FROM MICHAEL LOMBARDI:
24 March 2009
QUOTE: “Don't be discouraged by a failure. It can be a positive experience. Failure is, in a sense, the highway to success, inasmuch as every discovery of what is false leads us to seek earnestly after what is true, and every fresh experience points out some form of error which we shall afterwards carefully avoid.” ~ John Keats (1795-1821)
FROM ED BOUCHETTE OF THE PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE... “It's not something that I'm going to attempt to avoid," (Mike) Tomlin said yesterday at the NFL meetings. "I think if I attempt to avoid it, I may acknowledge the possibility of it happening exists. I'm not willing to do that. We simply are just going to prepare and attack the challenges that lie ahead for us. We know that things that happened in the past are things that happened in the past, and it may affect how we're judged from a perception standpoint. But it's not going to dictate how we work or how we approach our business. I'm a private person by nature," Tomlin explained. "This is what I do, it's not who I am. I understand that it's necessary that people get to know me. I have somewhat of a public job. I'd like to think that the longer I'm on my job, the more I'll simply be evaluated by the quality of my work, and the necessity to hear myself talk this time of the year when it doesn't matter will be less and less." He does not want his 2009 team to be hungry as much as driven, he said. "Hungry is a word that I've been analyzing here of late. It's not hunger that drives me, it's not hunger that needs to drive our football team. Hunger and thirst are things that can be quenched. We have to be a driven group, we have to seek greatness. I think driven is a more appropriate word, it's a word I tend to use with them as we prepare for '09."
Dealing with success in any business is a challenge, but dealing with success in the NFL brings a ton of national exposure and many obstacles that can make a team take its eye off the ball. Being a head coach in the NFL is about dealing with the football, but most importantly, it’s about leadership. When teams win, everyone wants some form of credit, and the credit bug is what destroys the team aspect. It is critical for the head coach to eliminate the credit bug from spreading over the organization and destroying its chances to win in the future.
Tomlin has a great sense of leadership. He knows the right buttons to push, and being a leader is all about doing the right things; being a manager is about doing things right. Tomlin knows his role and knows what is urgent and important. He used the media attention to send his message to his team, knowing that every player would read the article and hear his message.
You will hear that the Steelers are doing business as usual, but in these times, after winning a Super Bowl, business is not usual. One clear advantage the Steelers have is that their owner has dealt with success before and knows how to deal with the attention and spread it to the players and coaches.
Tomlin will be able to focus on the areas that the Steelers did not excel in last year. He will have all sorts of video to illustrate the team’s weaknesses so that they can focus on those areas that need the most improvement. His message will be clear: We need to get better, and this video will support his words. Last year was last year. Had that pass to Santonio Holmes in the corner of the end zone been a little lower, our whole focus and objective would be slightly different.
Tomlin’s greatest strength from my viewpoint is his ability to communicate his message clearly and his willingness to prepare. Any leader dealing with success must take a proactive approach and be willing to talk to the team about many critical areas.
1. The media. You must remind everyone in the organization how to deal with the media. Every remark will be poster-board material, so watch your words. An innocent comment can kill a team.
2. Do not be afraid of change and do not be overly loyal to the players who may have helped your team win the year before. I was with the 49ers the year we went 15-1 and won the Super Bowl. Freddie Solomon was a good wide receiver for us, but the next year we drafted Jerry Rice, and Solomon was sent packing. Cold business, but life goes on.
3. Attack the draft as if you were 0-16. Send a message that you’re looking for ways to improve the team with hard work and preparation. The work ethic from the top will spin downward.
4. Expect the unexpected. How you deal with an unhappy player or an out of shape player will set the tone for the next year. The way the unexpected is handled will determine the success of the current team.
Thomas Friedman of the New York Times wrote a great piece about the AIG situation, but without getting political, it centered on an aspect of leadership that applies to the Steelers:
Had Mr. Obama given AIG’s American brokers a reputation to live up to, a great national mission to join, I’d bet anything we’d have gotten most of our money back voluntarily. Inspiring conduct has so much more of an impact than coercing it. And it would have elevated the president to where he belongs — above the angry gaggle in Congress.
