An inside look at building a successful NFL team

Posted Nov 13, 2011 by Bob D'Angelo

Updated Nov 13, 2011 at 12:29 AM

It is fortunate that author Michael Holley confesses he has a “nerdy obsession” for analyzing how teams are built.

That obsession will help readers understand the intricacies of building an NFL team through the draft and free agency. What the casual viewer sees on television during draft day may seem hectic, but every move has a method and has been carefully thought out — at least by the league’s successful teams.

The New England Patriots under coach Bill Belichick have mastered the art, and two of his assistants who worked for him during the past decade have branched out, running teams on their own but still applying their own version of the “Patriot Way.”

Holley follows Belichick, Kansas City general manager Scott Pioli and Atlanta GM Thomas Dimitroff in “War Room: The Legacy of Bill Belichick and the Art of Building the Perfect Team” (It Books, $25.99, hardback, 338 pages). “War Room” is a perfect companion to Holley’s 2004 book, “Patriot Reign,” an intimate look at the Patriots gleaned from two years of unprecedented access to Belichick and the inner workings of his organization.

Belichick’s public persona outside of New England is not flattering — he seems distant, surly, and various media members have even ripped his sideline attire. But there is no mistaking Belichick’s work ethic and organization: his ability to evaluate talent and draw up winning game plans made the Patriots an NFL powerhouse. Holley amplifies Belichick’s attention to detail, which is painstakingly obvious as he approaches the NFL draft.

But away from football, Holley also gives the readers glimpses into the human side of Belichick, the persona the public rarely sees — flashes of humor and compassion, a coach willing to give advice to his players and coaching staff, a parent who has long discussions about football after every home game with his son (they just happen to take place in the office of an NFL coach).

Holley may change your perception of Belichick, much like John Feinstein did for me when he gave readers a close-up look at former Baltimore Ravens coach Brian Billick in his 2009 book, “Next Man Up.” I’d always considered Billick kind of snarky and distasteful, but Feinstein’s book changed my perception. Same with Holley’s portrait of Belichick: I mean, I still wouldn’t invite Belichick to dinner (and hey, he probably would not accept if an invitation was extended), but at least I have a better understanding of what makes him tick.

But this book goes beyond Belichick and also focuses on two of his trusted assistants — Pioli, who got his start as a scouting assistant; and Dimitroff, the son of an NFL lifer who began his career as a groundskeeper. All three men developed a “language” about scouting and evaluating players, and Holley presents the birth and growth of this formula in great detail — not only in stark numbers, but also in anecdotes about each man that puts the reader into their heads.

Belichick has made his mark on the NFL. Pioli (Chiefs) and Dimitroff (Falcons) are still trying to reshape the football culture in their cities. Pioli and Dimitroff have taken liberal doses of the Belichick recipe for success, but both men were astute enough to realize that such a formula needed their own personal stamp to fit their franchises.

Pioli is an interesting character, a man with a working-class background who enjoyed quoting lyrics from Bruce Springsteen’s “Badlands”:

“Poor man wanna be rich
Rich man wanna be king
And a king ain’t satisfied
Until he rules everything.”

Belichick and the Patriots ruled the NFL for a good stretch during the last decade. Holley intimates, and the idea is not far-fetched, that his proteges also could ascend to the pinnacle of their profession before their careers end. Certainly, Dimitroff and the Falcons have become contenders. The Chiefs continue to struggle, but Pioli strikes me as the kind of guy who will work tirelessly to turn that around.

“War Room” is a fascinating read, where the reader becomes a fly on the wall to observe the actions of some of the brightest minds in pro football.