The combine isn’t relevant for top prospects anymore

[dplank]

At least not the parts we get to see/read about, teams (and fans) have to wait for all the pro days to see the big prospects in action now.

CW isn’t doing anything. MHJr and Nabers aren’t either, we will see who is next!

Does this impact Poles (the delay in timing to see the top prospects he needs to see) and his decision on Fields? I suspect he’s already decided but it’s an interesting quandary.

[Otis Day]

I would think GMs and personnel people have their minds made up prior to the combine. They have seen the guys on tape. Not sure seeing them half naked or their 40 times sway them away or to a pick. The GMs have an idea of how strong these guys are, how football fast they are. They have seen them make throws in games, under pressure, bombs, screens, etc. The combine is a place for GMs to get together and talk trade and such. Never put much into it.

[thunderspirit]

The Combine is mostly for medical evaluations, which the general public never gets a whole lot of news about anyway. (Nor should they, honestly; it's not like these guys sign a waiver for public disclosure.)

The workouts are informative, but serve primarily as a basis of comparison to the league as a whole —not unlike the all-star games where you get to see some guys for the first time against comparable athletes.

[UOK]

Top players will begin to avoid the combine or virtually anything that could get them hurt or reduce their perceived value before draft day. Going agent-free is going to be a larger trend going forward as players get more financially-savvy and share resources among one another about best negotiation practices.

But the combine is still a vital thing for everybody else who is chasing a dream to play the league, and sometimes stars are born out of the process.

[Moriarty]

It's true, but at the same time, very top prospects ducking Combine isn't anything new and I really haven't noticed it dialing up.

Fortunately, we're talking a slim minority of the 300+ invites.

[LacertineForest]

Top players will begin to avoid the combine or virtually anything that could get them hurt or reduce their perceived value before draft day. Going agent-free is going to be a larger trend going forward as players get more financially-savvy and share resources among one another about best negotiation practices.

But the combine is still a vital thing for everybody else who is chasing a dream to play the league, and sometimes stars are born out of the process.

Exactly - every year, some players really help their case with a ridiculous performance and stand out. The guys who know they're going at the top have no real incentive to do anything because they can only hurt their draft position. The downside is that they can introduce questions, get hurt, etc. So I completely get it.

[wab]

I'm not really interested in the Combine for the top guys anyway. I like to watch for those R4/5 types who move themselves into R2/3.