For over 40 years, the NFL Scouting Combine has taken place before the NFL Draft, providing teams with an in-person look at some of the top upcoming prospects. But NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith wants to get rid of it.
During the players association’s annual Super Bowl news conference on Wednesday, DeMaurice Smith called for the NFL to abolish the NFL combine and instead move to regional pro days. Smith explained his reasoning, pointing out that players have to skip their final season of college and endure a rough process.
“Think about it … the NCAA and the NFL structure a combine during what should be every football player’s what? Last semester in college,” Smith said, according to ESPN. “Who decided that it was a good idea to take your son and have him exclusively try out for the NFL’s exclusive way of getting into the league — for the most part, unless you’re a free-agent player? You have to be invited to the combine.
“As soon as you show up, you have to waive all of your medical rights and you not only have to sit there and endure embarrassing questions. And I think that’s horrible, and I don’t wanna pooh pooh any of that, but would you want your son to spend hours inside of an MRI [machine] and then be evaluated by 32 separate team doctors who are, by the way, are only doing it for one reason? What’s the reason? To decrease your draft value.”
We’ll have to see if the NFL ever makes any changes to the event.
[ESPN]
