If I was an owner of an NFL franchise and my general manager and my scouts based their decision making for the upcoming NFL draft on the combine, I wouldn't hesitate to fire them. The combine is, without a doubt, the most meaningless aspect of the NFL offseason.
The combine is a joke. It should have absolutely no influence on the teams' decisions on who to draft in April.
What would happen if Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh didn't show up to the combine? Would that really cause teams to choose another defensive tackle before Suh? I don't think so.
What about Tim Tebow? The Florida quarterback is widely considered one of the best college football players of all time, but apparently NFL scouts need to know how high he can jump before they can make a decision on whether to draft him or not. Just because he has a slightly highervertical leap than Michael Vick did when he was at the combine doesn't mean anything to me.
So Maryland offensive tackle Bruce Campbell ran a 4.85-second 40-yard dash on Saturday; Big Deal! Should that really change everyone's opinions on when he should be drafted? That doesn't make much sense to me. In fact, none of this makes much sense.
Personally, I don't need to know any of the combine results. I don't need to know Suh's vertical leap or how many repetitions he can put up on the 225-pound bench press. All I need to see is the video of the game against Texas in the Big 12 title game. Do you remember that game? It wasn't that long ago. Suh dominated the Texas offensive line with 12 tackles and 4.5 sacks. Remember? Isn't that more meaningful than anything he does in the combine? That game is all I need to see to know that he is a top five pick in most NFL drafts.
Clemson running back C.J Spiller showed he has explosive speed when it comes to kick returning throughout the regular season. Against Maryland, he returned a kick 92 yards for a touchdown... and he ran the final 60 yards with just one shoe on.
I don't need to know his time on the 40-yard dash to know he is a first round pick and has potential to be a starting NFL running back.
I don't know about the rest of the football fans out there, but there is nothing in the NFL, and in professional sports, that I care less about than the combine. A preseason game between the Browns and the Bills is more entertaining and significant. Stop this nonsense and let's get to the draft already! - Michael Klopman
Michael, a Penn State Graduate writes for Xtra Point Football, Around the Horn Baseball, is a contributor to the Bleacher Report and works on the sports page at the Huffington Post.
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