Posts tagged RSP Football Writers Project

My First Draft RSP Writers Team – Offensive Line

I have to protect this guy and give my runners every chance to succeed. I think my RSP Writers Project offensive line accomplishes that objective – and that’s an understatement. Photo by Angie Six

The Rookie Scouting Portfolio Football Writers Project is an all-star cast of football writers, former scouts, and draft analysts on the Internet. Their mission is to take a month to build a 53-man roster with a $160 million salary cap and present the team here. You can use the same information to build your own team (see the bottom of this post).

Last night, I unveiled the skill positions of a first-draft team. Today, I’m unveiling my offensive line. Remember, this is an initial draft and I will probably take a month to truly build my squad. However, I think it is valuable and entertaining to display a thought process behind building a team. Readers will hopefully gain this insight when I display other writer’s teams, but they won’t get the same process as I can offer leading to the final product.

I am already working on a second draft of the team I’m unveiling this week and there will be some major changes. However, I still think it is fun to show my initial version because it reveals a lot about building NFL teams. Why certain ideas are ingrained in the culture of coaches, general managers, scouts, and players.

If you didn’t read the skill position unveiling yesterday, Continue reading

First Draft of My RSP Writer’s Project Team – Offensive Skill Players

Sanu is just one of several hybrids on my skill player depth charts thus far. Photo by West Point Public Affairs.

The consensus opinion after 24 hours is that building a team for the Rookie Scouting Portfolio Football Writers Project is challenging and addictive (download the spreadsheet and instructions at the bottom of this post). By the way, there are more player value updates coming Tuesday afternoon for those asking about guys not listed on the original player spreadsheet.

I agree. I just finished my first complete roster and thought I’d share the starting lineup with commentary. This is an initial draft, Continue reading

The Rookie Scouting Portfolio Writers Project Begins!

Ready to build your NFL Franchise? C.J. Spiller makes a nice prospect for your team. Photo by Matt Britt

The Mission

Each of you has been given complete control over an NFL franchise. Your mission is to do the following by 11:59 pm Eastern Time, Friday, July 20:

  • Build a 53-man roster within the confines of a $160 million salary cap
  • Provide player-personnel analysis of your complete roster
  • Answer the questions listed in the Q&A document

The premise is that you are taking an Al Davis-like role with an NFL team and building an organization according to a specific football philosophy. The questions in the Q&A document will require you to demonstrate how you applied this philosophy to your organization, players, coaches, and strategy on offense, defense, and special teams.

Scheme, Strategy, and Coaching

Some of the basic things and owner will need to know by the time he or she finishes building a team:

  • Base personnel sets the team will employ on both sides of the ball
  • Situational Sub Packages the team will employ on both sides of the ball
  • Types of plays the team will employ on both sides of the ball
  • Types of blocking, blitz, coverage, and route schemes the team will use
  • The coaches and coordinators that would stylistically be a good fit with the organization
  • What type of players would stylistically be a good fit with the organization
  • The environment/city/stadium type that would be a good fit with the organization

Every owner should look at the team once it is build and decide what organization they could see as a home for it based on whatever factors the owner can provide in a cogent and entertaining manner.

Players, Depth Charts, and Rosters

The Player Values spreadsheet lists as much of the players in the NFL and assigns a value in millions according to their current position. We did the best we could to develop values that will hopefully make it improbable to build a team that, at least on paper, doesn’t have clear weaknesses in some phase of the game. Player values are based on these factors:

  • Age
  • Talent
  • Draft status
  • Injury history
  • Ability to fit with multiple schemes

The values are far from perfect, but that’s what should hopefully make this project fertile ground for intellectual debate.

FAQ on Building Rosters

How do I use the spreadsheet?

The spreadsheet is separated into positional tabs. Each tab lists players at those positions and his value (in millions). To the right the player value list is a depth chart table.

The tables are set up to accommodate the maximum number of players an owner can possibly have at each position. Copy and paste (or write) the players into that table and the name will automatically appear on the Final Roster Tab. The spreadsheet will tally the salaries to keep each owner at the $160 million limit.

Matt Waldman will crosscheck the accuracy of your roster upon submission and send it back if a team is over the limit.

In the Final Roster Tab, write some analysis about the players you’re choosing. It can be as specific and detailed as the owner wants, but should at its most basic level explain the player’s skills, talents, and fit with the system.

What if there is a player I want who is not listed on the spreadsheet? You need to contact Matt Waldman about that player and a designated committee of Sigmund Bloom, Jene Bramel, Matt Waldman, and/or Matt Bitonti will determine that value for that player. If one of us is the actual owner petitioning for a player value, another writer will be asked help with that decision rather than the petitioner help with the decision.

What about Special Teams?

The tables below the positional depth chart in each tab are for special teams duty. If an owner wants a player to contribute to the punt team and/or kickoff team, he copies and pastes the player name in both the position tab and the Final Roster Tab. This is the only time owners have to paste or type a player in that Final Roster Tab and the owners do not enter a salary a second time for players working special teams.  Players are already given a salary when entered in the depth chart.

What is the minimum number of players required for each positional depth chart?

