Ryan Poles reportedly won the Chicago Bears over with his organizational skills and attention to detail during his interviews for the GM job. Such things are vital for a man in that position. He must gather, retain, and process tons of information. All while sifting through the junk to find the hidden gems. Perhaps there is no bigger test this offseason for him than the upcoming scouting combine.
According to NFL.com, no fewer than 324 draft prospects were invited to this year's event down in Indianapolis. This is why the league has to conduct everything across almost a full week from March 1st to March 7th. When fans think of the combine, they think of the obvious things—the 40-yard dash, bench press, vertical jump, three-cone drill, and so on. The timed and measurement tests help determine the athletic profile of every prospect. While an essential part of the process, those probably aren't what executives, scouts and coaches look forward to the most.
Former GM Mike Tannenbaum explained on ESPN a year ago.
"The NFL scouting combine is traditionally a very significant piece to the pre-draft process, allowing NFL team coaches and staffs the chance to see prospects in person -- often for the first time. And an integral yet underappreciated aspect of the combine is the 15-minute interview that takes place between teams and prospects."This is something that is often forgotten about the combine. It is sometimes the only chance a GM will have to meet specific prospects face-to-face. A chance to get a glimpse into how their minds work. Now 15 minutes isn't a lot of time. A team can ask only so many things in such a small window. That is why GMs must be prepared. It can often come down to asking the right questions. If done correctly, a prospect can often expose himself. For better or worse.
"For starters, players who didn't know their responsibilities on tape set themselves back. Lying about an off-field incident was also a serious red flag. (Each team has its own security department investigate prospects.) But one that certainly jumped out was blaming either scheme or others for poor play. Honestly, that would eliminate a prospect from draft consideration for us."The overriding goal of these interviews should be obvious. Find out how much a player truly loves football. Is it his end-all-be-all or merely one avenue he views of making money? Poles has said he wants guys that love the game. Eberflus echoed those sentiments as well. Likely because those two men share similar feelings. It takes a genuine passion for the game to excel at this level. [video width="854" height="480" mp4="https://www.sportsmockery.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Inside-Combine-Interviews-With-Ravens-Top-Picks-Baltimore-Ravens.mp4"][/video]







