Matt Waldman's RSP Cast

Scouting Academy Director Dan Hatman returns to Matt Waldman's RSP Cast for a conversation about the role, hiring, and complexities of being a general manager in the NFL. It's hiring/firing season in the NFL, which means that roughly 25 percent of the league will be conducting searches for its next general manager. Dan Hatman — a former NFL scout with the Eagles, Giants, and Jets and the director of the Scouting Academy — returns to the show for an in-depth discussion about his annual piece at Inside the Pylon profiling the role and responsibilities of the GM position as well as categorizes potential candidates for jobs that will become available. Although this podcast throws out some potential names, the conversation is focused on the challenges of the role in ways that are rarely considered or acknowledged when tuning into your favorite big-media sports host or columnist: * Constraints GMs face that columnists and talking heads never think about when criticizing or praising the work of a team. * Skills that GMs need that the public doesn't consider. * Why ownership is the most vital resource for the success or failure of a GM. * Dan's case for ownership to give at least some consideration to GM retreads instead of total banishment. * GM candidates Dan thinks the public should know a little more about. Although there's no discussion about prospects, this podcast is a good table setter for the draft season ahead because when questions get raised about team direction, what's discussed here is often the root of the issue. For the most in-depth analysis of offensive skill players available (QB, RB, WR, and TE), get the 2019  Rookie Scouting Portfolio. If you’re a fantasy owner the Post-Draft Add-on comes with the 2012 – 2018 RSPs at no additional charge. Best, yet, 10 percent of every sale is donated to Darkness to Light to combat sexual abuse. You can purchase past editions of the Rookie Scouting Portfolio for just $9.95 each. You can pre-order the 2019 RSP now through December 28 and get a 10 percent discount.

Footballguys writer Daniel Simpkins, a therapist by trade, joins Matt Waldman's RSP Cast for a conversation about evaluating and addressing the off-field incidents of pro football players and the NFL's progress with handling societal issues as well as thoughts about background evaluations of pro prospects.  Daniel Simpkins (@xfantasyphoenix on Twitter) pens the weekly feature on prognosticating future free agent games, Waivers of the Future at Footballguys.com is a social worker who practices therapy as his profession. Simpkins has the perspective of a professional who has worked with patients convicted for violent crimes. He graciously joined me for a conversation about criminal behavior that some NFL players engage in (like the rest of the world) that generates public outrage. We discuss what's involved with Daniel's work to provide worthwhile treatment that leads to behavior change, the pro football news cycle's treatment of these issues, and his thoughts on the NFL's handling of off-field issues and the character evaluation process of the NFL Draft cycle.   For the most in-depth analysis of offensive skill players available (QB, RB, WR, and TE), get the 2019  Rookie Scouting Portfolio. If you’re a fantasy owner the Post-Draft Add-on comes with the 2012 – 2018 RSPs at no additional charge. Best, yet, 10 percent of every sale is donated to Darkness to Light to combat sexual abuse. You can purchase past editions of the Rookie Scouting Portfolio for just $9.95 each. You can pre-order the 2019 RSP now through December 28 and get a 10 percent discount.  

Footballdiehards.com's Bob Harris joins Matt Waldman's RSP Cast for a conversation about the capacity for change and growth with football players and how we apply that to player evaluation on and off the field.  Players don't change. That's what my friend Eric Stoner explains whenever he's asked about evaluating prospects. I get his point but I never agreed with it. In this RSP Cast episode, Bob Harris (Footballdiehards.com) and I discuss why people can change and apply it to football: * The things people and football players can and cannot change. * The people, environment, and resources people need to make changes. * When it is and isn't worth expecting a player to change. * Dynamics contributing to off-field problems with prospects. * Why some teams are more successful than others with "problem players." * Is the issue the player failing the team or the team failing in assessing its capacity to develop players with specific on- or off-field behaviors? This is an hour-long conversation that applies to player evaluation, team development, and managing personnel. Follow Bob on Twitter @footballdiehard For the most in-depth analysis of offensive skill players available (QB, RB, WR, and TE), get the 2019  Rookie Scouting Portfolio. If you’re a fantasy owner the Post-Draft Add-on comes with the 2012 – 2018 RSPs at no additional charge. Best, yet, 10 percent of every sale is donated to Darkness to Light to combat sexual abuse. You can purchase past editions of the Rookie Scouting Portfolio for just $9.95 each. You can pre-order the 2019 RSP now through December 28 and get a 10 percent discount.