“There is nothing more powerful than inspirational leadership that unleashes principled behavior for a great cause,” said Dov Seidman, the CEO of LRN, which helps companies build ethical cultures, and the author of the book “How.” What makes a company or a government “sustainable,” he added, is not when it adds more coercive rules and regulations to control behaviors. “It is when its employees or citizens are propelled by values and principles to do the right things, no matter how difficult the situation,” said Seidman. “Laws tell you what you can do. Values inspire in you what you should do. It’s a leader’s job to inspire in us those values.”
Tomlin seems to be very confident, and that confidence seems to come from extensive research that gives him the knowledge to prepare for the challenge. He’s going to install values and inspire conduct, not coerce conduct. It’s a lesson we can all use in our own jobs.
FROM ADAM TEICHER OF THE KANSAS CITY STAR... Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt said Monday during a break at the NFL meetings that the Chiefs had decided to hold on to (Tony) Gonzalez, their longtime Pro Bowl tight end. Hunt also said decisions regarding (Larry) Johnson and (Brian) Waters haven’t been made but added that either or both could return to play for the Chiefs this season. “It’s still my hope Larry will be a part of this team next season,” Hunt said. “We all saw the comments he made at the end of the season and repeated about a month later. Those were disappointing. Recently, I’ve heard he’s excited about being a Kansas City Chief again and expects to be in the offseason program and help us be successful.” But Hunt declined to say the Chiefs will not seek to trade Johnson. “That’s a decision (general manager Scott Pioli and coach Todd Haley) will have to make, and I think it’s probably too early to even ask them where they stand,” Hunt said. “They need to spend some time with Larry and figure out how he fits in.”
The Chiefs seem to be following the carpenter’s rule before making any decision: Measure twice, cut once. They are very methodical with each decision they’ve made this offseason, and it seems they will keep the good players, and if the ones who complain can’t play, they’ll be gone. As an executive you never want to let a player go who has been bitching and raising a stink with the media. Rewarding that behavior will only promote more of the same. Every move you make, you must look at the short-term reward and the long-term effect.
The Chiefs still have a long way to go, and the draft will determine the flexibility they may have in dealing with their unhappy malcontents. Establishing the program is the key component, and once that is in full effect, the players who cannot embrace the program will be cast aside.
FROM THE NFL...
The compensatory choices will supplement the 224 picks in the regular seven rounds of the draft, with picks positioned within the third through the seventh rounds based on the value of the free agent lost. Choices are listed by round with overall selection in parentheses.
Mike, I know the Pats are the model organization and all, but they're much better at picking up old veterans than they are at drafting players. Sure, they've hit on guys like Wilfork and others, but they miss a fair amount in the draft too.
I know I'm going to get killed for this statement, but I think it's true. Please, when crushing me, don't bring up Brady as proof-positive that the Pats are good at evaluating college talent. Word is that Bellichick was looking deciding between Brady and Tim Rattay (sp?).
"Word is that Bellichick was looking deciding between Brady and Tim Rattay (sp?)."
And he picked Brady. Belichick sent his QB coach to work out both. I forget the guys name. Dick Rhebian or something like that and he passed away a few years ago. Both Dick R and Belichick thought Brady the better player.
The Pats have had trouble drafting safeties and they've missed on a couple of WR's high in the 2nd. They put a premium on TE's and have not had the return on investment.
They draft well; but far from perfect.
Jacob,
The Pats aren't exactly the Ravens when drafting, but they're pretty darn good. When you consider the players on that team that were drafted by the Pats (look to the O-line, QB, LBers, D-Line) they've clearly done a good job. They acquired Welker with a 2, which should be treated as a draft pick, and Moss with a 4, which should also be treated as such. Those were excellent "picks" too. Have they had some high-profile flameouts? Absolutely. Maroney and Watson (both of whom looked good early on) have turned out poorly. Jackson (WR) is a bust. But given the picks they've made, overall... wow. As a Packer fan, I'd trade teams in a heartbeat.
Mike,
Why are teams not permitted to trade these compensatory picks? I asked this before and another poster suggested something in regards to maintaining competitive balance. Is that the reason, and if so, can you expand on it? I understand GIVING the picks for competitive balance buy why forbid they be traded? I would think the biggest benefit of getting these picks would be so that you could package multiple draft picks to move up in a trade.