Depth Chart Minimums
Offense

22

Quarterback

3

Running Back

3

Fullback and Tight End

3

Wide Receiver

5

Tackle

3

Guard

3

Center

2

Defense

19

Defensive Line

6

Linebackers

5

Defensive Backs

8

Punter

1

Kicker

1

Remaining Players (any position)

10

Total Roster Size

53


Can an owner place a player at a position where he’s not current used? Yes, but be prepared to defend that point with strong logic and his salary will remain the same regardless of the position he plays. Owners will need to copy and paste the player name and salary into the appropriate table for that position.

For instance, if an owner decides to use Mike Vick as a running back instead of quarterback, then he or she must copy Vick’s name and salary from the QB tab and paste it into the RB Depth Chart table on the RB Tab.

Can an owner have the same player work at multiple positions? Yes. Let’s continue the Michael Vick example. Say I decide I want to use Vick like Darren Sproles, but I also want Vick to be my backup QB.

In my offense, Vick will be my starting running back. And in three and four-receiver packages in my offense he’ll be the slot receiver and I’ll have Mewelde Moore as my back in these personnel packages.

What I would do is list Vick on my running back depth chart, my wide receiver depth chart, and my quarterback depth chart, but only paste his salary in one of those tables.

While this strategy might provide the team more personnel flexibility at other positions, if Vick is listed as the No.2 QB on the depth chart but works as the starting RB and sub package slot receiver then the I need to have a good explanation for what kind of depth I’ll have at RB and QB if the No.1 QB gets hurt or Vick gets hurt playing RB/slot receiver.

What if an owner wants to run an experimental/non-traditional system?

If an owner wants to be an innovator and try a 1-6-4 defensive system as its base unit, that’s okay, but the minimums for each positional depth chart will still need to apply and the owner will need to explain:

  • Conceptually how this system will work from an X’s and O’s standpoint
  • Its strengths and weaknesses versus opposing game plans
  • The type of personnel (skills and talent) that will fit into the system

Essentially, the owner needs to be prepared to show why it will work.

Who to contact with questions?

Matt Waldman at mattwaldmanrsp@gmail.com.

Wanna Play? The tools I’ve given our writers are below, you will also have until July 20th to submit a team to me. There is no guarantee that I’ll publish or evaluator your team in depth. However, I will post details of a contest or two within the week.

RSP Writers Project Player Values

Rookie Scouting Portfolio Writers Project Instructions

Rookie Scouting Portfolio Writers Project Qs

2012 RSP Writers Project Update

The RSP Football Writers Project is no fantasy league. You'll pay the price for taking a player the caliber of Tom Brady. Photo by Jeffrey Beall.

This project has generated a lot of positive feedback on the blog. Readers want to build teams with the guidelines we provide you and they have sent me questions to ask you (I have over 100 to choose from).

Just to refresh your memory, here’s the basics of the project:

The RSP Football Writers Project will include various football writers from around the country. They will each create a football team. They will be selecting these players from salary tiers provided for every player in football on a spreadsheet. Each football writer will have a salary cap. The job is to pick a team (starters and depth at each position) and then explain in writing the personnel decisions relative to salary, experience, talent, and system they plan to use on offense and defense. Think of it like one of those fantasy football games where you can pick any player (so no draft) but have to fit it in under the cap. The difference is more thought and care to an overall team concept is given and we’re not competing with the teams just presenting them and answering questions.

So far we have 24 participants – including the readers’ generated team – and there may be a few more before the month is over. Sigmund Bloom is developing the salary guidelines for the players and we have determined a basic schedule for the project: Continue reading

RSP Football Writers Project: The Readers Team

In fantasy football Adrian Peterson is a great player to build a team around. However if you had to build a real team from scratch with realistic fiscal constraints it's not as easy a decision. Photo by xoque.

Last week, I announced the RSP Football Writers Project, which is the collection of terrific football writers who will each be given 4-6 weeks to construct an NFL team from scratch within the constraints of a salary cap. Fellow Footballguys.com writer Sigmund Bloom and I will be developing the salary list, personnel requirements, and fundamental questions that the writers must answer.

We’ll also share the info and instructions here so anyone can download and construct a team. If I can arrange the right kind of panel to judge, I might even sponsor a contest for those of you playing at home. Stay tuned.

For the past two weeks, I’ve had several initial thoughts about the construction of my team. I’m sure many of my ideas will change dramatically as I get further into the process of building my NFL team, but I thought I’d share my thoughts. In fact, I’ll probably keep you guys posted with my progress and depending on the situation, ask for your feedback.

One idea I am going to implement is a Readers Team. Based on your votes, I’ll compile a team on your behalf. Today we’re going to begin voting on the Readers Team’s football philosophy.

Continue reading

RSP Football Writers Project

I anticipate Drew Brees starting for at least one team for the RSP Football Writers Project, published this spring. Details below. Photo by eschipul.

Secretly, we all want to build a football team. It’s why we’re passionate about every player recruited, drafted, traded, and signed. It’s why we play fantasy football. It’s why many of us are fanatical about the NFL draft.

After a few weeks of my rants to Footballguys writer Sigmund Bloom about Steelers tight end Heath Miller as one of the more underrated players in football or how the Browns don’t use Josh Cribbs’ talent, Bloom got the kernel of an idea:

Why not let football writers build teams and write about them? And I want your help. Continue reading