Upon listener demand, Matt Waldman shares his top five NFL tight ends on the RSP Cast. For the past month, I produced RSP Cast shows where I shared my top five NFL players at each offensive skill position (quarterback, running back, and wide receiver). I wrap up this series with the tight end position. Evan Engram, Zach Ertz, and Jordan Reed are not on this list. One of them earned "deserving of more credit." Instead, I focused on players who are among the best all-around players at the position as well as candidates deserving more recognition (and in one case, a non-starter deserving a bigger opportunity). Two of the players on the list got injured this year. Enjoy. For the most in-depth analysis of offensive skill players available (QB, RB, WR, and TE), get the 2019  Rookie Scouting Portfolio. If you’re a fantasy owner the Post-Draft Add-on comes with the 2012 – 2018 RSPs at no additional charge. Best, yet, 10 percent of every sale is donated to Darkness to Light to combat sexual abuse. You can purchase past editions of the Rookie Scouting Portfolio for just $9.95 each. You can pre-order the 2019 RSP now through December 28 and get a 10 percent discount.

Upon listener demand, Matt Waldman shares his top five NFL running backs on the RSP Cast. For the next month, I’ll produce RSP Cast shows where I share my top five NFL players at each offensive skill position (quarterback, running back, wide receiver, and tight end). In previous episodes, I had quarterback coach Will Hewlett (@WillHewlett) join me and Matt Harmon share his top wide receivers along with mine. This week's episode is a solo show on running backs and some of the names may surprise you. For the most in-depth analysis of offensive skill players available (QB, RB, WR, and TE), get the 2019  Rookie Scouting Portfolio. If you’re a fantasy owner the Post-Draft Add-on comes with the 2012 – 2018 RSPs at no additional charge. Best, yet, 10 percent of every sale is donated to Darkness to Light to combat sexual abuse. You can purchase past editions of the Rookie Scouting Portfolio for just $9.95 each. You can pre-order the 2019 RSP now through December 28 and get a 10 percent discount.

Upon listener demand, Matt Waldman shares his top-five NFL quarterbacks on the RSP Cast and kicks it up a notch by inviting Reception Perception author Matt Harmon to do the same.  For the next month, I’ll produce RSP Cast shows where I share my top five NFL players at each offensive skill position (quarterback, running back, wide receiver, and tight end). Last week, I had quarterback coach Will Hewlett (@WillHewlett) join me. This week, Matt Harmon joined me to share wide receivers. Matt and I spent an hour sharing our top-five NFL wide receivers in the game today based on our observations of the players and what matters to us about the position I also asked Matt to have 1-3 wide receivers outside his top five that deserve credit in conversations like these. For the most in-depth analysis of offensive skill players available (QB, RB, WR, and TE), get the 2019  Rookie Scouting Portfolio. If you’re a fantasy owner the Post-Draft Add-on comes with the 2012 – 2018 RSPs at no additional charge. Best, yet, 10 percent of every sale is donated to Darkness to Light to combat sexual abuse. You can purchase past editions of the Rookie Scouting Portfolio for just $9.95 each. You can pre-order the 2019 RSP now through December 28 and get a 10 percent discount.

Upon listener demand, Matt Waldman shares his top-five NFL quarterbacks on the RSP Cast and kicks it up a notch by inviting quarterback coach Will Hewlett to do the same.  For the next month, I'll produce RSP Cast shows where I share my top five NFL players at each offensive skill position (quarterback, running back, wide receiver, and tight end). Beginning with the quarterback position, I thought it would be fun to have Will Hewlett (@WillHewlett) join me. Will is a frequent guest of the show. Currently living in San Antonio, Will is a former Stanford quarterback who has coached quarterbacks at every level of the game. We spent an hour sharing our top-five NFL quarterbacks in the game today based on our observations of the players and what matters to us about the position — a stat might have been mentioned once and wins was broached in a cursory way. I also asked Will to have 1-3 quarterbacks outside his top five that deserve credit in conversations like these. Midway through the program, Will proposed that we eliminate Tom Brady from the conversation because there's no need to recognize his excellence yet again. Eagerly agreeing, we created the scenario that he's already retired for the sake of this exercise. Of the nine quarterbacks that we discussed — excluding Brady — we shared three players in our respective top-five lists. Also, we each had a player in our top five not mentioned at all on the other's top five or deserves credit list. Some of the names will surprise you but if you watch for the things we discuss for each player, you'll eventually begin to recognize why they're in the conversation. Later this week, Yahoo! Matt Harmon (it feels good to put that word and his name together...) joins me for a similar conversation on wide receivers. For the most in-depth analysis of offensive skill players available (QB, RB, WR, and TE), get the 2019  Rookie Scouting Portfolio. If you’re a fantasy owner the Post-Draft Add-on comes with the 2012 – 2018 RSPs at no additional charge. Best, yet, 10 percent of every sale is donated to Darkness to Light to combat sexual abuse. You can purchase past editions of the Rookie Scouting Portfolio for just $9.95 each. You can pre-order the 2019 RSP now through December 28 and get a 10 percent discount.

