motife
03-24-2008, 06:56 PM
NFC East
Dallas Cowboys
Jones
Owner, president and general manager Jerry Jones is more involved in personnel matters than any other owner in the NFL by a large margin. Although he is obviously a great businessman, he also has an eye for talent and understands what the Cowboys need in order to succeed. His track record is pretty impressive. He attends the combine and college all-star games and watches film. With Jeff Ireland now in Miami, vice president of college and pro scouting Tom Ciskowski will handle the day-to-day operations. He is familiar with the college side of things and has a great understanding of what Jones is looking for. The scouts are information gatherers and don't have a lot of pull. Executive vice president Stephen Jones handles the salary cap and player negotiations and head coach Wade Phillips obviously has some say as well.
New York Giants
Reese
General manager Jerry Reese's first year was a gigantic success. The Super Bowl champions got exceptional production from their rookies. Reese inherited the lead position from longtime general manager Ernie Accorsi and the philosophies of the organization changed very little in the transition. This is one of the most stable organizations in the league, which comes from its outstanding ownership. Head coach Tom Coughlin is now locked up for the long term and he and his coaching staff will have a substantial influence on the Giants' personnel decisions. This is a conservative front office that often views players differently than other organizations. It also puts a premium on psychological testing. It is hard to argue with the results of last season and this team should be built for the long haul.
Philadelphia Eagles
Reid
This is a very stable front office and there is excellent chemistry within the entire organization. Head coach Andy Reid is the top dog in this organization, but he has a great relationship with general manager Tom Heckert. Heckert is an excellent evaluator of talent, is very organized and keeps all the scouts on the same page while also overseeing all the day-to-day personnel operations. Reid knows what he wants, has an excellent feel for personnel and has a great feel for his own roster. For the big decisions, Reid will sit down with Heckert, watch film, gather information and then come to a decision. The Eagles have put a premium on selecting trench players early in the draft and Reid obviously believes that the game is won or lost up front.
Washington Redskins
Snyder
Owner Daniel Snyder wields a lot of power in this unique front office structure. He is extremely aggressive and attacks free agency and the trade market while often putting the draft on the back burner. While this approach has been met with mixed results, you cannot question Snyder's desire and passion to build a winner in Washington. However, Snyder doesn't have a great football background in terms of watching film and evaluating players, so he leans on vice president of football operations Vinny Cerrato, who is Snyder's mouthpiece for the organization. With Joe Gibbs now out of the picture and a first-year coach in Jim Zorn in his place, Cerrato should have more power than ever and the coaching staff will not play a prominent role with the addition and subtraction of players.
NFC North
Chicago Bears
Angelo
General manager Jerry Angelo is in charge of the Bears' decision making and has final say on all personnel matters. He watches a lot of film, sees players in person and is a scout at heart. He does his homework and is very thorough, yet he also values the opinions of his scouts and coaching staff. Angelo values director of college scouting Greg Gabriel's insight on the draft and has an excellent relationship with head coach Lovie Smith. He knows what Smith wants in his players and has consistently found good fits for Smith's Cover 2 defense. This is not a high-risk organization; the Bears value their draft picks a great deal in their quest to acquire physical, hard-nosed players who fit the Bears' traditional mold.
Detroit Lions
Millen
President and CEO Matt Millen has caught an awful lot of heat since taking over as the top decision-maker for the Lions, and the overall results on the field justify that scrutiny. However, he is backed by the Ford family. Head coach Rod Marinelli is focused and wants smart and tough players to build around. His role in the acquisition of players is growing. The position coaches and scouting staff have input on personnel decisions, but they are not involved in the final say. Director of college scouting Scott McEwen does have Millen's ear concerning the draft process. Just when this organization looks to be making strides, it inevitably takes a step backward. It has been an uphill climb.
Green Bay Packers
Thompson
The Packers have done an outstanding job of creating one of the best rosters in the league almost exclusively through the draft. Ted Thompson has all the titles (executive VP, GM, director of football operations) and all the power, but he doesn't have a big ego. He deserves a great deal of the credit for this successful building process and it appears the Packers should stay competitive for years to come with their young talent base. He understands the game, watches film and evaluates a lot of players in person. Thompson also has a very strong support staff that he trusts. Head coach Mike McCarthy and his staff have moderate input into personnel matters, but McCarthy's role could be growing because he has proved himself in all areas.
