The Draft Combine Is Dumb

[Gary Najman]

I wonder the score of former DE Dexter Manley. At 30 years old, he couldn't read or write, and he hanged for 4 years at Oklahoma State.

[BD Sullivan]

When the combine first stared in the late-'80s, wasn't it Buddy Ryan and Jerry Glanville who were the only HCs who wouldn't attend (or at least in the very beginning they didn't) until everyone, pretty much, were expected to attend; HCs, GMs, execs alike. Anyone else who used to forego it?

They were probably afraid their egos wouldn't fit in the Hoosier Dome

[oldecapecod11]

Nah...
Ryan was involved in a foot-worshiping class and the final was that week-end; and,
Sam Wyche took the Elvis tickets and gave them to two goons from Cincy, the black and blue socks.

[Bryan]

While I see what the article is getting at, scouting departments HAVE TO see a lot of value in the combine otherwise they'd just quit going to it. If the author's supposition that two days of the combine won't change draft boards or scouting departments minds..then why would anyone bother going? I'd love to read an article from an NFL scout or by a scout that explains why the combine does and/or doesn't matter.

I always wonder how much the combine really influences a team's/scout's ranking of players. The media has you believe that players skyrocket from late-round status to Top 10 pick based on a good combine, while a slow 40 time will make a can't-miss prospect into an undrafted free agent. I would suspect that the combine might move guys up or down a few slots, but the cataclysmic shifts are just a product of the media's imagination and overhyping of the event.

[Veeshik_ya]

From what I've heard or read, smart agents advise their clients NOT to attend the combine.

It's a media event, nothing more.

[JohnTurney]

Gotta disagree.

I think the article is poorly reasoned and full of false assumptions.

He thinks game tape is all that should matter. His job does not depend on getting the best possible football players into your organization. Game tapes are still the top priority, but game tapes vary from opponent to opponent, conference to conference and level to level.

Some guys may be Div I talent playing in D II . .. or against lesser competition. The combine levels that to a small degree.

And as was already mentioned, the medical and the interviews are very important.

As far as 40-times and so on, yes, some players player faster than their 40 time. But that has always been true, even pre-combine. Paul Brown began using it as a benchmark. But the 40 time is useful for guys who will be drafted later (for special teams) and if you have a couple of guys who are tied in game tape, medical, etc . .. and maybe speed is the difference maker. There a lot of slow guys who don't do well, possibly as many as there are fast guys who fail.

This author says combines tends to not elevate guys but lower them. Evidence, please.

If he thinks it's boring, then don't watch.

So, anyone who thinks the combine is the end-all, be-all, they are wrong. But those who don't think it matters are also in error.

And I looked up the author, he's "possibly the most hated sports blogger on the web"

I can see why.

[Veeshik_ya]

And I looked up the author, he's "possibly the most hated sports blogger on the web"

I can see why.

You must've run across the Columbia Journalism Review article about him. Interesting that it refers to him as a "blogger". I think of him as a writer for the USA Today (although, the lines between traditional media and blogs have blurred. And U.S. news media is getting more English (tabloid) by the day. But I digress). Started seeing his articles there the last four or five years, I'd guess. Not sure I understand the hullabaloo about him. I usually bypass his articles, not because he's inflammatory or controversial, more because they're usually lightweight fluff.

The combine is overrated, though. But is that the combine's fault, or the media's?

[Gary Najman]

I think is important to meet the future professional players in person. I know that in the 50s or 60s they used the Street&Smith's magazine or newspapers to review players, but one would think that by the 70s all teams should know everything about the players they would draft. But I remember that in 1988 the Denver Broncos picked NT Ted Gregory from Syracuse in the 1st round. When coach Dan Reeves finally met him he was in shock. Although Gregory was listed at 6-1, he resembled 5-9. He then was traded to the Saints, where he only played 3 games in his whole NFL career.

Other similar story was when the Seattle Seahawks picked OT Andre HInes from Stanford in the 2nd round in 1980. Hines reported overweight and uninterested to practice. Coach Jack Patera said: "He couldn't push himself to do anything. I don't know if he could run down the field and throw a block, because he never did. He was in worse shape than I was." It appeared that they had confused Hines with his college teammate Brian Holloway, who was selected by the New England Patriots next year and became a Pro Bowler. Needless to say, Hines only played 9 games (no starts) in his career.

[MarbleEye]

Re: The Wonderlic test.... I know Vince Young took it, got a horrendous score, a 4 or a 6... something pitiful and as was previously posted, lived up to it by not being able to learn a playbook or master the mental study of film, game plans etc that are so crucial to QB and team success in the NFL. Not to mention his off the field antics which included blowing thru multi-millions in a short time.

Incredibly enough, Young actually has a degree from UT-Austin... I'm not sure I'd be too pleased about that if I was a legitimate Texas alum.

I have also read (unfortunately, I do not recall the source) that Dan Marino took the Wonderlic and got a very poor score as well. And yet he had a HOF career and led a lot of winning Dolphin teams although the big one escaped Miami during his career.

Question I have is: does anyone know Marino's actual Wonderlic score? My guess is even if it isn't-wasn't Great, it had to be well above a 6....

Didn't Ryan Fitzpatrick, also of Harvard, get a 50 on the Wonderlic as well? Thought I saw that also, although it may have just been a very high score without being a 50.

[oldecapecod11]

MarbleEye » Sat Feb 21, 2015 10:38 pm
"Re: The Wonderlic test.... I know Vince Young took it, got a horrendous score, a 4 or a 6... something pitiful and as was previously posted, lived up to it by not being able to learn a playbook or master the mental study of film, game plans etc that are so crucial to QB and team success in the NFL. Not to mention his off the field antics which included blowing thru multi-millions in a short time.
Incredibly enough, Young actually has a degree from UT-Austin... I'm not sure I'd be too pleased about that if I was a legitimate Texas alum..."

-----

Obviously, UT-A has "overlooked" listing him as an attendee?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University ... _at_Austin

University of Texas at Austin
Many alumni have found success in professional sports. Legendary pro football coach Tom Landry '49 attended the university as an industrial engineering major but interrupted his education after a semester to serve in the United States Army Air Corps during World War II. Following the war, he returned to the university and played fullback and defensive back on the Longhorns' bowl-game winners on New Year's Day of 1948 and 1949. Seven-time Cy Young Award-winner Roger Clemens entered the MLB after helping the Longhorns win the 1983 College World Series.
Three-time NBA scoring champion Kevin Durant entered the 2007 NBA Draft and was selected second overall behind Greg Oden, after sweeping National Player of the Year honors, becoming the first freshman to win any of the awards. After becoming the first freshman in school history to lead Texas in scoring and being named the Big 12 Freshman of the Year, Daniel Gibson entered the 2006 NBA Draft and was selected in the second round by the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Several Olympic medalists have also attended the school, including 2008 Summer Olympics athletes Ian Crocker '05 (swimming world record holder and two-time Olympic gold medalist) and 4x400m relay defending Olympic gold medalist Sanya Richards '06. Mary Lou Retton (the first female gymnast outside Eastern Europe to win the Olympic all-around title, five-time Olympic medalist, and 1984 Sports Illustrated Sportswoman of the Year) also attended the university.
Also an alumnus is Dr. Robert Cade, the inventor of the sport drink Gatorade.