Dominik Talks Scouting, Marty Schottenheimer
December 30th, 2010
Sitting down behind a radio microphone for some back and forth with fans on WDAE-AM 620 Wednesday night, Bucs rock star/general manager Mark Dominik was at ease talking about a variety of topics.
He even seemed genuinely sad his one-hour session was ending, saying he could talk Bucs football with fans for hours.
Dominik touched on his scouting philosophy, among many other topics.
He explained what he and his staff studied on film was at the core of the sweeping personnel changes that took place before the 2009 season. Dominik explained why Ronde Barber made the cut and how he values film above all else when scouting a player.
“We really felt like Ronde Barber was playing good football for this football team. And he certainly has two years in a row now. You can’t tell me whether Ronde is 35 or 30 if you watch him on the football field,” Dominik said.
“They always say the eye in the eye in the sky doesn’t lie. And I’m a big believer in that. To that point of, you know, I’m not a great believer in going to pro days when it comes to college. …
“I want to sit back at home. I want to sit back at my office. I want to watch more tape. Because if the guy runs 4.74 at the combine, but plays 4.64, I really don’t care what he ran at the combine. And so I try to stay away from those things trying to influnce my opinion of the player or our opinion of the player.”
Dominik went on to explain that he doesn’t focus on what system a player is in at college. Although he said Josh Freeman was an exception because he was groomed in more of a pro-style offense at Kansas State and the team thought that would help him adapt to the NFL easily.
So what’s Dominik’s priority when scouting a player?
“Athletic ability plays into it dramatically. That’s a knee-bender, a guy that can really drop his weight. Those kinds of things and leverage,” Dominik said. “The decisions to draft Arrelious Benn and Mike Williams and certainly to claim LeGarrette Blount were those guys make huge yards after contact.
“And it’s such a hidden yardage in the National Football League. Those and special teams yards are the two biggest hidden yardages and really can determine the outcome of a game. It’s after the initial contact, how much strength can they fight through a tackle to get five, 10, 20, whatever it is. Those are kind of the traits I really look at when I watch a player. That’s the same thing for a tackler … real functional strength on defense as well, in terms of how physical they were, how much strength and power they brought into their tackles, how many yards did the opponent get after they hit them. So we really look at athletic ability and functional strength.”
As for his early days in the Chiefs organization, Dominik said Marty Schottenheimer taught him to value what a receiver does after an interception because it shows the intesity of the player.
Dominik said Mike Williams had three tackles after interceptons last season in limited time at Syracuse. “That shows you a really competitive young man.”
Joe will bring you much more of Dominik’s comments through the day.
December 30th, 2010 at 8:59 am
This is really good insight…and I’m agreeing with what he’s saying 100%.
December 30th, 2010 at 9:04 am
Joe-
I was listening last night on the way home, and I think Dominik may have accidentally told us Ronde is coming back. Not sure if you tape Total Access, but right around 6:15 PM he said something to the effect of “Ronde is going to be an important piece next year.”
December 30th, 2010 at 9:24 am
First of all, I’d like to give props to Mark Dominik. He’s proving to be a very good choice as GM, and his philosophies are obviously working. When he’s finding guy after guy on other teams’ scrap heaps who are coming in and playing well, he’s proving that he knows what he’s doing.
Maybe I’m being paranoid, but this is a copycat league. And as much as I enjoy reading and hearing about how he’s getting it done, maybe he needs to take a page out of the Pioli/Belichick shutthehellup handbook. Last thing Dominik needs to do is to tell the world HOW he’s getting it done, which will do nothing but make it harder to get the job done once the other 31 front offices in the league start to copy his techniques.
With that said, I really do enjoy the insight. I just think I’d rather enjoy the results than have in ‘splain how he’s getting it done and give up the methodology to the competition.
December 30th, 2010 at 9:45 am
I am a result oriented person, and so far Ilike the results! Josh Freeman is the future of this flranchise!
December 30th, 2010 at 9:47 am
Forgive my spelling errors…
December 30th, 2010 at 9:50 am
That was a request, not a demand.
December 30th, 2010 at 10:17 am
Joe here,
@CreamsiclePatsies – Nothing on Ronde coming back. What I wrote about Ronde above is what he had to say.
December 30th, 2010 at 10:18 am
Had to get out of the car during the show. Wanted to call Mark and ask the following:
How difficult was it to bite your tongue while Bruce Allen continually brought in retreads that had seen their prime. . . then give them big money? Also, now that he is in the process of further messing up the Redskins, do you get any person pleasure out of intellectually bitch-slapping that jack-wagon?”
I figured he wouldn’t answer because he is a classy guy. But I just wanted to ask all of that on air and let the listeners have a laugh.
December 30th, 2010 at 10:42 am
JD:
Dominik and Allen are two different guys but Dominik likes Allen. If it wasn’t for Bruce Almight, Dominik wouldn’t be where he is today.
December 30th, 2010 at 11:59 am
Thanks Joe- Must’ve misheard
December 30th, 2010 at 1:07 pm
I disagree with Joe on the comment that Mark would not be where he is today without Allen. I think that he was going to get a GM job somewhere sooner than later. Mark may have used Allen to gain more insight on some issues…but my guess is he had a good rep in the league and was going to get his chance…hence the owners made the decision give him the keys to the bus.
December 30th, 2010 at 7:29 pm
Glad we have Dominik and not Al Davis running our drafts. How often does drafting combine stars not work out???? Why does every GM in the league not draft with the same principles as Dominik? Isn’t it clear at this point that is what works?
December 30th, 2010 at 8:05 pm
gitarlvr:
To be fair, Bill Parcells thought the combine was pretty much a waste as well.
December 30th, 2010 at 11:50 pm
“To be fair, Bill Parcells thought the combine was pretty much a waste as well.” – Joe
Yeah, he could have spent that time eating and enlarging his Mammal Toe…
So glad that Parcells never came to Tampa…