Minnesota Vikings
Wilf
Owner Zygi Wilf is active in day-to-day operations, but vice president of player personnel Rick Spielman is probably the one member of this organization who has the most say on personnel decisions. Several people have voices in the Vikings' front office, including head coach Brad Childress, whose power has diminished slightly since his arrival. Director of college scouting Scott Studwell has a lot of say in the draft process. As evidenced by its selection of Adrian Peterson last year, this staff isn't afraid to take the best player on the board regardless of a particular need.
NFC South
Atlanta Falcons
Blank
To put it mildly, it has been a rough year for owner and CEO Arthur Blank. To help stop the bleeding, Blank hired Tom Dimitroff as his general manager from New England to infuse a winning spirit and a semblance of stability into the Falcons' organization. Dimitroff will have the most power when it comes to making personnel decisions -- a distinction that was held by president Rich McKay one year ago. McKay will remain in the fold -- but more on the business end of things -- and new head coach Mike Smith will also have some influence. Dimitroff will try to bring a Patriots way of doing business to Atlanta, but needless to say, he has his hands full and an uphill climb to approach the success of his former club.
Carolina Panthers
Hurney
General manager Marty Hurney has the most juice in the Panthers' front office. He does a fine job of overseeing and organizing Carolina's personnel department and his scouting staff has a good amount of input with the draft. Head coach Jon Fox is also a prominent player with the Panthers' personnel. He works hard with his talent evaluation and is very well prepared. He works well in unison with Hurney and these two complement each other rather well. Director of college scouting Don Gregory also has a lot of pull with the draft process. This is a very solid front office.
New Orleans Saints
Loomis
Mickey Loomis, the Saints' executive vice president/general manager, is the top decision-maker in this organization. He handles the business side of things and the salary cap more than the true football decisions, but he does have final say. He and head coach Sean Payton have a very good working relationship and Payton gets quite involved with the acquisition of talent. Loomis also relies heavily on vice president of player personnel Rick Mueller to run both the college and pro personnel departments. Mueller is a tireless worker who has done a great job of identifying and acquiring talent over the past few years.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Allen
General manager Bruce Allen has the final say, but he works very closely with head coach Jon Gruden, who was recently signed to an extension after a very impressive season. This is a good pair that has a productive history together from their time in Oakland. They understand where each other is coming from and share similar ideas about how to build a winning team. Gruden is the football guy, while Allen is a master of dealing with the salary cap and the business end of the operation. Allen has a very good feel for the entire league and the big picture. Few head coaches attack scouting like Gruden, who puts an awful lot of time in the film room watching prospects.
NFC West
Arizona Cardinals
Graves
General manager Rod Graves probably has the most power in the Cardinals' front office, but head coach Ken Whisenhunt should take a much larger role in Arizona's talent acquisitions in his second offseason. Graves gave way to Dennis Green in the past and that situation could soon arise with Whisenhunt as well. Graves has a checkered history with his personnel decisions, but the Cardinals' roster has improved significantly over the past several years.
San Francisco 49ers
Nolan
What was once a very dysfunctional front office is now back on track, but it has yet to show up on the field. General manager Scot McCloughan probably has the most juice of this group, but head coach Mike Nolan is extremely involved as well. Director of football operations Paraag Marathe is close with the York family. He isn't a football guy and has a "Moneyball" approach to building a team with a great emphasis on statistics. Executive vice president of football operations Lal Heneghan has not been with the team long, but certainly has a say in matters as well. San Francisco has been very aggressive on draft day with moving in and out of the first round to acquire high-level players.
Seattle Seahawks
Ruskell
President of football operations Tim Ruskell has really done a nice job since taking over in Seattle. He lightened the load on head coach Mike Holmgren and his contributions have directly resulted in Seahawks victories. Ruskell and Holmgren work very well together and have a good understanding of what each other is looking for in a player. Ruskell makes the final decision with input from Holmgren and vice president/player personnel Ruston Webster. Webster does a very good job of getting the area scouts' opinions heard before any final decisions are made. Head-coach-in-waiting Jim Mora Jr. could begin to get more involved in this area of running the team. The Seahawks have one of the best situations in the league.
St. Louis Rams
Zygmunt
The Rams' front office is somewhat in a state of flux, but newly appointed executive vice president of player personnel Billy Devaney will be the most active with all matters concerning the draft and free agency. However, president of football operations/general manager Jay Zygmunt will have the final say. He is a big-picture guy with a strong salary-cap background. Vice president of player personnel Tony Softli will also have a prominent role in helping Devaney to get up to speed in the immediate future. However, Softli's future with the Rams is tenuous. The final piece of the Rams' power structure is head coach Scott Linehan, who also will have a major say in personnel matters.
