Quote:
Originally Posted by Bigtinylittle
What Cushing said gives more evidence that it is very risky for teams to put too much stock in combine results. A player's performance on tape against quality competition should be by far the main measuring stick of his worth. Unless, of course, you're Al Davis.  |
I've always thought that the combine was just as important for teams in terms of seeing how guys prepare for it as it is for the times. Did a guy show up in shape? Was he prepared for the drills, or did it look like it was the first time he ran them? The interview is probably as important as anything. A guy who's already shown himself to be a top prospect in college just has to show teams he's willing to work and isn't just expecting to come in and dominate without putting the work in. Most D-1 college prospects are good enough to put up decent times.
The fact that Cushing was willing to put in the work to lose some weight to improve his times is a good sign to me. It's not a gaurantee of anything, and was really nothing more than NOT raising any red flags. I know some teams fall in love with the times (raiders), but I think the teams that do the best job drafting keep the times in proper prospective...while taking a calculated risk on a burner occasionally.