Bruce Banner Posted February 25, 2010 Share Posted February 25, 2010 http://itiswhatitis.weei.com/sports/newengland/football/patriots/2010/02/23/the-nfl-combine-the-joke-thats-no-longer-funny/ WEEI.com guest columnist Matt Chatham is a former Patriots linebacker. The University of South Dakota product played in New England from 2000-05 before concluding his career with two seasons as a member of the Jets. Chatham now is working toward his MBA at Babson College. Matt Chatham The NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis is scheduled from Feb. 24 through March 2. More than 600 NFL personnel will sift through this year Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slats Posted February 25, 2010 Share Posted February 25, 2010 I sat in a team meeting late in my career in New York with Jets coach Eric Mangini waving combine numbers at an underperforming player begging him to start playing faster as his Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abyzmul Posted February 25, 2010 Share Posted February 25, 2010 That last part is depressing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green DNA Posted February 25, 2010 Share Posted February 25, 2010 Dwayne Robertson also flashed at the combine and unfortunately the Jets took the bait. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abyzmul Posted February 25, 2010 Share Posted February 25, 2010 Dwayne Robertson also flashed at the combine and unfortunately the Jets took the bait. DRob wasn't even close to the bust that Gholston is shaping up to be, but considering what we gave up for him and how much HOF talent was drafted after him, it makes it hurt soooo much more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Banner Posted February 25, 2010 Author Share Posted February 25, 2010 DRob wasn't even close to the bust that Gholston is shaping up to be, but considering what we gave up for him and how much HOF talent was drafted after him, it makes it hurt soooo much more. I always felt that Drob was a level headed guy who gave it his best. Gholston is a nutcase. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larz Posted February 25, 2010 Share Posted February 25, 2010 so matt didn't get an invite when he was coming out ? lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThisYearsModel Posted February 25, 2010 Share Posted February 25, 2010 Great article. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HessStation Posted February 26, 2010 Share Posted February 26, 2010 so matt didn't get an invite when he was coming out ? lol Exactly. What a bitter, bitter man. His article is very subjective. There are a ton of players who get noticed at the combine, rise higher and go on to have great careers. Mario Williams was never going to be the #1 pick without that sick combine. I can go on and on but I just don't think it's worth it. If you don't see both sides than you have issues. Matt is playing the side that works for him. Of course it's a full time business. OF COURSE every team will show. Gee Matt, wouldn't you if you were spending millions and millions of dollars on these players. And look, unless you're the Raiders, the smarter teams have this all based on scale. The combine is part of that scale. The smarter, better teams know how to weigh and allocate paper numbers to field numbers to tape. Sorry but his article, although I can understand his point of view, basically repulsed me and it sounded like a cry-baby crying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HessStation Posted February 26, 2010 Share Posted February 26, 2010 There are also so many intagibles involved at the combine that Matt's seems to be omitting. It's a chance to see the best college players in person. Get a feel for their personality. How they listen, what kind of shape they are in, is the kid well-spoken, is he a punk...so on and so on and so on. I get it though. He's trying to be the voice of the little guy..the underdog. The Wes Welker's and Pierre Garcon's of the world. Well freaking duh. That's why the draft goes 7 rounds and has FA signing. Hence why you had a career Matt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T0mShane Posted February 26, 2010 Share Posted February 26, 2010 The Combine is about the one on one interviews, the Wunderlich, the drug tests, and the ability to see which players excel under the pressure of having to compete side by side with 20 or so other guys at their position. Yes, the 40 and the bench press are silly tests that only fans (and gullible GM's) are impressed by, but those tests are the last things the good teams take away from Indy. All about the medical and the mental. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thai Jet Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 Dwayne Robertson also flashed at the combine and unfortunately the Jets took the bait. Great example. I remember how he was "rocketing up the draft boards" . I'm thinking , did Kentucky play some games in early February that I missed ? Show me the game tapes. They will show me if he's a player or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenseed4 Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 I liked the article. While the "silly" tests and measurables are in fact, silly. I think you can spot a talented reciever by the route running and hands-catching. You can get a feel for footwork and hip fluidity in the DB drills. You can see natural knee benders in the OL drills.... and you can see QBs throwing pro-style route trees to WRs they are unfamiliar with. The Combine is a great way to sort through 300 or so players. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SenorGato Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 Yea...no. In a league full of elite athletes, getting the best ones who might or can play the best is a must. That plus the combine isn't about that stuff. It's about everything we don't see and mostly hear about. As far as Dwayne Robertson, he woulda/coulda/shoulda been a fine pick had we kept Ferguson. Alot of coaches were calling him the best DT they faced during our '04 run. Alot of the time, it's more complicated than "that guy sucked and that guy didn't." Well, if it matters to you it does...not really otherwise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aten Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 This is pretty funny considering Bruce Campbell made more money in the last 24 hours than Matt Chatham has made in his life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RutgersJetFan Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 This is pretty funny considering Bruce Campbell made more money in the last 24 hours than Matt Chatham has made in his life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gang_green03 Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 These one sided arguements regarding the combine get really annoying. No test at the combine is worthless they are all things that should be considered with a prospect. People only get into trouble when they take something in a vacuum. The combine should only confirm what you already thought about a player or make you double check what you saw on tape. If someone blazes the 40 but doesn't play that fast you shouldn't put to much stock into it but at the same time if a player looks good on tape you shouldn't just disregard a poor combine. Seriously if you just try to pick and choose players that blew up the combine and failed or visa versa you can do that all day.It shouldn't be the sole basis for anything but it shouldn't be ignored either. It's really not that difficult. This is the same as the BPA vs. need arguement. Proper balance is the key. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iceman88 Posted February 28, 2010 Share Posted February 28, 2010 If Chris Johnson hadn't run a 4.24 there's no way he would have been the Titans first round pick. I think that worked out pretty well for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slats Posted February 28, 2010 Share Posted February 28, 2010 This is the same as the BPA vs. need arguement. Proper balance is the key. Agree on balance, but that balance should be about 90% film, 10% combine results. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gang_green03 Posted February 28, 2010 Share Posted February 28, 2010 Agree on balance, but that balance should be about 90% film, 10% combine results. Oh yea most definitely agree that it should be heavily weighted towards film. The combine's main purpose should be to confirm tape or cause you to go back and give the tape a second look. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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