For over two decades, Kevin Colbert oversaw roster construction of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Known for being one of the better drafting teams in the league, Colbert drafted players like Ben Roethlisberger, Troy Polamalu, Antonio Brown, Le’Veon Bell and T.J. Watt to name a few.
But some of Pittsburgh’s later drafts and roster decisions have garnered criticism as of late, with Colbert manning the ship as recently as 20 months ago.
Well, some believe that was due to the rigidity of his process, something which just came under fire thanks to Colbert’s recent media hit:
“I’m aged beyond the analytical world, and I understand the analytics and importance of information and what it can point to, but it doesn’t tell you the story of that person and that player and who can be successful on that field,” Colbert said on the NC Athletics Podcast.
“At the end of my career with the Steelers, obviously it [Analytics] came into play, and I used to encourage our younger scouts,” added Colbert. “I said, ‘Keep me up to date. Tell me what I’m missing.’ We had analytics people, and I used to challenge them. I said, ‘When you guys can measure the intangibles, let me know.’ Because that’s the most important thing.”
Personally, I have no issue with Colbert’s comments. Analytics have their place in everything from player evaluation to in-game management.
But in my opinion, that doesn’t mean they should be used as anything more than a tool.
I’m sorry, but momentum is a real thing, watching tape is the best way to grade a players skillset, and in-person meetings paired with detective work is still the best way to determine the character of a player.
Analytics beg to differ.
And that’s ok, not every organization should operate in the same capacity. The Rams-Bengals Super Bowl from a few years back proved as much, with one team built almost exclusively through the draft (Bengals) opposed to a Rams team that traded and bought their way to a Super Bowl ring.
The bottom line is that analytics have their place. Perhaps if Colbert and the front office used them in tandem with “their gut” there would have been less misses in the latter part of his tenure.
But when that “gut” drafts multiple Hall of Famers, wins you two championships and propels you to 18 straight years without a losing season, I’d say sticking with your gut isn’t such a bad idea.
