Tavern talk: the games count - by Mike Lombardi

We finally have all 32 teams in camp, practicing and working against one another. So naturally, stories will start appearing about who’s having a great camp, which player looks like a new person and who is going to help their team. Remember last year? Pacman Jones was going to be the cover guy the Cowboys needed. The Raiders had two of the best cover corners in the league after signing DeAngelo Hall. But that lasted seven games when Hall was released. My point is that you shouldn’t believe what you read about players being good or bad until the games start. One of the reasons is that players practice against the same players all the time, so they know each other’s strengths and weaknesses. As an evaluator, you must be careful evaluating your team against the same players each day. You must remind yourself that the player who might look good might be looking good against a guy who will be headed off to law school in a few weeks.

APThe Patriots solved a problem by signing Andrew Walter.

The games hold the answers whether a team has improved, and whether the players have improved. Games for rookies are important, but games for second-year players are vital. They’ve learned the system, they now know what to do. All that’s left is for them to do it. No more excuses; the time is now.

My 10-player rule is in effect now. After camp starts, the good teams will make at least 10 moves -- some big, some small -- that will help them improve for the upcoming season and for the next season. These moves might be working the practice squad or working the main roster. In either case, they’re improving the competition of the team. For example, New England decided that it needed to make an improvement at backup quarterback, so it made a move quickly and signed Andrew Walter. No sense waiting when you know that you must improve.

No matter how talented a team believes it is right now, the team that will win the Super Bowl is the one that best evaluates its roster and is consistently looking for ways to improve. Sitting back on your laurels, feeling the work is done, won’t help you improve. Teams that are aggressive now understand that even if a player makes their team, it doesn’t mean he can help them win.

Remember, having a great camp means playing well in the games.