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NFL cancels combine because of pandemic

cigaretteman

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May 29, 2001
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Coronavirus canceled the NFL Combine.
A special league committee chaired by Giants co-owner John Mara has determined that the annual late-February Indianapolis spectacle of player workouts, prospect medical exams, and late-night rumor milling will not take place due to obvious health and safety concerns.
Instead, player workouts will happen at pro days on college campuses, and teams will have to interview prospects virtually rather than in person.

Giants senior VP of medical services Ronnie Barnes also is on the NFL committee that is developing a plan to obtain “comprehensive medical information on each of the invited prospects,” as described in a memo sent Monday to the league’s 32 teams.

The medical plan is expected to include a combination of virtual interviews by club medical staffs and testing done at labs and facilities near the prospect’s home.



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For “a certain number” of prospects — perhaps projected first-rounders and those widely considered potential injury risks — an in-person exam will take place at one or more locations likely in early April, the memo said.

Each team will be permitted to send one physician and one athletic trainer to conduct those in-person exams, which will likely be scheduled over a two or three day period.



The memo said prospects will conduct interviews with the media virtually. The committee also asked teams to make their GMs and head coaches available virtually to the media, as a replacement for their normal podium pressers in Indy.

The combine’s cancellation places extra emphasis on next week’s Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., as an opportunity for GMs and scouts to evaluate prospects in person, and to begin informal conversations with agents and peers on potential signings and trades.
The college pro day circuit also will take center stage.
The NFL really had no choice here due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. And even if owners had wanted to try moving the Combine back a few weeks, they couldn’t because the NCAA men’s basketball tournament starts on March 14 and is being played almost exclusively in Indianapolis.
 
I'm sure it's more about not wanting to have to coordinate a "bubble" for this event, otherwise scrapping 1 event in favor of just attending the dozens of college campus events doesn't sound like a health concern
 
Coronavirus canceled the NFL Combine.
A special league committee chaired by Giants co-owner John Mara has determined that the annual late-February Indianapolis spectacle of player workouts, prospect medical exams, and late-night rumor milling will not take place due to obvious health and safety concerns.
Instead, player workouts will happen at pro days on college campuses, and teams will have to interview prospects virtually rather than in person.

Giants senior VP of medical services Ronnie Barnes also is on the NFL committee that is developing a plan to obtain “comprehensive medical information on each of the invited prospects,” as described in a memo sent Monday to the league’s 32 teams.

The medical plan is expected to include a combination of virtual interviews by club medical staffs and testing done at labs and facilities near the prospect’s home.



Football
Family, faith and football: Robert Saleh’s journey to the Jets’ head coaching job is an ‘American story’
  • Pat Leonard, New York Daily News


For “a certain number” of prospects — perhaps projected first-rounders and those widely considered potential injury risks — an in-person exam will take place at one or more locations likely in early April, the memo said.

Each team will be permitted to send one physician and one athletic trainer to conduct those in-person exams, which will likely be scheduled over a two or three day period.



The memo said prospects will conduct interviews with the media virtually. The committee also asked teams to make their GMs and head coaches available virtually to the media, as a replacement for their normal podium pressers in Indy.

The combine’s cancellation places extra emphasis on next week’s Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., as an opportunity for GMs and scouts to evaluate prospects in person, and to begin informal conversations with agents and peers on potential signings and trades.
The college pro day circuit also will take center stage.
The NFL really had no choice here due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. And even if owners had wanted to try moving the Combine back a few weeks, they couldn’t because the NCAA men’s basketball tournament starts on March 14 and is being played almost exclusively in Indianapolis.

Is sending scout groups for all 32 teams all over the country to the dog and pony shows at college-after-college any better than gathering 300 or so players in one place for one weekend and just proceeding?

I'm not sure.
 
Is sending scout groups for all 32 teams all over the country to the dog and pony shows at college-after-college any better than gathering 300 or so players in one place for one weekend and just proceeding?

I'm not sure.

Ehh the pro-days can be spread out more. Less players involved.

That said this sucks because this draft class is going to be one of the most blind drafts in the history of the NFL. Shortened season, no season for a few of them. No combine, zoom interviews only. I am guessing no senior bowl.
 
Is sending scout groups for all 32 teams all over the country to the dog and pony shows at college-after-college any better than gathering 300 or so players in one place for one weekend and just proceeding?

I'm not sure.

I think an outbreak at the combine would be the worst case scenario. It might be easier to reschedule individual pro days
 
I think an outbreak at the combine would be the worst case scenario. It might be easier to reschedule individual pro days

I don't disagree but it would make a nice dry run for the NCAA tourney which would actually be the worst case scenario.
 
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I'm sure it's more about not wanting to have to coordinate a "bubble" for this event, otherwise scrapping 1 event in favor of just attending the dozens of college campus events doesn't sound like a health concern
I might be confused here but I don't get the sense that NFL teams will be sending reps to the various pro day events on campuses. My understanding is college coaching staffs will conduct the drills on campus and send video to each NFL team, and NFL reps will be able to interview the players via Zoom.
 
I might be confused here but I don't get the sense that NFL teams will be sending reps to the various pro day events on campuses. My understanding is college coaching staffs will conduct the drills on campus and send video to each NFL team, and NFL reps will be able to interview the players via Zoom.

That makes more sense but do you really think NFL teams are going to trust their multi million dollar commitments to a campus stopwatch? I think the pro days are going to be free for alls.
 
That makes more sense but do you really think NFL teams are going to trust their multi million dollar commitments to a campus stopwatch? I think the pro days are going to be free for alls.
After some further reading it appears there might be some in-person attendance for NFL team reps. Here is a copy of the memo:

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I think one consideration may be that the NFL was always going to do the campus pro days regardless. If this is true, then it makes sense to cut the combine, as these scouts and NFL personnel were going to be going on campus anyway. The one thing you miss out on is being able to, say look at Trevor Lawrence and then see Justin Fields within the next 20 minutes. You’ll lose some of the “eyeball test” because of this......but that’s probably not the end of the world.
 
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