No one ever bats 1.000 in personnel. That is what Ernie Accorsi, the former general manager of the Giants, always used to say.
Of course, this is true. Even the best evaluators get it wrong sometimes. Sometimes more than sometimes. Now, the best may hit on players far more often than they miss, but everyone makes mistakes on players, from time to time.
It is what transpires after one of those misses takes place that often makes all the difference. Not admitting a mistake does not mean it is not a mistake. It sometimes only makes it worse.
Sure, it takes time to properly assess what is truly going on with a player selected in the NFL Draft or signed in free agency. How much time? There is an adage that it takes three years to evaluate a draft class. That was usually the thinking, especially among those seeking a pass for poor showings in Year 1 and Year 2. Nowadays, a three-year lookback window feels a bit dated. We want it now, or close to it, but waiting three years is too long.
