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yossarian
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1. San Francisco 49ers
This may be the most talented roster in the NFL, and most of the talent is homegrown. Their schemes are well-defined and these players know what the coaches want and expect. With Jim Harbaugh's college coaching background, there is an emphasis on fundamentals and teaching and his assistants are great at developing young players. General manager Trent Baalke always seems to have a forward-thinking plan. The 49ers may know their roster better than any other organization in the NFL, and they will pick players accordingly -- although they will use free agency to fill a specific need. Because they are so good at acquiring multiple picks, they have the luxury of taking some chances (like with Marcus Lattimore this past draft). When you study the 49ers, you get the feeling that they are always prepared and never surprised.
2. Green Bay Packers
GM Ted Thompson is a huge believer in building your roster through the draft and not looking for free-agency shortcuts to fill holes. The Packers rarely deviate from this philosophy. With all of his responsibilities, Thompson is still a football guy who watches a lot of film, and that leads to informed acquisitions. They let the draft come to them, as evidenced by letting QB Aaron Rodgers drop to them at No. 24, instead of panicking and moving up. They are good at identifying skill players, especially wide receivers, and they are also astute on late-round selections. If they see a position roster weakness, they may load up to fill it. The stability and experience of this coaching staff makes it easier to plug young guys into well-designed roles quickly.
3. Seattle Seahawks
Pete Carroll has turned over this roster more than any coach in the NFL in his tenure with the Seahawks, and it looks like he finally has a group of players he really likes. He works closely with GM John Schneider, who comes from the Green Bay philosophy of building your team through the draft. They put a premium on speed and athletic ability and go with their gut instinct, even if it doesn't always look like the safest move. A perfect example is taking QB Russell Wilson in the third round when they had just spent a lot of money to acquire unrestricted free agent Matt Flynn. That move requires a coach with a lot of confidence and job security. Carroll has a great feel for what he wants at each position, and that helps him plug in the right guys. He also really believes in creating competition at almost every position and that keeps players on their toes.
4. Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers have been acquiring and developing talent the same way as long as we can remember. They like to build through the draft and develop their own players. In the past, they have had the luxury of bringing their young guys along slowly as they learned under solid veteran starters, but that may not be true now. GM Kevin Colbert's philosophy is that you spend your money keeping and re-signing your own players, and he will let free agents leave if they become too expensive. Because these schemes have been so stable and well-defined, especially on defense, it's easier to get young guys ready to play, especially with such a good teaching coaching staff.
5. Baltimore Ravens
As a Hall of Fame player, and arguably a Hall of Fame executive, Ozzie Newsome continues to keep this roster at an elite level. From 1996 to 2012, he drafted 17 players in the first round. To date, they have accumulated 53 Pro Bowls -- that is hitting on your early picks. He is a consensus-builder, watches a lot of film and really knows his roster. He is also a big-picture guy. This front office knows the rest of the league, which makes for informed decisions. Newsome also will make the tough decision and cut ties with a productive veteran player, like Ed Reed, before it is too late, and that is not easy. The Ravens will use free agency to fill specific needs, but this is a patient organization; it never seems to panic.
This may be the most talented roster in the NFL, and most of the talent is homegrown. Their schemes are well-defined and these players know what the coaches want and expect. With Jim Harbaugh's college coaching background, there is an emphasis on fundamentals and teaching and his assistants are great at developing young players. General manager Trent Baalke always seems to have a forward-thinking plan. The 49ers may know their roster better than any other organization in the NFL, and they will pick players accordingly -- although they will use free agency to fill a specific need. Because they are so good at acquiring multiple picks, they have the luxury of taking some chances (like with Marcus Lattimore this past draft). When you study the 49ers, you get the feeling that they are always prepared and never surprised.
2. Green Bay Packers
GM Ted Thompson is a huge believer in building your roster through the draft and not looking for free-agency shortcuts to fill holes. The Packers rarely deviate from this philosophy. With all of his responsibilities, Thompson is still a football guy who watches a lot of film, and that leads to informed acquisitions. They let the draft come to them, as evidenced by letting QB Aaron Rodgers drop to them at No. 24, instead of panicking and moving up. They are good at identifying skill players, especially wide receivers, and they are also astute on late-round selections. If they see a position roster weakness, they may load up to fill it. The stability and experience of this coaching staff makes it easier to plug young guys into well-designed roles quickly.
3. Seattle Seahawks
Pete Carroll has turned over this roster more than any coach in the NFL in his tenure with the Seahawks, and it looks like he finally has a group of players he really likes. He works closely with GM John Schneider, who comes from the Green Bay philosophy of building your team through the draft. They put a premium on speed and athletic ability and go with their gut instinct, even if it doesn't always look like the safest move. A perfect example is taking QB Russell Wilson in the third round when they had just spent a lot of money to acquire unrestricted free agent Matt Flynn. That move requires a coach with a lot of confidence and job security. Carroll has a great feel for what he wants at each position, and that helps him plug in the right guys. He also really believes in creating competition at almost every position and that keeps players on their toes.
4. Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers have been acquiring and developing talent the same way as long as we can remember. They like to build through the draft and develop their own players. In the past, they have had the luxury of bringing their young guys along slowly as they learned under solid veteran starters, but that may not be true now. GM Kevin Colbert's philosophy is that you spend your money keeping and re-signing your own players, and he will let free agents leave if they become too expensive. Because these schemes have been so stable and well-defined, especially on defense, it's easier to get young guys ready to play, especially with such a good teaching coaching staff.
5. Baltimore Ravens
As a Hall of Fame player, and arguably a Hall of Fame executive, Ozzie Newsome continues to keep this roster at an elite level. From 1996 to 2012, he drafted 17 players in the first round. To date, they have accumulated 53 Pro Bowls -- that is hitting on your early picks. He is a consensus-builder, watches a lot of film and really knows his roster. He is also a big-picture guy. This front office knows the rest of the league, which makes for informed decisions. Newsome also will make the tough decision and cut ties with a productive veteran player, like Ed Reed, before it is too late, and that is not easy. The Ravens will use free agency to fill specific needs, but this is a patient organization; it never seems to panic.