Eric, Mark -
I know that they're one of the better teams at drafting, but they're definitely not the best. Eric, I agree with you about the Ravens being the best. I also think the Steelers do an excellent job at drafting players.
It's just that sometimes I think b/c the Pats have been the best team of this decade (the Steelers are pushing them), people just automatically assume that they're great in the draft. Mike Lombardi hinted at it above, but I've certainly read and have heard of them as being the best at drafting players when it's simply not true.
This link provides an analysis of the compensatory draft picks. The author does a great job at projecting the picks every year and he does a good job of estimating what the formula is. I know he has the 2009 projections, but I just haven't looked:
http://forums.kffl.com/showthread.php?p=3971358
"Mike, I know the Pats are the model organization and all, but they’re much better at picking up old veterans than they are at drafting players. Sure, they’ve hit on guys like Wilfork and others, but they miss a fair amount in the draft too."
Jacob March 24, 2009 10:01 am
1st Rd. Draft Picks Belichick Era
2001 6 Richard Seymour DT
2002 21 Daniel Graham TE
2003 13 Ty Warren DT
2004 21 Vince Wilfork DT
32 Benjamin Watson TE
2005 32 Logan Mankins OG
2006 21 Laurence Maroney RB
2007 24 Brandon Meriweather S
2008 10 Jerod Mayo LB
I count 9 starters there. The jury is still out on Maroney and Meriweather. Also they didn't have much luck with TE's where Graham is a beast as a blocker who the pats still miss and Watson cant seem to stay healthy. However the Offensive Lineman and Defensive Front 7 guys are all beasts. I'd say they've hit on more than they missed here.
Also just to note as of late they haven't found the depth guys in the later rounds that they were so successful finding earlier in the Belichick regime. I remember in the 2003 draf they got Dan Koppen and Asante Samuel (two pro bowlers) with 4th and 5th round picks. Those are what won those championships.
That is where the issue is with the pats currently. They dont have the depth like they use to and they have to go with more free agents these days.
Any discussion of the best drafting team in the NFL has to include the Giants. Manning, Jacobs, Bradshaw, Smith, Boss, Diehl, Seubert, Snee, Umenyiora, Tuck, Kiwanuka, Cofield, Phillips, Johnson, Webster, Ross, etc. That's not even counting other good picks that have come and gone over the past decade or so. I'd put their record up against anyone.
Kevin: I believe the Steelers, Ravens, Gents and Pats drafts can be unmatched by the rest of league. The Eagles always seem to do ok as well. Every year they are in contention and these teams always have someone to step up when another player is injured or departs via free agency. Its amazing how the rest of the league hasn't caught on yet to whatever it is these teams have been doing the last 10 years.
For the Steelers to repeat as SB champs, Tomlin must also remind his players to leave their guns unloaded when out at the clubs next season.
Matt M. I think that the Pats two young corners Wilhite and Wheatly along with a field of young outside linebackers may turn out to be the depth guys that add real value in years 2-5 of their tenure. The rookie corners have shown promise, tempered by injuries, and part of the reason that Vrabel moved was that the group of Guyton, Crable and Woods are all fighting hard for playing time, and.
I'll be the first to admit that the Pats get zero credit until two or more of those 5 players really perform consistently, but I think its fair to say the team sees some depth there that has potential to rejuvenate the defense.
Also I definitely agree with Steelers, Giants, Pats, Ravens as the elite drafting teams. I think they all have very stable systems and very clear scouting and evaluation that accurately identifies players that will succeed in their systems. The Colts and Bolts are close, and I have a hunch Atlanta will work its way closer to the top if the staff there can finally find a half decade of stability.
I know the Pats are good, but when it comes to drafting, they're behind the Chargers, Ravens, Giants, Steelers, and whoever Parcels is running. I do think the Pats are, by far, the best coached team, just not the best at drafting. When discussing the Pats, most people (I believe) confuse their being the best team with the best team at drafting.
The Ravens it should be noted are also spectacular with rookie free agents.
Jacob,
I think, if you look at the Patriots roster, you'll realize they are one of the best teams at drafting in the NFL. Definitely not THE best but in the top tier. Their defense last year was at least 90% draft picks - Seymour, Wilfork, Warren, Wright, Green -on the line), Mayo, Bruschi, Woods (undrafted FA) - LBs, Hobbs, Wheatley, Wilhite, James Sanders, Meriweather - d-backs. And that's just the primary contributors, they have more draft picks on their roster. The offense is similarly built - Watson, Maroney, Cassel, Koppen, Mankins, Neal (undrafted FA), Gostkowski.
