Browns Blog

The meat market

The NFL combine has become so big that more than 400 media credentials were issued last year. During the four days the league parades most of the prospects in and out of theedia center. Many of the head coaches and general managers are also brought in for interviews.

In reality, the combine is a meat market for the athletes. They're examined from top to bottom by doctors. Players that are coming off injuries spend most of one day at a hospital.

In addition, athletes spend several hours being interviewed by representatives of teams that have an interest in them. By the time the experience is done, the athletes want no part of it again.

In reality, the combine is overhyped and perhaps overblown. Most of the elite athletes opt out of the physical testing -- 40-yard dash, broad jump, 3-cone drill, vertical leap, etc. They fear that poor results might drop their draft status.

Most of the athletes prefer to work out during pro days hosted by the universities they attended. It's a more comfortable and realxed setting, which usually means better results.

The combine is great for reporters. It gives them a chance to meet the athletes up close and personal. It's also a chance to share transcripts of interviews to use for pre-draft stories.

For coaches and GMs, the combine is more a chance to get together with friends and exchange football talk. What they get out of it in terms of changing their rankings of prospects is probably minimal.

In the end, it's still all about how an athlete looks on film. Can he play the game of not?