Combine Bashing Jumps the Shark

Looks like Bill Barnwell beat me to the punch. I claim victory on the Mike Mamula quick draw, though.

it’s never been an either/or

I will never understand why people would rather disparage information rather than using it in context with other information.

when combine numbers were everything. Back when people were still figuring out the draft process, it’s perceived (and I keep saying perceived because I doubt this was ever completely the case) that the combine was used exclusively over everything else. Which it shouldn’t be. But some have gone very far in trying to convince a non-existent entity that they shouldn’t be overvaluing the combine. And some have gone so far as to say it’s almost meaningless (at least, that’s what their words say. They are probably exaggerating though). In reality, it’s a useful tool amongst many to help evaluate talent, in this case in a controlled environment. It allows scouts to say, “Ok, here’s just how fast this guy is. And here’s just how strong he is. Now let’s put that together with what he did in games to get an idea of how he’ll do in the NFL.” And it’s that last step that’s the important one.

Link.

I like reading him because he comes from the background of being an NFL GM. He definitely understands how the whole scouting process works.

…have seemed to me in many occasions over-rated (that is, rated above demonstrated talent) as if simply size or speed alone made for a good football player. At any position.

Skill, judgment, decision making, reflexes, experience, all count for something, and while there are cases where work-out warriors get over-drafted, there are just as many cases where individuals do not meet the physical standard and don’t get drafted at all (I am thinking specifically of the leagues leading WR last year).

The point is to use the information in contexted, balanced with intangibles and demonstrated ability on the football field.

But how much of it has to do with opportunity? For example, Mike Hass is a Bilintokof (sp) winner, so obviously a success at the collegiate level, yet never translated to the NFL. Is that due to lack of speed, size or opportunity?

…how do these get measured?

…is one of the hardest working players in the league. It seems that Jerry Rice also had a reputation for working constantly on his craft. If this is so, this in part accounts for their HOF-level of success.

One thing that’s funny is when people complain about players being trained to excel in the spcific drills. Those drills are chosen to be good indicators of necessary athletic ability to play football, so logically if they’re good at the drill they should be good at it in real life. Or am I missing something?

It’s borderline ironic to make that comment on a Seahawks blog 6 months before the the next regular season game but….

there are so many publications, both online and offline, and so many reports/columnists/experts/bloggers/statisticians/etc who have to file so many words every week that every mini event such as the Combine gets dissected, and subsequently completely overblown, in every possible way.

The fact is the combine is both an important event on the NFL schedule in terms of its function as a place to meet, measure and anaylize the top college prospects AND somewhat over-rated in its importance by the media. I mean, I doubt it’s over-rated or under-rated by NFL front offices. They know what it is and why it’s there. They’ll use it to gather important information and then balance it with all their other criteria.

It is probably 10x more important to mock-draft ‘experts’ than anyone else though. Data point: after all the ink spilled Andre Smith still went 6th overall in the 2009 draft. Flipside: so far, Andre Smith is a bust. Rebuttal: injuries can happen to anyone.