They have definitely had their far share of failures (i.e. Chad Jackson) but, as a whole, they have been largely successful at drafting and developing quality players. I'd love to see a breakdown of the rosters showing how many drafted players are on each but I'd guess that the Pats would easily be in the top 5. Not to mention how they've used their picks to acquire quality veterans either on draft day or before.
Fred Not to get on our Patriots, or a fellow Pat fan, but our defense may have been 90% draft picks but it sucked.
Belichick always says he wants big, strong, smart, instinctive, fast players. He puts fast last and it shows in his drafts. We're a slow team.
He said he liked last years draft class and I hope he's right. Didn't play much.
As Jack pointed out we're going to need them.
I knew that Tomlin would be a good coach the moment the Steelers hired him. Anyone who Tony Dungy mentors learns Dungy's intrinsic values and while they may not always be successful (Herm Edwards really isn't that bad of a coach) they have learned from a master. It's nice to see that Tomlin realizes how to sustain success. I still don't think the Steelers will repeat because parity and the Ravens (among other teams) will both be working against them. Nevertheless, if the Steelers come up short, it won't be Tomlin's fault. As a Broncos fan, I don't really care for the Chiefs but they appear to be getting a program into place. The Chargers' era is almost over and the Broncos and Chiefs should battle for AFC West supremacy. Hopefully, Cutler is along for the ride!
The New York Times commentary about AIG has symmetry. People will always follow a Leader. They learn to hate Ruler(s). If one wants someone else to own a certain action, then the first person should demonstrate how, with their own lives. In this mode, I think Mike Tomlin has everything in place to allow his Players that chance to follow a good Leader. It is a shame those in Government cannot do the same without the citizens having first pointed it out.
Pats are definitely in the top 5, but don't forget BB does not draft stars, only solid players with a great sense of fundamentals, good team ethics, good off-field reputation, and players who fit well as a cog.
He has often picked role players over stars.
Many of the things that his type of players do, do not show up on the stat sheets, and it is hard for there to be a league-leading type of stat-producing player (other than Brady, Welker, and Moss) because their O and D do not have set schemes but morph from week to week, in a game-plan type of strategy, so responsibilities and roles frequently shift or are rotated.
The draft is only one part of the solution; there are other vital aspects of assembling a winning team, that some of you have already brought up.
Final answer: guess who leads the league in playoff wins, championships, conference titles, and RS wins in the past decade?
THAT is what anyone should care about.. not having the best draft. People say you don't win in March- well, you don't win in April either!
Mike,
You should do one of your posts on past draft picks and analysis on New England.
They've had a couple of good years early this decade, but have been mediocre since. Just counting starters from previous drafts doesn't mean they are good, just better than the next guy.
I expect all their 1st rounders to start, don't you? Maroney and Watson are pretty mediocre for 1st rounders and Jackson and Bethel Johnson were complete busts as 2nd rounders.
Sonny,
Since '05, we lost a wild card upset, but then went to the AFC championship, then went to the superbowl the next year, then barely missed the playoffs this past season. I don't know about you but I wouldn't call that mediocre.
Maybe us Pats fans have expectations that are too high.
"Maybe us Pats fans have expectations that are too high."
We've been talking of the draft here. Not playoff wins, free agency, or super bowls. The Pat's are at their best in the free agency market IMO, but that's not the subject.
They've slumped a little as far as the draft is concerned over the last couple of years. It's no crime to point that out.
The Tomlin hire is a classic case of why the Steelers are who they are, which is the only team displaying 6 Lombardi trophies in the office showcase. It would have been so easy to just hire Whiz or Grimm to succeed Cowher as Ron Rivera had already been interviewed to satisfy the Rooney rule. No, they took their team, took the extra step, interviewed Tomlin and now Steeler Nation has the best new leader in the NFL.
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Mar 24, 2009
09:51 AM
I have to admit; when Tomlin was hired I saw it as some kind of fulfillment of the Rooney rule.
Now it's clear he cold be a special coach and I feel kind of bad.