Dallas Cowboys
Jones
Owner, president and general manager Jerry Jones is more involved in personnel matters than any other owner in the NFL by a large margin. Although he is obviously a great businessman, he also has an eye for talent and understands what the Cowboys need in order to succeed. His track record is pretty impressive. He attends the combine and college all-star games and watches film. With Jeff Ireland now in Miami, vice president of college and pro scouting Tom Ciskowski will handle the day-to-day operations. He is familiar with the college side of things and has a great understanding of what Jones is looking for. The scouts are information gatherers and don't have a lot of pull. Executive vice president Stephen Jones handles the salary cap and player negotiations and head coach Wade Phillips obviously has some say as well.
New York Giants
Reese
General manager Jerry Reese's first year was a gigantic success. The Super Bowl champions got exceptional production from their rookies. Reese inherited the lead position from longtime general manager Ernie Accorsi and the philosophies of the organization changed very little in the transition. This is one of the most stable organizations in the league, which comes from its outstanding ownership. Head coach Tom Coughlin is now locked up for the long term and he and his coaching staff will have a substantial influence on the Giants' personnel decisions. This is a conservative front office that often views players differently than other organizations. It also puts a premium on psychological testing. It is hard to argue with the results of last season and this team should be built for the long haul.
Philadelphia Eagles
Reid
This is a very stable front office and there is excellent chemistry within the entire organization. Head coach Andy Reid is the top dog in this organization, but he has a great relationship with general manager Tom Heckert. Heckert is an excellent evaluator of talent, is very organized and keeps all the scouts on the same page while also overseeing all the day-to-day personnel operations. Reid knows what he wants, has an excellent feel for personnel and has a great feel for his own roster. For the big decisions, Reid will sit down with Heckert, watch film, gather information and then come to a decision. The Eagles have put a premium on selecting trench players early in the draft and Reid obviously believes that the game is won or lost up front.
Washington Redskins
Snyder
Owner Daniel Snyder wields a lot of power in this unique front office structure. He is extremely aggressive and attacks free agency and the trade market while often putting the draft on the back burner. While this approach has been met with mixed results, you cannot question Snyder's desire and passion to build a winner in Washington. However, Snyder doesn't have a great football background in terms of watching film and evaluating players, so he leans on vice president of football operations Vinny Cerrato, who is Snyder's mouthpiece for the organization. With Joe Gibbs now out of the picture and a first-year coach in Jim Zorn in his place, Cerrato should have more power than ever and the coaching staff will not play a prominent role with the addition and subtraction of players.
NFC North
Chicago Bears
Angelo
General manager Jerry Angelo is in charge of the Bears' decision making and has final say on all personnel matters. He watches a lot of film, sees players in person and is a scout at heart. He does his homework and is very thorough, yet he also values the opinions of his scouts and coaching staff. Angelo values director of college scouting Greg Gabriel's insight on the draft and has an excellent relationship with head coach Lovie Smith. He knows what Smith wants in his players and has consistently found good fits for Smith's Cover 2 defense. This is not a high-risk organization; the Bears value their draft picks a great deal in their quest to acquire physical, hard-nosed players who fit the Bears' traditional mold.
Detroit Lions
Millen
President and CEO Matt Millen has caught an awful lot of heat since taking over as the top decision-maker for the Lions, and the overall results on the field justify that scrutiny. However, he is backed by the Ford family. Head coach Rod Marinelli is focused and wants smart and tough players to build around. His role in the acquisition of players is growing. The position coaches and scouting staff have input on personnel decisions, but they are not involved in the final say. Director of college scouting Scott McEwen does have Millen's ear concerning the draft process. Just when this organization looks to be making strides, it inevitably takes a step backward. It has been an uphill climb.
Green Bay Packers
Thompson
The Packers have done an outstanding job of creating one of the best rosters in the league almost exclusively through the draft. Ted Thompson has all the titles (executive VP, GM, director of football operations) and all the power, but he doesn't have a big ego. He deserves a great deal of the credit for this successful building process and it appears the Packers should stay competitive for years to come with their young talent base. He understands the game, watches film and evaluates a lot of players in person. Thompson also has a very strong support staff that he trusts. Head coach Mike McCarthy and his staff have moderate input into personnel matters, but McCarthy's role could be growing because he has proved himself in all areas.
