http://www.nfl.com/combine/story?id...late=without-video-with-comments&confirm=true Combine Posted about 1 hour ago 0 Comments 0 Recommendations E-mail Teams looking for intangible that can't be measured by drills Steve Wyche By Steve Wyche | NFL.com Senior Writer INDIANAPOLIS -- The prospective NFL offensive linemen moved about the media circuit at the combine Thursday at Lucas Oil Stadium following extensive medical workups. Most looked the part, strolling around in black sweats, meeting media that probed which teams the players will be meeting with before going through a multitude of drills in the coming days. Yet, this whole circuit might not dictate much of what teams -- especially those in desperate need -- are looking for in an offensive lineman. "Toughness," Dolphins coach Tony Sparano said about the main trait he wants in an offensive lineman. Can't measure that in a 40-yard dash or in drills where guys go at it in non-padded Under Armour gear. You can measure it, though, but it might take the insight of an offensive line coach, by nature, like Sparano.
Ya know, I think this ties in with what the guys on Sirius NFL were talking about the other day. The combine is almost a waste of time anymore. WR's will show up, run routes and catch passes in the wideopen field all day, and they look just amazing. However, throw them on the field on sundays, or in practice, they cant get open, they drop the easy passes... Why? Because now you have someone else out there on that field who's hunting them down and might take a big shot at them over the middle and knock em down and out. The guys with that mental toughness will be able to still get open and make those plays, but its highly possible to have a guy who ran great routes, and caught every pass at the combine, and impressed everyone there while on the field... come in to practice and just be terrible. Same with O-lineman... great,we can see how many times they bench 225.. or whatever it is. We see if theyre fast, and a few other things, all in shirts and shorts... against NO-ONE. Whats the point. You dont get to see a guys technique and actual strength. Who cares how many times he benches 225? Can he hold off a speed rusher? Can he hold up against big 350lb DT's... no way of knowing that with what we see in the combine. Why not put some pads on these guys, line em up against one another and just run drills that way. In a practice type environment. Sure you still dont want the WR's getting leveled by the safeties and CB's, but at least put them out there, allow the jams at the line, allow the CB to contest the WR's for the ball, lets see who the real playmakers are... Put the best OLmen out there against the best DL's coming out. lets see who the good pass rushers are, lets see who the good blockers are... Not lets see who's practices the most to accel at a certain drill in an attempt to increase their draft stock because they performed well at the combine...
This is why thereal talent evaluators don't let a combine outweigh game tape. It's nice to have physical measurables, but you have to see a player in a game to know if he can produce.
