn good GMs. Mayock gets offers every year and GMs actually DO call for his opinion. Kiper and McShay work hard but they're a little nutty.

[Sez.EJ]

An analyst is ONE person. They are building mock drafts for ALL teams. They are looking who fits a "system." They say this guy would be a fit for team A, B or C.. Here is the big difference. A team is looking at a smaller picture than the analyst. They are only looking who fits "our team". Who fits what we do specifically as a team. A team has an entire scouting department. It would be physically impossible for ONE analyst to watch the number of hours of film Holmgren, Heckert and the entire Browns scouting department can watch (or any teams scouting department.

So when a team builds a board it will look markedly different than an analysts board. That is exactly how you end up with the Browns trading up for a guy like Ward last year, and trading up for a guy like Taylor this year.. They have done the homework an analyst could never do. They know who they want and grade things much differently than an analyst. That's why the analysts saw Taylor as a 3-4 DT.. There are so few guys talented enough to be a DT in a 3-4 it only made sense one would snag him up. But... Taylor came from a 4-3 where he blew it up. It only makes sense that he would also fit into a 4-3 system again..and excell.. It is just his talent level in the eyes of the analyst said.."this guy is rare and will get snagged by a 3-4 team" and then never looked beyond that to see his value in a 4-3 because of the nature of the analysts job..

We can be thankful for our teams scouting dept. It seems like in 2 years they have moved this team well beyond where Savage left us. One more draft, and a little seasoning of these young players, and this is a playoff team

[Brown Warrior]

Good point, Sez. The first line.