Combining Things

So many others seem to be chiming in on it, so I figured I might as well offer my cent and a half as well. (Now you're asking yourself, "Why isn't he offering his two cents?" The answer: probably because my opinions isn't worth as much as those of Peter King and the talking heads on ESPN.)

The NFL Scouting Combine.

Alot of people seem to be coming down hard on the combine and I agree with them.

Alot of people praise the combine and I agree with them.

Hmmm.

For those who aren't in the know about the Combine, it's a 6 day workout session for more than 200 former college football players. They bench press, jump, run, and interview for 600+ NFL personnel from teams around the league.

The knock on the combine? Who cares if Chris Johnson runs a 4.24 40 yard dash? Can he still do it zig-zagging between defensive tackles and linebackers with 25 lbs of pads on? What's the point of knowing how high Michael Oher can jump if he can't move his feet well enough to keep top rated outside linebackers and defensive ends off of his quarterback's blindside?

All valid questions. All questions that I totally agree with. You can't judge a football player by having them run drills that will never translate onto the football field. Chris Johnson will never be running down the straight down the field with nothing but Under Armour on his body. Never will Michael Oher have the need to jump as he possibly can.

Many insiders, I believe, would tell you that the best judge of a football player is watching them on film, playing football. Makes plenty of sense, right? Judge a football player by watching him play football.

So what is the point of the Combine, exactly?

It's at the Combine that we find out just how hard prospects have been working since their college days have ended. Every year we hear about the big names who show up 30 pounds overweight. Usually the fat offensive and defensive linemen. We get to see what kind of personal drive they have and what kind of effect it has on their performance. Personal drive that will affect their long term performance. Their committment to the team.

It's at the Combine where we see how fast guys can run. Wait...didn't you already say that? Yeah. I did.

Even though a guy will never run on a football field wihtout pads, there's still speed there...and everyone else is running with pads, too. Have you seen Chris Johnson run away from defenders? There's a reason I picked him in my fantasy draft when he was a rookie. They laughed at me then. The next year, he was taken in the first round. Speed is still speed. Put the same pads on everyone else and you've got a slower speed, yes, but everyone is slower now.

It's at the Combine where we meet prospects and figure out how smart they are. What do they know about strategy and game plans ? What kind of men are they? Will they cause problems in the locker room? Or worse. Off the field?

So, yeah. The Combine is a big show that draws a devoted crowd. It's a money maker. There's still something that NFL personnel can gain from sending scouts and coaches to see and talk to these guys. There's just not as much to gain as some might think.