[JoeRedskin]

Assessing the scouting department is much like assessing assistant coaches but with an even higher level of the "fog of war". At least with assistants, you can see their charges in action. With scouts, it's hard to say if they gave good info that was ignored by the GM or if they were giving bad info that was accepted or some level in between.

It's late so I am not going to try and do a player by player analysis. It seems to me, through several comparisons that have been done in other threads, that our drafts are not too far off from the norm when it comes to producing players. Further, when you are playing the back ups to back ups as starters, it seems to me that finding someone who "can play" is a shot in the dark for the best scouting dept.

Sorry, with the exception of Rinehart, you're examples just don't get me worked up about the scouting dept. Huntley? Batiste? Come on - it's not like someone was intending these guys to come in and be starters - may be there was a hope that one of them may be able to step up. Some scout saw a flash - who knows. And - on the other hand, what about Doughty? Horton? Chris Wilson? Sellers? Golston? Aren't these late round finds and UFA's indictative of competent scouting?

There are lots of front office issues and systemic flaws most of which, IMO, can be traced back to Vinny "Wormtongue" Cerrato. Allen is supposed to be a team builder and people person i.e. the Anti-VC (wait - does them make him ARVN?).

All in all, while everything must should be examined, the scouting dept. strikes me as an area that may actually function well given a little consistent direction and teamwork oriented oversight.

But, hell, the scouts could just be sitting in a back room with a dart board and "Blame Vinny" sign.