I started scouting when Al Davis hired me at age 14 in 1968. Over the years, I have seen the great & not so great draft analysts come and go. Tom Hepler & Son, Jim Sabo, The Marassco Brothers, all that I hold in high esteem. I had the pleasure of pushing the buttons to bring Rob Rang into the fold when Frank Cooney snatched me for the start-up of NFLDraftScout. Since then, ho-hum to the ESPN & other draft sites. That is, until I stumbled on this Corner Forum last year.
Appreciate Sy for what he is - tireless in his efforts to bring a view, a perspective to those who have 9-to-5 jobs, kids & other distractions that prevent them from being Sy. Sy follows my formula - leave no stone unturned, work 25 hours a day & 8 days per week. Impossible task? I can give you a littany of oh-craps out of my mouth for all the personal sacrifices I had to make doing this job over the years.
Yes, it paid well, but the other day, one of my daughters commented that I had not taken a vacation since 1983. What about all the Hula Bowls, trips to the Japan Bowl, the postseason, etc. All family vacations were circled around a work event.
Hey, when Laurie got sick six years ago, I made her a deal - no matter how bad this gets, we are in this together & DON'T give up the fight. The last two years, I had to give her 24/7 attention, coming off the road. I readjusted, turning to films, films and more films, while coordinating with 26 teams & over 300 scouts.
Her last three months, everything went crazy. Her liver shut down, resorting to me feeding her shakes, ice chips & anything light to give her some substance. She wanted to die, so much so, she had her lawyer draw up a do-not-resusitate order.
You know where I told the lawyer to shove that paper - in the last thee months, I revived her six freaking times, hating myself each time, but also looking at the result - what do I tell the grand kids.
Yes, it was a horrible death for her, so much so, that for every breath I took in this scouting business for 50 years meant absolutely nothing to me. How crazy did I get - sold everything down to my underwear & a month after he death, moved all the way to the other side of the country.
Silence is golden they say, but not when you are alone, missing something that was everything to your life for three decades. Then, the call came in December. It was the Pats - Dave, what are you up to. Then, Mark & Mike at the Giants called.
The scouting bug bit. I decided that The NFL Draft Report (aka as The Poor Man's Guide to the NFL Draft) would not be published this year as my way of honoring Laurie. However, due to the teams calling, I've delved heavy into the talent, but not from the typical draft perspective, rather, from a pro potential standpoint.
Now the reason for this post is simple-Sy & I are trying to just tell you what we have heard, seen or know. Whether you agree or disagree, we try our hardest to give you, the Big Blue Family, an outlet into the other side of scouting.
As I started doing last year & will continue this year, I will try my hardest to give you what I have, provide reports as the Giants pick and fill you in on the street FAs I think will stick.
ALL I ASK-be cool. As some of you have seen, I don't answer stupid questions & I WILL NOT deal with nitpickers. If I spelled something wrong, so be it. You are not a spell check machine & neither am I. Just appreciate what Sy does because honestly, go look at other team sites. Does any of them have the fountain of info he has brought to you?
Yeah, I am posting again, but I am only in a support role - Sy is the gumba here. Just give the two of us some slack. We take criticism well, got thick skin, but put yourselfs in Sy's shoes & do what I am doing right now - giving him a standing ovation.
Thanks for joining our family. You're most welcome and for more than just your expertise..
Would love to learn more about your past scouting. A couple of questions:
1) what major picks did you miss on in the past where you saw something in their game that never translated to the NFL (let's avoid unpredictable injuries)
2) what positions are the hardest to scout for?
Thanks again for these long interesting posts
You both are well-deserving of a standing ovation. Your contributions here are invaluable. Thank you.
One thing caught my eye: "I've delved heavy into the talent, but not from the typical draft perspective, rather, from a pro potential standpoint".
I always thought that was the whole point of the draft-the pro potential of each possible draftee. Can you expand on what you're saying there? Thanks so much.
A brief synopsis on Flowers coming out of college and your present thoughts moving forward? If you've discussed this in another thread, please point to it..Thanks
To appease those media outlets, I had staff grade players based on draft round projections, while I provided a "Pro Grade" for each player. My staff could have a guy as a 5th rounder (example-WR Kenny Golladay), but I have him 8th at the WR spot. Will he be the 8th WR taken- doubtful, but three years from now, let's see where he stacks up with this class.
