What is the point of a combine?

[GNG]

certainly not you,

also in response to your, the draft is littered with big combine guys who do nothing in the league....your right there have been some

but for every 1 you name, i can name 10 that had a good combine and were good in the league

These workout warriors don't impress me. Most of them look like Tarzan and play like Jane.

 

[SteelersPride]

These workout warriors don't impress me. Most of them look like Tarzan and play like Jane.

some yes, but there are some that show they have some more

 

[Ritzarmy]

It's like a second interview. You have already seen the tapes and now you want a second look at particular guys in person. It's like choosing cattle you get to weigh, measure, and heard everyone to do the same thing to compare against the others before you shell out money for your side of beef. You may get lucky and find a prim rib or you could end up with mad cow disease.

 

[anotheridiot]

The smart GM's draft according to game tape and not combine performance.

Nobody is arguing game tape, but you cannot talk to the player and know his football knowledge by watching game tape. You can see if he has a team mate that is making him look better than he is, but the combine is allowing you to learn about the person, not the player, not TMZ.

 

[toooverbearing]

The combine should confirm what you see on tape or call into question whether a player's college performance will translate into the pros.

Are the results misleading sometimes? Of course. Are they sometimes prophetic? Yes. For the number 7 pick, the player the Bears choose better have BOTH a great college resume AND the physical traits and skills to back up that they are going to transition their college performance into the pros. I think Brian Urlacher and Aaron Donald are great examples of guys who had sterling college numbers but came into the combine with some questions before acing the hell out of it.

I think where you can start questioning priorities is later in the draft. Let's say Michael Sam and Cornelius Washington were in the same draft. Sam had a terrible combine but a great college career while Washington was largely invisible at U of Georgia where Jarvis Jones and Alec Ogletree were destroying offenses but Washington had a great combine. You're picking an edge rusher in the fifth round and are considering these two guys... do you prefer the college resume or the physical skills and traits displayed at the combine? Its a judgment call. Of course, look at Vic Beasley... his college game, two years of high productivity, were pretty much backed up by him coming into the combine as the strongest, fastest and one of the most athletic LB prospects. It not only provides evidence that the skills may translate, it also shows you that he probably worked harder than the other prospects to prepare for the moment which may translate in the weight room, film room, technique, and him playing every down like its important.

Long story short... the combine is part of the picture. You get apples to apples comparisons of the players. It doesn't substitute for what you see on game tape, but it complements it.

 

[cubzzzfanincali]

here, for everyone's selective use in picking and choosing to back up your particular viewpoint, are some statistics:

https://www.mattrauch.com/2010-nfl-combine-results.php

There are other years linked, I randomly started there. Have fun all!

 

[NCChiFan]

I hear you Noon, and then I watched the LB's today for a bit, not the 40 dash but the on field drills. You could see a difference in them (aside from ILB's v. OLB's). That surprised me. Most looked stiff, but one stood out (compared to the others) for his fluid drills, good footwork, good hips, power, control and that was the Shaq kid from Washington. The rest were similar which isn't a good thing I would think.

This really surprised me as I didn't think I would see a difference.

 

[anotheridiot]

those linebackers were slower than the defensive linemen. For the most part, the big name linebackers in the draft were running with the defensive linemen like Fowler Jr,

Beasley really raised his stock in this draft.

There are two or three elite edge rushing 3-4 linebackers in this draft easy. I really hope the bears start there, even if its eating Allens 12.5. I know the DT Shelton is slated for the bears, but with Ego and Sutton picked last year there needs to be some hope for one of them to pick up the 3-4. I do think Sutton can play at his 322 and be a nose tackle, where Ego can move to DE at his 300 pounds and his knack to get to the QB, but getting that elite edge guy can happen. Beasley might make it to the second round though. His combine was great, still light on film.

Will the bears take another linebacker slated for DE just like Shea?

Is Shea that broken that he cant be that edge rusher the bears drafted him to be?

Will the really broken part of the defense be fixed and go with Landy Collins at strong safety? People say 7 is too soon for a safety, but there are some mocks out there have him picked at 5 by washington,

 

[{+}Mother-Marge{+}]

maybe you should watch some of the coverage. They are doing 40 yard dashes on the NFL network. sub 4.3 speed here. 260 pound defensive ends 3-4 edge rushers with 1.6 10 yard numbers, 4.6 40's. 300 pound guys running 4.8. They ran an animation of a current guy with a guy that is dominant in the league now.

Winston dropping to tenth on some boards, 4.97 40 time.

......and.....and .......roger goodell running the 40.....?!

