The list of invitees to the annual NFL meat market known as the NFL Scouting Combine has been released. The combine is held in Indianapolis from Feb. 23rd - March 1 as NFL teams get close up looks at many of the premier draft prospects.
I don't know about you guys, but I'm not a big fan of the Combine. It is interesting and should be used to gather information, but I think this is a place where scouts and general managers make tons of mistakes. It is a place where they fall in love with "measurables," with how big or fast a guy is, how long his arms are, how much he can bench press, how high he can jump.
Guys always rise and fall based on these characteristics, and it makes me shake my head. Yes, some of these physical skills can be translated into certain skills on the football field, but much of what you see at the Combine tells you what kind of athlete a guy is -- not what kind of football player he is.
For that, you have to use your eyes. Watch the games, watch the films. See what kind of instincts a guy has. Does he make the right play? Does he make the tackle? Is he where he should be? Is he mistake-prone? You can't judge those things at the Combine, and for me they are more important than how many reps a guy can do on the bench press.