Kevin Colbert Should Be Interested In the Veteran Combine
For the first time the NFL will have a Veteran Combine starting on March 22. Popular names such as Michael Sam and Vince Young will be in attendance, but the Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert might not be. As he was recently quoted by saying,
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"“I’m not real interested in it to be honest.” -Colbert"
Frankly it would be a huge mistake if Colbert doesn’t change his mind and attend the veteran combine. Here are some more Colbert quotes to show his disinterest in the combine.
"“We already know how big and fast they are. I think you’re naïve to think that a player that ran a 4.4 (seconds in 40-yard dash) three years later is still going to run a 4.4. You better base it on what he did in the league because college you’re looking at potential.”“In pro it’s black and white so most of these guys that go to the veteran combine have been in a camp, have been practice-squad players, been active players. What they do in a workout I’m not real interested in. I want to see what they did when they did have their chance to be NFL players.”"
While what he is saying is correct and I’m sure he knows better than me, but what is the harm in giving this combine some attention. I’m assuming some of the participants will be players who have possibly suffered an injury and are looking to show people that they are fully healthy. There will also be plenty of people who have been cut by teams and just haven’t had a great NFL career, but that doesn’t mean they have no talent.
Colbert, if anyone, should know that veteran players who have bounced around the league aren’t useless. He signed a 24-year old, undrafted linebacker named James Harrison after the Ravens had cut and added him and then cut him again. That move worked out for the Steelers, and yes he signed Harrison based off of watching tape and scouting him but imagine if the veteran combine was around in 2002, the year the Steelers signed Harrison. I’m assuming other general managers would have been impressed with Harrison’s strength, despite his small stature.
There may not be a James Harrison at the upcoming combine, honestly there might not be anyone there that has the potential to start in the NFL. But what’s the harm in paying attention to it? The way his quotes come off, he sounds pretty pompous. Like he is so smart and intelligent that he has no need to see players that he’s already heard of. If that’s the case, then why even show up for the rookie combine? They have tape. He’s seen them play college football.
How hard is it to believe that players, who clearly had the talent to be drafted and play in the NFL, weren’t put in the right position based on the team or system they ended out in? Or like I said early, players that got hurt and their old team didn’t give them a shot to recover and re-prove themselves because cutting them would save them money?
It’s all very possible and for Colbert to not care, and to not show up is very concerning. This is his job. There is ZERO harm if he doesn’t find anyone worth signing. But imagine if the Ravens or Bengals find a player worth signing and that player than hurts the Steelers chances of winning the AFC North and the Steelers could have possibly signed that player but Colbert stayed at home that day.
What do you think Steelers Nation? Will the NFL Veteran Combine be a joke or should Colbert be there because you never know what could happen?