Our Draft System "largely untouched since the 1970s." Per Bidwill.

[HairZach]

Cardinals approaching NFL draft using hybrid system melding old and new

As Monti Ossenfort preps for his first draft as a GM, he's built a draft board balancing several difference influences.

www.espn.com

Inside the Cardinals’ draft room, Ossenfort has been balancing the traditional way the Cardinals’ personnel department has done their jobs with his vision for it. By the time Ossenfort came on board after three years with the Tennessee Titans, the Cardinals’ scouts had already spent the better part of a year evaluating, grading and writing reports on hundreds of prospects. It was a system run by former general manager Steve Keim for the last 10 seasons, which was part of an organizational system that owner Michael Bidwill said had been largely untouched since the 1970s.

“I think that’s piecemeal," Ossenfort said of changing the evaluation process. “I think there’s certain things that we threw right at our guys, and we adjusted right away and then I think there’s things that are still to come. We’re trying to do this on the run and there’s only so many things that you can do. There’s a lot of things that I adjusted to them rather than completely having them take on my philosophies and my processes.”

This is an interesting article. Basically, Monti has implemented parts of his system for this year's draft, but we are still using a lot of old methods for scouting/grading. For the 24' draft the old system should be completely torn down and Monti's system fully implemented.

I think this might explain our obsession with inside linebackers.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Cardinals approaching NFL draft using hybrid system melding old and new

As Monti Ossenfort preps for his first draft as a GM, he's built a draft board balancing several difference influences.

www.espn.com

This is an interesting article. Basically, Monti has implemented parts of his system for this year's draft, but we are still using a lot of old methods for scouting/grading. For the 24' draft the old system should be completely torn down and Monti's system fully implemented.

I think this might explain our obsession with inside linebackers.

Jesus. And people have defended this organization throughout that period.

 

[Solar7]

This is why I was at least demanding we get rid of the organizational structure for personnel set by Bob Ferguson (and apparently beyond).

 

[Redsz]

Wow. This is why we have been one of the worst drafting teams in the NFL for years. It blows my mind that these highly paid executives thought that a system from the 70s is fit for purpose in 2023.

 

[oaken1]

Y'all are way over thinking this.

Player evaluation has not changed that much in fifty years.
You pick their brains for attitude and football smarts. Talk to teammates and coaches to get an idea of their character... the combine gives you an athletic profile.
Then you look at the tape to see instincts, how well they put it all together, work ethic, etc.

We have easier transportation and communication....and we have a dozen companies with their version of analytics...

But it still usually boils down to....watch the tape

 

[Buckybird]

Changing a draft philosophy or scouting department wasn’t going to change in 2-3 months & exactly why many remain. After this weekends draft, then Monti can fully implement what he wants to do. If I was a betting man, many of our scouts will lose their jobs & rightfully so based off past performance.

 

[Redsz]

Y'all are way over thinking this.

Player evaluation has not changed that much in fifty years.
You pick their brains for attitude and football smarts. Talk to teammates and coaches to get an idea of their character... the combine gives you an athletic profile.
Then you look at the tape to see instincts, how well they put it all together, work ethic, etc.

We have easier transportation and communication....and we have a dozen companies with their version of analytics...

But it still usually boils down to....watch the tape

Respectfully disagree. The evolution of sports science and analytics have changed the evaluation process alot.

 

[Stout]

Y'all are way over thinking this.

Player evaluation has not changed that much in fifty years.
You pick their brains for attitude and football smarts. Talk to teammates and coaches to get an idea of their character... the combine gives you an athletic profile.
Then you look at the tape to see instincts, how well they put it all together, work ethic, etc.

We have easier transportation and communication....and we have a dozen companies with their version of analytics...

But it still usually boils down to....watch the tape

If you were talking maybe ten or so years ago, this would be a less bad take, but still a bad take. Statistical analysis has changed in just about every way recently, however, making it a full bad take. Why defend the organization here when they're mired in the freaking 70s?

 

[LoyaltyisaCurse]

I also hear the players weight room still blasts the keyboard stylings of the venerable Klaus Wunderlich on their Fleetwood Weltron.

 

[YorkshireCardinal]

Bidwill on Pasch's podcast when he spoke about this is worth a listen - https://www.azcardinals.com/audio/the-dave-pasch-podcast-michael-bidwill-x9909

Basically the only change we have made since the 70s digitising the players cards.

 

[jf-08]

We are at a disadvantage if we're watching 8mm tape instead of digital media. I feel sorry for the AV Club members that we're gonna have to fire.

 

[CardNots]

We wanted a change, it’s coming…

 

[BigDavis75]

Wow. This is why we have been one of the worst drafting teams in the NFL for years. It blows my mind that these highly paid executives thought that a system from the 70s is fit for purpose in 2023.

We don’t live in a meritocracy sadly.

 

[MadCardDisease]

“He's adapting to how we have been grading and then he's going to adapt that, and adapt the board,” Bidwill said. “But, going into the 2023 college football season, we're going to make that full change as soon as the draft is over. And then the ‘24 draft will look a lot like a modified-New England, modified-Tennessee system because this is the system they inputted at Tennessee, as well.

This is pretty much what I expected this offseason. There wasn't enough time to implement MO's system before FA and the draft. So MO had to rely a lot on the scouting/draft management that was already in place.

I wonder if this puts emphasis on adding extra 2024 picks and MO "plays it safe" in the 2023 draft. Maybe taking interior OL early while adding picks?

 

[Harry]

Dave Te tried to fix some of this but got nowhere.

 

[BurqueCardFan]

Y'all are way over thinking this.

Player evaluation has not changed that much in fifty years.
You pick their brains for attitude and football smarts. Talk to teammates and coaches to get an idea of their character... the combine gives you an athletic profile.
Then you look at the tape to see instincts, how well they put it all together, work ethic, etc.

We have easier transportation and communication....and we have a dozen companies with their version of analytics...

But it still usually boils down to....watch the tape

This is so shortsighted.
It's one thing for a successful organization to say something like this. If a team like NE had said, "hey, our system works, we haven't changed it for 25 years", then nobody would blink an eye.
But for a long running dysfunctional/losing organization to make a comment like this is really a slab in the face. It's basically saying, "hey, we suck and we know it but we really don't care enough to change anything we do".

 

[oaken1]

If you were talking maybe ten or so years ago, this would be a less bad take, but still a bad take. Statistical analysis has changed in just about every way recently, however, making it a full bad take. Why defend the organization here when they're mired in the freaking 70s?

I wasnt defending anybody. except maybe myself. I havent changed my player evaluation process in over 40 years either....and I still pick better than the Cardinals.

 

[TRW]

If it ain't broke....errr...never mind...

 

[Dan H]

Organizational inertia is not exactly an uncommon problem.

 

[Dr. Jones]

Once you lower your expectations a bit and realize what this organization truly is....... You will find that none of this is surprising anymore.

 

[Goldfield]

Changing a draft philosophy or scouting department wasn’t going to change in 2-3 months & exactly why many remain. After this weekends draft, then Monti can fully implement what he wants to do. If I was a betting man, many of our scouts will lose their jobs & rightfully so based off past performance.

I hope your right

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

We wanted a change, it’s coming…

only a few decades too late...