Posts tagged Kam Chancellor

NFL Films’ Greg Cosell Part I: Personnel Interrogation

0 Comments read Matt Waldman
NFL Films senior producer Greg Cosell indulges my interrogation of his knowledge of league personnel. Giants DE Justin Tuck is one of many suspects. Photo by Chris Pusateri.

It might be a dream job, but NFL Films senior producer Greg Cosell understands what work is. The process of studying the game of football is a methodical one. Doing it well requires the attention and the appreciation of the minute detail, patience, and a large dose of humility.

Entering his third decade with NFL Films, Cosell has been studying football with this intense level of scrutiny longer than the average person reading this blog has been an adult. If football knowledge were gold then Raiders offensive coordinator Al Saunders’ appraisal of Cosell in a recent New York Times feature places the man behind the long-running ESPN program Edge NFL Matchup  on par with Fort Knox:

“Greg is just a brilliant man when it comes to” the strategic and personnel facets of the league, Raiders offensive coordinator Al Saunders said. “Tremendous insight, a tremendous knowledge of personnel, a great command of the intricacies of the game from a strategic standpoint.”

This week I will be featuring a recent conversation with Cosell Continue reading →

Conversation with Jene Bramel Part II

0 Comments read Matt Waldman
DeSean Jackson is probably glad that Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie will be a player he only faces in practice. If the free agent acquisition plays to his potential, Jene Bramel sees 1-2 more sacks per game for the Eagles defense. Photo by MPR529.

If you’re an offensive-centric fan of the NFL or you play fantasy football the same way your older brother taught you then you need to read this interview with Jene Bramel.

The Footballguys.com staff writer is one of the best fantasy writers you don’t know about because he is recognized as one of the go-to guys for leagues featuring individual defensive players (IDP). Even if your leagues are strictly offensive players, his knowledge of defenses will make you a better decision maker with offensive talent.

In part II of our conversation, Jene and I discussed 2011 free agency on the defenses that fared well or poorly in the open market for players. We also continue the conversation about the difficulty of evaluating safety talent, which NFL Draft Scout’s Chad Reuter broached in an earlier interview. And to wrap up this portion of our conversation, Jene and I discuss the roles of head coaches and coordintors and why he favors the zone blitz. Continue reading →