Matt Waldman's RSP Cast hosts @alltwentytwo for a conversation about new and old offenses in the NFL, the subject of scouting talent, analytics, and running back value.  Betz is a Twitter mainstay in the football community. A veteran of the Air Force getting his undergrad, Betz developed an interest in football while reading Chris Brown's work at Grantland. Soon after, he found his way to coaching forums and began studying tape to learn the structures of football. He's truly a student of the game. In this episode, Betz and I discuss a variety of topics that I believe you'll find interesting an informative: * The origins of the Chiefs offense, the Air Raid, and how it works. * What makes Patrick Mahomes a special prospect? * What made Chad Kelly compelling to him? And why Kelly's self-destructive behavior is also disappointing for an enthusiast of scheme and strategy? * Where public analytics writers are on and off the mark about running backs. * On the mark: Situational blocking scheme usage. * Off the mark: Oversimplifying what they see on film because they don't understand the technique, concepts, and strategies the position requires. * Why Betz has no interest in scouting talent. * Betz's path of study with football and suggestions to others. I had a lot of fun talking with Betz. He's a thoughtful, intelligent guest with a good sense of humor. I look forward to having him on again in the future. I think you will, too. For the most in-depth analysis of offensive skill players available (QB, RB, WR, and TE), get the 2019  Rookie Scouting Portfolio. If you’re a fantasy owner the Post-Draft Add-on comes with the 2012 – 2018 RSPs at no additional charge. Best, yet, 10 percent of every sale is donated to Darkness to Light to combat sexual abuse. You can purchase past editions of the Rookie Scouting Portfolio for just $9.95 each. You can pre-order the 2019 RSP now through December 28 and get a 10 percent discount.

Matt Waldman's RSP Cast hosts The Athletic's Dane Brugler for a conversation about the craft of football evaluation. Dane Brugler and I share a northeast Ohio background, making our adult homes in the south, and evaluating football talent for a living. Dane has worked as a draft analyst at CBS and NFL Draft Scout, and he is currently delivering his insights at The Athletic. Dane and I spent an hour talking shop: * Lessons he learned from NFL scouts. * What it was like getting interviewed for a position with an NFL team. * Recent player evaluations that have been valuable for him. * Notable things he values when studying quarterback, running back, wide receiver, and tight end. * The value of noticing as much as you can upon entering a room. * Players who've caught his eye this year. Enjoy! For the most in-depth analysis of offensive skill players available (QB, RB, WR, and TE), get the 2019  Rookie Scouting Portfolio. If you’re a fantasy owner the Post-Draft Add-on comes with the 2012 – 2018 RSPs at no additional charge. Best, yet, 10 percent of every sale is donated to Darkness to Light to combat sexual abuse. You can purchase past editions of the Rookie Scouting Portfolio for just $9.95 each. You can pre-order the 2019 RSP now through December 28 and get a 10 percent discount.

Former NFL quarterback and quarterback development coach Rich Bartel returns to Matt Waldman's RSP Cast to discuss quarterback evaluation and development. When you have an opportunity to speak with someone who works with quarterbacks at a variety of levels and played the position at a professional level, you take every chance you can to pick his brain. Rich Bartel is a developer at the position; I'm an evaluator. We come to the position from different experiences — vastly so. He clearly knows far more about the position than I but I bring 15 years of process-building experience specific to football and another 25 years of organizational management in the areas of recruiting, training, operations, and quality. It made for a fun conversation about the position around these five questions: * Is there a hierarchy in a college or NFL quarterback room and what makes a good QB room? * Where did you (and typically, most QBs you work with) make the most gains in performance? * Is the NFL too reliant on tangible assets despite celebrating, if not worshipping the intangible? And how can this be remedied? * How do quarterbacks improve their skills with X's and O's? * Who are some quarterbacks in the college game who have caught your eye for any reason? Rich, as always, offers intelligent analysis steeped in experience and his continued study. He also unknowingly restated Ryan Riddle's points from "The Hidden Advantage of Being a HIgh NFL Draft Pick,"  which is a perspective on the NFL Draft that I've found the most accurate view of the draft and the resulting biases that occur in training camp and future development. Whether all this will be new to you or you enjoy hearing points that validate or disagree with ideas expressed by others in this sphere, this is an excellent podcast on one of the toughest position in sports. For the most in-depth analysis of offensive skill players available (QB, RB, WR, and TE), get the 2019  Rookie Scouting Portfolio. If you’re a fantasy owner the Post-Draft Add-on comes with the 2012 – 2018 RSPs at no additional charge. Best, yet, 10 percent of every sale is donated to Darkness to Light to combat sexual abuse. You can purchase past editions of the Rookie Scouting Portfolio for just $9.95 each. You can pre-order the 2019 RSP now through December 28 and get a 10 percent discount.

