Friday 2 December 2016 11:39, UK
The role of an NFL general manager is all encompassing. From the organisation of college scouts and identifying free agent targets, to managing the salary cap and finalising the roster, a GM looks after all aspects of player personnel.
Though they will employ staff to manage each individual area, it is the general manager, alongside their head coach, who will ultimately be responsible for the decisions made throughout the franchise.
Take a look at the Jacksonville Jaguars, who have spent four years rebuilding but are yet to see any sign of progress. The general manager-head coach tandem of David Caldwell and Gus Bradley is under severe pressure after spending big and failing to deliver results on the pitch.
The Cleveland Browns are now at the start of that journey, having failed to qualify for the play-offs since 2002 and finishing bottom of the AFC North 11 of the last 13 seasons. Sashi Brown is the GM under the spotlight in Ohio and, after cutting ties with a raft of senior players, Cleveland's results will be scrutinised until success is proven.
The play-off drought has not been so long for Seattle Seahawks fans. Having reached the Super Bowl in 2005, the team declined in following years before slipping to a 4-12 record in 2008, followed by 5-11 in 2009.
Head coach Jim Mora lasted just one season, before Seattle brought in Pete Carroll from the University of Southern California for the 2010 campaign. It was Carroll that wanted John Schneider alongside him as general manager, as he looked to turn the franchise from a moderately successful division competitor into one of the top teams year on year.
The collaboration has worked thus far; five play-off appearances in six years, another looking imminent, as well as a Super Bowl ring in 2014. It is not just Carroll's coaching nous but Schneider's shrewd player evaluation that has led to Seattle's on-field success in recent years.
Quarterback Russell Wilson was considered under-sized and under-strength by many analysts, yet the Seahawks picked him up in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft. Although seen as a back-up to free agent signing Matt Flynn, Wilson was given equal reps throughout preseason and, after outperforming his rivals, he was handed the starting job which he has not relinquished since.
Other late round talents acquired by Seattle include Kam Chancellor and Richard Sherman, both taken in the fifth round, as well as 2016 third-round rookie running back C.J. Prosise, who earlier this year displaced Christine Michael as the starter.
Beyond the draft, the Seahawks have had unprecedented success in signing undrafted free agents, and turning them into first team starters. Last year, Seattle used 70 players, 32 of which were free-agents. Thomas Rawls, Doug Baldwin and Michael Bennett make up some of this year's starters that will have a say in the team's play-off success.
Schneider is quick to point out that he and Carroll don't have all the answers. In their first season together, the Seahawks made a total of 284 roster transactions, an NFL record, demonstrating their willingness to make a change where necessary. They, like every franchise, miss out on draft picks, but unlike other organisations they put less stock in a players' draft pedigree. If they can't perform in practice or on game day, that position is up for grabs.
Just because Wilson wasn't the right measurements and the Seahawks had signed Flynn on a starter's salary, didn't mean that the opportunity was going to be afforded to Wilson.
There is a winning mentality in Seattle, a drive to succeed and continue reaching the pinnacle of the NFL's character. This is shaped by Schneider and Carroll's attitude to give everyone their fair shot at representing the jersey.
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