How about our scouts?

[jarhead]

I think we talk alot about Hurney and the coaches but in reality alot depends on the scouts when we are discussing the draft.Sorry for my ignorance but who are our scouts and are they good.I have alot of questions after last years drafting debacle.I hope it is not the same crew from last year.

[Stumpy]

As far as I know, the scouting department has had very little, if any, turnover from the past couple years.

However, I think its important to remember that, for the most part, they have done a very good job at finding talent in the draft. Most of our questionable selctions in the past few years have been criticized more where we took them or what we gave up to get them (Hurney's job) than it has been the overall talent/ability of the player taken. (Scouting department)

If there is one are of concern, regarding our scouts IMO, it would be their acumen at evaluating veteran talent. The past few years have seen quite a few FA aquisitions who have had little to no impact for our team. Could that have been a product of our previous coaching staff or injuries? Who knows. But, I do believe that we could benefit from a few more veteran presences to supplant our youth movement. So hopefully our scouts will fare better in that area this offseason than they have in years past.

[JawnyBlaze]

If I recall correctly, right after this draft this past offseason our main scout (only scout? I dunno how the scout squad really works either) got fired.

[Stumpy]

If I recall correctly, right after this draft this past offseason our main scout (only scout? I dunno how the scout squad really works either) got fired.

I did a little looking, and you are right. We let go of Pete Russell about a month after last year's draft. Seems there was a little contraversy over this. (Agism supposedly)

However, I believe, that most teams have different scouts assigned to different areas of the country. The article I found on Russell's departure seemed to support this as they listed 3 other scouts that had received extensions through this years draft.

[jarhead]

I thought he was fired but never heard who replaced him.I think the position is very important for obvious reasons but is never discussed much

[CatMan72]

Our ability to find talent in late rounds speaks very well for our scouting department.

[Jackofalltrades]

Don Gregory is a God, our drafts have been immensely better since replaces Softli.

[rayzor]

Don Gregory is a God, our drafts have been immensely better since replaces Softli.

this. gregory is great. drafts have been a lot more solid overall since he came in.

oh..and russell wasn't fired and there was no agism. that was something that florio pulled out of his bunghole.

his contract ran out. nothing more to it than that. there were also older people on the staff so the whole "fired becasue of his age" thing was a steaming pile of bile.

[JawnyBlaze]

Oh, cool. I remember there being some concern over doing the guy dirty (firing him after the draft, i.e. his usefulness for the year). Can't remember where I heard it from, but just letting his contract expire isn't something I'd be concerned about.

[Brooklyn Bully]

I think I heard on the radio a while ago, that before last season, we let a couple of scouts go. Meaning we were operating with less scouts than normal last off-season.

[sharkman]

This is kind of new....make of it what you will:

http://blogs.charlotte.com/panthers/

Q&A with college scouting director Don Gregory

IMHO scouting has greatly improved since Tony Softli headed off to the left coast.

[Mr. Scot]

I know Bobby Beathard's son is one of them.