It is a trend now. How widespread it is remains to be seen.
Some members of the coaching staff decided not to attend the scouts. For most casual observers, this is a shocking revelation given the hype and focus devoted to the league’s first off-season support events. After all, if several of the coaching staff interrupt the festivities, it’s probably not as big of a deal as Big Shield would like us to think it is.
Here’s what the NFL’s off-the-field reality show is all about. Some decide their time is best spent working in the team facility all week. They can spend the day doing multiple things, from making decisions about which of their players to keep, which free agents to follow to any upcoming players they might want to try and add.
With the launch of the offseason not too far away, some teams are choosing to focus on planning an officially casual start to the next campaign rather than devoting an entire week to focusing on the next wave of new players.
The Combine began as a way to consolidate medical information, making it cheaper and more efficient to gather diagnostic information related to players who come off their college football careers with long-term injuries. It has become, in many respects, a TV show for the league, a speed-dating game when it comes to getting to know players, and a convention for the people who work in and around the game.