Jeff Ireland: "My job is to stop draft man-love."
By MAC ENGEL
IRVING -- Bill Parcells was a cat guy. He had a big, fat pet cat at his house. And he had his pet cats at Valley Ranch, too. Especially in April.
"Pet cats" is a Parcellsism; they were the prospects whom a coach or scout adored. They are often so fond of such prospects they try to make sure their "pet cat" is drafted, regardless what the scouting consensus is.
And every coach, general manager or scout has a pet cat; 2004 second-round flop Jacob Rogers was a Parcells' pet cat. Former quarterback Quincy Carter was a Jerry Jones pet cat.
Now Jones, the owner, is playing the part of animal control, and is trying to get rid of the felines around Cowboys headquarters.
"There won't be that potential lobbying that you might have gotten that might have influenced that draft board that really you shouldn't do," Jones said. "You should put your highest-rated player by the guys that spend 100 percent of the time out here.
"I think this is going to be the purest scout-evaluation [draft] from the December grade."
With a new coaching staff, expect the Cowboys to stick to what chief scout Jeff Ireland and his staff suggest. Unlike previous years when Parcells was known to lobby for a player, and his voice was hard to ignore, the Cowboys plan to rank and draft according to what the scouts say. Period.
"The only times coaches and scouts don't see eye to eye is around draft time, because coaches start liking players," Ireland said. "You have to fight that. I think we've done a good job of that."
A coach may want a certain type of player -- big linebackers, tall receivers, a player who fits a scheme -- and he might lobby a scout to take a player who fits that role. So much so they "reach" for that player and take him a round or two earlier than he should be selected.
Glancing at those four previous drafts, Parcells' fingerprints are all over -- Bobby Carpenter, Marion Barber, Rob Petitti, Anthony Fasano, Chris Canty, Marcus Spears, Stephen Peterman to name a few.
"But you can't manufacture these players; they all can't fit the blueprint," Ireland said. "It happens on every staff. You don't want guys falling in love with players or need positions. Those are the traps; people start believing we need a receiver, and a fifth-rounder becomes a third-rounder.
"You have to fight that with the scouts and coaches. That's why it's my job to look at every player and decide."
Parcells would not have accepted the head coaching job if he didn't have some sway in the draft. And under Parcells, the Cowboys had what Jones describes as "middle of the road" success. Not a "C" grade, but right down the middle.
With 10 picks in this draft, Jones said he wants a success rate of 70 percent. He wants seven of the 10 on the 53-man roster and those picked on the first day challenging for starting spots. He'd love to find a fullback, too.
To find those seven players, he plans to rely exclusively on the scouts. And not the phone calls that come from his friends outside Valley Ranch. He plans to rely exclusively on Ireland and on the eyes of longtime scouts Walter Juliff, Tom Ciskowski and the rest.
He wants a "clean board,' a draft board free of agendas or reaches. A board assembled by the people who live on the road in the fall watching college football games and watching scores of tapes.
He wants a board free of pet cats.
IRVING -- Bill Parcells was a cat guy. He had a big, fat pet cat at his house. And he had his pet cats at Valley Ranch, too. Especially in April.
"Pet cats" is a Parcellsism; they were the prospects whom a coach or scout adored. They are often so fond of such prospects they try to make sure their "pet cat" is drafted, regardless what the scouting consensus is.
And every coach, general manager or scout has a pet cat; 2004 second-round flop Jacob Rogers was a Parcells' pet cat. Former quarterback Quincy Carter was a Jerry Jones pet cat.
Now Jones, the owner, is playing the part of animal control, and is trying to get rid of the felines around Cowboys headquarters.
"There won't be that potential lobbying that you might have gotten that might have influenced that draft board that really you shouldn't do," Jones said. "You should put your highest-rated player by the guys that spend 100 percent of the time out here.
"I think this is going to be the purest scout-evaluation [draft] from the December grade."
With a new coaching staff, expect the Cowboys to stick to what chief scout Jeff Ireland and his staff suggest. Unlike previous years when Parcells was known to lobby for a player, and his voice was hard to ignore, the Cowboys plan to rank and draft according to what the scouts say. Period.
"The only times coaches and scouts don't see eye to eye is around draft time, because coaches start liking players," Ireland said. "You have to fight that. I think we've done a good job of that."
A coach may want a certain type of player -- big linebackers, tall receivers, a player who fits a scheme -- and he might lobby a scout to take a player who fits that role. So much so they "reach" for that player and take him a round or two earlier than he should be selected.
Glancing at those four previous drafts, Parcells' fingerprints are all over -- Bobby Carpenter, Marion Barber, Rob Petitti, Anthony Fasano, Chris Canty, Marcus Spears, Stephen Peterman to name a few.
"But you can't manufacture these players; they all can't fit the blueprint," Ireland said. "It happens on every staff. You don't want guys falling in love with players or need positions. Those are the traps; people start believing we need a receiver, and a fifth-rounder becomes a third-rounder.
"You have to fight that with the scouts and coaches. That's why it's my job to look at every player and decide."
Parcells would not have accepted the head coaching job if he didn't have some sway in the draft. And under Parcells, the Cowboys had what Jones describes as "middle of the road" success. Not a "C" grade, but right down the middle.
With 10 picks in this draft, Jones said he wants a success rate of 70 percent. He wants seven of the 10 on the 53-man roster and those picked on the first day challenging for starting spots. He'd love to find a fullback, too.
To find those seven players, he plans to rely exclusively on the scouts. And not the phone calls that come from his friends outside Valley Ranch. He plans to rely exclusively on Ireland and on the eyes of longtime scouts Walter Juliff, Tom Ciskowski and the rest.
He wants a "clean board,' a draft board free of agendas or reaches. A board assembled by the people who live on the road in the fall watching college football games and watching scores of tapes.
He wants a board free of pet cats.
posted by The Gryphon at 6:14 PM
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