Matt Waldman's RSP Cast welcomes Football Gameplan's Gene Clemons to the show for a conversation about Cleveland's Baker Mayfield, Alabama's Irv Smith, Lehigh's Brad Mayes, and a debate on the upside of Nick Chubb.   I've had the good fortune to have Gene Clemons as a semi-frequent guest for Rookie Scouting Portfolio programs. Gene and I studied Breshad Perriman, Trevone Boykin and Baker Mayfield in the three 2015 RSP Film Room sessions. And I recently joined Gene in July on his Offensive Interference Podcast. This weekend, Gene and I discussed a variety of NFL and college football topics: * What have we seen from Baker Mayfield during his initial starts in Cleveland and how does it compare to our analysis of his college game? * What were the differences between Mayfield and Tyrod Taylor's brief work as the starter? * Why the Cardinals and Jets have sacrificed the potential for a better present in exchange for a rookie quarterback? * Two of Gene's favorite college prospects to watch: Alabama tight end Irv Smith and Lehigh quarterback Brad Mayes. * The Nick Chubb Debate: Where Gene and I disagree on Chubb's skills. It's a fun-filled hour of football conversation. You can follow Gene on Twitter @GeneClemons. For the most in-depth analysis of offensive skill players available (QB, RB, WR, and TE), get the 2019  Rookie Scouting Portfolio. If you’re a fantasy owner the Post-Draft Add-on comes with the 2012 – 2018 RSPs at no additional charge. Best, yet, 10 percent of every sale is donated to Darkness to Light to combat sexual abuse. You can purchase past editions of the Rookie Scouting Portfolio for just $9.95 each. You can pre-order the 2019 RSP now through December 28 and get a 10 percent discount.

In this week's RSP Cast, Matt Waldman explains why people can be too impatient with original evaluations, why people misuse workout data with running back evaluations, and provides quick takes on a pair of quarterbacks, running backs, and five tight ends in 2019's class.   This week, I went solo to share some thoughts on scouting: * RSP writer Dwain McFarland's new Film And Data analysis of Dak Prescott is a good starting point for thoughts on why we can be too impatient with player evaluations. * Running back metrics: thoughts on speed and explosion, why they don't deliver the context of skill in a clean manner, and what else is needed to complete the analysis. * Quick thoughts on running backs Nico Evans and Zack Moss, quarterbacks Riley Neal and Will Grier, and tight ends Albert Okwuegbunam, Tommy Sweeney, Noah Fant, Caleb Wilson, and Alize Mack. For the most in-depth analysis of skill players available, get the 2018  Rookie Scouting Portfolio. If you’re a fantasy owner the Post-Draft Add-on comes with the 2012 – 2018 RSPs at no additional charge. Best, yet, 10 percent of every sale is donated to Darkness to Light to combat sexual abuse. You can purchase past editions of the Rookie Scouting Portfolio for just $9.95 each. You can pre-order the 2019 RSP beginning in December. 

Matt Waldman's RSP Podcast hosts Mark Schofield for a conversation about NFL quarterbacks a month into the 2018 season.   Mark and I riff on several NFL quarterbacks in an hour-long conversation that flies by. * Jared Goff's development within the Rams offense: What's new, what's McVay, and what's always been, Goff? * Dak Prescott's woes in Dallas and is he a quarterback who can carry an offense? * Is Oakland's offense a few plays away from an explosive unit as Marshawn Lynch argues? * Are we concerned about Andrew Luck and Russell Wilson's ability to carry their offenses as they have in the past? * Does Mitchell Trubisky have a long-term future in this league? * A status report on Tom Brady. * Why Baker Mayfield's first use should be taken at face value. * How do you stop Patrick Mahomes right now? * A hypothetical game of "Old Faces/New Places" For the most in-depth analysis of offensive skill players available (QB, RB, WR, and TE), get the 2019  Rookie Scouting Portfolio. If you’re a fantasy owner the Post-Draft Add-on comes with the 2012 – 2018 RSPs at no additional charge. Best, yet, 10 percent of every sale is donated to Darkness to Light to combat sexual abuse. You can purchase past editions of the Rookie Scouting Portfolio for just $9.95 each. You can pre-order the 2019 RSP now through December 28 and get a 10 percent discount.

