Read the opposing argumens from Bleacher Fan.
Football is a perpetually evolving sport. Football teams are constantly searching for the next breakthrough that will give them even the slightest advantage. The introduction of sabermetrics style data driven decision making, the wildcat formation, and the emphasis of the two back rushing attack are just a few examples of how NFL teams are leaving conventional wisdom in the past throughout the last decade in search of new, innovative approaches. So that is why I am shocked that NFL teams are still putting so much stock in the NFL’s Scouting Combine. The combine is not a relevant tool for gauging player’s future performance in the NFL.
How does anyone make an argument for the validity of the combine? Really, I want to know. The combine activities are designed to measure the readiness and successfulness of potential NFL players. But, do they really? While the tests provide basic information about the health and athleticism of players, none of the combine activities demonstrate a player’s actual ability to play football. The standing broad jump and bench press are not actual parts of the game. Yet, for some strange reason, scouts, coaches, and general managers flock to the combine to compare notes on just such statistics. There are even less relevant aspects to the combine like sprints, shuttle runs, and intelligence tests.
Before you get all defensive about that last statement, let me admit that speed and intelligence are a large part success in the NFL. But these tests are not an accurate assessment of either trait. Players do not run undefended routes without pads in game situations. In the NFL speed is not measured against a stopwatch, but against mean, bone-crunching linebackers and defensive backs. Similarly, intelligence is a positive attribute in the NFL. But I have never seen Peyton Manning take a paper and pencil test to the line of scrimmage. In fact I would argue that the intelligence testing is truly invalid because it measures academic knowledge and not football knowledge. For example, the Wonderlic test, a 50 question intelligence measure, is given to each combine participant. The test asks questions ranging from “Which of these don’t belong” type questions to solving volume equations (you know, the usual football stuff.) In general, combine participants usually score in the average range, and thus far only one NFL player has ever scored a perfect 50 out of 50 – former Cincinnati Bengals punter Pat McInally (Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that he went to Harvard.) So, what does a test that measures academic knowledge that only a Harvard grad can ace tell us about a player’s football ability? Nothing!
Combine supporters argue that the event is needed to classify players, but that is not true. Most of the time teams have already classified players (in terms of speed, hands, agility, etc.) based on observations from scouting and film breakdown. Just this week Sports Illustrated writer Peter King reported that one of his highly respected sources in the NFL – who wished to remain anonymous – pointed out that this season his team’s draft board is already “90 percent set.” It seems that the only legitimate football purpose of the combine is helping indecisive scouts and football personnel further classify players. To think the NFL combine is the only – or even the most effective – way to make these classifications is wrong. Teams can still invite players for a workout, and scouts can still observe players speed in actual game situations… both of which are far more accurate measures of ability than the combine’s pad-less drills offer.
It stands to reason that the old fashioned method of scouting players and watching them actually play football is far superior to the combine.
