Ron Sellers
2nd Team Getting Their First Start
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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…
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.”
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.”