The Scouting Combine gives teams an opportunity to meet face to face with plenty of incoming rookies. Through the formal interview process, teams can talk to up to 60 players for 15 minutes at a time.
But there’s a lesser-known (and less formal) approach that occurs at Union Station, a gathering place in Indy that once served as the local train station. Panthers coach Ron Rivera explained during a bonus segment of PFT Live that this less structured (and thus slightly more chaotic) interview process can result in fewer canned, prepared answers -- and in turn a better chance at getting to the “real” guy.
Rivera addressed plenty of other topics, including the struggles of Cam Newton early in the 2012 season, working with a new G.M., and strategies for improving the league’s recently poor performance when it comes to minority hiring.