As mentioned in my previous post, with the draft drawing nigh, the NFL experts are dissecting every college player wannabe with a precision a microbiologist would be proud of. They know EVERYTHING. And that's just the mainstream sports media, along with the usual TV talking head swamis that make a fortune predicting the future to those gullible enough to listen and believe it as gospel. The suckers were, are, and will always remain many -- and the pseudo-shamans know it.
Sometimes they get it right and sometimes they get it wrong. It's kind of like your average tarot card reader, astrologer, or first marriage. Maybe it works out as hoped. Maybe not.
But if one can look beyond the self-professed geniuses, they will find another group of people that know a little bit about football. This would be the NFL itself and its various teams. Though some have historically enjoyed much more success than others over the years, theoretically every franchise devotes vast resources to being the best team they can be.
Besides the head coach and the offensive/defensive coordinators, name the position and the team has a coach for it. Name an injury and they have world class doctors to repair it. They have trainers. shrinks, counselors, personal assistants, masseurs, and pretty much everything imaginable to keep their players in tip-top form. On the business side, they typically have a general manager, assistant GM, director of player personnel, and a room full of bean counters. There's media relations folks, advertising/marketing folks, human relations folks, the sales department, and likely another room or two full of support staff that perform various functions we never hear about. And lord knows, every team has an army of scouts out looking for potential talent 24/7/365. In other words, they have all the bases covered to the best of their ability.
Further, every team has watched extensive film on any player of possible interest, were there at the meat-market NFL combine in Indianapolis to poke, prod, measure, and psychoanalyze everything from prime ribs to chuck roasts, depending on their possible needs.
Yet very strange things are happening with some teams and potential draft picks. Consider:
It's all but a given QB Jameis Winston of Florida State will wind up being drafted #1 by the Tampa Bay Bucs. They need a QB, JW would be a fan favorite having played his college ball upstate, and it would be stunning if they traded that pick away.
Consider further the "war rooms" of every NFL team have had ample time to do their homework and put their draft boards together. They know who they want, how much they can afford with salary cap implications, and pretty much what the other teams are looking for as well. In short, they likely have a very good idea who will still be available when it's their turn to pick, last minute trades up/down aside.
Enter the duh factor. Why would the Chicago Bears bring Jameis Winston in for a workout? They pick 7th. Not a chance Winston falls that far. A potential trade? What have the Duh Bears got to offer the Bucs that they would give up a potential franchise QB? Ain't gonna happen. So what's the point of bringing him in? Sure, if I'm Winston, I'll fly first class to Chitown on a private jet to be treated like royalty while checking out the sights on their dime. If they're dumb enough to pay for it -- why not?
Same with Marcus Mariota, the recent Heisman trophy winner from Oregon. He'll likely be the second QB off the board. The San Diego Chargers recently sent their "brain trust" up to Oregon to work him out. The Chargers have the 17th pick in the draft. Mariota may or may not fall out of the Top 5, but he sure as hell will be long gone before the #17 pick rolls around. So what's the point other than wasting a bunch of man-hours and jet fuel sending people on a wild goose chase? Duh.
But you just know how it's going to work out in the end. The perennial "duh" franchises like the Detroit Lions, Cleveland Browns, and Jacksonville Jaguars will all crow about how they made a killing in the draft. Their local media will spread the propaganda because that's what they do. And the local suckers will believe it and buy more tickets -- because that's what THEY do. These teams are all about selling hope, but make no mistake -- you won't see any of them in a Super Bowl soon -- if ever. Too much duh factor.
On the other hand, smart teams like the New England Patriots, Green Bay Packers, and Seattle Seahawks will quietly find "diamonds in the rough" and quickly turn them into solid players at the NFL level. For every lost star to free agency, they have a way of finding another to plug in and not miss a beat -- because that's what THEY do.
A difference.
No duh about it.
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