NFL officials held a closed-doors meeting last week about how to improve the annual NFL Scouting Combine.
The combine is a marquee event on the offseason calendar, and Ravens General Manager Ozzie Newsome revealed Wednesday that key figures around the league have undergone discussions about making the combine “pure.”
“We did have a major discussion at the owners’ meeting with the owners, head coaches and general managers about the combine,” Newsome said during the pre-draft press conference Wednesday. “And I just have to stop there, because it was a confidential meeting.”
Events like the combine and the draft seem to get bigger and bigger every season, and the league has made some significant adjustments to the combine in recent seasons. This year’s event marked the most noticeable change, as the NFL allowed fans inside to watch certain drills take place.
For example, the bench press competition was held in the same room inside the Indianapolis Convention Center where the league held press conferences and its NFL Experience. Select fans could sit in the stands to see the prospects participate in the bench press competition.
It’s unknown what was discussed in the meeting that Newsome referenced, but his overarching theme was that the league has to find a balance between respecting the process for the players and allowing teams to gather the information they need.
“The process has to remain pure, and I think that gives the players the time and the opportunity that they need, and it gives us what we need to properly evaluate the players.”
