Getting to Know the Front Office/Understanding the Scouting Process

Smoot,

Best post of the past two years. Love this. Good job with the write up and helping us understand the organization and processes a bit better. Much appreciated!

I have a few questions about scouts. During the season I can't imagine how they can hit all the small schools. Wouldn't they spend most of their time at the major conference in the area? For instance, I thought Morris was more based off the Senior Bowl than scouting. Isn't it difficult, especially the South, to not focus on the SEC?

Do these guys live in their particular area all year and then come back to DC to work with the other scouts and Scott Campbell? Kinda curious what their life is actually like. I feel like most of what they do they can get off of film and the rest of the time is digging up personal stuff about the people.good questions.

i would like to think each of these scouts have their own network, alerting them of anyone who may be worth a visit?

Smoot,

Best post of the past two years. Love this. Good job with the write up and helping us understand the organization and processes a bit better. Much appreciated!

I have a few questions about scouts. During the season I can't imagine how they can hit all the small schools. Wouldn't they spend most of their time at the major conference in the area? For instance, I thought Morris was more based off the Senior Bowl than scouting. Isn't it difficult, especially the South, to not focus on the SEC?

Do these guys live in their particular area all year and then come back to DC to work with the other scouts and Scott Campbell? Kinda curious what their life is actually like. I feel like most of what they do they can get off of film and the rest of the time is digging up personal stuff about the people.

Yeah, Morris was heavily based off of the Senior Bowl on top of the scouting during done the season. I was really just using his name as an example.

The life of a scout is extremely grueling. Most of these guys are former HS/College players and coaches who have decided this is the path they want to take. Some scouts want to work their way up to GM, others really just love scouting.

Where they scout has nothing do with where they live. They could live in San Antonio and be responsible for scouting the NE. The scouts all meet up in July (I think) and with Campbell they map out their schedules. Then it's off on the road. I'd say on average they're on the road maybe 10 out of 14 days or more. And then they go home, they rarely come back to Redskins Park during the season.

They'll see multiple schools a day some times. They hit the D1 schools first and then squeeze in the smaller schools as they fit (usually geographically). So a scout might be visiting Maryland and Virginia, but he'll swing by Georgetown.

There are also times when Allen or Campbell or even Shanahan will say "hey we're in Dallas this weekend so we're going to catch the Texas A&M game tonight and scout these guys so you can skip this and go scout this other smaller school"

You have time for this, but not a weekly smackdown?

Come on smoot... we miss our smackdowns!

You have time for this, but not a weekly smackdown?

Come on smoot... we miss our smackdowns!

LOL. Smackdown remains on hiatus

LOL. Smackdown remains on hiatus

I do love the smackdown. Have for years.

If only there were more posts on this board like this and less of the "Fire ____" posts and threads.

If only there were more posts on this board like this and less of the "Fire ____" posts and threads.

This is a great thread, but can I ask how does it work if they decide to fire a coach/assistant coach? Does Shanahan or Allen have any type of structured evaluation process of college coaches and assistant coaches in the league, sort of like you have described for the players, or is it more of a job interview and review of available tapes?

You mean like when they let Keenan McArdell go how did they select Ike Hilliard?

I think it's just like a regular job interview. Except in most job interviews you're probably not asked to draw up certain plays or explain how you plan to use Niles Paul. Connections (who you know) go a long way toward selecting the assistant coaches.

And of course the whole scouting process can ultimately be thrown out the window if Shanahan (or any football head) simply says "this is the guy I want. make it happen" Most, like Shanahan, are respectful of the process. Others, not so much

You mean like when they let Keenan McArdell go how did they select Ike Hilliard?

I think it's just like a regular job interview. Except in most job interviews you're probably not asked to draw up certain plays or explain how you plan to use Niles Paul. Connections (who you know) go a long way toward selecting the assistant coaches.

And of course the whole scouting process can ultimately be thrown out the window if Shanahan (or any football head) simply says "this is the guy I want. make it happen" Most, like Shanahan, are respectful of the process. Others, not so muchi wonder what the saints staff thought about the events leading up to the 1999 draft.

SS, thank you so much! This is a terrifically educational thread.