RealGM

What do people make of this?


(Do you think your team is stocked with young, talented players?)

This may be the anti-personnel answer but I don't think we're in the talent business personally. I told this to the football team today. We're in the people business, the character business. There's not a football player that would not be in our meeting room this morning that doesn't have enough talent to be a productive player in this league. I believe that from my experiences and I know that's true in my heart. To sit there and see who has more talent, what is talent? Is it the 40-yard dash? It's about character. It's about a team coming together, the continuity, the confidence, the ability to overcome adversity week in and week out, the toughness to beat the guy across from you play in and play out. I think it's a people business. It's a business of making the right choices all the time and being ready to play. Do I think we have enough talent to win them all? Absolutely, and I'm sure every coach thinks he has enough talent. I don't think this is a talent business. I think it's about people and the way they pull together and stay on the path that your particular team has to take to win each game. That's how I see it.

I think it is pretty right on actually. Talent helps but it doesn't guarantee victory. For example, the Patriots have been talented but have not had a lot of elite level players over the years. However they play well as a team and are solid everywhere so it seems like the sum of their parts, is greater than the whole if that makes sense. This can also be looked at on the individual level too. This is easily seen in WR's for example. Some wideouts have all the physical tools in the world but are not that good. Yet others work harder than anyone and have amazing character and an amazing will to win. I.E. Jerry Rice. He was not the strongest or fastest but he worked his butt off to run routes better than anyone and to develop amazing hands and that is what made him the best ever. There are a million ways to look at this idea though and I could easily find arguments against everything I just wrote since the whole topic is so abstract but I do believe character is just as valuable as talent if not more so. You could also turn this conversation into a look at whether talent wins in basketball or does teamwork and having important role players become more valuable. For example, who would be better on the Bucks right now, Paul Pierce or Shane Battier? I could easily argue for both given the makeup of the team and I think the same goes with football. Don't get me wrong though, to win, I also think you need a couple standouts with amazing leadership abilities as well usually.

When you look at the type of players that MM/TT look to acquire, a ton of them have fought through some form of adversity, or are players that are relative unknowns that have talent but will have to work hard to succeed. The Packers definitely value character, and that is why you saw almost 100% participation in the offseason weight program, which is a rarity in the NFL.

The key is combining talent and chemistry. I think the Packers are getting there. They need a few more offensive playmakers, but the rest of the roster looks pretty set.

LUKE23 wrote:When you look at the type of players that MM/TT look to acquire, a ton of them have fought through some form of adversity, or are players that are relative unknowns that have talent but will have to work hard to succeed. The Packers definitely value character, and that is why you saw almost 100% participation in the offseason weight program, which is a rarity in the NFL.

The key is combining talent and chemistry. I think the Packers are getting there. They need a few more offensive playmakers, but the rest of the roster looks pretty set.

Just about a perfect post that says it all. I agree it is a combination-talent+chemistry, and yes they need more playmakers.