NFL owners were forced to defend themselves after league executive Troy Vincent referred to the annual Scouting Combine as an event resembling the characteristics of a ‘slave auction’.
Vincent - the NFL executive vice president of football operations - spoke to owners around the league on Wednesday to announce changes to the combine. These include less tedious medical evaluation processes, as well as a deeper investigation into the questions teams ask prospects.
The changes come after the combine and the general pre-draft evaluation process has come under scrutiny in recent times, with many figures labelling the methods of getting information about players as dehumanising. The NFL Scouting Combine is a week-long showcase traditionally held at the Indianapolis Colts’ Lucas Oil Stadium whereby college football players perform a series of physical and mental tests for NFL coaches, general managers and scouts.
