shaneo69
09-27-2004, 12:18 PM
BigChiefFan posted this on another thread and I thought it was very appropriate for the discussions going on today...
Five essential traits for an NFL general manager
By Nolan Nawrocki
Dec. 18, 2003
While head coaches may be most responsible for a team’s success, the role of a general manager is equally important. Regardless of how brilliant a head coach may be, without good talent, his chances will be greatly diminished.
The perfect example is in Cincinnati, which, for the last decade, has largely ignored the importance of a competent front office, putting the burden of talent evaluation on the coaching staff while owning the smallest scouting department in the NFL.
Last year, the Bengals signed longtime veteran personnel boss Bill Tobin as a consultant, which helped produce one of the franchise’s best drafts in years. As the de facto general manager, Marvin Lewis’ latest project is trying to convince notoriously frugal team president Mike Brown to retain Greg Seamore, the team’s advance scout, whose salary is being paid by the Cowboys because he lost his job as a Dallas assistant with a year left on his contract. The success Lewis has had, putting the Bengals in playoff contention for the first time in more than 10 years, can be partially attributed to building up the scouting department.
The make-up of a scouting department can be integral to a team’s success and at the heart of every department is a savvy general manager. Up to a fourth of the league, eight teams in all, could be looking for new GMs after the season, with the first one already being hired in Atlanta. The Falcons hired longtime Bucs GM Rich McKay, setting the wheels in motion for more moves to come, including a now vacant post in Tampa. With owners searching for competent talent evaluators, PFW surveyed NFL executives around the league to identify the essential qualities needed to be a GM.
Here are the top five qualities:
Proactive attitude
A trait that encompasses energy, work ethic and the ability to quickly solve problems, a general manager needs to have a can-do attitude and be ready to handle the many curveballs that come a team’s way. When multiple players are placed on injured reserve or cannot play for other reasons, a GM must be ready to take action immediately and be prepared to work early into the morning to find a solution. Not only must they have a solution, but one general manager said you must have Plan A, Plan B and Plan C prepared in the event the first two plans don’t work.
Former Packers GM Ron Wolf said a GM must be willing to arrive at 7 a.m. and stay until 8 p.m., essentially working 13-hour days, and seek employees that share the same diligent work ethic. It’s not a job for a guy who keeps an eye on the clock, eager to punch out. Great GMs never stop thinking about ways to improve their team.
Football knowledge
General managers don’t need to evaluate film every minute of the day like a low-level scout is paid to do, but they better have a keen eye for talent and understand the intricacies of the game. For example, some evaluators will argue that arm strength and being able to make all the throws is the most important characteristic for a quarterback. Others say accuracy — being able to deliver the football on the numbers to a receiver in stride — is far more important. At any given time, a general manager must be able to formulate his own opinion on a player instead of relying on his subordinates and must know what skills he is seeking, because at the end of the day, the success of a team’s draft picks and free-agent acquisitions ultimately determine its fate.
With the importance of finding talent, a GM must be able to run a draft and oversee college and pro scouting departments. Most often, a general manager’s knowledge traces back to one’s own playing and coaching experience, having an understanding of technique and traits most specific to a position. Some general managers, such as , have been criticized for exerting their influence too much, but the great GMs often have the respect of their coaching staff and players, because they have done it all before.
While Davis has developed a reputation for being difficult to work for, exceptional leadership sometimes means ticking people off. A sign of mediocrity is trying to please everyone. It is said Davis still watches more film than any person in the ’ organization, and his input, while any GM needs to be careful not to meddle too much, can be extremely valuable to the development of a head coach and his players. With the success coaches such as John Madden, Tom Flores, Mike Shanahan and Jon Gruden have had, it is difficult to argue that the way they were molded hasn’t been integral to their development.
Strong communicator
The downfall of many organizations and businesses alike is often attributed to a lack of communication. The skill is directly correlated with leadership. A strong leader keeps his people abreast of what’s happening and in what direction it is going, so it can achieve what it set out to accomplish.
In the NFL, more than other companies, Steelers Hall of Fame owner/president Dan Rooney says the ability to communicate is essential because “you are dealing with a lot of big egos” that need to be soothed, especially in the case of a head coach. “It is essential that a general manager have an open relationship with the head coach as well as other department heads,” Rooney said.
A general manager also must be able to serve as the frontman for the organization and be able to handle the media. Some of the most savvy GMs, like Bills GM Tom Donahoe, are known for fostering strong relationships with respected writers and being able to put a positive spin on any subject.
How genuine a GM is with his employees is another key component of communication. When it comes to nurturing a staff and letting go players, a compassionate GM can boost morale, which filters down to the players and even the lowest-level employees. Most players, while they may not always like what they hear, prefer a straight-shooter. The only way to get better is to be realistic with one’s assessment of oneself.
By understanding personalities and how to deal with employees on an individual basis and as a group, as Bill Parcells has been praised for doing, a GM can effectively handle egos and motivate his troops while also being able to serve as a peacemaker and foster a cooperative workplace.
