Rhule #1: The draft matters more now

[Tbe]

15 minutes ago, MechaZain said:

unspoken advantage of having coaches fresh from college is the instant upgrade in scouting for the next couple years

Yeah. Pete Carrol credits his deeper knowledge of players via years of college recruiting for those first few miracle drafts they had. 

[Black&BlueBubba]

8 hours ago, bababoey said:

If that many UDFA make this team, we really sucked at drafting and signing any free agents that could actually help this team.  And the whole tanking thing might happen whether we are planning it or not.

I don’t think we are going to sign many free agents.  At least until after the comp formula deadline has past. 

[musicman]

21 hours ago, MHS831 said:

Since we are in the off season, I thought a bit of inspiration and optimism was in order.  Let's talk Rhule vs. Rivera and understand the difference. 

Rivera rode Cam's career as long as he could.  With a premiere MLB and marquis QB, a team (see, Seahawks, Seattle) a team should have a mini-dynasty.  While Seattle has had Russell and Wagner, they have won--year after year.  Carolina had Cam and Luke---mediocrity---how many winning seasons?  3?  Rivera played his veterans without considering tomorrow--win now, win at all costs. So he ran Cam when he was getting targeted.  When Cam went down, he started whipping CMC like the horse at the end of TRUE GRIT.    Rivera is no Pete Carroll.  After the first round, you get developmental players.  Whose job is it to develop those players?  Hurney's?  Of course not.  So what did Rivera do?  He played them when he had to and when they struggled, they went to his dog house.  Action Jackson, Ian Thomas,  Vernon Butler, and even Josh Norman--for example.  Last year, sensing his job was on the line, he went with veterans like  Irvin and  McCoy instead of developing his first rounders (Burns, Butler) on defense.  So when you do not develop the foundation, you rely on a few veterans.  That is great when they are healthy, but when the go down, the ship goes down. 

Rhule: the Temple years

Rhule has no experience in the NFL.  He went to Temple, where no high school player aspires to play.  His first year, the team beat Army and upset Memphis.  They lost 10 games.  Recruiting was a challenge; Rhule was basically left to sift through the dumpster after National Signing Day and see what he could salvage. The following year, Temple won 6 games and lost 6, including a blowout of SEC's Vanderbilt and #21 ranked East Carolina.  Rhule was coaching up the players.  In year three, Rhule opened the season with a 27-10 win over Penn State (his alma mater) and won the first 7 games on the schedule.  They finished 10-4.

Rhule: the Baylor years

In his coaching debut at Baylor, Rhule lost at home to Liberty.  They would win one game that season.  The next season, nearly identical to what he did at Temple, the team went 7-6, with 4 of his 6 losses to nationally-ranked teams.  The final season at Baylor, 2019, the Bears finished ranked #13 in the nation, with only 2 losses (both to #6 Oklahoma--by a field goal in one and a TD in another).  They would then lose to UGA in the Sugar Bowl. 

How Rhule does it

There is only 1 way that happened twice.  In year three, he was playing bigger, better schools with kids who were not given scholarships to bigger, better schools.  The players he had when they were incoming freshmen were inferior, at least in reputation.  Yet by the time they were Juniors, they were beating the kids that took their scholarships.  They were motivated, focused, and well-coached.  That is the ONLY way that happens.  Rhule and his staff knew what kind of players they wanted and sought those players.  Maybe they were not the best at that time, but he found players with the right attitude and the willingness to be great.  Developmental players? All of them were.  His signing day was not like Oklahoma's day--where 4 and 5 star players slapped Sooner hats on their heads and announced that they were taking their talents to Norman.  He inherited a terrible Temple program and one mired in controversy at Baylor.  Players with bright futures avoid those situations.  And Rhule won---in three years----twice.

Rhuling the draft

In college, Rhule did not have a draft to make sure things were fair, so this is an advantage for him in that regard.  But he survived and thrived by finding those gems that fell through the cracks; players with skill sets that did not match a position or system; players that were tweeners, coming off injury, etc. What did he see?  Players that wanted to be coached.  Players that were not as concerned with how good they are but how good they can become.  Give a player like that to a motivator like Rhule.  No, Rhule will not go after veterans in free agency to bury his talent.  He will be spending his time rummaging through the draft's dumpster.  He will find discarded pebbles and carve them into precious stones.  That is how he has been successful, and you do not deviate from what made you successful.

Here are 2 things I cannot wait to see:  How do we draft on day 3 (I hope Rhule has the loudest voice in the room) and what undrafted free agents he brings in.  You will see the beginning of what will blossom in the 2022 season--when the Panthers trot out its next Super Bowl squad.

Rhule's gift

So if day 2 and 3 are depressing for you, watch Rhule work the mines. He may not be an expert at any one thing--like quarterbacks or defense---but he knows how to surround himself and empower people that are experts.  Rhule's gift is not football as much as it is people--he can see in them what others have overlooked and he can motivate them to exceed expectations.  To me, those gifts are more important than NFL experience.  Knowing how to spot hidden talent and how to motivate coaches and players is more important than resting on your laurels from 1985. 

We will have a good draft from top to bottom if Rhule has a say in it.

 

Very well written. Thx for posting