How would you like to see the NFL change the Combine?

[DaLittle B]

The NFL annual underwear olympics starts this week,and I caught an article about the NFL is forming a committee to look at how to make the the Combine better.?Do more things that are football orientated,rather than train for a 3 cone drill,or 40 yard dash.

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-football/25490757/newly-formed-committee-to-exploring-making-changes-to-tests-at-nfl-combine

What things would you like to see change at the combine?

[Sunstroke]

I'm probably on a very short list of TDMMCers who records and watches every single minute of the Combine every year, and while I could see adding some more football-relevant drills, I am pretty happy the way it is now. The key, imo, is to ignore the superfluous crapola and focus on two things:

1) The numbers that actually matter. Do I really need to know how fast a 325 lb tackle runs the 40? No, but his 10 and 20-yard splits are a good bit more translatable to the field. Do I need to know how many times a speedy slot WR can bench 225 lbs? Not really, but I'm extremely interested in how big his hands are.

2) How smooth and how well-balanced players are when doing position-specific drills. Show me a player who stops/starts/turns instinctively, rather than mechanically, and I'll show you a player who will have an easier transition to the NFL level.

[DaLittle B]

I don't have a DVR,so I can't record it,but I watch a lot of it.It's good chunk of my draft preview,because I don't watch college football.

Here's my idea...
I get that there are too many players there to do it, but I'd like to have a day where all the offense/defense players (QB's,Rb's Te's,and o-lineman,or DL,LB's,Db's) go through either a "practice" type drill,or at least simulations with multiple positions. I get they have have game tape,and the Senior bowl,or east/west shrine game for a lot of the players.

Do the defense in the morning,and the offense in the afternoon.Even if it was a total of 2 hours,and hour for offense,hour for defense.I think it's something that would give each team football type drills that really aren't practiced for,and players get a quick taste of NFL practices.

[dolphins4life]

Maybe the players should do their fit tests in pads.  After all, wouldn't that be more realistic than in shorts and t-shirts?

[dolphins4life]

Funny story about when I played football in high school.  We were measuring our vertical leap with a mat.  The mat had a device that calculated our vertical leap by our hangtime. 

Our strength coach told us, "You can cheat on this one by tucking your feet in."

I asked, "What if you jumped, missed the pad, waited a little bit, and then jumped back on."

One of my teammates said, "It would give an unrealistic reading."

My coach looked at me with disgust and said, "It probably has a built in message that says, "You missed the pad, dummy.""

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

I think they should do some of it OUTSIDE.  Particularly if you are evaluating a player that is from a southern school who has never played a game where the temps were below 50 to find out if he will be able to function in an outdoor game in the late season play offs up north. 

[BuccaneerBrad]

I think they should do some of it OUTSIDE.  Particularly if you are evaluating a player that is from a southern school who has never played a game where the temps were below 50 to find out if he will be able to function in an outdoor game in the late season play offs up north. 

Won't work.  Not with these guys in skivvies.  Too much of an OSHA hazard and the NFLPA will have a field day with it in court.