This is a memo to Sam Hinkie, other analyticals  and teams building for the future: According to an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer and other interviews I’ve encountered, Hinkie hopes to build a team from the ground up aided by formulas, statistical models and data-centric philosophies that reduce the risk and lead to smarter decisions. Nowhere in his interviews have I heard or seen the word “character.” So, allow me to offer my old team some advice. The first consideration in building any kind of team has to be character. There is probably no way to statistically measure it, either, unless you assign numerical values to arrests, paroles, trials, prison time and probationary sentences. Remember, if you hire folks with character, you get the New England Patriots. Hire folks that are characters and you get the Dallas Cowboys. ###