 

[wood20ks]

Oh so that's why I'm not in football management. Hey Leo if you have no answer then don't answer. I was not asking for advice, I was asking for a intelligent answer to a football question. So either way you can't help me.

He`s just an attention whore Joe

It's like a second interview. You have already seen the tapes and now you want a second look at particular guys in person. It's like choosing cattle you get to weigh, measure, and heard everyone to do the same thing to compare against the others before you shell out money for your side of beef. You may get lucky and find a prim rib or you could end up with mad cow disease.

This is the bears,its usually mad cow disease........hopefully that's all in the past now.

 

[wood20ks]

here, for everyone's selective use in picking and choosing to back up your particular viewpoint, are some statistics:

https://www.mattrauch.com/2010-nfl-combine-results.php

There are other years linked, I randomly started there. Have fun all!

Hmmmm this may be a good read.

 

[wood20ks]

those linebackers were slower than the defensive linemen. For the most part, the big name linebackers in the draft were running with the defensive linemen like Fowler Jr,

Beasley really raised his stock in this draft.

There are two or three elite edge rushing 3-4 linebackers in this draft easy. I really hope the bears start there, even if its eating Allens 12.5. I know the DT Shelton is slated for the bears, but with Ego and Sutton picked last year there needs to be some hope for one of them to pick up the 3-4. I do think Sutton can play at his 322 and be a nose tackle, where Ego can move to DE at his 300 pounds and his knack to get to the QB, but getting that elite edge guy can happen. Beasley might make it to the second round though. His combine was great, still light on film.

Will the bears take another linebacker slated for DE just like Shea?

Is Shea that broken that he cant be that edge rusher the bears drafted him to be?

Will the really broken part of the defense be fixed and go with Landy Collins at strong safety? People say 7 is too soon for a safety, but there are some mocks out there have him picked at 5 by washington,

He never will be that player...........And God I knew this the day we drafted him.

 

[NCChiFan]

He never will be that player...........And God I knew this the day we drafted him.

He bulked up in college and wasn't effective at all, he needs to play the 3 tech in a 4-3 at a more natural weight. I agree, looking back, this pick is looking bad. Ego can play end in a 3-4, so can Ratliff. Paea is also an odd man out here... Maybe he can play a DE spot, but he's to trim, nor experienced enough to play NT. Ah, who knows... Maybe he would the best NT in a 3-4 that ever existed... if we sign him that will be telling.

 

[JoeyTourettes]

We have to remember it's a lot about Medical information too. If you go to a proday or just talk to the coach or the player of course they are going to say, "oh, that back issue is fine!" That knee injury last year... that's all healed up- good to go."
The combine does extensive medical evaluations on these guys.
The reason for the Combine:

1. Medical evals- both injury history and legit size: (height, weight, hands...etc.)
2. Interviews- Ask the tough questions in person, determine what type of teammate they are, can they put 2 sentences together? What is their basic football IQ.
3. On field evals. quickness, speed, strength.
4. How they perform under pressure.
5. Interact with other players.

I think it's an important overall evaluation day. And to have them all in one place is easier, Have them all take the same tests and answer the same questions.
I do think many put too much stock in the Combine and that's why we have "workout warriors" that get drafted a little too high and then are busts. It's all good IMO.

 

[cubzzzfanincali]

the good, the bad, and the ugly:

http://www.realclearsports.com/lists/nfl_draft_stock_combine/intro.html

 

[wood20ks]

the good, the bad, and the ugly:

http://www.realclearsports.com/lists/nfl_draft_stock_combine/intro.html

There were some big names on there,and none bigger than Mario Williams............

Some had good careers,while only one I seen not so much.
And I thought john englberger was drafted by us.........must of been a different engleberger.

 

[cubzzzfanincali]

Some greats, yes, and some major busts. You only saw one bust?

 

[richig07]

The smart GM's draft according to game tape and not combine performance.

There isn't a single GM that drafts a player soley based off of a combine performance. They all draft according to game tape. That is a guarantee.

 

[MarkOU]

It's like a second interview. You have already seen the tapes and now you want a second look at particular guys in person. It's like choosing cattle you get to weigh, measure, and heard everyone to do the same thing to compare against the others before you shell out money for your side of beef. You may get lucky and find a prim rib or you could end up with mad cow disease.

This was going to be my answer. It's like a cattle auction.

 

[anotheridiot]

well, I guess one part of a combine is allowing posters to say Carey is not a speed back since he ran a 4.7, so I guess the combine is not useless. Looked pretty fast in his highlight reel.

There is no disrespect meant by this post.