Pudge wrote:
Yeah, it is common sense, but it doesn't indicate that the filter is a farce or imaginary. And just because it's common sense, doesn't mean people always abide by it.
When Rich McKay was GM, they wanted guys that had above average to good athleticism for their position that also were good citizens with our 1st, 2nd, and 3rd round picks for the most part.
Since Dimitroff has taken over, athleticism doesn't seem to be a high priority, in fact several times with early picks, you'd think the team is targeting guys specifically that aren't considered athletic specimens.
Many teams tend to think the way of McKay. It's why when they see an athletic marvel like Jason Pierre-Paul, sometimes common sense goes by the wayside and they can get easily distracted by his athletic gifts. A good example of this is Matt Jones when the Jags used a #1 pick on him a few years back. And that's not to say either player are bad citizens.
But people tend to think of character as being how many DUIs a guy has, or does he smoke weed in his dorm room, or has he ever beat up his girlfriend, etc. i.e. things that you usually have police involvement.
IMHO, character is more a reflection of a guys work habits and thus his leadership potential. Is the guy a so-called gamer in that he looks/performs better on the field than he does in a workout or practice.
The Falcons under TD seem to focus a lot more on that latter notion of character. I don't think you can say that 90% of teams do the same.
Just to piggy back on this...every team considers all of the aspects. It's really a question of weighting.
It's equivalent to buying a car:
We all want the car that's cool and fast, and safe, and useful, and affordable. We all put different premiums, however, on which thing is the most important. If it's cool, fast, safe, useful and affordable, sure everyone wants that, and that's the top few picks. Soon after, you have to decide if you're going to be lured by the sexy red MG that breaks down often, or you'll go with the 1988 Honda Accord, because it's cheap and dependable.
Everyone wants athletes who play well, measure well, and have good character. However, teams weight the importance of these very very differently.
