The importance of the combine

[kernowboy]

I think there is always a risk of putting too much importance on the results of the combine - you will get some gym and weight room warriors who will produce some great stats, wowing the audience and be drafted higher than they deserve to go.

However the Combine can be undervalued in analysing the mental attitude of the athletes there. And I don't mean the Wonderlic score.

The combine is these athletes most important interview ever. It can mean millions to them, and maybe even make or break their careers before they even start it.

A top ranked player who underperforms is of equal concern to a guy who appears to overperform.

Are they so arrogant to think they can get by just on natural ability alone so don't need to bring their A game? That attitude will get quickly found out in the pro-league. Will they work hard? Will they show that professional commitment needed to help the Bills succeed?

If they are so stupid as to fail a drugs test, didn't they think they'd be tested? That comes down to a basic level of intelligence.

If a top athlete underperforms in 3-4 areas, I would think this raises a bit of a red flag. Its not a case of saying they deserve a second chance as this day will have been drummed into them since they started playing college football as being the all important big day. And it makes me wonder if they would ever play up to their level of talent once they went pro and got their first pay cheque.

[psubills62]

I think there is always a risk of putting too much importance on the results of the combine - you will get some gym and weight room warriors who will produce some great stats, wowing the audience and be drafted higher than they deserve to go.

However the Combine can be undervalued in analysing the mental attitude of the athletes there. And I don't mean the Wonderlic score.

The combine is these athletes most important interview ever. It can mean millions to them, and maybe even make or break their careers before they even start it.

A top ranked player who underperforms is of equal concern to a guy who appears to overperform.

Are they so arrogant to think they can get by just on natural ability alone so don't need to bring their A game? That attitude will get quickly found out in the pro-league. Will they work hard? Will they show that professional commitment needed to help the Bills succeed?

If they are so stupid as to fail a drugs test, didn't they think they'd be tested? That comes down to a basic level of intelligence.

If a top athlete underperforms in 3-4 areas, I would think this raises a bit of a red flag. Its not a case of saying they deserve a second chance as this day will have been drummed into them since they started playing college football as being the all important big day. And it makes me wonder if they would ever play up to their level of talent once they went pro and got their first pay cheque.

The drug test...they have no excuse. If a guy underperforms, though, it could just be because he's actually not that fast (in shorts and t-shirt), not as strong as expected, etc.

I agree for the most part. The combine is useful, which I'm sure is why they started having it. But it's also overrated.

I think the part of the combine/pro days that is severely underrated is the positional workouts, and things such as the 10-yard split, the cone times, etc. Some of the workouts aren't as applicable to one position as it is to another. For example, who cares if Aaron Maybin runs a 4.5 40, while Everette Brown runs a 4.6 40? Neither of them should be running 40 yards....it's their 10-yard split and broad jump that are more applicable, as it shows their burst and acceleration.

The positional drills also show NFL scouts more specific tendencies and strengths or weaknesses that you don't see in normal workouts. However, we don't hear about the results of those workouts generall (except for QB's), so we as fans tend to undervalue them.

Those are my thoughts, anyway.