All I am trying to say in that sentence was, no draft grades were compiled by either me or staff this year. Did not need to, as I decided not to publish. Will that return when The NFL Draft Report kicks off the 2018 draft commencement beginning in June, yes.
I just will not be pigeon holes into ME ever rating a player based on where he will go in the draft. I leave that for staff, as my main source of income & input is with the teams, not the media.
I mean, classic case in point - look how much attention is placed by the media on the Combine. That's a week of looking at guys in their undies. I am not drafting a Full Monty team. Yes, John Ross clocked 4.22, but I bet if you ran him with equipment, he'd be quite a few ticks slower.
Give me a 4.5 guy that runs 4.52 with equipment over a 4.22 guy that does the same at 4.52
and so sorry for your loss. could be any of us. you did your absolute best Al Davis would be proud of you
welcome and cant wait to read your stuff
Thank you.
Don't let the trolls and nit-pickers get you. For every one of those there are hundreds of quiet ones who so appreciate your effort and expertise.
Regarding your intro -- what did you think of Buxbaum?
Thank you.
Don't let the trolls and nit-pickers get you. For every one of those there are hundreds of quiet ones who so appreciate your effort and expertise.
Regarding your intro -- what did you think of Buxbaum?
Buschbaum
Joel went the media route, but after getting 20K in 1968 for my reports, I buttered my bread going forward dealing with the NFL scouting departments. To them, I'm regarded as Doctor Watson (heavy research), letting them wear the Sherlock Holmes houndstooth cap.
Like Joel, I don't force myself on them, but if I get conviction on a guy, oh boy (eli Apple example), I will let my clients in the league know my thoughts in spades.
THIS YEAR-I tell everyone needing secondary help - get Adams or Conley at all costs. Actually have Conley rated higher than Apple & all here know how much I was on Eli last year. That is why my Prince Charming/glass slipper talk is on two fits for Big Blue _ Lamp or Willis
Those calls came just at the right time, so that you could DO but WITH purpose.
I know sometimes we BBIers give each other a ration of stuff because one guy's TREASURE player is another guy's TRASH player, even to getting so personal about it that one leaves BBI because of all the bull.
That all said I think all of BBI understands why you and Sy do what you do, it's because of love of the game, sharing how scouts and front offices look at players,so that ultimately even a 60 year fan of the Giants like me, can learn more about the bigger picture of the NFL these past 3 years than all the prior 57.
And with all that said, we here need to appreciate any and all the info we get and that we are so much more blessed than any other blog to have you both on our site.
Thanks.
The draft is so much fun for me and you guys get me all geeked up.
Welcome back and I pray you have strength in life without your God given partner. Go bless!
Hang in there, it will get better! Oh, and thanks a lot for the Oline/WR/RB/TE blocking explanation.
Also, very sorry about your wife's passing. My deepest condolences.
My prayers go out to you, as you continue to deal with the your loss of your life long partner.
So very sorry to hear about your loss. My mother went into the hospital because some veins in her neck burst. While in the hospital she contracted Pnuemonia. The doctors missed a collapsed lung because her doctor went on vacation and his associate not know her and told her Pnuemonia is painful. Pain was an old friend to my mother, she had a rare for of rhumatoid arhtrits that attacked her organs as well as her joints. I held her hand as she was taking the last breath she would ever take on her own. She had a do not resusitate order and did not want to be intibated. At the last moment she she requested to be saved. I was young at the the time and my father had worked hours like you....he folded and checked out and into drunkedness and left his 3 children to make all the hard decisions(they ultimately fell on me) I spent weeks in an intensive care waiting room learning things about life you cannot learn anywhere else. Watching someone you love go through multiple organ failure while being on a vent is....there is no word. I am real fucking proud of you for getting back in the game. Thank for doing this, thank you for choosing to be a father and real man in the face of so much personal pain. I see you, I think the family and friends that have you in their life are very fortunate. Stay strong. I know.