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From Philly to Kansas City, One Chiefs Scout Shares His Journey:
Everything came together nicely for Kansas City Chiefs pro and college personnel analyst Brett Veach two years ago.
After spending the two previous seasons as the Philadelphia Eagles Southeast region college scout (2011-12), Veach was given an opportunity to reunite with Andy Reid in Kansas City.
Veach, who had worked as a summer intern with the Eagles after his playing career at the University of Delaware had ended, developed a love for scouting and the personnel side of football operations while working under Reid in Philadelphia.
"My first role with the Eagles was coach Reid's assistant," Veach explained of the position he held from 2007 to 2009. "Really, if you follow the track of that position, most of the time people in that position go on to a coaching career. I had luck on my side in that [Reid] was doing a lot of personnel at the time, so it was natural for him to give me assignments that were more personnel-based.
"So from there, I kind of grew a love for that side of things. It was just something I was instantly attracted to."
Veach, a converted receiver after being a standout running back at Mount Carmel High School in Pennsylvania, where he was named the 1996 Player of the Year, caught 99 passes for 1,470 yards and 12 touchdowns in his career at Delaware (1998-2001). He also ranks third all-time at the school in kickoff return yards.
Interestingly enough, Veach spent his collegiate career catching passes from Chiefs quarterbacks coach Matt Nagy, who played for the Blue Hens (1997-2000) before joining Reid and Veach in Philadelphia in 2008 as a coaching intern.
But for Veach, the opportunity to join Reid in Kansas City wasn't just about following a familiar face; the structure of the personnel department was something that piqued his interest.
"I think one thing that we do here which is really cool is we kind of cross-train," he said. "A lot of our pro guys help out on the college side, and then vice-versa, where a lot of our college guys will be asked for our input on the pro side. So there's constant communication and back-and-forth in regards to strengths and weaknesses of where we can improve the team.
"I have a dual role where I do some college and some pro, so it's kind of a unique opportunity. I help out during the free agency period and the cut-down days with the pro side and then hit the road during the fall for college."
Most fans see the NFL Draft as the culmination of an offseason of talking through mock drafts and analysts' projections and opinions.
But for scouts like Veach, the draft is the end of a journey that included a lot of hours on the road away from friends and family, evaluating players, who could potentially help the Chiefs, from all across the country.
"I think whatever you do in life, everything is a people business," Veach said. "It's all about establishing your relationships. I think the ability to go out on the road, meet new people, talk football, learn a little bit about the different areas and cultures and traditions, that's a really cool thing."
Photo Gallery: Working Together
Despite the hours and travel, the hook for Veach is trying to determine the trajectory and future of a player.
"Having the opportunity to see young men and their abilities at a certain stage and project in your mind what they could be for your team and how they fit in, I think that's the thing that draws you in the most."
After the collegiate and NFL seasons have ended, the scouts and personnel guys get together with the coaching staff to share what they've learned.
"It's exciting because of the trust we have with our staff," Veach said of this time. "It's exciting for us to come in, sit down with them and share everything we've logged from really June and July all the way up until where we are now.
"It's exciting to give them your spin on things, but then in turn, it's also exciting to hear their take on some of the things you may have missed on a report or evaluation.
"The communication is a thing you really look forward to."
Any decision on a player being drafted is obviously not one that's made with a singular voice, but certain players can stand out from the first time you watch them.
"The guys that really by the time you get to the seventh or eighth play on tape, you already want to watch more," Veach explained. "Most of the time, a scout will watch three to four games on a player and then go back and watch a later tape, but every now and then you'll get a player that you just want to watch every single game because they're so fun to watch.
"They just instantly jump out on tape."
While Veach had a history with Reid before he came to Kansas City, the opportunity to work for general manager John Dorsey, with his respected past and pedigree, was another reason Veach made the move.
"Obviously, having the opportunity to work for coach Reid is something that I don't think many people would pass on," he explained. "But I think what also made it even more attractive was the fact that he'd be working with John Dorsey.
"That was something that I had a strong desire to do. His reputation around the league was solid and everyone spoke very highly of him. The fact that John had that Green Bay pedigree was something that I think all the scouts on the road really aspire to work for."