Savvy negotiator with business acumen
To secure talent, a GM must often deal with well-versed agents looking out for the best interests of their clients. With the salary cap growing to almost $80 million next year, how a team manages its money needs to be of prime consideration. Understanding the intricacies of the salary cap, how to make concessions, compromise bargaining points and outmaneuver agents is paramount to a team’s bottom line. A great example of the importance of negotiating can be found in Jacksonville three years ago. NFL insiders attribute a big part of the Jaguars’ decline in recent years to the mishandling of the cap by former team president Michael Huyghue, who too often overpaid players, and forced the Jaguars to deplete the roster of much of their veteran talent to get back into decent cap shape.
Steelers President Dan Rooney also noted how a GM must serve as a business CEO and see the big picture.
“Everybody in the organization, especially someone in a responsible position, should be concerned with the attendance, that fan interest is good and that you treat the fans properly,” he said.
The empty seats and disgruntled cheers in fickle New York no doubt played a huge role in the dismissal of Jim Fassel. At its core, an NFL team is a revenue-seeking franchise like any other company and cannot ignore its loyal consumers.
Vision
Perhaps the most important contribution of any general manager is having a plan and being given the flexibility by ownership to enact it. The plan must include a core of principles, going from how to efficiently manage the cap and which type of players to re-sign to what kind of strength and conditioning program to implement and how players will rehabilitate.
As Cincinnati’s de facto general manager, Marvin Lewis has been praised for completely overhauling the Bengals’ organization, going so far as to repaint the walls in the weight room and supply fruit and drinks for the players, in an effort to increase offseason participation at the facility, which may have been the worst in the league when he arrived.
Having a vision, making choices that move a team most swiftly toward its goals and going after them with determination and single-mindedness can take a team a long way. Two examples can be found at the top of AFC division-leading teams. One of the most respected executives in the league, Colts president Bill Polian, is known for his perfectionism, keeping his finger on every component of the organization. While some people have criticized him for being a micromanager, his thoroughness filters down to each member of his staff and sets an example for how work should be done. Patriots vice president of player personnel Scott Pioli has developed a reputation for his burning competitive desire, being known to hole himself up in the office to get his work done and solve a roster shortage, which he has had to do often this year with the number of injuries the team has endured.
Both examples illustrate passion, which arguably may be the single-most important characteristic any GM must have. But a GM better know himself as well as he knows talent and be able to surround himself with a competent staff.
“Today, football is a lot different than it used to be,” former Packers GM Ron Wolf said. “It’s a three-pronged affair now with the salary cap, the coaching and the personnel and they all better work together in that area. So whatever your weakness is as a general manager, you better have strong people in those other areas.”
I find it a little surprising that Carl wasn't mentioned in this article, considering he has been GM for the same team for 16 years now.
Five essential traits for an NFL general manager
By Nolan Nawrocki
Dec. 18, 2003
While head coaches may be most responsible for a team’s success, the role of a general manager is equally important. Regardless of how brilliant a head coach may be, without good talent, his chances will be greatly diminished.
The perfect example is in Cincinnati, which, for the last decade, has largely ignored the importance of a competent front office, putting the burden of talent evaluation on the coaching staff while owning the smallest scouting department in the NFL.
Last year, the Bengals signed longtime veteran personnel boss Bill Tobin as a consultant, which helped produce one of the franchise’s best drafts in years. As the de facto general manager, Marvin Lewis’ latest project is trying to convince notoriously frugal team president Mike Brown to retain Greg Seamore, the team’s advance scout, whose salary is being paid by the Cowboys because he lost his job as a Dallas assistant with a year left on his contract. The success Lewis has had, putting the Bengals in playoff contention for the first time in more than 10 years, can be partially attributed to building up the scouting department.
The make-up of a scouting department can be integral to a team’s success and at the heart of every department is a savvy general manager. Up to a fourth of the league, eight teams in all, could be looking for new GMs after the season, with the first one already being hired in Atlanta. The Falcons hired longtime Bucs GM Rich McKay, setting the wheels in motion for more moves to come, including a now vacant post in Tampa. With owners searching for competent talent evaluators, PFW surveyed NFL executives around the league to identify the essential qualities needed to be a GM.
Here are the top five qualities:
Proactive attitude
A trait that encompasses energy, work ethic and the ability to quickly solve problems, a general manager needs to have a can-do attitude and be ready to handle the many curveballs that come a team’s way. When multiple players are placed on injured reserve or cannot play for other reasons, a GM must be ready to take action immediately and be prepared to work early into the morning to find a solution. Not only must they have a solution, but one general manager said you must have Plan A, Plan B and Plan C prepared in the event the first two plans don’t work.
Former Packers GM Ron Wolf said a GM must be willing to arrive at 7 a.m. and stay until 8 p.m., essentially working 13-hour days, and seek employees that share the same diligent work ethic. It’s not a job for a guy who keeps an eye on the clock, eager to punch out. Great GMs never stop thinking about ways to improve their team.
