Another Combine Bites the Dust

As the combine comes to a close whether or not any one actually helped or hurt their draft status. The tests are not really indicative of how well a player can or cannot play at the next level. Just because he can bench 225 a bunch of times, run a fast 40, or jump real high does not translate into quality football.

The combine does provide two valuable tools however. It reminds us how dumb football executives can be. How on earth can anyone not see the value in a player like Myron Rolle? Questioning his commitment because he took the opportunity to study at Oxford instead of play football an extra year is absurd. If anything, executives should be chomping at the bit to sign this guy. He will easily be the smartest player on any team, hands down. His work habits will never come into question. Plus, being away from the game for a year insures that he is in top physical health. To wonder about his commitment because he chose to exercise all his options in life is just plain stupid.

It was also good to see the NFLready to take steps towards protecting players from head injuries. Every player that worked out at the combine was given a baseline brain activity test. Now in the future when whether or not the player has a concussion or has brain damage from one these test can be referred back to. These test will go a long way to deciding whether or not a player is ready to return to the field after suffering an injury.

“We have to admit, this is a tough game, a violent game, a collision game,” said John Madden, a Hall of Fame coach, former television analyst and now a consultant to the NFL. “How do we make it safer? We have to educate players and coaches and trainers, equipment is another way and rules changes are another way. But it can’t be just any one of those things. It has to be all of them together.”(Yahoo)