Why does everyone forget? (1 Viewer)

[boubucarow]

Before the combine is in view, you will hear how it is overrated and the forty time is not functional football speed. Yet, every year forty times dominate conversation and move players up and down every single draft board. Experts gush over the speeds and posters here talk about how it solidifies or destroys a players draft value and future prospects.

Yet, it doesn't matter what almost any of them ran or how high they jumped. Game tape against top Division One talent are what made Mendenhall, McFadden, and Stewart top picks and the forty shouldn't have meant a single thing for any of them. There are so many skills that are significantly more important than how fast you run and how high/far you jump in shorts. It should move 99% of players absolutely nowhere on the draft board.

Honestly, only one running back intrigued me, Mike Hart. Why? He seemed to have gained weight in the off-season and I wondered if it would slow him down. A 4.6+ does serve as another deserved knock on a player who most thing lack the athleticism to play the position in the NFL. But cases where it matters at all are few and far between.

 

[Jeff Pasquino]

Before the combine is in view, you will hear how it is overrated and the forty time is not functional football speed. Yet, every year forty times dominate conversation and move players up and down every single draft board. Experts gush over the speeds and posters here talk about how it solidifies or destroys a players draft value and future prospects. Yet, it doesn't matter what almost any of them ran or how high they jumped. Game tape against top Division One talent are what made Mendenhall, McFadden, and Stewart top picks and the forty shouldn't have meant a single thing for any of them. There are so many skills that are significantly more important than how fast you run and how high/far you jump in shorts. It should move 99% of players absolutely nowhere on the draft board.Honestly, only one running back intrigued me, Mike Hart. Why? He seemed to have gained weight in the off-season and I wondered if it would slow him down. A 4.6+ does serve as another deserved knock on a player who most thing lack the athleticism to play the position in the NFL. But cases where it matters at all are few and far between.

It matters for 4 reasons:1. Players that perform well make you say "Who was that?" if you hadn't heard of him before.2. Players who are "Combine Coached" and "Workout Wonders" - think Mike Mamula, Matt Jones, Chris Henry last year - will be selected too early. It always happens. That tells you more about the staff of the team that drafts him than about the player. 3. Primarily it is a place where all 32 teams can interview, talk to and check out the rookies and also talk to the rest of the league. The workouts aren't as important as is the background checks and talking to the player off the field. 4. A player that grossly underperforms is a red flag. If you're going to work out, you better do reasonably well, especially when you can have a "hamstring issue" at the last minute and back out for your Pro Day.Other than those 4, I agree - the numbers / workouts aren't that important.

 

[boubucarow]

1. Players that perform well make you say "Who was that?" if you hadn't heard of him before.2. Players who are "Combine Coached" and "Workout Wonders" - think Mike Mamula, Matt Jones, Chris Henry last year - will be selected too early. It always happens. That tells you more about the staff of the team that drafts him than about the player. 3. Primarily it is a place where all 32 teams can interview, talk to and check out the rookies and also talk to the rest of the league. The workouts aren't as important as is the background checks and talking to the player off the field. 4. A player that grossly underperforms is a red flag. If you're going to work out, you better do reasonably well, especially when you can have a "hamstring issue" at the last minute and back out for your Pro Day.Other than those 4, I agree - the numbers / workouts aren't that important.

I agree with #1, #2 and #3. The interviews and some of the skill showings (like gauntlet) are pretty important. Knowing which team selects Mike Mamula tells you which team is stupid. #4 can work as well but the numbers who showed well on tape and then test horribly are probably in the few.

 

[Chase Stuart]

DeMarcus Ware was a workout warrior who passed Derrick Johnson (who was a stud on the field) after the combine.

 

[teamroc]

"But Suggs will hit the campus track again in front of the scouts' stopwatches in an attempt to set the record straight about his speed, following a horrendous workout before 31 of the league's 32 teams March 26.

After running the 40-yard dash in the 4.8-second range — much slower than advertised — Suggs wants a do-over."

I remember when he was too slow to chase QBs and he was in a FREEFALL on draft boards. One moron said he might not even be a 1st round pick after that 40 time. *lol*

"The slower time, though, may be a swing factor for some teams at the top of the draft. It also didn't help Suggs that he posted an average vertical jump (33 inches) and had 19 repetitions in the 225-pounch bench press (the average for linemen in last year's draft was 25) — and, according to one NFL coach, sent a poor message when he lifted weights while wearing CD headphones."

There are as many busts now as there were 25 years ago. Because its such a big business they need they need to "do homework". Homework is actually done in the film room, not at the combine. You go to the combine to make sure the guy you love (yes you should already know who you want well before the combine) doesn't have a hunch back or a third leg. Beyond those discoveries, all the testing/timing/jumping is more or less meaningless. It just makes the owners feel good when they sign the huge ### contracts.

Teams could EASILY draft without the combine. But it's a show, you get to validate your previous ideas of players, and in a toss up situation you might be swayed a little. But people act like teams come into the combine with an empty draft board, and write their board top to bottom in 3 days.

RatFace drafted his franchise QB, without even talking to him (Jay Cutler)! He asked a friend "is this guy good or what?", Fisher "yeah hes the real deal", ratface "okay ill make him my franchise qb and toss him a huge contract without ever talking to him, thanks man". These guys watch so much film, talk to coaches, they know these guys inside and out. Running a 40 doesn't change jack for the people in the know. Chris Henry and his amazing 40? Yeah that turned out real well. Troy Williamson? Come on. A few teams out there act like idiots over the 40 times, and it has burned them. Boldin? I'll take Boldin with his slow ### 40, thank you very much. And give me some 4.8 forty Suggs too.

 

[ImTheScientist]

It is also the best place to see everyone on a level playing field.