Ron Sellers

Here's an interesting piece in today's Boston Herald. Former Patriots VP of player personnel Scott Pioli discusses changes the Patriots made in the way they grade players due to the changes in the way the game is played today; specifically in regards to how sub packages are so prevalent now that you don't look at certain players, or the positions they play (such as a nickel corner) as a backup.

Rap Sheet » Allow former Patriots VP Scott Pioli to remind us about the Patriots scouting system…

“The last two years at the Patriots, when it came down to stacking the board, Bill and I were getting frustrated with the stacking because the game had changed and evolved,” Pioli said. “We were talking about how the value of the third corner (is) really (that of) 60 percent players. And someone who is a 60 percent player was… the third corner is the starter in today’s game. And it was back then. We were talking about guys who could be third corners and not ranking them high enough. They weren’t given high enough grades.”

Now, with as many teams as are putting their nickel and dime packages on the field for more than 50 percent of the game, they were starters. Pioli and Belichick, for drafting purposes, wanted to make sure a third CB or third WR wasn’t ranked as a backup… since they weren’t.

“The reality is, the third corner, the third receiver, the sub safety, you can’t just say, he’s a backup corner,” Pioli continued. “The value of that backup corner is much greater. What I spent a lot of time doing is re-doing our whole grading system. Thomas (Dimitroff) and I, then spent more time re-doing the grading system. Me, Bill (Belichick), Ernie Adams, and Thomas and then we started using that the last couple years. Then, Thomas leaves and took it down (to Atlanta), Phil (Emery) took it from Thomas. And when I came to Kansas City, I tried teaching this system that’s different. Because everyone essentially uses the same grading system and fortunately Phil knew it. So, when I hired Phil, he came in and he helped teach it.”

MoLewisrocks

Always anticipating or ahead of the curve and always approaching any subject from a value standpoint. I would bet they evaluate veterans and their own roster the same way.

http://www.bostonherald.com/blogs/sp...outing-system/

nabwong

The biggest crutch in life is tradition (social pressure). No matter what we do (science, religion, sports, politics, etc), change is always resisted. This is partly why this organization is so successful. BB is a student of history but he knows that he can't implement history. What he studies is the changes throughout history.

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Belichick: Stats are for losers. Final scores are for winners.

condon84

It's crazy to hear that BB values the nickle corner as essentially another starter yet we've drafted poorly in that area the past few years. Whoever is evaluating the CBs for the scouting department needs to get his ***** together.

Armchair Quarterback

So they're elevating "backup" defensive backs grades because they technically won't be backups. Drafting nickel backs in the 2nd round and wondering why they don't work out. Is this why the drafted Wheatley over Terrell Thomas? Sometimes they out think themselves.

Ron Sellers

Your argument doesn't make a whole lot of sense since those two play the same position.



With the benefit of hindsight anyone can play the 'shoulda' drafted this guy instead' game with all 32 teams.

Fencer

Similarly, the #4 CB stands on average to play a lot more than the #4 OT, and substantially more than even the #3.

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"To lose one parent may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness." -- Oscar Wilde

Armchair Quarterback

They play the same position but Wheatley's grade may very well have been artificially elevated because they envisioned him a a "starting nickel back".

I didn't need the benefit of hindsight to know which one to pick, I wanted them to choose Thomas or Godfrey at the time and disliked the Wheatley pick. Pioli just explained the probable reasoning behind the choice.

MoLewisrocks

Pioli tried to use another example but he should have avoided the nickle back at all cost since you guys are now fixated on that...and entirely missing the point of the comments...which of course isn't all that unusual hereabouts.

Armchair Quarterback

I made one comment about a player before having to defend it against the always present "benefit of hindsight argument." That hardly constitutes a fixation.

And judging by what Pioli said, what has been invested in the position and the quality of players at the position on the roster are, I would say it's a worthwhile discussion.