Fantasy Football - Footballguys Forums
Welcome to Our Forums. Once you've registered and logged in, you're primed to talk football, among other topics, with the sharpest and most experienced fantasy players on the internet.
Do you think you would be a good NFL GM? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter ScottNorwood
- Start date
Dr. Octopus
Footballguy
I'll tell everyone I'd be top 5 and take the paycheck until I get fired at least.
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
#### no
rockaction
Footballguy
I voted crash. And burn. Horribly and flailing.
pantherclub
Footballguy
I cannot imagine a random person off the street could walk in the GM office and be successful. You would have to understand the salary cap, contracts, offenses, defenses, have a long term plan in regards to each, etc. So many things one would have to know it would make your head explode. Now if you were to say director of scouting then that would be more realistic to whittle down the job role of identifying talent.
pantherclub
Footballguy
This is about right. If you can get an egghead to go over the numbers with you and eliminate that from your job description then I would imagine being a GM would get incredibly easier. But then again that is one of the top skills for that position, massaging contracts in regards to that players skill level and predicting said skill level years out.
Andy Dufresne
Footballguy
Jump right in? No chance.
Let me apprentice with someone for 3-5 years and then take the reins? Absolutely.
Let me apprentice with someone for 3-5 years and then take the reins? Absolutely.
Agreed, I think if the job was just, the draft, free agency scouting(identifying players of interest) self team scouting(identifying needs, and cutting down the roster) that I could that aspect better than at least 10 current NFL GM's. Just would basically need a comptroller of sorts.
Mr. Irrelevant
IBL Representative
90% of successful corporate leadership boils down to three overarching qualities: hiring the right people, communicating effectively, and making (and sticking with) tough decisions. At least based on my 20 years in corporate America, these apply regardless of industry and - while there are a thousand other factors that carry some weight - if you can't handle those three, it doesn't matter how good you are at the rest.
If I crash and burn, it'd be because I didn't have the specific industry connections to know where the true high performers are sitting and/or convince them to come work for me. If you could guarantee me success on item 1, I think I could handle the rest well enough to at least tread water while I learn the ropes.
Last edited by a moderator:
ZWK
Footballguy
I think I could do well as a GM's right hand man, where he listens to me about the things where I have insight. But if I had to do the whole job I'd probably crash and burn. I'd stand a better chance as GM if I had at least a few years experience nearby to learn the job and identify good people to hire, but even with that I'd put more than 50% on crash and burn.
Leroy Hoard
Footballguy
Leroy Hoard
Footballguy
You must be new around here. Everyone here is better than their team's GM. Just ask them.
pantherclub
Footballguy
Removing everything else and putting it aside, I can honestly say I would be as good if not better then Marty freaking Hurney at identifying players and drafting. The dude is the absolute worst.
Leroy Hoard
Footballguy
Well then you should apply for that job. I'm not saying all 32 gms are geniuses, just that many of their critics have no clue of what the job entails.
pantherclub
Footballguy
I couldnt do the job off the street. All things considered he is better than me at GM, but I would never trade up for an Appy State qb in the 3rd round and try and convert him to wr.
knowledge dropper
Footballguy
I’ve grown up watching the job Mike Brown has done since his dad passed away. The bar is low for me.
-OZ-
Footballguy
That's pretty much my thought - I'd probably fail because I don't know who the good scouts, talent developers, etc or really how do identify those guys before they make it.
Mr. Irrelevant
IBL Representative
People move up the chain of command in the NFL for the same reason they do in any other industry - it's just easier to promote from within. You're dealing with known quantities, the learning curve is generally much less steep, many of the connections are already made, and it spreads a nice warm glow around the rest of the company. "Someday, that could be me."
But once you get to the very topmost levels of an organization, the "how" you run things is far more important than the "what" you're running. If this wasn't the case, every single Fortune 500 CEO brought in from a different industry would crash and burn right out of the gate. Berkshire Hathaway wouldn't be a thing. And so on.
Being a successful GM obviously requires a broad collection of skills - the three I listed earlier, for sure, plus an extremely high degree of mental flexibility and curiosity and a love of negotiation. But I'd put one person with a mastery of those skillsets and little to no NFL experience up against 32 guys with gaping holes in those skillsets and decades of NFL experience any day of the week.
drunken slob
Footballguy
My pole submission is based on my attitude ten years ago.
Still don't think I'd do better today
Still don't think I'd do better today
ShamrockPride
Footballguy
We got guys still willing to pay Sam Bradford big money contracts. I think I'd do okay.
Ben & Jerry's
Footballguy
I would love to pick out the groceries and let someone else do the cooking and worry about paying the bill.
Grahamburn
Footballguy
pantherclub
Footballguy
pantherclub
Footballguy
Leroy Hoard
Footballguy
A lot of people assume that since their GM stinks that they would automatically be better. No, you would both stink.JohnnyU said:
daveR
Footballguy
Last edited by a moderator:
daveR
Footballguy
I watched a verifiable genius (Sashi Brown) crash & burn. Could I even approach Dorsey? Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha... Ja Ja Ja
Ilov80s
Footballguy
I agree, Sashi and the 76ers guy (name is escaping me) did an incredibly good job turning those rosters around. It is a shame they aren't still there to keep the engine turning.