Football knowledge
General managers don’t need to evaluate film every minute of the day like a low-level scout is paid to do, but they better have a keen eye for talent and understand the intricacies of the game. For example, some evaluators will argue that arm strength and being able to make all the throws is the most important characteristic for a quarterback. Others say accuracy — being able to deliver the football on the numbers to a receiver in stride — is far more important. At any given time, a general manager must be able to formulate his own opinion on a player instead of relying on his subordinates and must know what skills he is seeking, because at the end of the day, the success of a team’s draft picks and free-agent acquisitions ultimately determine its fate.
With the importance of finding talent, a GM must be able to run a draft and oversee college and pro scouting departments. Most often, a general manager’s knowledge traces back to one’s own playing and coaching experience, having an understanding of technique and traits most specific to a position. Some general managers, such as , have been criticized for exerting their influence too much, but the great GMs often have the respect of their coaching staff and players, because they have done it all before.
While Davis has developed a reputation for being difficult to work for, exceptional leadership sometimes means ticking people off. A sign of mediocrity is trying to please everyone. It is said Davis still watches more film than any person in the ’ organization, and his input, while any GM needs to be careful not to meddle too much, can be extremely valuable to the development of a head coach and his players. With the success coaches such as John Madden, Tom Flores, Mike Shanahan and Jon Gruden have had, it is difficult to argue that the way they were molded hasn’t been integral to their development.
Strong communicator
The downfall of many organizations and businesses alike is often attributed to a lack of communication. The skill is directly correlated with leadership. A strong leader keeps his people abreast of what’s happening and in what direction it is going, so it can achieve what it set out to accomplish.
In the NFL, more than other companies, Steelers Hall of Fame owner/president Dan Rooney says the ability to communicate is essential because “you are dealing with a lot of big egos” that need to be soothed, especially in the case of a head coach. “It is essential that a general manager have an open relationship with the head coach as well as other department heads,” Rooney said.
A general manager also must be able to serve as the frontman for the organization and be able to handle the media. Some of the most savvy GMs, like Bills GM Tom Donahoe, are known for fostering strong relationships with respected writers and being able to put a positive spin on any subject.
How genuine a GM is with his employees is another key component of communication. When it comes to nurturing a staff and letting go players, a compassionate GM can boost morale, which filters down to the players and even the lowest-level employees. Most players, while they may not always like what they hear, prefer a straight-shooter. The only way to get better is to be realistic with one’s assessment of oneself.
By understanding personalities and how to deal with employees on an individual basis and as a group, as Bill Parcells has been praised for doing, a GM can effectively handle egos and motivate his troops while also being able to serve as a peacemaker and foster a cooperative workplace.
Savvy negotiator with business acumen
To secure talent, a GM must often deal with well-versed agents looking out for the best interests of their clients. With the salary cap growing to almost $80 million next year, how a team manages its money needs to be of prime consideration. Understanding the intricacies of the salary cap, how to make concessions, compromise bargaining points and outmaneuver agents is paramount to a team’s bottom line. A great example of the importance of negotiating can be found in Jacksonville three years ago. NFL insiders attribute a big part of the Jaguars’ decline in recent years to the mishandling of the cap by former team president Michael Huyghue, who too often overpaid players, and forced the Jaguars to deplete the roster of much of their veteran talent to get back into decent cap shape.
Steelers President Dan Rooney also noted how a GM must serve as a business CEO and see the big picture.
“Everybody in the organization, especially someone in a responsible position, should be concerned with the attendance, that fan interest is good and that you treat the fans properly,” he said.
The empty seats and disgruntled cheers in fickle New York no doubt played a huge role in the dismissal of Jim Fassel. At its core, an NFL team is a revenue-seeking franchise like any other company and cannot ignore its loyal consumers.
Vision
Perhaps the most important contribution of any general manager is having a plan and being given the flexibility by ownership to enact it. The plan must include a core of principles, going from how to efficiently manage the cap and which type of players to re-sign to what kind of strength and conditioning program to implement and how players will rehabilitate.
As Cincinnati’s de facto general manager, Marvin Lewis has been praised for completely overhauling the Bengals’ organization, going so far as to repaint the walls in the weight room and supply fruit and drinks for the players, in an effort to increase offseason participation at the facility, which may have been the worst in the league when he arrived.
Having a vision, making choices that move a team most swiftly toward its goals and going after them with determination and single-mindedness can take a team a long way. Two examples can be found at the top of AFC division-leading teams. One of the most respected executives in the league, Colts president Bill Polian, is known for his perfectionism, keeping his finger on every component of the organization. While some people have criticized him for being a micromanager, his thoroughness filters down to each member of his staff and sets an example for how work should be done. Patriots vice president of player personnel Scott Pioli has developed a reputation for his burning competitive desire, being known to hole himself up in the office to get his work done and solve a roster shortage, which he has had to do often this year with the number of injuries the team has endured.
Both examples illustrate passion, which arguably may be the single-most important characteristic any GM must have. But a GM better know himself as well as he knows talent and be able to surround himself with a competent staff.
“Today, football is a lot different than it used to be,” former Packers GM Ron Wolf said. “It’s a three-pronged affair now with the salary cap, the coaching and the personnel and they all better work together in that area. So whatever your weakness is as a general manager, you better have strong people in those other areas.”
I find it a little surprising that Carl wasn't mentioned in this article, considering he has been GM for the same team for 16 years now.