Lions coach Dan Campbell isn’t a big fan of the workouts that take place at the Scouting Combine.
Campbell said today that while he likes coming to the Combine so that he can meet some of the players in person, he considers the on-field drills to be a meaningless television show.
“I guess there is somewhat of a spectacle,” Campbell said. “To me it’s more, at this point, just to be able to sit with these guys. They get the medical during the week, but for us to be able to do these interviews is to me the biggest part of all this. It’s not even the working out portion. To me, you grade them off the tape, you don’t grade off somebody out here in pajamas, running the 40 with no defender around.”
Campbell said he likes in-person meetings with players, trying to get a feel for their competitiveness and passion for football.
“The meetings are great, the meetings are really pivotal. All the other stuff, whatever,” Campbell said.
That seems to be a growing sentiment at the Combine, where plenty of players are declining to participate in on-field drills, and plenty of coaches are deciding they have better things to do than attend.