SENIOR BOWL: How the Packers go about their business
By Greg A. Bedard of the Journal Sentinel
Jan. 22, 2009
Mobile, Ala. - So what exactly do the Green Bay Packers do during an event like the Senior Bowl?
Here's a little glimpse at how general manager Ted Thompson disperses his troops. Some of this was told to me by members of the Packers, some of it is from observation, and some it is from chats with various people who are familiar with how the Packers operate.
Theres nothing groundbreaking here. Im not giving away any secrets. Its just interesting to watch an NFL franchise operate as they attempt to secure the building blocks for the franchise.
OVERVIEW
Every team deals with these all-star games differently. Some bring their entire football operations staff, coaches included. Most would fall into that category because their coaches have some input into personnel decisions. The Minnesota Vikings are a prime example of that. The entire Winter Park contingent is here.
Some teams only bring their personnel people. The Packers are one of those teams. The teams that just played in the conference championship games are also not here.
Most teams stay at the Renaissance Hotel where the Senior Bowl is based. Its very convenient because if you have a suite upstairs, you can grab a player from the lobby and talk to them in private if you choose.
The Vikings, like the Cowboys, Panthers and others, are staying down the street but they reserved conference rooms downstairs at the Renaissance. So they would send gophers to get the players and bring them to the conference room. The Vikings had just a huge conference room with multiple tables and chairs. It was quite an operation, like a factory.
Some teams talk to the players just in the lobby. They'll try to conjure up a meeting place in the corner so they can sit down and chat. Some just do it up against a wall in a corner.
From Sunday through Wednesday, players are constantly shuttled between teams from about 5-11 p.m. Most teams have standard questionnaires they ask the players. Then there are usually follow-up interviews.
DEALING WITH THE PLAYERS
The Packers, its easy to tell, know what theyre doing. And while Thompson certainly calls the shots, it seems that he defers a lot in these types of venues to John Dorsey, the director of college scouting. Dorsey pretty much takes the ball and runs with it.
Dorseys very wired in. He moves quickly between agents, players, scouts, etc. Its not unusual to see Dorsey ragging on some no-name offensive lineman for a boneheaded mistake he made during the season. Dorseys very good at his job.
When it comes to talking to the players, the Packers hit the ground running on Sunday when they get into town. They get most of their questionnaires done that day. Any they missed, the Packers clean up on Monday.
All that talk you hear about whether the Packers talked to this person or that one? Well, dont listen to it. The Packers talk to just about every single player at these events, at least for questionnaires. And when it comes to the combine, sometimes the Packers dont even talk to players they really like - to throw other teams off.
When the questionnaires are out of the way, Dorsey, Thompson, directors of football operations Reggie McKenzie and John Schneider, along with assistant director of college scouting Shaun Herock and others get together to see where there are gaps in the information. Are there red flags that need to be asked about? Injuries? Questionable family background that needs to be asked about?
The Packers take that list and put it together with the players they just want to know more about because they fit what the Packers are looking for. That can range anywhere from 30 to 50 players.
Some players are summoned upstairs where apparently Thompson, Herock and Schneider meet with them - because they werent seen much in the lobby -- along with the scout from their area.
But for other players, Dorsey purposely has someone re-interview those players in the hallway, in the gym, while their eating, coming off the practice field and possibly while theyre washing their hands in the bathroom. Why? Because Dorsey wants to see how those players think on their feet. So many times these players have their agents in their ears on the way to interviews that they come off pre-programmed. The Packers want to catch them off guard. See how they take to a little razzing. Is that person their kind of player? Thats what this whole process is all about.
AT THE FIELD
The Packers are also pretty methodical when it comes to how they scout players live. Thompson is very big on seeing a prospect in person. Like I said in a previous post, thats why he spends so much time on the road. Not every general manager does that.
Both the North and South practiced at the same time at different venues on Monday. So all the Packers got split up. That doesnt matter to them. The Packers have different people watching different positions. They split up the responsibilities. So while Thompson was watching the North defensive linemen and South linebackers like a hawk this week, somebody else was paying just as close attention to the rest of the positions.
Most of the Packers scout at field level although a few watch from the stands. I would say 70 percent of teams scout from the stands.
On Wednesday, for the final padded practices, the entire Packers contingent watches from the stands. Thats where they all compare notes and double check things.
On Thursday, the Packers were one of the few teams to still have their entire personnel department in town for the practices in shells. The group was much more relaxed during both practices. It appeared much of their work was already done, although Thompson and Dorsey watched the first part of the practice together at field level.
Once that final practice concluded, the Packers left town and headed back to Green Bay, where theyll crunch their reports hard before the scouting combine starts on Feb. 19.
And then it starts all over again.