He continued.
"You look at that track record and knowing that they really do it the blue-collar way, where you just roll the sleeves up, go to work, watch tape, not going to dabble a lot in free agency; it's really going to be all about the draft and creating your own culture. That was something that you're really excited about in regards to that opportunity."
The opportunity, derived from his own hard work, along with the serendipitous hiring of both Reid and Dorsey in Kansas City, put Veach in a position to learn from two of the most respected NFL minds in their respective positions.
That's why Veach decided to continue his career in Kansas City-to learn and develop in his own right-as he looks for prospects to bring to the Chiefs to learn and develop as players.
It's an amalgamation that will hopefully benefit everyone, including members of Chiefs Kingdom, who will see the result of Dorsey, Reid, Veach and company's hard work when the roster is set heading into 2015.
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EAGLES LOSE TOP SCOUT BRETT VEACH TO CHIEFS:
With the start of free agency right around the corner and the NFL draft less than two months away, the Eagles have lost a significant member of their personnel department.
Brett Veach, who was entering his fourth season in the scouting department and third as the team’s Southeast region scout, left the team to reunite with Andy Reid in Kansas City for an undetermined scouting role for the Chiefs.
Veach first broke into the NFL as an intern with the Eagles in 2004 and was later hired as Reid’s assistant in 2007. He ascended quickly in the front office and was considered one of the team’s keenest scouts.
“Basically, an opportunity presented itself in Kansas City to be a part of Coach Reid’s staff again and [general manager] John Dorsey staff, and it was an opportunity I was excited about,” Veach, a native of Mount Carmel, Pa., and former University of Delaware standout, told CSNPhilly.com.
Veach said he left on great terms with the Eagles, calling his time there “six unbelieveable years” of learning under general manager Howie Roseman, former player personnel chief Ryan Grigson (now the Colts’ general manager) and director of college scouting Anthony Patch.
“Those guys taught me everything I know to this point,” Veach said. “You’re talking about three really sharp minds that I learned from every day.”
Veach left the Eagles shortly after the NFL Scouting Combine in late February and said Roseman graciously allowed him to go. The Eagles didn’t respond to comment and it’s unclear if they’ve filled Veach’s spot.
Ed Marynowitz, who joined the Eagles’ staff last May as assistant director of pro scouting, represented the Eagles at Miami’s and Florida International’s Pro Days on Thursday. Marynowitz had been the director of player personnel at the University of Alabama for four years before he joined the Eagles.
But Veach’s departure leaves the Eagles without one of their most prominent field scouts during the most critical time period for general managers and coaches to lean heavily on their personnel staff. Free agency starts 4 p.m. Tuesday and the draft starts April 25.
For the next seven weeks, personnel staffs will be hosting college prospects for interviews along with traveling the countryside to examine more prospects at Pro Days and private workouts. One league source said NFL teams rarely let scouts get away in the heart of the pre-draft process.
Several of the Eagles’ draft picks over the past few years have come from the prospect-rich Southeast region and from the prestigious Southeastern Conference, including last year’s first-round pick, former Mississippi State defensive tackle Fletcher Cox. The Eagles traded up to pluck Cox at 12th overall.
The Eagles also picked cornerback Brandon Boykin in the fourth round. Boykin edged incumbent Joselio Hanson for the nickelback job and played the position all year, along with returning kickoffs.
After his internship in 2004, Veach went back to work in Delaware’s athletic department until his second chance to work for Reid came in 2007, when he was named assistant to the head coach. He served that position for three years until his promotion to college and pro scout in 2010.
Veach was assigned to study wide receivers in 2008 leading up to the draft. That year, the Eagles picked DeSean Jackson in the second round. Jackson has made two Pro Bowls.
The Eagles promoted Veach to regional college scout in 2011 and assigned Veach to the country’s most fertile ground for college football standouts.
When the chance came to work again for Reid, who was fired by the Eagles at the end of last season and quickly hired by the Chiefs, Veach embraced the opportunity.
“Now I get a chance to work with John Dorsey,” Veach said. “It was just an exciting opportunity to learn from another great NFL mind.”
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