It’s one thing for one of the new-age coaches to choose to stay home from the Scouting Combine, reasoning that his time is better spent working on more things than just preparing for the draft. It’s quite another for the old-school dean of coaches to boycott the proceedings.
As noted by Peter King in his Football Morning in America column, Patriots coach Bill Belichick skipped the 2023 event in Indianapolis.
It’s a surprise, to say the least. Belichick has been a mainstay at the Combine, sitting in the stands with binoculars and snacks as he studies the incoming talent.
But there are reasons, in today’s NFL, for coaches to allocate their time differently. And with Belichick choosing not to attend, others may decide to follow his lead.
It’s another reason to keep the event in Indianapolis. Moving it to other markets won’t make it any more convenient, since it’s currently as convenient as it ever will be. If/when it’s harder to get to where they need to go, coaches won’t be more likely to trade a week of productive office work for the topsy-turvy Combine experience.
It’s a real problem from the league. It takes away from the event. If the coaches don’t feel compelled to attend the Scouting Combine, why should anyone else feel compelled to pay attention to it?