Every since programs started chucking it around 40 or 50+ times a game, the notion (especially from the media) that a player is only a good because of the system that they play seems to be a weekly topic of discussion
This is especially prevalent as the NFL draft approaches, most notably on the offensive side of the ball. Quarterbacks are only good because of their offensive system, running backs have too many carries and hits because of the system they run, and receivers put up video game type numbers over the course of the season because of the system.
Look, I get it. Just because a high school running back runs for 2,000 yards in the wing-T or a college quarterback throws for 60 touchdowns in a season doesn't mean they're a great player. Set the stats aside; the way I see it, if a guy can ball, he can ball...regardless of the "system".
The word "system" is a favorite word of experts who have made their name (and living) ranking players by position. I'm not an expert, but everytime I hear that phrase during draft season I literally roll my eyes and mumble a few choice words under my breath. Right or wrong, I personally find it ridiculous.
Good coaches are able to tweak their scheme to highlight what their roster does well, which in turn factors into individual and team success, along with a variety of other factors. I feel like that's a big part of your job as a coach; adapt your scheme to your players.
Philadelphia Eagles head coach Chip Kelly agrees, and in his press conference yesterday he was asked if he felt that his offense was a "quarterback friendly system."
Kelly responded with a resounding "No."
"I've never really thought of it that way. I just think we try to make it a friendly system for the QB, the running back, the O-line, the wide receivers. I think that's your job as a coach." he explained.
"If you make it too complicated where your players don't understand it, therefore they're thinking [too much] and they can't go out and execute, then shame on you as a coach."
"I would say any system that's not QB friendly, then it's probably a bad system."
As I said before, good coaches fit their scheme to what their players do well. Kelly is a bright coach, smart enough to not dial up the same plays for Mark Sanchez as he would have for Nick Foles, or Michael Vick. That doesn't make them a product of a system, but rather a product of coaches adapting their scheme to their strengths.