Matt Waldman hosts USA Football tackling expert Andy Ryland on the RSP Cast for a clinic on the key processes of tackling.  Andy Ryland is the son of a Rugby coach, an alum of Linebacker U (Penn State), and a Rugby All-American. Now at USA Football, Ryland works with coaches at all levels of football on the craft of tackling ball carriers. Ryland and I sit down for a conversation about his 33 key process indicators (KPI) for effective tackling. * Gaining the proper perspective on the details of having a KPI system for effective coaching. * Separating technique from skill. * Don't coach in millimeters and learn that technique is different than what's prescribed. * Asking the question: What makes it difficult on game day? * Ryland's five broad phases of tackling. * Tracking * Preparation * Connection * Acceleration * Finish * Sometimes you have to tip your hat to the opponent and why it's disrespectful to the game not to think opponents will challenge you and test the limits of your abilities. In addition to breaking down these phases and many of the significant KPIs within, Ryland and I discuss NFL examples of some of these tackling phases, including Todd Gurley versus Patrick Peterson, Jamaal Charles' running style, and Sony Michel's Sunday trucking. Ryland also expresses a healthy technical admiration for Giants special teams wiz Mike Thomas, Legion of Doom defenders, and Sean Lee. You can follow Andy on Twitter @USAFootballMT. For the most in-depth analysis of offensive skill players available (QB, RB, WR, and TE), get the 2019  Rookie Scouting Portfolio. If you’re a fantasy owner the Post-Draft Add-on comes with the 2012 – 2018 RSPs at no additional charge. Best, yet, 10 percent of every sale is donated to Darkness to Light to combat sexual abuse. You can purchase past editions of the Rookie Scouting Portfolio for just $9.95 each. You can pre-order the 2019 RSP now through December 28 and get a 10 percent discount.

Matt Waldman's RSP Cast welcomes NFL.com's Chad Reuter to the show for a conversation about media and NFL scouting, 2019 NFL Draft prospects, and the 2018 NFL season.   Chad Reuter is one of my favorites in this industry. A 20-year veteran in this industry, he's one of the early figures in online draft media. He's worked with Frank Cooney and was the lead draft analyst for CBS sports with Rob Rang. He's now a researcher for NFL Network. Chad and I sat down to talk about a variety of subjects in this hour-long conversation: * Advice to aspiring media and NFL scouts and why the world does not need another mock draft site. * Understanding that the workload of being a media or NFL scout is a different animal than a 9-5 and balancing the rest of one's life. * Why the backgrounds of players really hit home now that he's parent. * How his view of player backgrounds influences who he follows in this industry. * Why Chad enjoys studying "the true skill positions" the most and who he's studied this summer that caught his eye. * C Lamont Gaillard * G Chris Lindstrom * G Sam Mustiphor * DL Jerry Tillery * DE Keandre Jones * LB Bobby Okereke * QB K.J. Costello * WR J.J. Arcega-Whiteside * TE Kaden Smith * DE Oshane Ximines * WR Jonathan Duhart * Why Ed Oliver and Nick Bosa belong on another planet when discussing 2019 NFL Draft prospects. * Underclassmen Chad says are showing well this year. * WR Tee Higgins * LT Andrew Thomas * RB Kylin Hill * WR/RB Laviska Shenault * Sharing thoughts on Colorado State receiver Preston Williams and why he's like John Wick in a fight scene. * Chad's thoughts on various NFL quarterbacks. In the early days of the Rookie Scouting Portfolio site, Chad graciously agreed to be a part of a Q&A that's still available on this site in four parts: * Part I * Part II * Part III * Part IV For college, NFL, and NFL draft analysis subscribe to the RSP site and receive notifications of the latest post via email. Scroll to the bottom of this page and simply enter your email address.  For the most in-depth analysis of offensive skill players available (QB, RB, WR, and TE), get the 2019  Rookie Scouting Portfolio. If you’re a fantasy owner the Post-Draft Add-on comes with the 2012 – 2018 RSPs at no additional charge. Best, yet, 10 percent of every sale is donated to Darkness to Light to combat sexual abuse. You can purchase past editions of the Rookie Scouting Portfolio for just $9.95 each. You can pre-order the 2019 RSP now through December 28 and get a 10 percent discount.