Coffee & Cigarettes: Educational links for Friday

While I'm away from the blog for a couple of weeks, I've set up some posts that point you in the direction of some interesting or educational links about football. Today's expert analysis comes from Ted Sundquist, the former GM of the Denver Broncos.

Restructuring NFL Football Operations - The Process
This is the third part in a series on the restructuring of Football Operations at the League level. Part one discussed the need for compartmentalizing the scattered programs the NFL is currently implementing. In part two we looked at the importance of maintaining the QUALITY of the NFL’s product – The Game. Now in part three TFE reviews The Process of Football Operations in the NFL.

Time to restructure Football Operations in the NFL
TFE gives its take on the need for restructuring the Football Operations Department of the National Football League.

Restructuring NFL Football Operations - The Game
TFE breaks down its restructuring of NFL Football Operations with the first of the four categories of its organizational pyramid - The Game.

The APTUS Test and its growing effect on NFL Draft evaluations
TFE turns to its partner Optimum Scouting's Mark Dulgerian for a look at the APTUS Test and its effect on NFL Draft evaluations.

Loss of FOCUS & UNITY could fracture the 49ers future.
The situation in San Francisco is serious. If the tension between head coach Jim Harbaugh and GM Trent Baalke is as tumultuous as is being reported (and I personally don’t know if it is), then Jed York should make it his first and foremost priority. Clean this mess up, ASAP.

5 Business Lessons From Former NFL GM Ted Sundquist
I recently had the chance to sit down with the Motley Fool’s own Jake Mann to discuss some of the business principles that I felt crossed over into the world of professional football and the emphasis I put on these in my book Taking Your Team To The Top – How to build and manage great teams like the pros.

Today's NFL GM - One and done?
The NFL offseason is upon us and focus now shifts towards the front office executives in charge of rebuilding their rosters in hopes of dethroning the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks. Much has been said about the job that GM John Schneider has done in building the Seahawks into professional football’s powerhouse with his craft use of the draft and free agency.

What Are Your Memories of Being in the Super Bowl?
I recently completed an interview for Quora.com regarding my personal thoughts and experiences in relation to back-to-back Super Bowl Championships and the ensuing efforts to get the Denver Broncos back to the "Big Game" as General Manager. It was a fantastic opportunity to share with Quora and I’d like to share my answers with the readers of The Football Educator as well. Here’s my recollection of Super Bowls XXXII and XXXIII, along with links to more of my insights on the postseason.

Which comes first, the General Manager or the Head Coach?
I spent the better part of this past week discussing the various tactics and strategies of the General Manager – Head Coach relationship in the National Football League.

With the College season ending, what's up next for NFL scouts?
The past four months have been pivotal for prospective NFL Draft prospects. Professional scouts have been scouring the country; showing up to watch film in the early hours of the morning, taking lunch breaks to speak with pro liaisons, grabbing a few minutes with position coaches as they walk out to practice, catching the first few warm up drills to get a sense of how a particular player might move around. Through the copious notes and detailed chicken scratch, they piece together the various components of a puzzle that will ultimately lead them to their evaluation of whether he "can or can’t" for their team. Then it’s on to the next one.

"FIRE" can spread quickly throughout an NFL team - even in Tampa Bay
Bay Buccaneers lost their seventh straight game last Thursday, falling 31-13 to division rival Carolina.