Sam Hinkie.
The sad part about Sashi is all that talent they accumulated was negated by Hue Jackson. 3-36 as a head coach for the Browns; 5-3 after he left. Then he went to the Bengals and ruined that team.
The Browns offense next year with Monken and Kitchens is going to be a lot of fun to watch.
daveR
Footballguy
He did, but the guys he drafted came up short. Dorsey turned over 3/4 of the roster. So... creating draft capital and cap space -- excellent. Creating a playoff caliber team -- not so much!
daveR
Footballguy
Interseptopus
Footballguy
I'd say yes for me after a learning curve. I feel like I'm someone who is very dedicated to his craft, whatever that may be. I dont think I'd be great because I am not a big film junkie or coach in football but arent that's what scouts are for 
I'd likely flop.... but I'd like to think I could do well.
I'd likely flop.... but I'd like to think I could do well.
JohnnyU
Footballguy
I would have loved to have been a scientist at NASA too Or a renowned Archaeologist like Howard Carter. Playing GM in fantasy football does put images of being a "real" GM into some people's head but without merit. I suppose I'll just have to be happy being a software engineer and leave the Colts GM job up to Chris Ballard, who I like a lot by the way.
Or a renowned Archaeologist like Howard Carter. Playing GM in fantasy football does put images of being a "real" GM into some people's head but without merit. I suppose I'll just have to be happy being a software engineer and leave the Colts GM job up to Chris Ballard, who I like a lot by the way.
Last edited by a moderator:
Bronco Billy
Footballguy
The lack of humility and self awareness by some on this board are nothing short of astounding. I’d almost assuredly fail, and most probably quickly and miserably like everyone else. There are what - maybe 12 to 18 guys in the world at any given time who manage being a GM in the NFL competently?
Let’s see. You have to:
Put together a competent and cohesive coaching staff, and then give them the proper amount of rein to do their jobs while making sure that the control of the team doesn’t get away from you,
Manage the egos, discipline, problems, and press of a large group of grown men, many of whom act like high school sophomores and make too much money, and have had a lifetime of getting away with too much while getting stroked by many close to them who can be horrendous influences,
Then you have to make sure the coaching staff and players maintain the properly proportioned relationships and handle the battles that will happen between the two groups,
Manage or assist in managing the facilities, operations, support staff, and logistics of both home and away games,
Prepare for the draft and the coaching and players issues associated with becoming knowledgeable about 500+ college players each year enough to judge whether you want and/or need them on your team and how their egos and abilities fit in,
Establish relationships with 31 other GMs so that you can make trades that come out in your favor while they are all trying to screw you at every turn while smiling and blowing wet sloppy kisses at you,
Manage the short term and long term salary cap, deal with your impending FAs while becoming educated about all the FAs coming onto the market place,
watch hours and hours of film each week to maintain minimal working knowledge about your own team and other teams during the OTAs, preseason, regular season, and hopefully playoffs,
and maintain good relationships with the community, municipalities, press and authorities while some of them are doing their very best to sink their teeth into you.
Oh, and be prepared to work 70 to 80 hours a week to just tread water in doing all the above while maintaining your own family and friends.
Let’s see. You have to:
Put together a competent and cohesive coaching staff, and then give them the proper amount of rein to do their jobs while making sure that the control of the team doesn’t get away from you,
Manage the egos, discipline, problems, and press of a large group of grown men, many of whom act like high school sophomores and make too much money, and have had a lifetime of getting away with too much while getting stroked by many close to them who can be horrendous influences,
Then you have to make sure the coaching staff and players maintain the properly proportioned relationships and handle the battles that will happen between the two groups,
Manage or assist in managing the facilities, operations, support staff, and logistics of both home and away games,
Prepare for the draft and the coaching and players issues associated with becoming knowledgeable about 500+ college players each year enough to judge whether you want and/or need them on your team and how their egos and abilities fit in,
Establish relationships with 31 other GMs so that you can make trades that come out in your favor while they are all trying to screw you at every turn while smiling and blowing wet sloppy kisses at you,
Manage the short term and long term salary cap, deal with your impending FAs while becoming educated about all the FAs coming onto the market place,
watch hours and hours of film each week to maintain minimal working knowledge about your own team and other teams during the OTAs, preseason, regular season, and hopefully playoffs,
and maintain good relationships with the community, municipalities, press and authorities while some of them are doing their very best to sink their teeth into you.
Oh, and be prepared to work 70 to 80 hours a week to just tread water in doing all the above while maintaining your own family and friends.
skinfanjon
Footballguy
I swear to God I'd do a better job than Bruce Allen. Simply following the Costanza method of doing the opposite would be an improvement.
Leroy Hoard
Footballguy
I'd follow the Ditka method of trading my whole draft for one pick, and then go off and play golf.