Minnesota Vikings
Wilf
Owner Zygi Wilf is active in day-to-day operations, but vice president of player personnel Rick Spielman is probably the one member of this organization who has the most say on personnel decisions. Several people have voices in the Vikings' front office, including head coach Brad Childress, whose power has diminished slightly since his arrival. Director of college scouting Scott Studwell has a lot of say in the draft process. As evidenced by its selection of Adrian Peterson last year, this staff isn't afraid to take the best player on the board regardless of a particular need.
NFC South
Atlanta Falcons
Blank
To put it mildly, it has been a rough year for owner and CEO Arthur Blank. To help stop the bleeding, Blank hired Tom Dimitroff as his general manager from New England to infuse a winning spirit and a semblance of stability into the Falcons' organization. Dimitroff will have the most power when it comes to making personnel decisions -- a distinction that was held by president Rich McKay one year ago. McKay will remain in the fold -- but more on the business end of things -- and new head coach Mike Smith will also have some influence. Dimitroff will try to bring a Patriots way of doing business to Atlanta, but needless to say, he has his hands full and an uphill climb to approach the success of his former club.
Carolina Panthers
Hurney
General manager Marty Hurney has the most juice in the Panthers' front office. He does a fine job of overseeing and organizing Carolina's personnel department and his scouting staff has a good amount of input with the draft. Head coach Jon Fox is also a prominent player with the Panthers' personnel. He works hard with his talent evaluation and is very well prepared. He works well in unison with Hurney and these two complement each other rather well. Director of college scouting Don Gregory also has a lot of pull with the draft process. This is a very solid front office.
New Orleans Saints
Loomis
Mickey Loomis, the Saints' executive vice president/general manager, is the top decision-maker in this organization. He handles the business side of things and the salary cap more than the true football decisions, but he does have final say. He and head coach Sean Payton have a very good working relationship and Payton gets quite involved with the acquisition of talent. Loomis also relies heavily on vice president of player personnel Rick Mueller to run both the college and pro personnel departments. Mueller is a tireless worker who has done a great job of identifying and acquiring talent over the past few years.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Allen
General manager Bruce Allen has the final say, but he works very closely with head coach Jon Gruden, who was recently signed to an extension after a very impressive season. This is a good pair that has a productive history together from their time in Oakland. They understand where each other is coming from and share similar ideas about how to build a winning team. Gruden is the football guy, while Allen is a master of dealing with the salary cap and the business end of the operation. Allen has a very good feel for the entire league and the big picture. Few head coaches attack scouting like Gruden, who puts an awful lot of time in the film room watching prospects.
NFC West
Arizona Cardinals
Graves
General manager Rod Graves probably has the most power in the Cardinals' front office, but head coach Ken Whisenhunt should take a much larger role in Arizona's talent acquisitions in his second offseason. Graves gave way to Dennis Green in the past and that situation could soon arise with Whisenhunt as well. Graves has a checkered history with his personnel decisions, but the Cardinals' roster has improved significantly over the past several years.
San Francisco 49ers
Nolan
What was once a very dysfunctional front office is now back on track, but it has yet to show up on the field. General manager Scot McCloughan probably has the most juice of this group, but head coach Mike Nolan is extremely involved as well. Director of football operations Paraag Marathe is close with the York family. He isn't a football guy and has a "Moneyball" approach to building a team with a great emphasis on statistics. Executive vice president of football operations Lal Heneghan has not been with the team long, but certainly has a say in matters as well. San Francisco has been very aggressive on draft day with moving in and out of the first round to acquire high-level players.
Seattle Seahawks
Ruskell
President of football operations Tim Ruskell has really done a nice job since taking over in Seattle. He lightened the load on head coach Mike Holmgren and his contributions have directly resulted in Seahawks victories. Ruskell and Holmgren work very well together and have a good understanding of what each other is looking for in a player. Ruskell makes the final decision with input from Holmgren and vice president/player personnel Ruston Webster. Webster does a very good job of getting the area scouts' opinions heard before any final decisions are made. Head-coach-in-waiting Jim Mora Jr. could begin to get more involved in this area of running the team. The Seahawks have one of the best situations in the league.
St. Louis Rams
Zygmunt
The Rams' front office is somewhat in a state of flux, but newly appointed executive vice president of player personnel Billy Devaney will be the most active with all matters concerning the draft and free agency. However, president of football operations/general manager Jay Zygmunt will have the final say. He is a big-picture guy with a strong salary-cap background. Vice president of player personnel Tony Softli will also have a prominent role in helping Devaney to get up to speed in the immediate future. However, Softli's future with the Rams is tenuous. The final piece of the Rams' power structure is head coach Scott Linehan, who also will have a major say in personnel matters.